Cameos
Bomberman gets around! Video games, manga, merchandise, anime... and sometimes that's not enough, and he needs to make his footprint in media that isn't even his own! As one of Hudson Soft's biggest mascot, it's no surprise he's shown up in so many other works.
A hearty thank you to Steamy Jimmy for documenting and recording most of the sightings here! You can find video footage of many of these cameos on his YouTube channel.
Appearances are listed in chronological order from oldest to newest.
Lode Runner / ロードランナー
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ConsoleNES DeveloperHudson Soft Release20 July 1984 (JP) |
Is it really a cameo when it's arguably the birthplace of Bomberman? Hudson Soft's port of Douglas E. Smith's computer puzzler; the graphics for the enemy robots were later repurposed as Bomberman in his Nintendo debut the following year. |  |
Battle Lode Runner
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ConsolePC Engine DeveloperHudson Soft Release10 February 1993 (JP) |
A next-generation sequel to Lode Runner. Black Bomberman is the game's antagonist, following up his villainous antics from Bomberman '93, having stolen a stockpile of gold and a time machine to scatter it throughout history. Multiple Black Bombermen appear as regular enemies in the final world. |
Cubic Lode Runner / キュービック ロードランナー
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ConsoleGameCube DeveloperHudson Soft Release10 July 2003 (JP, GCN) |
Volume 1 in the Hudson Selection series, remaking legacy Hudson franchises in 3D. The gameplay isn't the only thing to get a makeover, but the characters as well, featuring cutesy redesigns based on their original sprites. The enemy robots are no longer a carbon copy of Bomberman, but still have shades of his design; this totally doesn't count as a crossover, but what the heck. |  |
  
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An anime series that ran from 1986 to 1987, following the exploits of three kids warped into the video game world. Features numerous video games parodies and references, and Adventure Island's Takahashi Meijin and King Kyura appear as recurring characters. Credit to Kiddo Cabbusses for the video rips. Bomberman makes short, silent appearances in a couple of episodes: in episode 2 he appears out of the blue to blow up a boulder rolling towards the heroes; in episode 27 to blow up Chu Kawada and reveal a hidden doorway; and as a background cameo in episode 51.
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ConsolePC Engine Super CD DeveloperHudson Soft Release25 October 1991 (JP) |
A port of the expansion pack to Bullfrog's Populous, a world-building strategy game. A Bomberman skin is exclusive to this version (quickly accessed with the password "LOWUSDON"), featuring tribes of warring white and red Bombermen, and a Green Bomber spell that razes the land. | 
(src: Steamy Jimmy) |
A light-hearted parody on Hudson's Star Soldier franchise. The playable ships include Parocaesar (a chibi version of Star Soldier's Caesar), the PC Engine itself, and Bomberman - or more accurately, a giant Bomberman-shaped ship piloted by multiple smaller Bomberman... that can also have smaller Bomberman following behind it as options! | 
(src: Steamy Jimmy) |
(src: Steamy Jimmy) |
Stage 6 is a big homage to Bomberman on PC Engine, flying through its various stages complete with enemies in the background, and even fighting a huge Black Bomberman as the boss. The game also features eyecatches between stages, similar to Bomberman '93; the eyecatch after defeating Black Bomberman is a riff on the first game's "multi-tap not connected" screen. | 
(src: Steamy Jimmy) |
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ConsolePC Engine (Super CD) DeveloperHudson Soft Release23 October 1992 (JP) |
A trio of Bomberman appear to judge a swimsuit contest between Yuna, Liavelt and Amy. [src] The player has a choice of four swimsuits, but only two will win Yuna the contest. |  (src: The Brothers Duomazov) |
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ConsolePC Engine (Super CD) DeveloperHudson Soft Release28 May 1993 (JP) |
Based off the Japanese gameshow Cult Q, with a Hudson Soft slant. The Adventure Mode features worlds based on Hudson Soft PC Engine games, including Adventure Island, Star Soldier, Bonk, and Bomberman. |  |
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The Battle Mode pits players against each other or the computer, with sixteen Hudson Soft characters to choose as avatars; Red Bomberman is among them, while White Bomberman serves as the host of this mode. Bomberman also hosts the Time Attack mode. |  | |
