[Review] Billy Bomber – Nintendo Switch

Billy Bomber
Nintendo Switch

Developed By : Jakub Lange
Published By : Ultimate Games
Category : Puzzle, Physics-based
Release Date : Oct 15, 2019

Level based puzzle games are a dime a dozen, especially if you consider the mobile-app market. These games get churned out incessantly hoping to bring a new mechanic, or a new visual aspect to a copied mechanic, in hopes of making a few bucks. It wouldn’t be worth mentioning this mobile market, except for the fact that, based on their history, Ultimate Games likes to make use of this pool, dipping their toes into it and porting these mobile games over to the Switch. Such is the case with Billy Bomber, a game which has you utilizing dynamite and springs to move a ball shaped construction worker.

Your puzzle journey is spread out over a measly 25 levels where you’ll have two objectives, one required and one optional. Situated in each level is a white flag where Billy needs to get, as well as three stars scattered around that may be collected if you so choose. The only problem is Billy can’t move in conventional ways. He needs to be flung and propelled with explosive bits of dynamite, or bounced off of springs to reach high and far places.

Each level needs to be unlocked by finishing the previous one. It never matters how many stars you collect, or even if you collect none. As long as you reach the white flag, you’ll be able to progress to the next level. Initially these start off pretty easy, needing to navigate Billy down a single ground path, or a series of drops. Eventually you’ll find yourself needing to launch him skyward and over big gaps in the air.

The controls are some of the simplest you’ll find. Billy Bomber can be played with button inputs or using the touch screen if you’re playing in handheld. As you place the blocks of dynamite, each will have a number attached to them. If you choose to detonate them with the button input, this is the order they’ll explode in. Otherwise you can tap them manually on the screen and choose the detonation order for yourself.

One interesting bit about the game is the fact that there are two modes, a difficult mode and a baby mode. In the difficult mode you have a finite number of supplies and must figure the perfect placement for them. While in baby mode though, you have infinite of both dynamite and springs when both are required. Naturally the heightened challenge comes from using the limited supplies, but either way you have to start at level 1 and unlock them all in order.

While the game itself is actually decently fun, and can have a bit of challenge to it if you’re playing on the normal mode. However, the game as a whole is far too small. Only two dozen levels, and nothing else to it makes this game a complete breeze and easy to finish before it’s finished booting up. The obstacles do change up as you go through the game, but it never becomes anything super impressive.

The worst part, though, wasn’t even how short and simple the game was. On the Nintendo.com page for the game listing has a slide with the level select screen. At the bottom of this screen are two boxes : “Level Editor” and “Community Levels”. This was clearly a grab from the mobile version of the game since I could find no such features on the Switch version. Sadly, this would have made the game a lot better. If it’s a future plan to bring this to the console version I highly recommend it. Otherwise, don’t waste a penny on this one and go get the mobile version instead, because that one is free.