To this day, I still wonder what 3DS Bomberman could've been. More accurately, its campaign. Could its story be like 64, or Story DS? We'll never know.
As someone who loves the franchise, I think calling it a B series is appropriate. Really miss the adventure style games. Very unique gameplay and structure you don't really see anymore
Maybe in sales but it's pretty disrespectful to its legacy to call it "B series". It's like calling Banjo a B series even though Bomberman has a much larger and more successful impact and longer lasting series than Banjo will ever hope to achieve.
As someone who has fixated on bomberman, while I do agree bomberman has way more games and lasted longer than banjo, barley anyone talks about these games aside from SBR, 64 and hero and frankly I think its even more disrespectful to downplay banjo's success and legacy considering how solid those games are which is why they are more popular + beloved
Why not as a Bomberman fan I wanna give extra context to things in the video 1. Bombergirl (the funny anime Bomberman that was shown for like 10 seconds) is the only Bomberman game by Konami to reference older Bomberman content from the previous games (minus Max in R1) like fan favorite characters like Mujoe, Honey, and characters based off of 64 and second attack. There is an option to remove the weird anime stuff with chibi designs if you really wanna play it ive heard its actually pretty fun 2. I know its a joke but bomberman isn't actually a "man", he is a robot created by Mitsumori (or ein depending on game) to be "the first prototype Bomber" that all other Bombermen and women are based off of 3.Although not by Himself, with the help of Louies, Bomberman can jump over bombs and hard and soft blocks, this was first seen in Bomberman 94 (or mega Bomberman). also he can jump on his own in Saturn Bomberman Fight! which was before HERO came out 4. Many more traditional Bomberman games were less maze like in structure. A good example of this is Super Bomberman 2 for the SNES. Where its gameplay went against the traditional 13x11 maze and decided to add things like vertticallity via stairs and the like. Not to mention how most locales in the games although more primitive, did feel lively. A good example is Saturn Bomberman where the walk to each level after beating it and getting to the exit, making it feel like your going through the level more so then the other games 5. *Back on the tg16. Louies existed since 94 on the tg16 6. It wasn't brought up but the reason why Bomberman HERO is so different is because originally it was a Bonk game (another hudson franchise). it was then scrapped and turned into Bomberman HERO 7. Cool fun fact those purple guys in Generation have an unused texture where they were brown, they tried to hide it and failed horribly 8. Bomberman actually can kinda "double jump by holding a bomb under his feet". Pocket Bomberman for the Game Boy Color was a 2d platformer, and in that game you can use bombs and platforms to get to higher areas 9. I agree he is very scrimblo, very precious little boy 10. Finally it wasn't brought up but there was going to be a 6th 3d like Bomberman. On the 3ds, sadly it was cancelled and only 5 seconds of footage exist so we don't really know how it plays. It got some banger promo art though
I'm sure people just line up to change out the Bombergirl anime stuff. Jokes aside, that whole robot thing makes me question Bomberman64 and Bomberman Hero, where it's implied that they're real or at least sentient robots. Speaking of 64, I never beat it, but I remember as a kid thinking Sirius had a cool design and while I never beat the game, I was still heartbroken two decades later finding out he just used BM to get the Omnicube.
I wouldn’t give the prototype bomber thing any validity considering Wars and GB 2 show Bombers have been around for a really long time and I’m pretty sure the implication is that the Dastardly Bombers were lying
I like how Mario 64 only had object-bouncing as an unintended glitch (stacking goombas with HOLP manipulation) while Bomberman 64 codified that as an actual mechanic.
Jun Chikuma is legendary for this soundtrack imo. Realized afterwards how huge this game's music was on my tastes, as it was my first introduction to Drum and Bass, and it still holds up excellently to this day.
For bomberman seconds attack, you didn't talk about the Co-op, evolving you partner to be stronger, or even the armor pieces that you find that gives you permanent power ups. I feel like you missed bomb jumping so much you skipped over the great things that makes this game truly unique
Awesome video, helped me remember and distinguish the old 64 titles which tend to blend together. I've been making an indie Bomberman 64-like game and have REALLY struggled designing to make it work at all. Mobile enemies walk away! Can you aim bombs, how fast can you walk, all these things have massive changes to gameplay. Bomberman also doesn't animate when dropping bombs at all in these games. It's weird to drop a bomb below the player character without feedback, right? You can appreciate how well these games solve these problems when you see it done worse.
