GamePro Code Vault

October 2003

IT CAME FROM OBSCURICA

page 21

If you can track down this game for cheap, then buy it immediately.
Silent Bomber
Bandai
Playstation

Japanese developer Cyber Connect 2(sic) has attracted lots of notice for the .hack series of PS2 role-playing games. Too bad, then, that nobody paid attention when it created Silent Bomber, an amazingly addictive action game that garnered lots of critical praise then kind of fell off store shelves in a month.
The game's best described as a cross between Gauntlet, Smash TV, and Bomberman.
You are Jutah (that's YOO-tah), a crack demolitions expert sent to infiltrate a massive enemy battleship and destroy it from the inside. Jutah is a master of explosives, and his only manner of attack is the judicious placement of bombs–you can lock on to enemies and lay bombs directly on them, or you can try to guess their paths and lead them into incendiary traps. Considering the simplicity of the concept, the gameplay is impressively complex. Jutah can lock on to enemies, and as long as he remains in range, he can set up bombs as he jumps and runs about. Once the bombs are set, you can wait for just the right moment...and bam! One (or hopefully several) toasted bad guy. Satisfaction is immense when you figure out the controls, and thanks to the helpful tutorial, this won't take long at all.

Budget Fun Factor: 5.0
Silent Bomber's title is sadly prophetic–released back when the Dreamcast was king and the PlayStation 2 was a hype machine, the game failed to create any noise in the marketplace. It's really a drag, it is, because the game's a refreshingly different take on the old-school action-game formula that propped up the console industry in its infancy. Grab it while it's still grabbable for cheap!

Buyer's Guide

page 22

G S C FF ESRB
.hack Part 2: Mutation 3.0 4.0 3.0 3.5 T
.hack Part 3: Outbreak 3.0 4.0 2.5 3.5 T

Coming Attractions

page 26

.hack Part 4: Quarantine Bandai December