Monster Bomber (モンスターボンバー, Monsutā Bonbā) is a puzzle video game developed by the Japanese company Taito for the Nintendo DS handheld console. It was first released in Japan on March 23 2006, followed by releases in North America (November 28 2006) by Majesco Entertainment, Europe (May 5 2007) by 505 Games, and Australia (September 30 2007) by Red Ant Enterprises.
Gameplay
The game combines elements of classic arcade shooters and tile‑matching puzzles. Players use the DS stylus to create and launch colored bombs from the lower screen toward descending alien monsters on the upper screen. Matching bomb colors with the monsters' colors eliminates them; strategic placement and timing are required to prevent the monsters from reaching the bottom of the screen, which ends the game. Monster Bomber is presented as a single‑player experience.
Development and Publication
Taito, known for arcade titles such as Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble, developed Monster Bomber as part of its early‑2000s effort to bring original titles to the Nintendo DS platform. The game was published regionally by different companies: Taito handled the Japanese market, while Majesco Entertainment, 505 Games, and Red Ant Enterprises covered North America, Europe, and Australia respectively.
Reception
Critical response to Monster Bomber was mixed. Aggregator Metacritic assigned the title a score of 55 / 100, indicating average reviews. Individual publications gave varied ratings: Eurogamer scored it 4 / 10, Famitsu awarded 25 / 40, GameSpot rated it 6.9 / 10, IGN gave 4.5 / 10, NGamer reported 58 %, and Retro Gamer gave 46 %. Reviewers commonly noted the game's colorful presentation and novel use of the DS touchscreen, while criticizing its limited depth and repetitive gameplay.
Legacy
Monster Bomber remains a relatively obscure entry in Taito’s catalog and in the broader DS library, recognized primarily by enthusiasts of niche puzzle games. It has not been re‑released on subsequent platforms or received significant post‑release support.