Color me surprised I liked this video, I may not have mutual thoughts exactly and i think some kinda vital information at points was left out to maybe strengthen arguments? you can find hearts in Bomberman 64 and they last until you lose em, they even function differently depending on the difficulty with normal mode having them expelled from you and able to be recollected, much like Sonic rings, and Hard Mode having them just disappear, enemies also behave a bit differently depending on difficulty, with some of them moving faster and actively pursuing you on hard but not on normal. But regardless of some things it just seems like you actually played these games and gave them a solid analysis, I love Bomberman but I find the recent Super Bomberman R games to be more than disappointing and I think its because no one is really trying to break down Bomberman game design at all to see what makes it tick, whats great about it and what could be improved, they just keep doing the same uninspired thing but hell I actually keep up with this series and have played the majority of them, the SBR games don't even get what made the classic games work, they struggle with enemy variety, pacing, progression, boss design, and more in ways that say Bomberman MAX, from 1999 does not and that is a GBC game predating SBR2 by well over 20 years. It's nice to see someone make an attempt at genuinely putting thought into how these games were designed, this is a hot take but I genuinely think Bomberman 64 held up better than most games from the same era and it's my favorite game for the N64, I also think all of these games are worth playing and would call them all at least good maybe except Jetters which is okay, I would love to see more budget pumped into Bomberman but honestly what they were able to pull off is impressive and maybe proof that not everything needs a massive budget to shine, these games seem more at the mercy of developers not having figured everything out quite yet than needing more money or something being particularly rushed. Fun Fact Bomberman Hero is so distanced from Classic Bomberman mechanics and hardly makes use of the character in particular's unique attributes likely because it was originally supposed to be a PC Genjin/Bonk the Caveman game but was more or less retooled into Bomberman at some point in development, and lastly Hudson didn't really give up on 3D Bomberman, they were gonna do it again for 3DS after much begging from the community, I remember being a fan in 2011 and seeing the official Facebook Page comment about the anticipated return of 3D adventure play, but that game was unfortunately scrapped by Konami who fully absorbed Hudson the following year and has since churned out 3 uninspired mediocre games in the classic format.
Yeah in hard mode the enemies DO pursue you. They are kind of pushovers but the 1 or 2 hit health system make them such a huge threat and actually enjoyable to interact with. Imagine if these buggers were stronger troops but you still had a 1 health system. That'd be hell to fight. And I agree 64 has held up wonderfully and its one of if not my fav game on the system.
@@minixlemonade2335 You can also pick up nearly every object in the game enemies included, and throw them into bombs or out of the stage. also this game has some of the best boss encounters in a retro game, for something so minimalistic in its approach to combat those boss fights got a lot of depth, they are able to be damaged at practically any point in the battle save for Draco and one attack from leviathan so waiting isn't forced on you and every attack they do has a proper counter and you can even damage parts of them to stop them from doing certain attacks entirely and much of these require knowledge or skill to pull off, and they do a good job showcasing the N64's 3D Depth, framing the camera in really dynamic ways but still being fixed on the action. the game also has one of the best cameras on N64 it's always fixed and can be rotated and zoomed in/out at any point during normal levels, it can even still do this while paused, I've seen people bring up wonky camera issues with this game and I have never understood how, with this in mind.
So, I understand you're discussing the single player parts of the game, but massive shout out to Bomberman 64 multiplayer. It was so damn fun with a few friends.
@@Maniacman2030 And actually "unlocking" them by progress in the game. Beating levels within a certain time and difficulty or finding hidden things in the different levels. I freaking miss that. The character customization was great 👍🏼
Bombergirl is actually kind of fun, it's surprisingly a MOBA, and if you're really dedicated you can play it on your PC even though only Japanese people are supposed to be able to do that
Awesome video! Huge Bomberman fan since the SNES days. I agree with most of your analysis and I LOVE your new Bomberman idea at the end. Also, you forgot to mention Pommy from Second Attack! It was pretty cool playing co-op with my brother back in the day. There was a surprisingly in-depth evolution mechanic for him too depending on the type of food he ate.
