Saturn Bomberman
reference
Japanese manual
XBAND manual
American manual
The American manual can be downloaded at Games Database.
European manual
The European manual can be downloaded at ReplacementDocs.
As of now, only the English dialogue is transcribed.
intro
On Planet Bomber, Mr. Meanie (Mujoe), MechaDoc and two Hige Hige Bandits land and find themselves before a large structure.
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They find four gems embedded in the tower and the four villains take them out. They begin to glow as a large creature erupts from the inside of the tower.
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Mr. Meanie throws a device at the beast, brainwashing it. He gloats dramatically:
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Elsewhere in the skies, White Bomber and Black Bomber receive a message from Dr. I (Dr. Ein).
"Bomberman! Listen carefully! The Meanie Gang is trying to take over the world! Mr. Meanie has unleashed Crator, the legendary monster, and stolen the crystals that concealed him in the tower! Now he's using Crator's evil power to conquer the world! You must get the crystals back before Crator destroys everything! The MeanieLand Amusement park is their secret base! Hurry, Bomberman! Hurry!"
The two set out on their mission.
after Hige Hige Land
Bomberman ventures through the theme park. After beating the boss and retrieving the first crystal, he is contacted by Dr. Ein.
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Bomberman hops in the time machine and is transported back in time.
after Mage Mage Land
Bomberman treks through ancient Japan. After defeating the boss and reclaiming the crystal, Bomberman is contacted by Dr. Ein.
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after Gunman World
After trekking through a cowboy town, Bomberman wins back the third crystal and is contacted by Dr. Ein.
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after Egg Birdon
Bomberman lands in prehistoric times. After defeating the boss and collecting the last crystal, Bomberman is contacted by Dr. Ein.
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A rumbling is heard, and in the distance, a meteor is seen crashing into a volcano. The jungle begins to snow over.
encountering Crator
Bomberman finds Crator submerged in the snow, much to Dr. Ein's surprises.
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Crator emerges from the snow, but the four crystals remove his magic aura.
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Crator is defeated.
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encountering Mujoe
Mujoe faces off with Bomberman in a giant mech.
You keep getting in my way, Bomberman! But the Meanie Gang is forever! Get ready, Bomberman! The world is mine! Ahahaha!
He is promptly defeated.
The world... is mine...
In the distance, a blimp with MechaDoc's face is seen escaping. Bomberman follows after in Kepo's flying machine.
encountering MechaDoc
After defeating a wave of Battle Grunts, MechaDoc faces Bomberman himself.
Not bad, Bomberman, you destroyed all of my robots, but now you haven't got a chance! Are you ready, Bomberman? This is my masterpiece!
ending
After defeating MechaDoc, his blimp begins to explode, though Bomberman is carried away in Kepo's time machine just in time.
The Crystal Tower begins sparking, before disappearing in a flash of light.
White Bomber and Black Bomber bid farewell to the Tirras before returning to their own time; there isn't a dry eye among them.
Back in the present, their ship flies past Mount Rushmore, with Bomberman's face now gracing the cliffside. White scratches his head in embarrassment.
A statue of a Tirra sits atop of a Japanese castle, putting a smile on White and Black's faces.
The two touch down in the city, where an adoring crowd celebrate their return.
Dr. Ein watches and nods sagely. In his lab are bones and fossils from ancient times, and among them is a prehistoric bomb.
Hudson page (backup)
Now this is a website! Information on all the modes, characters and levels, and even a download for the animated intro.
Saturn Bomberman Party Pac (backup)
A promotional page for the Saturn Bomberman Party Pac bundle, including the SBOM Multitap and the SBOM Joycard.
XBAND page - Hudson (archive)
A page promoting the separate XBAND release of Saturn Bomberman.
InterHoney - Saturn Bomberman (archive)
Part of the "InterHoney" hub, a section supposedly written by Chiyomi Tadahashi, the actress who portrayed Honey in Hudson's TV commercials at the time. Includes strategies for floors 11 to 20 of the Master Game and an unexciting interview with Hudson staff about the game's new features.
SEGA.com page (archive)
Promotional site. Mmm-mmm-mmm! Soak in that 1997 web design!
Sega Online press release (archive)
Dated September 4th 1997, a press release for the game's American release boasting of its offline and online mulit-player capabilities.
