View source for Software:Bomberman '94

{{Infobox video game
|title=Bomberman '94
|image=Mega Bomberman.jpg
|caption=European Mega Drive cover art
|developer=Hudson Soft<br>Westone (MD/GEN)
|publisher=Hudson Soft<br>[[Company:Sega|Sega]] (MD/GEN)<br>[[Company:Konami|Konami]] (Wii U)
|designer=Shinichi Nakamoto
|director=Yoshiyuki Kawaguchi
|producer=Hiroki Shimada
|composer=Jun Chikuma
|artist=Shoji Mizuno
|platforms=PC Engine, [[Software:Mega Drive|Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]], mobile phone
|released='''PC Engine'''{{vgrelease|JP|December 10, 1993}}'''Mega Drive/Genesis'''{{vgrelease|PAL|November 1994<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Mega Drive Review: Mega Bomberman|issue=11|publisher=Sega Magazine|date=November 1994|page=84}}</ref>|NA|March 1995{{efn|name=Easter|Reported release date varies; sources suggest either February 1995<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Mega Bomberman|volume=8|issue=1|publisher=Electronic Gaming Monthly|date=January 1995|page=222}}</ref> or March 1995.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=InfoTrak|volume=8|issue=2|publisher=Game Players|date=February 1995|page=11}}</ref>}}}}'''Mobile Phone'''{{vgrelease|JP|2008}}
|genre=[[Software:Action game|Action]], maze
|modes=[[Software:Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[Software:Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] 
|series=''Bomberman''
}}

{{nihongo|'''''Bomberman '94'''''|ボンバーマン'94|Bonbāman Nintī Fō}} is a video game from the ''Bomberman'' series which was developed and published by Hudson Soft for the [[Engineering:TurboGrafx-16|PC Engine]] and released on December 10, 1993, in Japan. It was later re-developed by Westone and re-published by [[Company:Sega|Sega]] as '''''Mega Bomberman''''' on the [[Engineering:Sega Genesis|Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]] in 1994 in other areas. The PC Engine ''Bomberman '94'' was later released outside Japan through the Virtual Console and the PlayStation Network.

The game supports single-player and multi-player modes. In single player, the player navigates several levels of mazes, destroying creatures with bombs. In multiplayer mode, players defeat each other with bombs.

The Mega Drive/Genesis port had some differences, such as fewer options in multi-player, and some different music (for example, Jammin' Jungle's music in the original version was reused as the first level in ''[[Software:Super Bomberman 4|Super Bomberman 4]]'', but is entirely different in the other version).

The original ''Bomberman '94'' was released for the [[Engineering:Wii|Wii]] Virtual Console on December 2, 2006, in Japan, and was first made available outside Japan on March 23, 2009, in North America<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/5ThImP7HNFIA52nXVv-oHilDHEJ0HevU|title = Nintendo - Official Site - Video Game Consoles, Games - Nintendo - Official Site|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402101712/https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/5ThImP7HNFIA52nXVv-oHilDHEJ0HevU|archive-date=2019-04-02|url-status=dead}}</ref> and March 23, 2009, in Europe. Bomberman '94 was released for the [[Engineering:Wii U|Wii U]] Virtual Console on November 19, 2014, in Japan, and on February 2, 2017, in North America and Europe.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BOMBERMAN '94 for Wii U - Nintendo Game Details|url=https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/bomberman-94-wii-u|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121084204/https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/bomberman-94-wii-u/|archive-date=2019-11-21}}</ref> A port for mobile phones was released in 2008 (renamed ''Bomberman '08''). The previous game, ''[[Software:Bomberman '93|Bomberman '93]]'', was made available instead when ''Bomberman '94'' was released in Japan's Virtual Console.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2006/11/01/comparing-the-virtual-console-launch-by-region/|title=Comparing the Virtual Console launch by region|publisher=Joystiq|first=Ross|last=Miller|date=2006-11-01|access-date=2018-09-06}}</ref>

''Bomberman '94'' was released on the Japanese PlayStation Network on July 15, 2009, for play on the [[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]] and [[Engineering:PlayStation Portable|PlayStation Portable]].<ref name="Joystiq">{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2009/07/15/japans-playstation-network-offering-pc-engine-games/|title=Japan's PlayStation Network Offering PC Engine Games|first=JC|last=Fletcher|publisher=Joystiq|date=2009-07-15|access-date=2018-09-06}}</ref> It was later released in North America on June 2, 2011.

==Plot==
The inhabitants of Planet Bomber lived in peace, protected by five spirits, until the evil Bagular and his Robot Army invaded. The Spirit Pictures, the source of the spirits' magical power, were destroyed, splitting Planet Bomber into five pieces. Bomberman arrives to restore the Spirit Pictures and reassemble Planet Bomber.

