Bomberman (series)

"Bomberman" is a strategic, maze-based computer and video game franchise originally developed by Hudson Soft. The original game was published in 1983 and new games in the series are still being published to this day. Today, Bomberman is featured in over 60 different games.

tory

The story of the series is unstable because it lacks a main antagonist for the whole series. It takes place in another universe, on Bomber Planet. Bomber Planet has an underground bomb factory where robots called "Bombermen" make bombs. There is a challenge to see who is the best Bomberman in the factory in a survival of the fittest (Bomberman: Act Zero). One day, long after the challenge, the best Bomberman in the factory grows bored of making bombs in the factory and decides to escape and get a free wish (Bomberman). When he does, the species "Bomberman' turns more human like due to his wish and gains more free will. White Bomberman, possibly the original bomberman that made the species human, is introduced (Bomberman II), and joins an intergalactic police force to help protect the galaxy. They soon come across their biggest threat- An intergalactic crime organazation called the Hige-Hige bandits, lead by the evil Bagulaa.

Gameplay

The general goal throughout the series is to complete the levels by strategically placing bombs in order to kill enemies and destroy obstacles. Exploding bombs can set off other bombs, kill or injure enemies and destroy obstacles. However, they can also kill or injure the player character, destroy powerups, and sometimes "anger" the exit, causing it to generate more enemies. Most Bomberman games also feature a multiplayer mode, where other Bombermen act as opponents, and the last one standing is the winner. In this mode, powerups are plentiful. Although most games in the "Bomberman" series use the same type of maze-based levels established by the original game, some are Zelda-like adventure games, Mario-like platformers, Tetris-like puzzle games, and kart racers. It is considered to be a classic franchise by many video game players.

Bomberman

The term Bomberman also refers to the actual "species" of the series' protagonists and titular character. A "Bomberman" is a robot-like man with a flat computer screen face which has eyes, but no visible mouth, within a squared or circular helmet. Bombermen possess a roundish body, long limbs and usually balled hands and feet. The series first began with a Bomberman that went from being a robot to achieving humanity (and changed its appearance accordingly). Should "" in fact be a prequel to all the other games in the series, it may be taken as proof that Bombermen are cybernetic (though, arguably no longer, in later games, necessarily made out of pre-existing beings).

Powerups

The "Bomberman" games usually include many powerups that are found beneath destructible blocks. Powerupsare an important element of the Bomberman series. here are some within many games:

Rollerskates:these give you extra speed

Bomb:this lets you drop an extra bomb

Triple bomb:this lets you drop all your bombs at once by hitting the assigned button

Flame:increases the size of your bomb's explosion

Kick:this lets you kick bombs away by walking into them

Boxing Glove:this lets you punch bombs away by hitting the assigned button when standing next to them

Characters

White Bomberman

In the standard games, he is the star and is always controlled by the player in the single player modes. He is portrayed as the heroic yet cheerful (and sometimes goofy) type, often saving his home planet from disaster. Like all Bombermen he has the ability to generate bombs in his hands. In the earlier titles he battles his rival, who was a black version of himself called "Kurobon", with whom he would later become friends and allies. In later games, such as Bomberman Max and Bomberman Tournament, he is shown to be part of an interplanetary police force stationed at Bomber Base. White Bomberman always tries to help and he means well, and in one particular game he is asked WHY he chooses to fight, in which he responds by saying he fights for himself, and simply put, if he doesn't, who will?

The White Bomberman also made appearances in other games, such as "Wario Blast", a Bomberman game featuring Nintendo mascot Mario's rival, Wario. He also appears in "DreamMix TV World Fighters", a Hudson fighting game with characters from Hudson Soft, Konami and Takara.

Black Bomberman

Also known as "Kurobon" or most recently "Cool Black", Black Bomberman (AKA Black Bomb or Black Bomber) looks identical to Bomberman, except he is colored black and does not wear white tights. In many of his first appearances, he was shown to be the main rival to Bomberman. He was the exact opposite of the White Bomberman, and unlike White, whose activities consist of patrolling the galaxy, saving the universe, and fighting crime, his activities have included robbing banks (Bomberman 2), kidnapping (PC Engine Bomberman) and disabling cities (Bomberman '93). However, with the Super Bomberman series on the SNES, he was changed to being a gradual friend of Bomberman (a sure sign is in Saturn Bomberman). In many games since then he is controlled by the second player in the two-player story modes. Hudson has given him a cool and collected personality in the later games (most notably in Bomberman Land Touch!).

Dr. Ein

A scientist, and the messenger of bomberman's police force, alerting them when there is trouble and sending them out on missions. In some games he is shown as extremely energetic and has emphasis when he talks.

ee also

*List of Bomberman games
*List of Bomberman series characters

External links

* [http://www.hudsonentertainment.com Hudson Entertainment Homepage - New versions of Bomberman]
*moby game|id=-group/bomberman-series|name="Bomberman" series
* [http://dmoz.org/Games/Video_Games/Action/B/Bomberman_Series Bomberman Series at the Open Directory Project]