天外魔境 電々の伝 電脳電撃カブキ伝
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An hour-long live-action adventure set in the world of the Tengai Makyou games, released on VHS via Hudson's Humor Network newsletter in Summer 1993. A brief segment 45 minutes in features the cast partaking in a real-life Super Bomberman battle, with stop-motion explosions. |  |
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ConsoleSuper Nintendo DeveloperHudson Soft Release1 March 1996 (JP) |
A version of SameGame with Hudson Soft properties as the tiles; mascots Honey and Kotetsu make their video game debut as the game's hosts. The game comes on a special Slotted Cartridge, allowing it to load additional tilesets by plugging in a BS-X cartridge into its top; an easy-difficulty Bomberman theme was available on the Chara Cassette (キャラカセット). |
Previews of the game in Monthly CoroCoro Comic depicted different graphics for the Bomberman tileset, with flat-shaded power-ups, a bomb with a lit fuse, and a Bomberman face with no eyebrows. Thanks to Steamy Jimmy for this observation! |
 CoroCoro Comic February 1996 (src: Zoidsland) |
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ConsoleGame Boy DeveloperHudson Soft Release25 April 1997 (JP) |
A condensed version of the game was also released for Game Boy, packaged in a special metal tin and released as Volume 6 of the Game Can (ゲーム缶) lineup. Honey and Kotetsu are mostly absent, though the Bomberman tileset is carried over to the base game this time. |  |
ドレミファンタジー ミロンのドキドキ大冒険
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ConsoleSuper Nintendo DeveloperHudson Soft Release22 March 1996 (JP) |
A Super Famicom sequel to Milon's Secret Castle.
In the introductory cutscene to the second world, Milon is warned of the impassable and inedible candy fortifications. He bumps into Dr. Mitsumori (Bomberman's creator from the PC Engine game, whose name is shortened to "Mimori"), who offers the assistance of White Bomberman or Black Bomberman to help him proceed. They blast the wall down and allow him to proceed by shooting himself out of a champagne bottle.
The English dialogue below is lifted from the English translation patch by Gaijin Productions. In the Japanese version the Bombermen speak entirely in katakana, simulating an unnatural, robot-like manner of speaking.
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You can choose which Bomberman to take; the option is purely for fun and has no bearing on gameplay. White blows up the wall and has the courtesy to tell Milon to stand back first. | ||
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Choosing Black Bomberman shows he's still as chaotic as he was in the PC Engine games, having no qualms with letting Milon get caught in the blast zone. | ||
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If you revisit this cutscene, the characters will have different dialogue. |
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ConsoleSEGA Saturn DeveloperHudson Soft ReleaseAugust 22nd 1997 |
A Japan-exclusive graphic adventure game. If you dial 8080 on the in-game phone, Bomberman will answer and promote Saturn Bomberman. Thanks to Steamy Jimmy for the discovery and Plasma Captain for the translation. |
(src: Steamy Jimmy) |
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An anime based off the SEGA Saturn game VIRUS, which was developed by Hudson Soft. Bomberman appears on a television screen in episode 6 (first broadcast November 7th 1997) as the villain sets off an explosive. Watch it on YouTube! | 
(src: Steamy Jimmy) |
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ConsoleSuper Nintendo DeveloperHudson Soft ReleaseDecember 17th 1997 |
The Bomberman B-Daman is playable in the Challenge and Battle modes, and you can even edit its colours and facial expression in the "My B- Edit" mode. Not really a cameo, given the connection between Super B-Daman and Bomberman B-Daman, but what the heck. |
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An anime based off the long-running comedy manga. The characters play video games in episode 72 (first broadcast January 18th 1998), among them pastiches of Virtua Fighter and a pig-themed Bomberman. Credit to Steamy Jimmy for the find! |  |
A 3D arena fighting game with robots. Two unlockable robots allude to Bomberman: the first, Metal Bomber, is a golden metal hominid (or silver for player 2) with a head vaguely shaped like Bomberman's, wielding a giant paper fan.
