[9] Next Generation's early review called it "the best multiplayer game for the PlayStation, hands down", elaborating that, "There isn't too much strategy, per se, but with a long, impressive list of special powers each competitor can choose from before the match, and a few special items to grab for during a match (or avoid, since there are some dangerous doodads mixed in with the good ones), the amount of entropy generated is enough to please even the most die-hard of chaos theorists.

"[3] Art Angel of GamePro's early review called it "a Bomberman-esque arcade/strategy game that rocks the house with great graphics, fun multiplayer action, and an unusual array of characters.

[10][11] Electronic Gaming Monthly's Shawn Smith described it in an early review as "A swingin' multiplayer title that's easy to control, looks good and has long-lasting, one-player features to boot."

He and the other three members of the EGM review team concurred that the game has enough variations and secrets to make it highly replayable even in one-player mode, though they still felt the multiplayer was the game's chief draw.

[8] IGN's early review said that the game was "so addictive that once you start playing, you won't put your controller down.