Bomberman GB 3

Bomberman's final outing under the Bomberman GB banner. After experimenting with objective-based gameplay in Bomberman GB 2, this takes it to the next level, featuring unique objectives in every single stage, covering the gamut of Normal Game staples, gimmicky enemies, and even simple block-pushing puzzles.

The game appears to emphasise carving your own path through the game: rather than playing through the game in linear order, you can choose which of three worlds to tackle in any order you please.
Likewise, rather than unlock power-ups in sequential order, you can purchase them after defeating a boss, giving you the option of gradually powering up over the course of the game, or saving up for big-money items. There's so much choice the game has to abandon its staple four-number passwords in favour of a seven-character hexadecimal system!

Curiously, this is the only Game Boy title to have no multi-player functionality whatsoever. In its place is the Challenge Mode, a mode built around high scores and time attack, grading you on your performance. Its choice of three loadouts and two stages encourages experimentation, finding the most efficient way to reach the exit. This mode would later reappear in Bomberman World on PlayStation.

As the only Game Boy Bomberman title to not see a Western release, it stands out as a curiosity; it seems it didn't see much in the way of promotion in Japan, released in the gap between flagship titles on the Super Famicom and Nintendo 64. It got its second chance on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, making it the only handheld title in the franchise to see a digital rerelease.

Devil Bomber would reappear a year and a half later in Bomberman Hero as a secret boss, ostensibly connecting the plot of the two games, though I don't want to give Hudson that much credit.