maybe too early to talk about it, but i've been drafting up design documents for an old 3D bomberman style game. i decided years ago one of my first actual projects is absolutely going to be in this very style you talked about through your videos, so that chunk at the end really gave me something more to chew over (especially that part about using the bombs to fuel a train! admittedly my 'wild west' level was lookin REAL sparse, with just the minecart sorta puzzles you mentioned and classic 'racing the dynamite fuse' style puzzle )
Dude! Bomberman 64 was my childhood! And you are not getting into the worst aspect of the game: You needed a memory card (the one that plugs in the controller) to save the game. So, not only was the game hard as nails, with lots of multiple hidden mechanics, secrets, moon logic and layers to the gameplay, but you also had to go through all of it in a single run! I remember when I was 12 or smth and I finally had a memory card, I could finally save my outfit (Oh yeah, you unlock customizable items which can be equiped) Great video (:
No you didn't. Maybe you had a flawed cart or maybe you needed to change batteries (I'm not sure the cart had batteries because I never changed mine, but it makes sense that it should have). Bomberman 64 only needed a memory card to save multiplayer settings (like clothing and names). Not single player progression. It had 3 saves that would save directly to the cart.
I think you are correct. Then I guess the customization aspect was part of the multiplayer and that's why I needed the memory card. Thanks man (:@@Sataaa
Happy new year This year I discovered this channel And a new kbash video is probably the best way to start the new year Thank you kbash for a year full of your weird unique content that is full of both thought provoking and funny explosion while still containing genuine criticism of games I might have never discovered Knights in the nightmare is the prime example 👍
Bomberman 64 and Bomberman Hero are similar in one important way which sets them far above the other 3D Bomberman games in my opinion: the levels are designed with time attack and getting high scores in mind.
Thinking about it now, Bomberman with a shield is a brilliant idea! It makes so much sense in terms of puzzles, traversal and combat it's a crime that Bomberman really didn't try this in 3D
I figured the secret Bomberman 64 technique that the game never talked about was throwing the Bomberman bosses into pits. Once you learn that, then the humanoid bosses are super easy after the stun!
Gooosh, Imagine to my young self having my first Bomberman game be Bomberman 64. Not knowing how many other games were built on a completely different method of play. I constantly wanted more true 3D Bomberman and yeah Generations was as close as we got to what I wanted. I did my own Bomberman Design fanfic awhile ago. Giving Bomberman an energy shield to protect himself from explosions while letting him bounce of bombs and explosions. Giving him more ways to interact with his bombs and enemies.
I really love the design for Bomberman 64. The 3D puzzle solving, bomb bouncing, and need to be careful while wandering interesting levels all added up to make a game I always enjoyed. Also the multiplayer was one of the funniest experiences I ever had growing up. Sadly never knew about Second Attack. The best thing about Hero is that iconic "redial-used-by-every-youtuber-ever" soundtrack. Helps you overlook the Star Wars plot. Also fond of the snowboard levels. I recently played through all of Generations a year ago and was surprised at how much fun I had, despite it's lackluster final boss and story. Pommy is the best karabomb since they give you remote bombs. Overall a solid entry, but I prefer 64. I played through the first level of Jetters and dropped it because it felt so much worse than Generations did. ESPECIALLY how fully upgraded Bomberman still feels slow.
My interest in the whole "big 1 hr+ essay on a videogame" genre started with Kbash and noone has bested you in my eyes. In part that was because of a clever balance between gameplay footage, memes and footage of the man himself. And those moments were when I paid most attention, cuz I believed that something meaningful, yet personal, would be said. So I find any person (not just Kbash) waving their hands and shaking their head on the camera... distracting? I mean, if you like it that way - great! Don't let anyone (especially some random me) stop you from doing this. I hope this message didn't come out as aggressive or something like that, I love the videos and will keep watching them, just didn't feel like this much webcam in this manner added anything valuable to the video.
the "design fanction," as you put it, reminded me of a game concept i came up with a while back that also revolved around explosives and platforming specifically, it was a spin on the genre of "take famous movement tech and build an entire game around it" and more specifically the subgenre of "take rocket jumping and build an entire game around it," but rather than rocket jumping it was grenade jumping. and dynamite jumping. and various other timer-operated explosives, because the main thing was the ability to start a bomb's fuse ... and then shove it in your pocket to start finagling with another, only to pull the first one back out at the last second and use it to launch yourself. why do it that way? well, now you've flying through the air, riding the shockwave of an explosion ... and all the while, that second fuse is ticking down, primed just right for you to toss it as you reach your apex to completely alter your trajectory in mid-air yes, the core concept is, in fact, to make the ultimate cooking game
26:33 “It demands players return to earlier stages […] because over the course of a play you’ll unlock new bomb elements” Yo, what, there’s a BomberMetroidvania and I didn’t hear about it until now?
