Retro Game of the Day! Super Bomberman 2

Retro Game of the Day! Super Bomberman 2

Today's game is the stupendous blast-a-thon Super Bomberman 2 by Hudson for the SNES, released in 1994.

Ah yes. What can be said of Bomberman? Well, as a self-proclaimed "retrogamer," I feel I have much to say, or at least much apologizing to do. I was very late to this one - I never played a Bomberman game until this one, and even then, not until a good year and a half ago (2007).

I'm not sure what to blame here. I think Hudson always sat strangely with me as a company (not for any good reason). "Bomberman" always seemed kind of like a goofy name. The character designs looked dull to me. On top of that, I rented the NES original way back in the late 1980s - the boxart looked pretty mean and intriguing. The game, when I loaded it up, was quite cutesy and rather not what I was expecting at all. So... take your pick.

Whatever the case, I have heard this game raved about for years and years as I got older - so at some point, I had dusted off my old SNES and stated picking up carts once again (good old eBay!) and Bomberman made it onto my short list of things to track down. 2 requirements: 1. Don't wanna spend an arm and a leg, and 2. It needs to have the multitap adapter. The deal I found on eBay had Super Bomberman 2 with the tap, for @ $30 so I ponied up - and it was mine!

So one night after an evening on the town, my friends and I settled in front of the famed Bomberman. Some of them had played before, but I was a newb. Anyway, the game was rather easy and didn't take long for me to get the gist (if anything, the most difficult issue was getting the &*@&*@#ing tap to work properly.. wha?) So basically, the game consists of you and up to 3 other buddies trying to blow each other away within a time limit. Pickup items to move faster, throw or kick bombs, increase your blast radius, and so forth. Everyone's main weapon is a plant-able bomb, which can kill anyone (you can die at your own hands! so be careful) Many of the different levels have themes and obstacles (conveyer belts, ice, transport tubes, etc) which can add to the frustration and difficulty. Drag the match on for too long and the screen itself starts closing in to kill whoever is left!

Anyway, this is all detailing the multiplayer - there's always been a strong single-player component of these Bomberman games, or so I'm told. Personally I've yet to go there.

All things considered, I am still what you'd call a Bomberman noob - I have not really got much of the strategies down, I just like to get into the game with my buddies, have a few beers, and talk some trash while we try to blast one another to Kingdom Come. I have several other Bomber games to pick thru (they've released so may of them!) but for some reason #2 on the NES has my eye. And there are those who stick to the notion that Super Bomberman 1 on the SNES is the superior product. I suppose time will tell - I am excited to see what else this series has to offer. Even now, in these days of much more complicated gaming - Bomberman is still a great time!

Make sure to download Headcase Games' original release of iFist while it is still FREE for the holidays!

(iTunes Link Here)

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