Bomberman

In the futuristic world of 2091, robot fighting contests have become a popular sport, and Bomberman and King Bomber dominate the tournaments as the best fighting duo the sport has to offer.

However, without warning, King Bomber turns malicious and begins reigning terror upon all mankind with an army of miscellaneous monsters. Bomberman (and his numbered brothers) set out to put a stop to this.

The first Bomberman game for arcades, and also the first game to be developed by a company other than Hudson - development was handled by Irem, best known for R-Type, among other titles such as In The Hunt, Hammerin' Harry and Gunforce. Oh, and some members split off into Nazca, who made a little-known series called Metal Slug. You might have heard of it.

The gameplay follows the standard set by the PC Engine Bomberman, but is much more streamlined, much more fast-paced, and given a colourful and chaotic visual style to help it adapt to arcade-style gameplay.

Irem would take another bash at at Bomberman the following year, in Bomberman World.