Bandai hasn't exactly been well known for a legacy of great interactive entertainment titles over the years.  Known mainly for Gundam and Macross titles, the company has finally started to branch out a bit and -- if Silent Bomber is any indication -- it's a move that should have been made a long time ago.  With Silent Bomber, Bandai has made a game that's genuinely fun - thanks to a slight twist on an old school genre. 

In Silent Bomber, you're Jutah Fate, a soldier without emotion who is part of a team sent to destroy key facilities on the battleship Dante.  That's about all you need to know unless you can find it in your heart to grow attached to the game's one-dimensional characters.  It's fine if you do but don't worry, even if the story turns you off there's a lot of fun to be had here. 

If you haven't guessed from the game's title, success in Silent Bomber revolves around your ability to use bombs to destroy your enemies.  There is, however, no emphasis on stealth - according to the manual it’s "Silent… for his destiny." You can drop the bombs on the ground and fire them at your enemies blindly or using a lock-on strategy. The play mechanic resembles a basic shooter, with the exception being that you have total control over when your attacks detonate.  This is neat twist that may even help endear this game to people who don’t like older-style games any more.  If you're looking for Metal Gear Solid or a game that takes more than a few hours, it may not be your bag, but Silent Bomber is a load of arcade-style fun.  While it may be over sooner than you'd wish, it's not the kind of game you'll give up on after one run through.  

The level designs are pretty linear, but they're well done and nicely varied - some require you just to run from one end to another, while others require a bit of basic path finding.  On some levels, you'll just be sitting on a platform while it carries you through the battleship.  For players who want a little bit more than nicely developed levels as incentive to play again, a ranking system rates your performance.  Be prepared for a lot of D's on your first time through.  

The control is very good.  Moving Jutah around the screen and laying bombs is about as easy as it could be. Unfortunately, one of the strategies you're required to rely on -– lock-on -- can lead to a bit of frustration as there often seems to be a slight delay before you actually succeed in locking on.  Some boss characters require you to use this attack method and while your thumbs are willing and able, Jutah might not be equal to the task in a pinch.  This is only a slight problem - definitely not a showstopper.  A big plus is the use of the Dual Shock controller. Most games seem to add vibration as a gimmick so you can "feel" something happening in the game.  In Silent Bomber, it seems to be a very worthy addition - rumbling as your bombs explode, and with varying intensities depending on the explosion. 

Silent Bomber's environments are nicely detailed and only at the most chaotic times is there any slowdown. As in many shooters, the slowdown actually seems like a nice touch, adding a bit of drama to the fray.  Like the environments, your character and enemies are all detailed and look solid. But as should be the case in any game about blowing things up, special attention has been paid to making authentic-looking explosions and fire.  The sound effects are also very authentic, with solid booms and blasts.  The music is nothing special, though, and the voice acting is relatively weak.  Although I've heard worse...much worse.  The emotionless Jutah makes for the easiest voice acting gig anyone's ever had.  Apparently it involved getting somebody off the street to deliver monotonous dronings of the game's dialogue.  Again, this weakness doesn't do anything to ruin the game - you're not listening to the cut scenes while you're blowing things up. 

Silent Bomber doesn't do anything particularly new. The bomb attacks are a neat twist, but otherwise the game is essentially a shooter. But it's a good one that will be sure to engage shooter fans - particularly given the shortage of classic-style games in the current console age.

Addictive. One trip through the game won't take terribly long, but this isn't a game you'll put away after playing it once.