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Bomberon, meanwhile, is literally Bomberman piloting a mecha with a giant hammer; player 1 is Black Bomberman and player 2 is White Bomberman. Both Metal Bomber and Bomberon can drop small bombs and share the same special attack, where they fire a homing beam composed of 2D Bomberman heads at their opponent.
... or you can skip that palaver and download the .EEP save file (compatible with Project64). Cheers to Steamy Jimmy for the info and the save data! |  |
ドリームミックスTV ワールドファイターズ
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ConsoleGameCube DeveloperHudson Soft, BitStep Release18 December 2003(JP) |
A crossover fighting game between Hudson Soft, Konami and Takara properties. Bomberman is a playable fighter, and the familiar green grids and blocks can be found in the Bomberman Battle arena. | 
(src: Steamy Jimmy) |
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Bomberman's red colour scheme depicts him with eye lashes and an orange bow, reminiscent of Akabom from the B-Daman Bakugaiden IV franchise.
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(src: Steamy Jimmy) | |
ボボボーボ・ボーボボ 爆闘ハジケ大戦
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ConsoleGame Boy Advance DeveloperHudson Soft Release4 September 2004 (JP) |
Completing the story mode as various characters will unlock mini-games based off classic Hudson games. Completing Bobobo-bo's story will unlock BoBomberman (ボボンバーマン), a reskin of the NES game. |  |
Bomberman is replaced with Bobobo-bo, and the enemies with characters from the franchise: Ballom is Don Patch, Dall is Torpedo Girl, Minvo is Booger/Hanakuso, and more. The ending parodies that of the original Bomberman, with Bobobo transforming into... a banana.
You can download a .SAV save file to unlock the mini-game here (compatible with VisualBoyAdvance and likely any other emulator), or you can watch a full playthrough on Steamy Jimmy's channel!
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Based off the French comic series, The Adventures of Asterix. The game takes place in the titular Las Vegum, where there are countless references to other video games in the scenery, obstacles and enemies. The Roman changing room has a conveyor belt of costumes passing by, including a Bomberman outfit; while enemy Romans are often dressed in referential costumes, the Bomberman costume only appears here. |  (src: Steamy Jimmy) |
 (src: Steamy Jimmy) |
Asterix and Obelix can interact with bombs decorated like Bomberman's head; areas that require bombs are also marked with Bomberman's face. |  (src: Steamy Jimmy) |
パズルシリーズVol．1 ジグソーパズル
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ConsoleNintendo DS DeveloperHudson Soft Release3 March 2006 (JP) |
Released March 23rd 2006. The first in Hudson Soft's lineup of "Puzzle Series" games. A collection of digital jigsaw puzzles, including several depicting Bomberman. Animated (動画) puzzles feature jigsaws of moving pictures; the Bomberman ones generally use excerpts from the animated Super Bomberman 2 and 3 commercials. |
No. 021: Bomberman 3 easy animated puzzle from Super Bomberman 2 commercial |
No. 023: Bomberman 2 medium animated puzzle from Super Bomberman 3 commercial |
No. 024: Bomberman 4 medium animated puzzle from Super Bomberman 2 commercial (src: Steamy Jimmy) |
No. 29: Bomberman 5 hard static puzzle from Super Bomberman 3 commercial (src: Steamy Jimmy) |
No. 29: Bomberman 1 hard static puzzle from Panic Bomber commercial(?) (src: Steamy Jimmy) |
No. 36: Bomberman easy static puzzle from Bomberman (NES) |
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A French animation released online on July 13th 2007, and screened at the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival 2008 in Los Angeles. A video game demon tries to find a new calling, and among his try-outs is a brief stint in a Bomberman costume, at 4:33. |  |
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ConsoleNintendo DS DeveloperHudson Soft Release17 July 2008 (JP) |
A mini-game collection starring Fuji TV's flavour of the month mascots, Gachapin and Mukku. Separate from the challenge mini-games is the GachaBom mode (ガチャボン), starring the unholy fusion of Gachapin and Bomberman. |
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It is a stripped-down version of the Battle Game found in Custom Battler Bomberman, featuring only four players, five stages, no team battle options, and only single-screen arenas.
