Hudson Soft's Bomberman is a legendary action-puzzle game that birthed a massive franchise. Players control Bomberman, a robot working in an underground bomb factory who must fight his way through a labyrinth of blocks and monsters to reach the surface and become human. Armed only with blocks-destroying bombs, players must plan their placements carefully to avoid being trapped in their own blast radius. This guide lists the key power-ups, enemy profiles, and tips to clear all 50 levels.
1. Power-Ups Manual
Each level contains exactly one hidden power-up tile concealed beneath a destructible block. Collect these items to build your arsenal:
Bomb Up (Bomb Icon): Increases the maximum number of bombs you can drop on the screen simultaneously by 1.
Fire Up (Flame Icon): Increases the explosion range of your bombs by 1 tile in all four directions.
Detonator (Heart Icon): Allows you to trigger your bombs manually by pressing B, instead of waiting for the default fuse timer. This is the single most powerful item in the game.
Roller Shoes (Shoe Icon): Increases Bomberman's movement speed, making it easier to escape fast enemies.
Bomb Pass (Blue Ball Icon): Allows Bomberman to walk directly through his own dropped bombs, preventing you from being cornered.
Wall Pass (Brick Icon): Allows Bomberman to walk through destructible brick blocks. Use this to hide from enemies or bypass obstacles.
2. Enemy Profiles & Behaviors
The maze is populated by various creatures, each with unique speeds and AI pathing rules:
Ballom (Orange Balloon): Slow and moves randomly. Easy to trap.
Onil (Blue Onion): Slightly faster than Balloms, actively chases Bomberman if he enters their line of sight.
Kondoria (Blue Slime): Very slow, but can pass directly through brick blocks. Can be highly dangerous if they sneak up on you through walls.
Ovapi (Orange Ghost): Slow, but like Kondoria, can pass through brick blocks.
Pass (Red Face): Fast and tracks you down aggressively. Prioritize trapping them first.
3. General Strategies for Success
Check for the Exit Portal
To clear a level, you must defeat all enemies and then find the hidden exit portal (which looks like a green door hidden under a brick block). Be careful: hitting the exit door or the power-up tile with a bomb blast will spawn multiple extra enemies!
Learn to Chain Bombs
Bomb blasts trigger other bombs instantly. You can place multiple bombs in a line to create a massive horizontal or vertical wall of fire. This is effective for clearing long corridors of enemies.
Play NES Online