Story
The games are set somewhere in a galaxy known as the Bomber Nebula, on Planet Bomber. The original MSX game (as well as the PS1 version) had no real storyline. The NES and Game Boy versions begin with "Bomberman" (the eponymous character of the game) growing bored of making bombs in an underground factory of the Bungeling Empire. After hearing a rumor that robots reaching the surface become human, he decides to escape. When he does, he transforms and becomes known as the "Runner." This storyline was discontinued (outside of possibly Act Zero). In the Turbografx-16 game, Bomberman is instead the first robot of his kind created by Dr. Mimori. Despite being a prototype, he accepts his role as a defender of justice.
To distinguish him from other Bombermen, the main character is also given the name White Bomberman (or Shirobon). In earlier appearances, the second Bomberman model (known as Black Bomberman) is an enemy due to a programming error, but starting with Super Bomberman the two have forged an alliance. They have joined forces to handle bigger threats, most notably the evil alien Bagulaa (also spelled Bagular, Burglar or Bugler), who is most infamously known as the creator of the Five Dastardly Bombers. Paths were also crossed with an intergalactic crime organization called the Hige-Hige Bandits (led by Mujoe and MechaDoc), as well as a mysterious rival known as Regulus. There is no central series antagonist, but these are the most common.
Bomberman appears to be part of an intergalactic police force to help protect the galaxy. This has been elaborated upon in later games, where a friendly figure named Dr. Ein directs Bomberman's objectives. There is also Bomber Base on Planet Bomber, where Bomberman trains daily. After the shapeshifter (if fed) Pommy was introduced, Charaboms became a part of the gameplay in some later single player games. A Bomberman model called Max also became a semi-regular member of the crew, seemingly replacing Black Bomberman in those appearances.
In the Bomberman Land series, he takes on the name Cheerful White and is paired with Bookworm Green, Kid Blue, Cute Pink, Giant Gold and Cool Black.
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.
Main Characters
Bomberman, also referred to as "White Bomberman", "White Bomber", "Cheerful White" in (Bomberman Land Touch!), "Bomber John" (in Bomberman Touch), and (in Japan) Shirobon, is the hero of the series. In the standard games, he is the protagonist and player-character. He is usually portrayed as the heroic yet cheerful type, often saving his home planet from disaster. Like all Bombermen, he has the ability to generate bombs in his hands. 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. The White Bomberman also made appearances in other games, such as Wario Blast, a Bomberman game featuring Nintendo mascot Mario's rival, Wario (although that was not the case in Japan). He also appears in DreamMix TV World Fighters—a Hudson fighting game with characters from Hudson Soft, Konami, and Takara. He even make a giant playable appearance in Star Parodier, a spoof of the Star Soldier series, which is also developed by Hudson Soft. He has been featured in three anime series; Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden and Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden Victory are based on the marble shooting game B-Daman while Bomberman Jetters is inspired by the video game of the same name.
Black Bomberman (Cool Black in Bomberman Land Touch!) looks identical to Bomberman, only he is colored black. In many of his first appearances, he was shown to be the main rival of Bomberman, often performing acts such as robbing banks to fight him. He eventually becomes a gradual friend of Bomberman, and acts as the second player in the two-player story modes of the games. Hudson has given him a cool and collected personality in the later games. He also leads Red Bomber, Blue Bomber, Green Bomber and Yellow Bomber.
Max first appears in Bomberman Max as one of the main characters. He is somewhat competitive and arrogant, as shown in that despite the urgency of the mission, he challenges Bomberman to a contest to who can gather the most karabons. Max wears a black suited armor with a helmet that completely hides his face. He is also a playable character in the game Bomberman Jetters, where he joins Bomberman in the fight against the Hige Hige Bandits again, and he is an unlockable character in Bomberman Generation. He is also unlockable in Bomberman 2 DS.
Dr. Ein is a scientist who assists Bomberman. He is eccentric and doesn't seem to show many emotions. He is fat, has white spiky hair, and glasses with spirals covering the lenses. Despite never having a playable appearance, one of the customization sets in Bomberman Live lets Bomberman wear Dr. Ein's lab coat and glasses.
Karabon are small creatures that help Bomberman progress by granting him abilities. First appearing in Bomberman Max, each game featuring Karabon feature a unique set of them. Bomberman often find Karabon trapped in cages, and he can partner with one to use its ability. He can also fuse them together and battle them against others. Pommy is a recurring Karabon, who first appears in Bomberman 64: The Second Attack, where he is a loyal, but cowardly sidekick and a mimic. He is capable of shooting lightning and taking on many different forms.
Louie (also known as Rooi) are kangaroo-like animals with rabbit ears who help Bomberman by letting him ride on their backs. In Super Bomberman 4, they were replaced by various animals, and in Saturn Bomberman by the dinosaur-like Tirra.
The Fiendish Bombers (a.k.a the Five Dastardly Bombers) are a gang of five recurring boss enemies in several games of the series. Magnet Bomber sports a scarf-like cape and has a magnet shape attached to his helmet, and uses bombs that are attracted to his enemies. Golem Bomber is much larger than the others and he utilizes fire bombs. Pretty Bomber is distinguished from her male counterparts by her pink skirt, yellow neckerchief, and the large yellow heart attached to her helmet. She also appears as a close friend to Bomberman in several games, where both White and Black Bomber are attracted to her. Brain Bomber is the engineer of the group, who wears a cloak and has the symbol of a crown on his helmet. He is shorter than the other characters and sometimes floats above the group. Plasma Bomber is the leader. Plasma Bomber wears a neckerchief and has a lightning bolt attached to his helmet that can create electric currents.
Bagura (Bagular in the West) is the main villain in many of the games. He resembles a blue and white, large, elderly man with a bushy white beard, a monocle and a cape. He first appears as the main villain of Bomberman '94, in which he attempts to run a comet-disguised ship into Planet Bomber after throwing it into chaos. He later appears in several games, including Super Bomberman 3, Super Bomberman 4, Bomberman Hero, Bomberman World and Neo Bomberman. In some odd appearances, he is reduced to a brain that wants to rebuild an empire and wants revenge on Bomberman. In the anime, he is the true leader of the Hige Hige Bandits, with Mujoe as his second-in-command. Dr. MechaDoc also serves the group by creating technology, such as the Hige-Hige Bandits, small robotic minions who are very weak and serve under Mujoe.