Bomberman and Takahashi Meijin join the fun in this mobile phone mascot sports game. See the mobile game page!
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ConsoleNintendo Wii (WiiWare) DeveloperHudson Soft Release14 October 2008 (JP, WiiWare) |
A Hudson Soft-developed Tetris game with new modes. The new Shadow mode, where players have to fill a silhouette with blocks to colour it in, features an approximation of Bomberman's NES sprite in Stage 7. | 
(src: Steamy Jimmy) |
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ConsoleNintendo Wii DeveloperHudson Soft Release22 July 2010 (JP) |
A sprite of Bomberman is hidden behind a wall in an otherwise unremarkable dead end. See Steamy Jimmy's video for how to find it! | 
(src: Steamy Jimmy) |
数独と3つのパズル〜ニコリのパズルバラエティ〜
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ConsoleNintendo 3DS DeveloperHudson Soft Release2 June 2011 (JP) |
Various Hudson Soft characters appear in the supplementary screens, such as Milon in his castle and Bombermen on an island. |
(src: Steamy Jimmy) 
(src: official trailer) |
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ConsoleNintendo 3DS DeveloperHudson Soft Release2 October 2011 (US) |
The Computer Battle mode represents the AI opponents with a 3D avatar of Bomberman on the bottom screen, each level of difficulty represented by a different costume. | 
(src: Steamy Jimmy) |
(src: Steamy Jimmy)
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What's most interesting about this is these 3D models are actually leftovers from the unreleased Bomberman game announced early in the 3DS' life! You can identify some of the costumes in the battle mode screenshots; the knight, samurai and tribal costumes can be seen in the image on the right. |  |
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A free-to-play soccer simulation cum card collecting game for mobile and tablet platforms.
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(src: Famitsu) |
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In 2017 a campaign celebrating the fourth anniversary of the game's launch, "Attack the Bomberman 4th", introduced White Bomber and Red Bomber teams who would award rare prizes if you defeated them. [src] |
(src: wscs-play) |
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A free-to-play real-time strategy game developed by Konami Digital Entertainment for iOS and Android mobile platforms. The game was delisted on August 31st 2015. To celebrate receiving over 50,000 advance-registrations from users, Bomberman was announced as part of the roster on February 12th 2015 [src]. The March 31st 2015 update added new units to the game, featuring characters from various Konami-owned properties, including two colours of Bomberman. [src] |
(src: Social Game Info) |
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A free Picross clone, featuring sprites and characters from Konami's library. Known puzzles include Bomberman, Bomberman's head, Pretty Bomber, Honey (Western Girl), Kotetsu (Samurai), and item panels. |
(src: TouchArcade) |
(src: reikishutuagi) |
(src: reikishutuagi) |
(src: reikishutuagi) |
(src: reikishutuagi) |
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ConsoleNintendo Switch DeveloperBandai Namco Studios ReleaseDecember 7th 2018 |
Bomberman is an assist trophy who can run and jump around the battlefield, laying bombs that explode in the traditional cross-pattern. | 
(src: E3 2018 trailer) | |
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Bomberman is also one of the many Spirits to be fought and unlocked in Spirits mode, represented by a purple Toon Link with increased bomb damage and only explosive items and Bomberman assist trophies present. Bomberman is an Ace rank (3-star) Primary Spirit with 1882 Power and 806 Defense at Level 1, and can be used to destroy barriers in the Adventure mode overworld. Notably, Bomberman is one of the few Spirits to feature entirely new artwork. | 
(src: WhiteKhakis) |
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| page last modified: 18/11/2019 | |