Explosions and Strategy: Discover the 10 Bomberman Games That Defined an Era

If you’re a Bomberman lover, you’re going to like this! We’re lighting the fuse and taking cover as we count down the 10 best Bomberman games of all time.

Bomberman made his explosive debut on the video game scene in 1983, and his colorful, bombastic exploits have kept players entertained for four decades.

This little man in the blue suit has starred in more than 60 titles throughout his career, including puzzle and platformer games, and even got behind the wheel in his own kart racer.

With so many Bomberman games, it’s understandable that newcomers feel overwhelmed trying to dive into the series. But fear not, intrepid bomb thrower, we’ve got you covered!

Saturn Bomberman (1996)

The best Bomberman game of all time is Saturn Bomberman for the Sega Saturn.

Saturn Bomberman took all the elements from previous Bomberman games and wrapped them up in a tidy package.

The undeniable highlight of Saturn Bomberman is its incredible local multiplayer mode for up to ten people. Sitting around a TV with nine friends, all trying to blow each other off the map, is a surefire way to trigger bursts of laughter through the chaotic action.

Playing Saturn Bomberman in multiplayer in the mid-90s was a lot of fun, but it had its drawbacks. The multiplayer maps featured tiny sprites that were hard to see on an older CRT screen, and games were often won or lost due to blurry visuals.

Fast forward to the present day, and connecting a Saturn to a large modern screen using a cable capable of scaling lines like the RAD2X means those initial complaints about ten-player multiplayer are a thing of the past, making Saturn Bomberman the perfect party game.

Despite having a title that was clearly decided on the last Friday afternoon, Saturn Bomberman is the first choice for anyone looking for a great multiplayer game full of charm and more incendiary devices than Dr. Strangelove.

Mega Bomberman (1993)

Mega Bomberman features all the elements fans will love, including a solid multiplayer mode and a variety of characters to control.

The character list introduced several new Bomber-characters to the franchise, several of which make appearances in current games.

Another new addition to Mega Bomberman are animal power-ups known as Louies. Once found, a Louie allows Bomberman to quickly maneuver around the stage while riding a colorful kangaroo-like creature, as if he were Han Solo riding a Tauntaun.

PC Engine players may remember Mega Bomberman by another name, as it was released in Japan as Bomberman ’94.

Regardless of its title, Mega Bomberman was a success at launch thanks to the work of developers Hudson Soft and Westone. Westone handled the Mega Drive version, which preserved the essence of Bomberman ’94, despite only allowing up to four players instead of the usual five.

Mega Bomberman livened up the series with new levels, including Jammin’ Jungle and Thrashin’ Tundra, and a refreshed villain gallery for Bomberman to face in its campaign mode.

Super Bomberman (1993)

Easily one of the highlights of any SNES collection, Super Bomberman is the ultimate multiplayer game.

Plug a multitap into the SNES and invite three of your closest, most fireproof friends over for some chaotically, explosively good times.

Super Bomberman’s Battle Mode pits up to four players in a fight to the death with two minutes on the clock, and the last bomberman standing takes the prize.

Super Bomberman isn’t just a fantastic party game. The single-player experience is one of the best the series has to offer, with an extensive collection of levels to master and bosses to blow up.

Players must venture through six stylized worlds, tossing bombs at enemies until they can escape each level.

The gameplay is fast and Bomberman himself feels particularly fluid in his first appearance on the SNES. If Super Bomberman resonates with you, then its four sequels might also catch your attention.

Super Bomberman 3 (1995)

The first Bomberman game for the SNES to make our list of the best Bomberman games of all time is Super Bomberman 3.

Direct sequel to Super Bomberman 2, Super Bomberman 3 sees our tiny hero face off against the Five Dastardly Bombers once more after their defeat in the previous game.

The series’ antagonist, Bagular, has been scheming again, and it’s up to the White and Black Bombermen to save the day.

Super Bomberman 3 strips away some of the superfluous trimmings from its predecessor and makes each maze easier to read and understand during frantic multiplayer battles.

The change in art direction is controversial, but it certainly made Super Bomberman 3 more accessible for inexperienced players who wanted to dive into the action and understand what the heck was going on.

Reducing the graphics also reflected a shift in game design, which dove deeper into the core Bomberman experience. For players seeking a pure Bomberman experience without any unnecessary gimmicks, Super Bomberman 3 is the game for you.

Bomberman Generation (2002)

In Bomberman Generation, the titular demolition expert can wander through fun, animated scenarios, collecting items and discovering secrets.

There’s a huge amount of charm on display in Bomberman Generation, with Bomberman hopping around on his long legs and catchy melodies bringing each stage to life.

Bomberman Generation still looks great today, largely thanks to its wonderful cel-shaded graphics that make the colors pop off the screen.

More than two decades before Palworld, Bomberman Generation paid homage to Pokémon by including its own version of monster battles in one of its many mini-games.

Players could tame the “Charaboms” after defeating them in battle and even use them while exploring the world and solving puzzles.

