Super Bomberman Collection has more Bomberman titles than you can shake a…bomb at. It’s also a compilation that proves you needn’t be great at games to have a blast playing them, because while Purely Trev isn’t a great Bomberman player, I typically have fun with these releases, both solo and especially in multiplayer. With a total of seven games in this collection, everyone is bound to find their favorites.
As a middle-aged gamer, I started with the oldest games in this collection. For unknown reasons, Bomberman and Bomberman II are tucked in the “Super Bonus” category. Also unknown is why only the Famicom versions are available, in contrast to the rest of the games that allow you to select regions. Nonetheless, these titles are good fun, with the original classic showing the game’s modest origins and the sequel being a significant step up in graphics and gameplay options. Considering the latter fetches several hundred dollars as a loose NES cart by virtue of being a late release in North America, my wallet is happy — this collection works out to less than four dollars a game.
Super Bomberman and its sequel are well known to Super Nintendo gamers. My wife and I have been enjoying playing these games cooperatively. Interestingly, my wife shared a similar view to that of my own, stating, “I suck at these games, but they’re fun. Battle mode from Bomberman II is still here as well, cementing the SNES games as multiplayer bashes. No need for a multitap either. If you grew up with these games, the collection may be worth it for them alone.
New for North American players are entries three through five. I’ve only been able to dabble with these – seven games and a timely review are a tough mix – but I love the look of these entries, a sizable step up in my mind over the already good-looking SNES predecessors. The colors are so vivid, and the effects are so cool. I could see nostalgia making gamers prefer the look of the first two, but wow, those late SNES games were pushing it, visually speaking. An eye candy feast.
Despite the gameplay additions and polish with each subsequent Bomberman entry, I can see the argument that “if you’ve played one Bomberman game, you’ve played them all.” I suspect series enthusiasts will be better able to appreciate all the differences (subtle and not), with each game. As a more casual Bomberman player who, again, isn’t the best, I’m excited to know that this game will have legs.
This collection also allows saving (no need to write down passwords) and rewinding, which definitely helps me in moderation. You can also remap the controls, but not for the rewinding. I mention this because if you’re playing battle or co-op with the Joy-Cons, you’re going to absolutely trigger the rewind function multiple times. It’s annoying, so I strongly recommend a Pro Controller.
As fun as this collection is, I can’t help but feel it could be more complete. With games covering the early 80s to the late 90s, where are the TurboGrafx titles, for instance? Or how about some interviews, trailers, and such. Digital Eclipse has raised the bar with classic game collections, and the rest of the industry needs to catch up. Still, for the price, I can’t complain too much, especially since it does have an art gallery and a music player.
Super Bomberman Collection is also available on the original Nintendo Switch, and it is five dollars cheaper at just $19.99. Other than GameShare and 4K, you’re not missing out on anything. So if you don’t have a Switch 2 yet, don’t wait. You can always buy the upgrade pack.
While other compilations are more robust, Super Bomberman Collection is still a blast with its seven games on offer. The solo gamer in you will have fun in smaller sessions, and grab some friends for a local battle or couch co-op (no online play), and you’ll have an even better time.