==Gameplay==
The game is set in six areas: Jammin' Jungle, Vexin' Volcano, Slammin' Sea, Crankin' Castle, Thrashin' Tundra, and the artificial comet of Bagular. Due to the Mega Drive's and Genesis's lack of a fifth controller port, ''Mega Bomberman'' only supports four players instead of five. This is the first game in the series that uses the modern design of White Bomberman. ''Bomberman '94'' also introduces Louies to the series. Also, ''Bomberman '94'' introduced several recurring characters, such as female and child Bombers (which were multiplayer skins), red/green/blue bombers and secondary villains, possibly originated from combining a "normal" skin with corresponding colors.

==Demos==
Before the ''Mega Bomberman'' project was targeted as a Mega Drive/Genesis port of ''Bomberman '94'', [[Company:Factor 5|Factor 5]] was asked by Hudson to develop what would be the first installment of the ''Bomberman'' series for the Mega Drive/Genesis, already codenamed as ''Mega Bomberman''. As a proof of concept, Factor 5 presented a tech demo that allowed eight players to play and fight at the same time by using two Sega Team Player Adaptors. Hudson was impressed with the job, but in the end they reconsidered the task and licensed the ''Mega Bomberman'' project to Westone Co., the creators of the ''Wonder Boy'' series, to do a direct Mega Drive/Genesis conversion of the PC-Engine game ''Bomberman '94'' to be published by [[Company:Sega|Sega]].<ref name="NLife">{{cite web|last=McFerran|first=Damien|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/07/factor_5_almost_ported_super_castlevania_iv_to_the_sega_mega_drive|title=Factor 5 Almost Ported Super Castlevania IV To The Sega Mega Drive|work=Nintendo Life|publisher=Nlife Media|date=July 21, 2017|access-date=2020-12-07|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918193641/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/07/factor_5_almost_ported_super_castlevania_iv_to_the_sega_mega_drive|archive-date=2018-09-18|url-status=live}}</ref>

The PC Engine version of ''Bomberman '94'' was used as the basis for '''''Tengai Makyō: Deden no Den''''', a promotional game featuring characters from the RPG franchise [[Software:Tengai Makyō|Tengai Makyō]] and only one arena available by default.<ref>{{cite web |title=TENGAI MAKYŌ DEDEN NO DEN |url=http://www.videogameden.com/cdrom.htm?bde}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| EGM = 6.5/10 (GEN)<ref name="EGM67"/>
| NGen = {{rating|3|5}} (GEN)<ref name="NGen3"/>
}}
''GamePro'' gave the Genesis version a positive review, summarizing that "New levels, new enemies, and plenty of other new touches make this game one of the best bombers ever." They particularly approved of the new levels and the animal powerups.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=ProReview: Mega Bomberman|magazine=GamePro|issue=67|publisher=IDG|date=February 1995|page=38}}</ref> ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''{{'}}s reviewers were divided; while Ed Semrad and Sushi-X echoed ''GamePro'' in saying that the new levels and animal powerups made it a strong new installment of Bomberman, Danyon Carpenter and Al Manuel both felt that it was not different enough from the Super NES version to be worth getting.<ref name="EGM67">{{cite magazine |title=Review Crew: Mega Bomberman |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |issue=67|publisher=Ziff Davis |date=February 1995 |page=32}}</ref> A reviewer for ''Next Generation'', in contrast, argued that the game was too different from the Super NES version, and that the new powerups and animals took away "the beautiful simplicity of the original". He nonetheless recommended it to "any Genesis owner with three friends and a multitap".<ref name="NGen3">{{cite magazine|title=Mega Bomberman |magazine=Next Generation|issue=3|date=March 1995|pages=98–101}}</ref>

Retro Gamer placed the game on their "Top Ten PC Engine Games" list.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Ten PC Engine Games |url=https://www.retrogamer.net/top_10/top-ten-pc-engine-games/ |website=Retro Gamer  |access-date=13 August 2022 |date=14 July 2014}}</ref> [[Company:Complex Networks|Complex]] ranked the game number 91 on their "The 100 Best Sega Genesis Games."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Concepcion|first=Miguel|date=April 11, 2018|title=The 100 Best Sega Genesis Games|url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-100-best-sega-genesis-games/|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-01|website=Complex|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412134606/http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-100-best-sega-genesis-games/ |archive-date=2018-04-12 }}</ref> Time Extension placed the game on their Best PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 Games list.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McFerran |first1=Damien |title=Best PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 Games |url=https://www.timeextension.com/guides/best-pc-engine-turbografx-16-games |website=Time Extension |publisher=Hookshot Media |access-date=17 January 2023 |date=17 January 2023}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{moby game|id=/mega-bomberman|name=''Mega Bomberman''}}

{{Bomberman}}

[[Category:Virtual Console games]]
[[Category:Mobile games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Bomberman '94}}