The Charaboms can even level up by feeding them food, increasing their stats in the process, just like in Palworld, I mean, Pokémon…

Bomberman 64 (1997)

Considered an anomaly among series fans, Bomberman 64 surprisingly falls short in its multiplayer options, but shines in its single-player mode.

The campaign sees our brave hero fighting a horde of space pirates. The plot is surprisingly compelling for a game about a man who throws explosives, and somehow everything blends together in a brilliantly coherent way.

Navigating the world is a pleasure and there are plenty of environmental puzzles to solve and obstacles to blow up using Bomberman’s favorite weapons.

Where the single-player portion of the game shines, the multiplayer options in Bomberman feel basic in comparison.

The maps are basic, the game modes are scarce, and the multiplayer magic of Bomberman is strangely absent.

If Hudson Soft had managed to successfully nail Bomberman 64’s multiplayer mode, it would have been a strong contender for first place on our list.

Bomberman (PSP) (2006)

You might be wondering how well a multiplayer game like Bomberman transitions to Sony’s original portable gaming device, and I don’t blame you.

It’s not immediately obvious, but Bomberman for PSP has a secret weapon up its sleeve.

And that weapon is PSP Game Sharing.

Through some kind of mysterious magic (well, it’s Wi-Fi), PSP players can share a copy of Bomberman with their friends to engage in frantic local battles.

Sure, everyone at the party needs to have a PSP, but only needing one copy of the game to start a real battle makes Bomberman on the PSP an essential choice for our list of the best Bomberman games.

So we know we can dive into multiplayer matches on the PSP, but how’s the game itself?

The good news is that the core Bomberman gameplay shines with few unnecessary gimmicks and extras that muddy the experience.

The simplicity of the experience and the chaotic fun of each round also ensure Bomberman’s position as one of the best multiplayer games on the PSP.

Bomberman 2 (2008)

Much like in Tron, Bomberman 2 takes place within cyberspace, with our bomb-throwing protagonist ready to save Grid City from a deadly virus.

Bomberman 2 has the perfect setup for a game on the Nintendo DS. Each level is divided into small missions for players to tackle. Having shorter, bite-sized missions is a godsend when you’re tinkering with your DS while waiting for the bus or killing time between meetings.

Bomberman 2 is also a more accessible and forgiving game than many others in the series, in part due to the inclusion of a health bar.

Where other Bomberman games will have you biting the dust after a single explosion, Bomberman 2 gives players a fighting chance as they face 70 challenging stages in Grid City.

Bomberman World (1998)

Bomberman World is a charming (if a bit rough) Bomberman adventure that sees our little mad destructor being tormented once again by the evil Bagular.

The gameplay remains mostly unchanged from previous Bomberman games, with players needing to destroy obstacles and enemies as they advance through each level.

Players will also be on the lookout for various crystals in each level and must collect them all within a time limit.

A squad of evil bosses awaits Bomberman on his adventures, but defeating each enemy unlocks a new, powerful suit that grants special abilities.

Multiplayer returns with a bunch of game modifiers. Using the modifiers helps keep the multiplayer madness fresh even after hundreds of matches.

Adjusting the amount and type of power-ups that appear during a match provides an almost unlimited amount of chaos. Bomberman World would have appeared higher on our list if it weren’t for the incredibly slow movement speed and cursed aesthetics.

Super Bomberman R 2 (2023)

Super Bomberman R 2 keeps things simple by offering bomb-throwing action from above with modern, crisp graphics.

There’s the obligatory single-player mode that doesn’t really mean much, but that’s fine when Super Bomberman R 2’s multiplayer portion is so deep and detailed.

Super Bomberman R 2 features a variety of customization options, including a versatile level editor that is surprisingly versatile if a bit tricky to use.

The crown jewel for me is the playable guest character roster from other Konami games that appear in Super Bomberman R 2.

The cameo fighters come in all shapes and sizes from iconic series like Castlevania, Silent Hill, and Metal Gear. Seeing a cute chibi version of Pyramid Head is enough to bring a smile even to the coldest of bomberman hearts.

Super Bomberman R 2 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it gives it a beautiful new look and adds a ton of fun extras for modern players to enjoy.

And after seeing this whole list of great games,

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Bomberman on your arcade machine?

If you like Bomberman’s chaotic multiplayer, imagine enjoying it on a 4-player arcade machine. The Saturn, SNES, and Mega Drive classics run perfectly on bartop and pedestal arcade setups via RetroBat or multi-game boards. The ideal setup: a pedestal for 4 players where every match becomes the center of the gathering.

Why Bomberman and the arcade are a perfect match?

• 2-minute matches: ideal for quick rounds among friends
• Up to 10 players in Saturn Bomberman, 4 in most titles
• No learning curve: everyone understands “place bombs and run”
• Included in Pandora Box and most multi-game boards

Discover our bartop kits and arcade vinyls to complete your setup.

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What’s your favorite Bomberman?