BOMBERMAN II .:. Information

TITLE:	Bomberman II ボンバーマンＩＩ Dynablaster (European title)
CONSOLE:	NES
GENRE:	Traditional (destroy all enemies)
PLAYERS:	1 to 3 (battle only)
DEVELOPER:	Hudson
PUBLISHERS:	Hudson
RELEASES:	28th June 1991 (Japan) 1991 (Europe) 1992 (USA)

The DYNABLASTER^TM you've loved so much on Gameboy^TM is now available for NES as well. More exciting than ever, too, with a great new Battle Mode for three players at once. The 2-player VS Mode puts you head-to-head with a friend.nd the Normal Mode with 48 stages in six areas - call it... fantastic! It's got a great story, too, with the innocent white Bomberman thrown in jail. To overcome the evil black Bomberman and prove his innocence, the white Bomberman has to blast his way out of not just one, but two jails surviving treks through forest [sic], mountains, swamp [sic] and caves, too!

from Dynablaster blurb

ホワイトボンバーマンは、鉱山で働ぐまじめな青年だった。しかし、ライバルのブラックボンパーマンの陰謀により、逮捕され、刑務所に入れられてしまった。ホワイトボンパーマンは、白分の無実を証明するために、爆弾を使って脱走を試みた。

White Bomberman was an earnest young miner. However, a sinister plot conceived by his rival, Black Bomberman, resulted in him being framed for a crime he didn't commit. In order to prove his innocence, White Bomberman blasted his way out of jail.

from Bomberman II Japanese Manual

White Bomberman is walking down the street, and witnesses Black Bomberman entering and promptly exiting a bank.

Black Bomberman dumps a sack of stolen money at White's feet, initially confusing him before he realises he's being framed. A police car immediately arrives and wastes no time in arresting White Bomberman, hauling him off to jail.

from Bomberman II intro

The first world takes place in prison.

Bomberman escapes into a forest.

Although he advances upon a mountain here, the levels are coated with trees, so it's likely another forest.

The fourth world takes place in what appears to be a valley, presumably with a water soaked floor if the blue ground means anything.

Bomberman proceeds to enter a cave.

And for the final world, he digs himself into a second jail, this one more dilapidated than the last.

Still the same basic premise as the first game, wherein you destroy enemies and blow up soft blocks to reveal the exit. Items and the exit are hidden beneath soft blocks, and if the door is hit with an explosion more enemies will spawn from it. The bonus round gives you invincibility to bombs, but now includes a second Bomberman, who if bombed will give you an extra life. The game is split into worlds - six worlds with eight stages, plus a bonus round in each.

PLAYERS:	2 (Vs.), 3 (Battle)
ARENA SIZE:	13 x 11
ROUNDS:	5 (Vs.), 1 to 5 (Battle)
TIMER:	5 minutes
STARTING ITEMS:	2 Bombs, 3-tile blast (Vs.) 1 Bomb, 2-tile blast (Battle)
ITEMS:	Burn.
TEAMS:	No.
SCAVENGER:	No.
SUDDEN DEATH:	No.

This is the first Nintendo instalment with multi-player, but bizarrely, it has a separate modes.

Vs. Mode is for 2-Player. You start with slightly better equipment and the only items to be found are Bombs and Flames. You cannot change how long the fight lasts, you are forced to five wins only.

Battle Mode for 3-Player. You start with one less Bomb and one less Flame. Skulls can be found. You can choose how many victories are needed to win.

The game takes obvious cues from the PC Engine Bomberman, explicitly borrowing the graphical style, the enemies, the villain and the inclusion of multi-player.

Ballom (バロム) moves mostly back and forth, only occasionally changing direction on contact with a wall.	Boyon (ボヨン) moves like Ballom, but can travel through soft blocks.
Terupyo (テルピョー) is a little faster than Ballom, and turns more often.	Nagachamu (ナガチャム) moves very slowly, but can pass through soft blocks and occasionally teleport to another area of the map.
Pass (パース) isn't as fast as they normally are, but will still pursue Bomberman on sight.	Pomori (ポーモリ) pursues Bomberman slowly. Can pass through soft blocks.
Pontan (ポンタン) is a little faster than other enemies, but moves rather aimlessly.	Flapper (フラッパー) is barely different from Boyon.
Buffer (バッファ) is barely different from Boyon.	Ojin (オジン) moves slow but erratically.
Ekutopu (エクトプ) moves slow, but can pass through soft blocks and bombs.	Gacha (ガチャ) will pursue Bomberman on sight.
Uotan (ウォータン) moves in a stop-and-go manner, pausing at every 'punction'.	Boma (ボマ) moves like Pass. Occasionally stops and turns into a bomb and explode, destroying anything in its blast radius, even other enemies. Only vulnerable when in its regular form.
Korisuke (コリスケ) is the fastest enemy in the game.	Maron (マロン) moves slowly at first, but speeds up when it starts pursuing Bomberman.

(apparently there's also a question mark that gives you either 3200 points or 15 second invincibility to bombs, but hell if I can find it)

Dovia, to my knowledge, exists only as unused graphics. Poor Dovia. Due to the fact the game is one of the rare NES titles to have graphic compression, I can't find out if there's anything else unused.

The European release gets a brand new title screen, while the American release merely keeps the extra copyright information and preserves the title.

The white church in the intro and ending has a cross on top of it, which was removed from the English versions to comply with Nintendo's laws regarding depiction of religion. So, yeah, my ending screenshots at the bottom came from the European version.

As usual, vowels were replaced with numbers, but the passwords remain technically the same in each (Japanese password IHINHLFC becomes B8BH8F63 in the English release).

The title on the super secret sound test room is changed for the European version, naturally.

Black Bomberman stands in the middle of the road for no apparent reason, but is shocked upon seeing White.

White gives chase, but eventually chooses to run in the opposite direction.

Black is suitably baffled, but White Bomberman loops around at the other side of the screen. Knowing he can't run forever, Black Bomberman admits defeat and grovels for forgiveness.

from Bomberman II ending

Bomb (increases your stock of bombs by one)	Flame (increases your blast radius by one tile)	Speed-Up (increases your speed slightly)
Remote Control (allows you to detonate your bombs with the B Button)	Bomb Pass (walk through bombs)	Wall Pass (walk through walls)
Rage (15 second invincibility to bomb blasts only)	Protective vest (30 second invincibility to bomb blasts only)	Money (1600 points)
Bonus Stage (takes you to the bonus stage after the round is completed)		Skull (only appears in Battle. Gives you one of several ill affects)