It was 25 Years ago, that the Sega Saturn was released in North America. There were many great games ( made a list here) and among the best was Saturn Bomberman, a game that has aged like a fine wine. While many titles at the time struggled to adjust to polygons, Saturn Bomberman remained sprite based and has some of the best 2D visuals on the system. The game had multiple powerups to find, giving both positive and negative effects, and the gameplay was never stale or repetitive.
A fun and challenging puzzler, Saturn Bomberman had a lot of variety and among that were the unique worlds, such as a prehistoric level, a samurai level and an old west level. The single player mode is not usually a strong suit in Bomberman games, but it stood out as fun here. The layout is randomized and the levels are about learning to react and not just memorizing patterns, which helped it stand out. The boss battles are also excellent, and are not simple affairs by any means whatsoever. You will need to have a good strategy here, and some of the battles are among the most inventive I have ever seen in the series.
Reacting quickly is the name of the game here, and you can be your own worst enemy here if you are not quick enough. Of course, there are also the Dinosaur buddies to take advantage of here, and using them can help change the nature of a level. The levels can all be played in co-op mode as well, with two players, but this is not necessarily the best way to experience the game. It is fun, don’t get me wrong, but it is also a little too chaotic for its own good. More notable is the Master Mode, which brings a series of maze levels to get through. These are more for veteran players and losing once will send you back to the beginning., and you will be ranked on how you do.
The highlight here is the Battle Mode, which is the best the series has seen so far. The game can be played with up to ten players locally, but can also be played in single player against bots. Battle Mode is played in either free-for-all, or in teams and requires strategy and co-ordination to get a victory in. The Saturn allowed for online play with this game at the time, and pushed the limits of what could be done with multiplayer. There are multiple characters to choose from, and in addition to the Bomberman characters, we have Bonk, Master Higgins, Milon and characters from Tengai Makyo II: Manji Maru as guests. It is a high point in multiplayer not just for the series, but for gaming in general.
Saturn Bomberman remains a masterpiece and one of the best games on the Sega Saturn, as well as the best game in the Bomberman franchise. Konami would do well to re-release this on modern systems, either with or without redone visuals, and with online play restored. It would give everyone a chance to once more enjoy this amazing gem.
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