GameSpot review
Even though it has its problems, Saturn owners should still buy a copy of Saturn Bomberman. Its multiplayer mode easily beats out the upcoming Bomberman 64, and the PlayStation version will only support eight players. But if you don't have that many friends and still have a Super Nintendo, just pick up a copy of Super Bomberman 2 and go nuts.
Published October 10th 1997, reviewed by Jeff Gerstmann. Awarded 7.8 out of 10.
SEGA Saturn Magazine / セガサターンマガジン (December 1995)
Dated December 1995. Features a tiny preview of Saturn Bomberman, then titled Bomberman SS; the game is supposedly 20% complete. Scan from SEGA Retro.
SEGA Saturn Magazine / セガサターンマガジン (Vol. 9)
Dated June 14th 1996. A preview of Saturn Bomberman from the '96 Tokyo Toy Show ('96年東京トイショー), showing off the new characters, FMV, and all the modes. The game is 80% complete. Scan from SEGA Retro.
SEGA Saturn Magazine / セガサターンマガジン (Vol. 10)
Dated June 28th 1996. More of the same, this time spotlighting the items and the Normal Game stages.
SEGA Saturn Magazine / セガサターンマガジン (Vol. 11)
Dated July 12th 1996. The game is now 100% complete and coming soon. Scan from SEGA Retro.
SEGA Saturn Magazine / セガサターンマガジン (Vol. 12)
Dated July 26th 1996, reviewed separately by the Lady Users Group (女性ユーザーズ), the Game Mania Group (ハイローラーズ) and the Guest Game Writers (ゲストライダーズ). The scores average to 7.3 out of 10. Scan from SEGA Retro.
Super Game Power (Nº 30)
Dated September 1996. Awarded 4.5 out of 5. Image from Retro Scans.
Computer and Video Games (issue 186)
The best thing about the Bomberman series, is its simplicity, addictiveness and most of all multiplayer abilities. Saturn Bomberman contains all these vital factors, and increases the multiplayer aspect to fever pitch levels. The wealth of options and modes means this is a game you'll still be playing ages from now. What is essential is a multi-tap, more joypads, and a few friends willing to forgo weeks of their lives. The music is great with some cool drum & bass and funky wah wah guitars, with neat cut sequences between levels. If you feel the graphics are too cute for your liking, be warned they are a ruse to the devilishness of the game itself. Overall this is a game you simply must have, once played it is hard to stop, your library is lacking without it!
Dated May 1997, reviewed by Alex Huhtala; keeps referring to the 10-player mode as "High Ten" for some reason. Awarded 5 out of 5. Scan from the Internet Archive.
Sonic the Comic (issue 107)
RAVES: Addictive and action packed gameplay.
GRAVES: Graphics and sounds could be much better. A Mega Drive game in disguise?
Dated 8 July 1997, Christopher Jones (or is it "James?") gives us a sales pitch as was the norm for the comic's reviews. The only complaints it can squeeze in to its not-even-300-word review are about the 2D graphics and "outdated sounds", whatever that means. Awarded 81%.
GamePro (issue 109)
If you don't have a Sega multi-tap, Saturn Bomberman offers the perfect excuse to get one. If you don't have friends, this is a good opportunity to get some of them, too.
Dated October 1997, reviewed by "Bad Hare". The individual scores average to 3.75 out of 5.
Next Generation (issue 23)
The basic formula has been the same for years, and it's not likely to change much any time soon. Much like earlier Bomberman games, the one-player game on offer here consists of a quest mode that leads players through several different mazes, facing many different foes. Drop bombs, gain power-ups, and avoid various deadly obstacles — it's not the greatest game. but it's not bad.
Everyone knows, however, that the best part of any Bomberman game is the multiplayer battle mode, and Saturn Bomberman manages to go beyond any other Bomberman in one very crucial area: it can accomodate up to 10 players at a time (via two multi-taps), which simply puts it over the top.
Included in the battle mode (2 to 10 player mode) are all of the best items from Bomberman past, such as the boot, glove, skate, and those dreaded curses. You'll also find some of the lesser known elements from games like Super Bomberman 3, such as the kangaroos. For the most part. if it's part of the Bomberman heritage, it's in this game.
