If you remember when games were happy to throw a few pixels on screen and let you get on with blowing things up, Kaboomania should feel rather familiar.
Originally designed for the Amiga 1200, this colourful maze-bomber has now made the jump to Xbox Series X|S, bringing old-school arcade action, 1,000 levels and plenty of explosions along for the ride.
Priced at £8.39, Kaboomania comes from Fancy Factory and takes inspiration from the classic maze-bomber formula while introducing its own characters, worlds, enemies and challenges. It’s retro, certainly, but this isn’t simply an old game being dusted off and pushed onto a modern console.
At A Glance
- Game: Kaboomania
- Developer: Fancy Factory
- Publisher: Fancy Factory
- Platform: Xbox Series X|S
- Price: £8.39
- Genre: Retro maze bomber
A Classic Idea With A Fresh Identity
The basic idea behind Kaboomania is exactly as you would expect – Make your way through large maze-like environments, deal with enemies, collect power-ups and use explosives to clear a path. Of course, things get considerably more complicated once those explosions start chaining together.
Across five themed worlds, you’ll encounter a variety of enemies with different behaviours, alongside collectibles and power-ups designed to keep you moving. The sheer number of stages is perhaps the game’s biggest selling point, with 1,000 levels promising plenty of opportunities to put your bomb-placing skills to the test.
The presentation also wears its retro influences proudly, using low-resolution 128-colour pixel art rather than attempting to disguise its old-school roots.
Bring The Bombs To The Sofa
Kaboomania isn’t restricted to single-player action either. The game includes a four-player local battle mode, giving you the opportunity to settle your differences the traditional way – by putting explosives between yourself and your friends.
It certainly brings back memories of Bomberman, although Kaboomania isn’t being sold as a remake or clone. It’s instead a new take on the maze-bomber concept, combining familiar arcade mechanics with its own worlds, enemies and visual style.
We’ve previously looked at that formula in our SUPER BOMBERMAN COLLECTION review, awarding it 4/5 and praising the way it acts as both a celebration of the series’ history and an accessible introduction for newcomers. Kaboomania is taking a rather different route, but the appeal of simple controls, quick rounds and increasingly chaotic explosions remains much the same.
Kaboomania Is Ready To Blow Up Xbox
There aren’t many new games that can claim an Amiga 1200 connection before mentioning modern Xbox hardware, but that’s exactly the journey Kaboomania has taken. With five worlds, 1,000 levels, four-player couch battles and a soundtrack from one of the most recognisable names in retro game music, there is plenty here for arcade fans to investigate.
Kaboomania is out now on Xbox Series X|S, for £8.39 from the Xbox Store.
Just remember: in a game like this, the biggest threat isn’t necessarily the enemy. It’s the bomb you forgot you’d just placed.
