Bomberman (1990 video game)
First video game with battle royale gameplay.
Bomberman (released in Europe as Dyna Blaster) is a 1990 action maze game from Hudson Soft for the TurboGrafx-16. It reimagines the original Bomberman title and is recognized as the first video game to feature last-man-standing or battle royale gameplay. Critics received it positively on both the TurboGrafx-16 and later home computer ports.
In single-player, the player controls White Bomberman, who must rescue Lisa, the kidnapped daughter of inventor Dr. Mitsumori, from Black Bomberman’s castle. The game has eight worlds, each split into eight stages. Stages are block-filled mazes with enemies. Using bombs, the player destroys blocks to clear paths and defeat all foes. Once enemies are gone and a hidden exit is revealed, the next stage begins. One power-up per stage is hidden under a block, boosting bomb count, explosion range, or other abilities. The eighth stage of each world is a boss fight.
Multiplayer mode supports up to five players (using a TurboGrafx-16 Multitap). It works like single-player but limits power-ups to Bombs and Fire. An alternate Skull Mode adds harmful skulls under some blocks.
Development was led by designer Tsukasa Kuwahara, with programmers Atsuo Nagata and Yūji Muroya, pixel artists Hideyuki Ogura and Mika Sasaki, and composer Jun Chikuma, with sound programmer Keita Hoshi. Hudson Soft first published the game in Japan on December 7, 1990; NEC released it in North America in April 1991. In Europe, Ubi Soft published it as Dyna Blaster for Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS, renaming it because the original title was associated with terrorist bombings. Versions for Atari Lynx and Commodore 64 were planned but never released.
Critics praised the TurboGrafx-16 version. Hans-Joachim Amann of Aktueller Software Markt criticized the visuals but liked the sound and gameplay. Computer and Video Games praised visuals, music, gameplay, and multiplayer. Génération 4 liked animations and playability but criticized visuals and sound. Hobby Consolas commended simple graphics, sound, gameplay, and multiplayer. Joystick praised gameplay and multiplayer. Mega Fun gave a positive outlook. PC Engine Fan readers gave it a 23.78 out of 10 score, ranking it 51st, showing strong popularity. It appeared in the 2010 book *1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die*. Play Time and Player One had mixed feelings on visuals and sound but praised gameplay. Powe
- Developer
- Hudson Soft
- Publisher
- Hudson Soft (Japan), NEC (North America), Ubi Soft (Europe as Dyna Blaster)
- Platform
- TurboGrafx-16, Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS, X68000
- Release Date
- 7 December 1990 (Japan), April 1991 (North America)
- Genre
- Action maze
- Designer
- Tsukasa Kuwahara
- Composer
- Jun Chikuma
Quick Facts
- Title
- Bomberman
- Developer
- Hudson SoftX68000 version developed by SystemSoft; Amiga version developed by Actionamics; MS-DOS version developed by Hurricane.
- Publisher
- title=Hudson Soft · TurboGrafx-16JP · Hudson Soft · NA · NEC X68000 / SystemSoft / Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS / Ubi Soft
- Director
- Shigeki Fujiwara / (uncredited)
- Designer
- Tsukasa Kuwahara
- Programmer
- Atsuo Nagata / Yūji Muroya
- Artist
- Hideyuki Ogura / Mika Sasaki
- Composer
- Jun Chikuma
- Platforms
- TurboGrafx-16, X68000, Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS, Windows
- Released
- title=7 December 1990 · TurboGrafx-16JP · 7 December 1990 · NA · April 1991 X68000 AmigaFRA · January 1992 · EU · April 1992 Atari ST MS-DOS Windows
- Genre
- Action, maze, party
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The player takes on the role of White Bomberman on a quest to rescue Lisa, the kidnapped daughter of his inventor Dr. Mitsumori, from the castle of Black Bomberman while defeating evil monsters and villains. The single-player game is divided into eight worlds, each divided into eight stages. Each stage is a maze of blocks filled with enemies; the player must destroy blocks with bombs and defeat all enemies to uncover the hidden exit and proceed. Power-ups hidden under blocks can increase bomb drops, explosion range, and other abilities. The eighth stage of each world is a boss battle.
Reader's Guide
Bomberman (1990) is historically significant as the first video game to feature last man standing or battle royale gameplay, a format that later became a dominant genre. Its multiplayer mode, supporting up to five players via the TurboGrafx-16 Multitap, was widely praised and became a staple of social gaming in computer clubs, particularly the Amiga version (Dyna Blaster). The game was ported to multiple home computers, each with changes from the original, and received generally positive reviews across platforms. Its inclusion in the 2010 book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die underscores its lasting impact. The game's European title, Dyna Blaster, was adopted because European media associated the original name with terrorist bombings.
Did You Know?
- Bomberman is considered the first video game with last man standing or battle royale gameplay.
- The European release was titled Dyna Blaster because European media associated the original name with terrorist bombings.
- The game was created by most of the same team that would work on later entries in the Bomberman series at Hudson Soft.
- Versions for the Atari Lynx and Commodore 64 were in development but never released.
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