Of course, to take advantage of the 10-player mode, you'll need a Saturn, two multi-taps, 10 controllers, and a television big enough to keep players from going blind (the last time Hudson took a stab at Bomberman on such a huge multiplayer scale, it resorted to using a custom HDTV set-up and limiting the game to appearances at trade shows)
Unfortunately, while Saturn Bomberman is undoubtedly fun, it does in many ways go to prove the old adage that less is often more: the new power-ups and plethora of returning old ones only serve to distract slightly from the dead-on gameplay of Super Bomberman 2. And while ten players is a phenomenal achievement, this latest version is different without being significantly better. It should be pointed out, however, that even a mediocre Bomberman game is still worth checking out, and a must for gregarious Saturn fans.
Dated November 1996. Awarded 4 out of 5 stars.
Electronic Gaming Monthly (issue 101)
Action: Saturn Bomberman
The action genre is such a broad category, but picking the best Saturn action game is a breeze. Saturn Bomberman is, no doubt, one of the best, most frantic, multiplayer games ever made. Part of the fun comes from the already proven addictive Bomberman formula. The other part comes from the Saturn's capacity to handle up to 10 human competitors at once. If you have any game-playing friends, then this must top your must-have list.
From "All You Want For Christmas: The Ultimate Guide to Holiday Gifts", EGM's buyer's guide for stocking stuffers. Saturn Bomberman tops the SEGA Saturn's action category, followed by NiGHTS and Guardian Heroes.
Gamers (Nº 11)
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Publication date unknown. Awarded 85 out of 100. Scan from RetroScans.
At the moment, credits are only transcribed from the English version.
PROGRAMMING
S.Mikami (三上 哲)T.Wakabayashi (若林 哲也)
Y.Okeya
CHIEF DESIGNER
K.Maruyama
DESIGN
M.Kakutani
T.Nakayama
K.Nagasawa
N.Kishi
N.Morita
MCL Iwata
H.Yamaguchi
T.Kasahara
S.Sato
M.Nitta
M.Kobayashi
R.Ueshima
T.Otani
Y.Honma
T.Numata
PLANNING
T.Watanabe
Y.Nakata
ART DESIGN
N.Yoshimi
SOUND
COMPOSITION, ARRANGEMENT, PERFORMANCE
Jun Chikuma
ARRANGEMENT, PERFORMANCE
K.Akimoto
ARRANGEMENT
S.Endo
H.Yamamoto
SOUND STAFF
K.Hoshi
A.Sato
H.Yamamoto
I.Shimakura
SOUND EFFECTS
S.Tomii
O.Narita
S.Bando
SOUND DIRECTION
T.Takimoto
COOPERATION
JOE DOWN STUDIO
ANIMATION
C.Ikehira
Y.Umakoshi
K.Masunaga
M.Shinjo
M.Sato
MOVIE ANIMATION
T.Motodate
K.Oshima
K.Sugiyama
Y.Asai
R.Kondo
H.Tachibana
S.Kozuka
M.Hoshino
MOVIE CHECKER
M.Oomura
ART DIRECTOR
S.Tanaka
COLOR DIRECTION
M.Sudo
TOUCH-UP
R.Kanazawa
K.Kitaori
C.Nakamura
M.Masui
K.Arakawa
M.Yokoyama
CHECKER
Y.Horiuchi
SPECIAL EFFECTS
M.Nakajima
CAMERA
Y.Tamagawa
M.Okino
H.Watanabe
M.Yoshida
PRINTING
Toei Kaguku
EDITING
S.Nishiyama
COORDINATORS
Y.Nishimoto
K.Isako
DRAWING DIRECTOR
T.Tamagawa
DIRECTION
Y.Asada
ANIMATION DIRECTOR
S.Mizuno
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
H.Igari
DIRECTOR
S.Fujiwara
K.Yasui
SPECIAL THANKS
K.Sawai
K.Matsumoto
S.Kumaoka
H.Hirakawa
Matt Dunbar
O.Shibamiya
Y.Kiriyama
Andrew Stein
H.Ikeda
Y.Handa
K.Takahashi
CHARACTER
RED
COOPERATION (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
ADS
COCKPIT
PIECOCK
STUDIO TAKURANKE
TABACK
TINISHIMURA
GENERAL PRODUCER
Yuji Kudo
COPYRIGHT
Hudson Soft
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