Hudson owed gamers. With its first 360 Bomberman outing, Act Zero, the longtime developer managed to ruin its most recognized franchise. Bomberman games have largely not received exceptional ratings for some time now, but because Hudson understood the Bomberman formula, they were always at least average. Act Zero put an end to that understanding, destroying what little was left of a stagnant franchise.

Bomberman Live is Hudson's return to formula, and coming off of Act Zero, is a breath of fresh air as well. Live is essentially a "best of" in that it's got everything people liked about the classic Bomberman games. Considering it's an Xbox Live download, that's pretty great. For the Bomber-virgins out there, the game essentially involves running around a maze with two to seven other bombers, picking up power-ups, dropping bombs, and blowing the stuffing out of everyone and everything. It's easy to learn and nearly impossible to master, which makes it great for multiplayer.

A word of warning to loners: you may not find Bomberman Live very fun. Hudson has not included much in the way of a single player mode. It's there, yes, but it's really just the multiplayer mode without the name calling. Bomberman Live is best played with real people, particularly if they're actually your friends. It's absolutely perfect for Xbox Live and online multiplayer can be truly exceptional.

Prepare yourself for one of the best multiplayer experiences on Xbox Live Arcade.

Bomberman Live should make many 360 gamers' regular play rotation for the rest of their console's lifespan. Multiplayer has enough levels, modes, and option tweaks to keep things interesting. In addition, Hudson has included a plethora of ways to earn gamer points. One nifty little extra in this round is the ability to customize your bomber's appearance. Bomberman's head, body, and antenna can all be modified with more options that are unlocked as you play. It all adds up to an incredibly lasting replay value, even if there's not much to the one player mode.

One of Act Zero's most notoriously bad ideas was trying to make Bomberman more adult. Hudson swapped out the series' cute, extremely Japanese visuals in favor of a dark style most comparable to Nintendo's Metroid Prime series, and to call it bland would be an understatement. Live returns the series to the look gamers have loved for years, only sharper, since it's in HD. The graphics aren't exactly complex, but they're pretty sweet nonetheless. Bomberman's music is about the same as always: upbeat and repetitive. There are also some annoying, high-pitched voices that accompany the action, but at least the explosions are satisfying to the ear.

At 800 points, Bomberman Live is a bit on the pricey side. Then again, Hudson tried selling Act Zero on a disc at full retail, didn't they? Price tag aside, Bomberman Live is a perfect fit for online play and one of the best multiplayer experiences available on Xbox Live Arcade. If you're looking for something fun to play with friends, you can't go wrong with this game.