Hey man great video as always As a gamedev I can assure you that you have studied more game design than a good portion of game developers and therefore you have the GD pass to confabulate what mechanics could maybe work for a hypothetical game Game design is no exact science anyways
Bomberman 64 and Hero are honestly classics. Hero in particuilar is excellent in multiple ways and has one of those soundtracks that stay with you for your whole life.
I need to know. Why every youtubers are starting to insert themselves on green screen during voice-over moments (that were in-game full screen moments on all previous videos)? Josh Strife Hayes, Super Eyepatch Wolf, and now KBash. I need to know it drives me crazy to notice that everywhere! What is this meta!
So about a year ago I was planning that WoW video and wanted it to be more intimate. I'm also extremely careful with money, and don't spend on things I think are frivolous, so NOT using one was a great way to save money and be lazy with learning new skills. Eventually the stars aligned and I tried my hand at it. Not planning on using it a ton, but thought it'd be fun here
I have so many fond memories of Bomber man 64. Using the bomb hopping mechanic to find all the secrets or new ways to traverse the levels kept my Brother and I busy!
now that i think about it, it feel like Grand slam of a 3D transition/sucessor to Bomberman equivalent to what Mario and Sonic did, would have been if they could have somehow invented the gameplay and systems design of the game Teardown and done it with the aesthetic and narrative wrapping of the Bomberman IP. Also probaby in 3rd person instead of first person. That being said, it would probably have been technically impossible to pull off back then, and wildly expensive to even attempt developing from scratch without the decades of development and physics technology which paved the way for that game.
Less emphasis on review more on a breakdown of design evolution Design fan fiction at the end as a summary of what went right/wrong over time? I like If Kbash ever got tired of the youtube grind I could see a future in him becoming a designer
While I very much appreciate this analysis, I think you missed a few important details: -In Bomberman 64 The Baku Bomb, you refer to the explosions as circular, and they look a lot like low-poly circles, I'll admit, but they're actually octagonal. This is a specific reference to the 8 cardinal directions of the analogue stick which Bomberman can now move along, rather than the old 4. -And while on that game, you also talk about how none of the tutorialisation, nor the manual mention bomb jumping and that you can roll credits without it. This is true but also a little misleading as the sequence of gameplay videos that run throughout those credits detail how the mechanic works and show the path to one or two of the gold cards. Turning it into a way of adding replay value as you go back and use it to uncover the true ending. -Then, in Bomberman 64 The Second Attack, you mention the addition of elemental bombs as though it's completely new and not an expansion upon an idea introduced in Bomberman Hero. More specifically the second bomb type, salt. -Similarly, in discussing Bomberman Generations, you go over the charabombs and, while these are a new adition mechanically and really weirded out me as a kid because I was european, the US and japan actually got a charabomb in The Second Attack. Which also established them as an existing species, lore-wise and apparently even gave him a Mario Galaxy-esque multiplayer component. -Then, finally you talk about collecting gems to get an extra life or bomberman being immune to his own bombs in your fantasy segment but the latter was already a powerup in Bomberman Hero and that game also had a mechanic whereby collecting enough gems would provide an extra health pip to the player. Though I agree that tying those gems and the collection of charabombs to bomberman combat would be a great idea.
I forgot (if I ever knew) that bombs could be used as a physical shield in Generations and I very much enjoy the idea of launching yourself with bombs without the need for The Baku Bomb and Hero's specially placed bomb plates.
I clicked on this video, particularly hoping that bomb jumping would get its shine. Was not disappointed 🙌🏼 I remember learning how to bomb jump by watching the pre-recorded footage in the title screen. Ah the good ol' days 😂
Great video as always. I really don't care about bomberman but is so intertaining watch your in deph and crazy toughts on random games and series. A video about the dead rising series would be so cool. It fits so well with the style and weirdness of the games covered in the channel.
Good video, and great look at the series. I'm still hoping for another Bomberman game that makes "elemental bombs" actually different and unique like Second Attack did; plus, the story was far crazier than anything I'd ever seen before as a kid. Your proposal at the end sounds like a lot of fun! The idea of using a charged bomb for a super-jump reminds me of Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows; Plague Knight's main moves there are basically tossing bombs and charging up for a super-jump.
