Bomberman was a robot in a bomb making factory who longed for his freedom. Rumors circulated that escaping to the surface would allow the robot to become human. Getting out would be the trick. Each room is inhabited by monsters that must be neutralized and the exit itself hidden underneath bricks.
The first of the Bomberman series, Bomberman is a single-player game with a top down view and simplistic controls. In fact, in addition to movement, the player only has a single ability: placing bombs. Each bomb explodes into a cross-shaped blast (four directions) which can destroy either enemies or blocks. Power-ups may be found to increase the size of the blast, place additional bombs, increase the speed of the Bomberman or to walk through walls. The goal on each level is to destroy all enemies and escape through the exit before the time limit is up. Hitting the exit with a bomb blast releases more enemies which must also be destroyed.
This first Bomberman game had a storyline which has been forgotten over the years: Bomberman is actually a robot built by an evil corporation to make bombs in an underground lab, and one day hears a rumor that if he can make it to the surface he’ll turn human. In an interesting twist, when you beat the game he does indeed turn human, at which point it is revealed that he’s actually the star of Lode Runner, a game Hudsonsoft released a year prior. The need for sequels means that this story has been brushed under the carpet.
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