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Now if you're a newcomer, everything I've just discussed has probably gone over your head. If you're reading this and still playing, I'm willing to bet that you've even considered giving up. If so, don't lose hope. Spend time in the Local Match mode to hone your skills before taking on human competition. Just be aware that a human player will naturally be craftier. From a social standpoint, you can interact with positive or negative remarks using the Vision camera or voice chat. The only time I've become disgusted with the latter is when folks are heavily breathing into their mic, complaining or consistently rambling things like "Hello, can anyone hear me?" Ugh! Playing the single-player mode is also the only way to unlock all the special outfits available. This by far is one of the coolest additions to the Bomberman franchise: being able to customize your Bomberman via numerous head, body and facial types. Originally, I settled for a DBZ-like character sporting fatigues, but as of a few days ago I've upgraded my look to a character more my style: a regal robe with an afro. Yeah, he's black. I got to keep the resemblance going, y'know?
Bomberman Live offers several different multiplayer modes. The standard Battle mode can be toggled to incorporate arena features (i.e. ice cracks, transporters, tornadoes), which is often highly preferred by online competitors to be Off. There's also a Tournament Mode, in which players compete to see who can win the most matches in the tournament set. Then there's Paint Bomb (which I hate with a passion) in which the objective is to acquire as many painted titles within the time allotted. Zombie is practically identical to Paint Bomb, with the only exception is your character can't die, and the Revenge Mode is disabled. Finally, there's Bombing Run where the action is kicked up a few notches, and every player moves around at "super speed." Good stuff, but I find it difficult to control my character, so I usually skip it when I can.
Overall, life seems a lot brighter for me these days. Bomberman Live has become one of the best virtual forms of relaxation after a hard day's work, in spite of some of the sour types I've encountered on Xbox Live. If you can look past all the self-proclaimed champions and half-wits, you'll find a lot of chill folks just looking for a good time. Plus it goes without saying: Bomberman Live is loaded with replay value. No two games are ever alike, and the road to victory can often be rather random, due to all the expected surprises and exceptional competition. That said, if you're looking for a fun XBLA release to satiate your thirst for competition, I totally recommend this game to all. Every 360 owner needs to make this part of their collection. Just make sure to step away from your chair, and occasionally embrace reality; something I often have the custom of forgetting.
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