There are also so many good bomb related ideas from other games that could be brought into a new 3D Bomberman game. "Bombchus" from LoZ: OoT, or bombs that move on a path and climb walls, would be a natural fit. Bomb flowers could be a resource point for ammo restock, or used as a timed bomb with local access. I personally like the idea that non standard bombs be limited by an upgradable ammo capacity. The bomb powered mine carts from LoZ: BotW also come to mind, given that they'd still be more of a stage gimmick. Bomb jumping Metroid style could also be a fun way to gain verticality, assuming Bomberman either can't jump or only has a short jump.
Not bomberman, but you should check out the Playable Mustache Girl mod for A Hat in Time. Recontextualizes the game with an entirely new moveset which is 100% bomb based.
"I can ride on a little shark dude instead of making _ice paths_ like the last game! Isn't that awesome??" I mean when you put it like that, yeah. Shark riding tends to be a net positive for awesomeness.
In middle school my sister’s boyfriend gave us his N64 games because he had an Xbox 360 or something idk. I never thought much of Bomberman Hero, until after high school my friend and I would play N64 and get buzzed. Bomberman Hero really stood out because of the trippy levels and enemies. We would then start making music on my computer, sampling tracks from the game. I’ll always love the N64 entries.
In the design fanfiction section, I couldn't help but think Shovel Knight:Plague of Shadows' Gameplay would be a fantastic template for a Bomberman platformer.
I’m almost surprised they never made a Bomberman that was essentially Metal Gear Solid but with bombs and destructible walls. There’s sections of MGS1 that have very similar level layouts to Bomberman. The the VR mission stuff is even built around those maze style stages more so. They could’ve easily done a Bomberman with a style similar to MGS1, with a camera just like MGS1, with the radar system (3D Bomberman on the MSX basically as a bad version of this radar system) of MGS1 and that game would’ve probably have been an easy sell from the PSX era to the 360 era. Could’ve even went back to the NES box art version of Bomberman, and it’s connection with Lode Runner. Given what they were seemingly trying to do with Bomberman Act Zero, it’s almost surprising they didn’t go in on something like MGS. Because Act Zero is just regular normal Bomberman
To add to your bomberman design fan fiction I'd have a shield mechanic where bomberman can have the built in protection, bomb jumping and enemy stunning ideas you mentioned, while also having players engage more in the action at play (Id also add the risk of losing your upgrades, since it feels like it'd be the players fault for not protecting themselves with the shield in mind) and options of different bombs that more or less act like weapons like a throwing disc, a yoyo, a punching glove or like you said a bowling ball.... This will probably never happen even with your idea in mind, but its nice to dream I guess.
I’m glad to see you continue to evolve your content and it’s creation over time KBash! Well done with this new video! Your editing, voice work and your scripting are very good here! Gotta say, my favorite part of these games is still their very good soundtracks. I still feel like what I’ll remember Hudson Soft most for is their work on Mario Party more than Bomberman, but it has been a long-standing IP for a reason.
I really enjoyed Bomberman 64 as well as bomberman hero. I 100% agree with how difficult Bomberman 64 can be though. I made it all the way to the final island before the bonus island. And it is so unforgiving that I put the controller down for months now
I got Bomberman Jetters on GameCube as a child, and while I wasn’t a huge fan at the time, I’ve started to grow an appreciation looking back as an adult.
Hey.... this single manly tear on my cheek. This is because you mentioned Bloody Roar again. I just want my Super Sayian Lion man back... I'm not ugly crying... YOU ARE!
You know this is a quote I think about from time to time "How could it be that everybody knew Bomberman and yet nobody knew Bomberman?" - RifeXD A Bomberman Journey (2021)
I grew up with Generation, and I mostly agree with KBash on the positives. I think Generation holds up extremely well and is always worth a run through. Edit: in fact, we’re at the point where we can rom hack GameCube games, right? I’d love to see someone do that with Generation. Kind of a Star Road situation: I really like Generation’s core, I just want more of it.
The odd thing about the bomb jumping mechanic is, I swear I remember watching the gameplay demos, that played after a little bit if you just left the title screen stagnant on Bomberman 64, showcased the bomb jumping ability in a couple instances. But I'm referencing vague "only possible" memories from about 20 years ago so who knows how reliable my input is.
