Bomber Boy
reference
Bomber Boy manual
After all this time, it turns out the Japanese manual has no semblance of story, nor any exclusive artwork. You would not believe how disappointing this is. We'll never learn the name of the Panel Shop girl now!
Download here (1.3MB Zip file)
Dynablaster manual
If you're looking for any kind of flavour in this, forget it. The story is barely alluded to, there's no detail on the enemies, and there's no artwork whatsoever. What do they think this is, an instruction manual!?
Download here (1.4MB Zip file)
Atomic Punk manual
This is the little gem that gave us the hilarious American storyline. It has unique artwork of most of the enemies and gives them brand new names.
Download here (2.8MB Zip file) (thanks to DragonBomber for scanning this!)
Bomber Boy (GAME A)
THANK YOU! KID!
After completing a Stage, Kid will rescue the captive robots. Upon returning to the Stage Select, the Stage will explode and become a ruin. This scene plays after every Stage.
After Faria is completed (and the previous scene plays), Kid escapes from the tower as it crumbles and explodes.
The robots celebrate his victory as he marches through a parade.
Standing atop a building, he stares into the horizon as the camera pans. The End.
Bomber Man (GAME B)
CONGRATULATIONS
AT LAST BOMBERMAN
HAS ESCAPED THE
UNDERGROUND EMPIRE
AND BECOME HUMAN
Bomberman runs across the screen. At the halfway point he transforms into Lode Runner; he keeps running and loops around the screen before stopping in the center.
16連射のつぶやき
November 27 2011: Takahashi Meijin presents a brief rundown of the Game Boy Bomberman instalments. Features an anecdote from development, claiming Shinichi Nakamoto believed that because of the limitations of the Game Boy's link cable, 1:1 synchronisation was not possible, but that children would not notice since they wouldn't be playing side-by-side.
(@snapwith) / Twitter
Personal Twitter of supervisor Hiromasa Iwasaki, whose work on Bomber Boy's battle mode is often a source of anecdotes.
Feb 14, 2012, 10:58 PM: Wishing he could go back and remove losing all your items after death, calling it "an easy mistake for a game maniac to make."
ゲームボーイの通信は「死ね」と言いたくなる仕様だったので活用出来ないのは当たり前ですｗ ボンバーボーイでリアルタイム対戦作ったとき、マジ泣きしました。
The Game Boy's communication was designed to make me want to scream "go fuck yourself," so it's no wonder I could barely work with it, lol. Designing the real-time matches in Bomber Boy literally made me cry.
Aug 9, 2012, 9:08 AM: In response to @zerocreate waxing nostalgic on the potential of Game Boy link-up play.
Aug 10, 2014, 2:16 AM: Reiterating his complaints on what an afterthought the Game Boy's link-up feature was, how he called Nintendo after the release of Bomber Boy to grouse about its limitations, and they agreed.
Nov 18, 2014, 12:37 PM: One of several desires to remake Bomber Boy and improve its game design.
Apr 30, 2023, 4:10 AM: Seemingly the prelude to working on LEGEND Volume 6.
NintendoAge forums: RIP Greg Martin
Reporting of Greg's passing, and confirmation of his work on various game package illustrations.
(@sentinel_jp) / Twitter
FCボンバーマンは学生の時に初めて徹夜で遊んだソフト。まさかその翌年にハドソンに入るとはw
まあ、入社後から1999年まではボンバーマンシリーズに開発者としてかかわることはほとんど無かったけど。(ボンバーボーイはお姉さんだけ描いたw)
#BBブロス
Posted Sep 3, 2023, 10:57 AM. Seeming first-hand confirmation that Matsuda Taiichi drew the Panel Shop character.
LEGEND Volume.6 ゲームボーイの通信に苦労した話
A doujin zine released June 7th 2023 through circle High Risk Revolution, sold at Comiket, BEEP Akihabara stores [src], and online doujin distributors. Written by Hiromasa Iwasaki (岩崎啓眞), cover illustration by Aizawa Hiroshi (あいざわひろし). A series of behind-the-scenes booklets from Iwasaki's tenure in games development, with the cover story being "A story about the difficulties in designing communications with Bomber Boy" (ボンバーボーイで初代ゲームボーイの通信に苦労した話).
Largely a retrospective on the technical specifications of the Game Boy, its input and video display code, and how all that has to intersect with the limitations of the link cable's data transfer; the mode does not work if the games are not perfectly in sync.
Bomber Boy came about as a project to help the staff become acquainted with the Game Boy development kit, and Iwasaki's personal desire to make real-time versus battles possible. He mentions artist Matusda Taiichi being responsible for the Panel Shop clerk, not long after he had illustrated the character Lilia in Ys: Book I & II, and also disputes the claim in the 16SHOT blog post, believing Nakamoto would not have said such a thing, and details were likely mixed up with other projects.
Many thanks to NeroGB for transcription and translation.
TV commercial (Japan)
本日特製、激うまのボンバーボーイ! とおもしろ3連発! メインディッシュは、過激なVSモード! ボンバーボーイ! 熱いうちに食べてください。
Today's special: the delicious Bomber Boy! A three-course meal, with the VS Mode as the main dish! Bomber Boy! Get it while it's hot.
