Bomberman '93

~ BOMBERMAN '93 ~

Hudson Soft

HuCard

1993

I don't like the original Bomberman. I despise its dumb, boring premise and its strange-looking hero, and I cringe whenever it appears on "recommended Turbo games" lists (which happens all too frequently). And so I expected little from its purportedly much-improved sequel, and indeed, '93 initially seemed just as lackluster as its predecessor, but with nicer-looking environments acting as battle boards.

Aesthetic advancement is also evident in the chip's quality soundtrack. Teleporters scattered about many of the play areas make the elementary action a bit trickier and more interesting, and some of the later levels are actually quite difficult and rewarding. The bosses here are much cooler than the goofs in the first game, with some particularly fun fights taking place towards the end.

I still don't find the basic gameplay all that thrilling; and, like its forebear, '93 has the irritating tendency to plop you down in unfair starting spots late in the quest. But the positives make a huge difference when it finally comes time to assess the card, and the flaws it shares with the original don't seem quite as damaging this time (perhaps because the overall package is better). This is a good, fun game, certainly my favorite of the PC Engine Bomberman titles.