Developer: Hudson Soft Publisher: Hudson Soft Released: December 12, 1994 Genre: Action
Super Bomberman was a great game but still had room for improvement. While Hudson delivered a great multiplayer experience the single player was lacking. For the sequel they haven’t exactly given the game a full on makeover but smoothed out its rough edges. In the process Hudson Soft deliver one of the best experiences the series has to offer even now. I would even say Super Bomberman 2 might be one of Hudson Soft’s best releases overall which is high praise.
The story is the ultimate in cheese. Five cyborgs calling themselves the Five Dastardly Bombers arrive on Earth with plans to take over the universe. Bomberman is captured and taken to their ship and after escaping must now work his way through each section to fight their leader Plasma Bomber and save the world.
Mechanically very little has changed. Bomberman’s base movement speed is faster which is a large boon. A separate UI element keeps track of the number of bombs you can drop at once and the size of your explosions which is absolutely crucial. Most of the changes come in the form of new power-ups, of which there are only a few. The Spike Bomb cuts through all blocks at once. The trigger bomb is basically a renamed remote control explosive, probably the most useful item in the game. Jelly bombs hilariously bounce off walls. The skull is noticeably absent although I doubt anyone will miss its inclusion. Most of the new items are reserved for the game’s multiplayer mode.
The core mechanics have seen little change because it was unnecessary. The story mode has always fallen short and this game rectifies that. The single player campaign shines in its level design. The original was a solid but repetitive romp that wore out its welcome due to its length. The sequel borrows elements from its PC Engine cousin and features a mix of single screen and side scrolling levels with each world having a distinct theme. Rather than having to find the exit and eliminate all enemies now you’ll simply have to destroy all of the capsules as well as all enemies per level. This removes my biggest issue with the first game; if you discovered the exit early you had a finite amount of time before it began spawning more enemies. That was frustrating more than engaging.
The slight change in focus has given rise to more puzzle like stages that appear simple but can be challenging. There are plenty of interactive background elements such as the furnaces of the flame stage which randomly ignite the level if activated. The factory consists of densely packed blocks that hide enemies and is broken up into strips of land with little room to move. Even the initial castle levels introduce you to the fuckery as they feature magnets that will attract your bombs and need to worked around.
At five worlds with six levels plus a two stage boss battle the game is slightly shorter than its predecessor. That is for the better in my opinion. As much as I liked Super Bomberman the repetition grew old as the worlds and their themes weren’t strong enough to support so many stages. As a result the game eventually became a chore to slog through. I feel Super Bomberman 2, with its superior level design and near perfect pacing is more fulfilling, especially as the difficulty curve is a lot smoother.
Between the large variety of new bombs and less enemies overall the game can seem deceptively simple. But the thematic traps endemic to each world make the difference. Some of these are downright clever; the Dark stage places hidden land mines around the map that are easily missable resulting in sudden death. The Factory hides its enemies inside blocks and also makes the capsules reactivate if hit twice. There is some smart arrangement of elements in these levels and it is hands down probably my favorite in the series. The boss battles against the Dastardly bombers have two parts; the fight against each bomber and the finale against whatever contraption they’ve cobbled together. Competing against the dastardly bombers themselves is challenging as they are smart enough to use cover to avoid your explosions and need to be tricked. The second half is simpler but that is a minor complaint.
Even though the campaign has seen significant improvements multiplayer still remains the heart of Bomberman. Super Bomberman 2 features one of its best implementations. There are a wealth of options that expand on the already numerous features from the first game to further customize your matches. The only significant addition is a two on two option for both human and computer opponents. You don’t mess with a winning formula, especially as the battle mode stages are so damn well designed. Out of all the games in the series I’m pretty sure I’ve spent the most time with this one as it is damn near perfect.
In Closing
There are many iterations of Bomberman on the SNES (five plus a spinoff). Super Bomberman 2 is in contention as one of the best games in the series overall. A strong story mode and a fantastic multiplayer experience make Super Bomberman 2 one of the best action games for the system. They nailed it with this one.