TV commercial (USA)
Catch the latest in explosive Game Boy fun. It's Atomic Punk! You like pulse-pounding action? Well, get ready for a one or two-player nuclear invasion! Sparks will fly, this one's so hot it's a meltdown! A total blast!
A joint commercial with Bill Lambert's Combat Basketball and the Hudson Soft sweepstakes. Footage from user caperfever.
Game Boy Tsushin / ゲームボーイ通信 (1990 Number 8)
A pack-in with Famitsu (ファミコン通信).
Game Boy Tsushin / ゲームボーイ通信 (1990 Number 10)
A pack-in with Famitsu (ファミコン通信).
Hudson Game Navi
ハドソンのＧＢ初参入ソフトは、名作「ボンバーマン」のＧＢ化。通信ケーブル使用によるＶＳモードはプレーヤーを熱狂させ、初参入ソフトは大ヒットとなった。
Hudson's first Game Boy release is a handheld port of its masterpiece Bomberman. The communication cable powers the exciting Versus Mode, a popular game worthy of a grand debut.
Bomberman Collection page
A basic description of the game and its modes. Nothing special.
Mean Machines (issue 7)
JULIAN: This is quite an outstanding little package. [...] All the games on this cartridge are very addictive, and offer plenty of long-term appeal. Put it at the top of your shopping list.
MATT: [...] An interesting game, but perhaps not one of the best around at the moment.
Dated April 1991, Matt Regan and Julian Rignall give brief yet positive reviews of the game. Check out those numbers - it got 82% playability!! THOSE NUMBERS ARE SO HIGH.
The two reviewers compare the game to the PC Engine Bomberman, although it was released several months after this game (though given the delayed overseas release of both titles, this error is understandable).
Hit up the Mean Machines Archive for a scanned image and full transcription.
Game Zone issue 2
Dynablaster is puzzley in a strangely aggressive sort of way. As The Kid you charge round mazes destroying enemies With little time bombs before finding the exit and charging onto the next level. Easy eh? Clearly mummy never told you about the problem with time bombs. That problem is that they tend to go off when you don't want them to, like when you're standing over them fr'instance. For this reason Dynablaster is much more of a puzzle game than a blow 'em up.
You must place the bombs in such a way as to trap and then destroy the various strange looking beasties (Strange? Well, how often have you been chased by a rotating carpet tile?) without being caught by any of them or worse still blowing yourself up. Oh and you think you'd have to be pretty stupid to blow yourself up do you? Well, it's alright for you sitting there with your mug of tea and packet of chocolate Hob Nobs. You wait until you're running down a maze with three carpet tiles breathing down your neck, then see how easy it is.
Although the box promises three games in one, there is little to choose between them, just slight variations on the same theme. Still, that theme is quite unusual and just the sort of puzzler that seems to appeal to Game Boys and Girls.
Dated December 1991, reviewed by Paul Lakin. Awarded a score of 82.
The Console Countdown review index in later issues would round it up to 4 out of 5 stars.
Nintendo Power (issue 30)
Graphics and Sound: 2.6
Play Control: 3.1
Challenge: 2.7
Theme and Fun: 2.8
Dated November 1991. No review, only scores; the individual scores average out to 2.8 out of 5.
Total! (issue 2)
Dynablaster is a superb game. It's so simple to get into, yet Game 'A' gives you lots of scope for tactics and strategy too. Unfortunately I've run out of space to tell you the other things which are brilliant about it, so just take my word or it and go and find out for yourself. Buy this game!
Dated February 1992, Andy Dyer offers a quick history lesson on Bomberman and its various name changes, barely having the page space to say why he likes it. He likes it a lot, though! Awarded 93%. Image from the Internet Archive.
Hobby Consolas (#007)
¡Ay, ay, ay, qué feuoho es este Dynablasters, y que rarito y extraño! Los gráficos son muy simplones y jumenteros, formados a base de bloques y pedruscos varios de mala factura. Y aunque tiene un sonido graciosete, tres modos diferentes de juegos y una jugabilidad y acción casi entrañables nos ha resultado un poco soso.
Good grief, what an odd eyesore Dynablaster is! The graphics are simplistic and crude, made up of poorly drawn blocks and boulders. Although it's got three different game modes, cute sound effects, and gameplay that's this close to endearing, we found it a bit bland.
Dated April 1992. Awarded scores of 51 in graphics, 66 in sound, 75 in gameplay, and a total of 61.
Weekly Famitsu / 週刊ファミ通
[what issue is this from, and does anyone have a scan?]
Awarded 29 out of 40. [src]
Transcribed from gameplay.
PLANNER AND PROGRAMMER
TOSHIMASA EBINATAKAHIRO HAGA
CHARACTER DESIGNER
KOUJI MATSUURAHISAO OKADA
TOMOAKI URITA
SOUND PROGRAMMER
KATSUNORI TAKAHASHIMUSIC BY
YASUHIRO FUKUDAMUSIC OPERATER [sic]
TAKASHI MORIOMUSIC DIRECTOR
NORIYUKI NAKAGAMIPRODUCER
TOSHINORI OYAMAKAPPY MATSUNAGA
SUPERVISOR
HIROMASA IWASAKI (岩崎啓眞)SPECIAL THANKS TO
DENKI-MIRAI CO.,LTDHIDEKI SAHASHI
SATORU SUGIMOTO
TAKASHI SAWAGUCHI
The following staff are uncredited.