Bomberman: Bombs, Mazes, and Friends

Type the text exactly. Timer starts with your first key.

Text to type: Bomberman is a series of maze and action games. A maze is a place with paths and walls. You move your character along the paths and put down bombs. The bombs break soft blocks, which are blocks you can destroy. This opens more space to move. You can also find a power-up, an item that gives you extra help. For example, it can make your bombs stronger. But stronger bombs can be dangerous for you, too. Your own blast can catch you. The simple idea is to place a bomb, move away, and stay safe.

Ready. The timer starts with your first key.

Type the text exactly. Timer starts with your first key.

Text to type: The maze is a grid, with spaces in rows and columns. You move through the open spaces and drop a bomb. The bomb pulses for a short time, then sends flames left, right, up, and down. The flames do not travel in a circle. Soft walls can break in the blast. Items may appear, and you can pick them up. Some power-ups let you place more bombs. Others make the flames reach farther. One bomb can also set off another bomb. This is a chain reaction. Watch the paths before you move, not just the space beside you.

Ready. The timer starts with your first key.

Type the text exactly. Timer starts with your first key.

Text to type: Hudson Soft was a Japanese video game company that created the series. The first game was called Bomber Man and came out in July 1983. Another name for that first game was Bakudan Otoko, meaning “Bomb-Man.” Bomberman came to the Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, in 1985. People often mean this early home version when they talk about the original classic. So the first release and the familiar early home game have different dates. The series continued for many years. Multiplayer, which means playing with other people, became a key part from the TurboGrafx-16 game in 1990 onward.

Ready. The timer starts with your first key.

Type the text exactly. Timer starts with your first key.

Text to type: Super Bomberman came out in 1993. It was a game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES. Players often remember it as a home multiplayer classic in the series. Its Battle Mode allows up to four players to play together. More than two human players need a multitap, a device that connects extra controllers. Players move around a maze with soft blocks, collect power-ups, and try to catch each other with bombs. Opening a path can help you, but it can help another player, too. This mix of simple rules and shared danger makes it famous for party play.

Ready. The timer starts with your first key.

Type the text exactly. Timer starts with your first key.

Text to type: Bomberman ’94 is another well-known game in the series, released in 1993. Mega Bomberman is the name used for its release elsewhere. There are many versions, so the name of the series does not mean just one game. Super Bomberman remains the famous home multiplayer classic that people often mean when they remember playing with friends. The familiar ideas are easy to recognise: a maze, soft blocks, bombs, and power-ups. Hudson Soft later became part of another company after its acquisition in 2011. Konami is that company and became the owner of the series.

Ready. The timer starts with your first key.