Super Bomberman Collection is a top-notch gathering of several Bomberman games that offer small but intriguing differences between one another. Whether you’ve played these titles before or not, the bounty of bonus features and interesting inclusions make it a rather fine collection.
Super Bomberman Collection
Developer: Red Art Games
Price: $25
Platforms: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam
MonsterVine was provided with a PS5 code for review.
Right off the bat, I should admit that I don’t have a ton of Bomberman experience. Funnily enough, the entirety of my time with the series has been spent on two titles: Super Bomberman R and the seemingly obscure 1994 game Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman. I dug those, especially because the idea of Wario fighting Bomberman seemed bizarre to me as a kid. Now, I’ve had the chance to check out a big bundle of Bomberman games primarily from the Super Nintendo era, and I’ve had a great time doing so.
Super Bomberman
Naturally, the first entry is the simplest. You progress through themed stages and drop bombs in mazes to eliminate enemies and find the exit. Having to find the way out, even once all the enemies are wiped out, can feel like a bit of a slog, but it’s understandable since this was Konami’s first go on the SNES. Plus, the bosses aren’t anything crazy but fun enough to blow up. The pixel art is solid, and the music is certainly good enough, but this is definitely the most basic piece of the package.
Super Bomberman 2
Next up is Super Bomberman 2. In this sequel, you break capsules throughout each stage to open the exits – a handy improvement on the first. There’s not much else different about the main singleplayer mode, though Battle introduces the Golden Bomberman feature, which gives the player who wins a round a golden appearance. This isn’t a significantly different game from the first, but it does feel more polished and refined overall, which a sequel certainly should.
Super Bomberman 3
The big addition to Super Bomberman 3 is the Louies – kangaroo-esque animals that have their own abilities that Bomberman can use when he rides them. It’s quite a big inclusion, and they fit into the Bomberman world’s aesthetic perfectly. You can only have one Louie at a time, though, so there’s no stacking here. There’s also a bit more of a story here to go alongside the gameplay improvements, as the villainous Professor Bagular repairs the five Dastardly Bombers. You complete levels to get puzzle pieces that allow you to fight the pretty creative bosses, making for a nifty new format this time around.
Interestingly, this entry only came out in Japan and Europe, making it the first of the bunch to have not been released in North America. It’s another step up from the previous game, and another quality title.
Super Bomberman 4
Super Bomberman 4, which skipped releases outside of Japan, ups the ante from the third game by including all sorts of different creature companions with their own perks to complement the Louies. You can carry multiple creature eggs behind you this time around, meaning you can strategize a bit more than in the previous game. You can also save trapped Bombermen who will wander around the stage and do their own thing, which is a neat, smaller thing. This one revolves around time travel, so the stages feature consistent and varied themes, elevated by the fantastic spritework.
Super Bomberman 5
Finally, we’ve got Super Bomberman 5. Like the last two titles, it was never released in North America, making it another treasure for fans who have yearned for an official release. It’s a pretty substantial step forward from Super Bomberman 4, going for a more non-linear style with differing paths after beating levels. This is a pretty big shakeup, but it certainly works after playing four pretty similar Bomberman games in a row. It looks and sounds great, serving as a splendid final entry to the Super Bomberman subseries.
Bomberman and Bomberman II (Famicom)
There are two little extra additions included as well – both Bomberman and Bomberman II for the Famicom. These are super simple and, obviously, less impressive than the main contents of Super Bomberman Collection, but their inclusion as curiosities and almost yardsticks for the franchise’s early days is certainly appreciated.
Each game allows you to create and load save states at any time, as well as rewind on the fly while playing. These are always welcome features in a remaster or collection, as it makes the games more accessible to others without changing the core games in any way. I found these functions to work flawlessly, and I’m sure they’ll come in handy for a good deal of players.
You can play through boss rushes for each game with different difficulties in Super Bomberman Collection, which adds some extra challenge and value to it all. The bosses are some of the most creatively made and fun parts of each title, so being able to take them on in a row whenever you want is a great feature. Local multiplayer is also part of the collection, so you can take on your friends in any of the included games.
As for bonus content, there’s no shortage of it in Super Bomberman Collection. One of my favorite additions is the ability to unbox the different games and look at the cartridges and manuals in detail. It’s a tiny thing, but it’s surprisingly satisfying to mess around with. There are also the expected inclusions, such as a gallery and a music player.
The Final Word
Super Bomberman Collection is an all-around fantastic bundle of numerous classic Bomberman games. Fans and newcomers alike will find plenty to enjoy in this, and the series’ evolution throughout the Super Nintendo era is something to behold. Hopefully, later Bomberman games receive similar treatment, as I’d love to give the 3D-era games a go.
MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