My favourite part of Bomberman 64 was the multiplayer, especially when the crystal spawned on my head at the start of the match repeatedly stunlocking me out until it killed me. Also the soundtrack.
im also imagining a 7th console gen, gritty brown, linear singleplayer military campaign Bomberman game. where you are the grizzled vet John Bomberman. you retired from being a bomberman after the war, but the big wigs hunt you down for *one last mission.* They know you're a loose cannon, and dont bomb by the book. but goddamnit, you're the only man who can pull this mission off. It's just like your old unit always said during the war............... _when shit hits the fan..................call John Bomberman_ 🚬😎💣
4 minutes into video and I can't stop looking at his hair. It's like seeing HD hair, with proper physics in a game for the first time.
lol the physics are crazy ur right
I've been growing hair thrice longer than I watch Kbash but can't grow it that long. Envious!
Homie defo takes a shower and conditions (with his GFs fancy dye job safe stuff, if you know you know) before every video lmao
he just gets more powerful with each upload
old and busted: dyed spiky hair
new hotness: L'Oréal
Hbomberguy walked so KBomberman could run
Thank you for making this.
RIP Bomberman 3DS
To this day, I still wonder what 3DS Bomberman could've been. More accurately, its campaign. Could its story be like 64, or Story DS? We'll never know.
@@Silverman160Zeroiirc they were going for a 64 kind of vibe, I think 2nd attack?
26:17 i dunno, i'm more surprised it took until 2002 for a guy named Bomberman to commit a genocide
As someone who loves the franchise, I think calling it a B series is appropriate. Really miss the adventure style games. Very unique gameplay and structure you don't really see anymore
Maybe in sales but it's pretty disrespectful to its legacy to call it "B series". It's like calling Banjo a B series even though Bomberman has a much larger and more successful impact and longer lasting series than Banjo will ever hope to achieve.
@@minixlemonade2335in its day bomberman was definately a larger franchise than banjo but they both fall into the b series category nowadays
As someone who has fixated on bomberman, while I do agree bomberman has way more games and lasted longer than banjo, barley anyone talks about these games aside from SBR, 64 and hero and frankly I think its even more disrespectful to downplay banjo's success and legacy considering how solid those games are which is why they are more popular + beloved
Why not as a Bomberman fan I wanna give extra context to things in the video
1. Bombergirl (the funny anime Bomberman that was shown for like 10 seconds) is the only Bomberman game by Konami to reference older Bomberman content from the previous games (minus Max in R1) like fan favorite characters like Mujoe, Honey, and characters based off of 64 and second attack. There is an option to remove the weird anime stuff with chibi designs if you really wanna play it ive heard its actually pretty fun
2. I know its a joke but bomberman isn't actually a "man", he is a robot created by Mitsumori (or ein depending on game) to be "the first prototype Bomber" that all other Bombermen and women are based off of
3.Although not by Himself, with the help of Louies, Bomberman can jump over bombs and hard and soft blocks, this was first seen in Bomberman 94 (or mega Bomberman). also he can jump on his own in Saturn Bomberman Fight! which was before HERO came out
4. Many more traditional Bomberman games were less maze like in structure. A good example of this is Super Bomberman 2 for the SNES. Where its gameplay went against the traditional 13x11 maze and decided to add things like vertticallity via stairs and the like. Not to mention how most locales in the games although more primitive, did feel lively. A good example is Saturn Bomberman where the walk to each level after beating it and getting to the exit, making it feel like your going through the level more so then the other games
5. *Back on the tg16. Louies existed since 94 on the tg16
6. It wasn't brought up but the reason why Bomberman HERO is so different is because originally it was a Bonk game (another hudson franchise). it was then scrapped and turned into Bomberman HERO
7. Cool fun fact those purple guys in Generation have an unused texture where they were brown, they tried to hide it and failed horribly
8. Bomberman actually can kinda "double jump by holding a bomb under his feet". Pocket Bomberman for the Game Boy Color was a 2d platformer, and in that game you can use bombs and platforms to get to higher areas
9. I agree he is very scrimblo, very precious little boy
10. Finally it wasn't brought up but there was going to be a 6th 3d like Bomberman. On the 3ds, sadly it was cancelled and only 5 seconds of footage exist so we don't really know how it plays. It got some banger promo art though
#9 so true
It's so cool when you see someone who knows absolutely everything about a given topic, thanks for writing all this out was very informative
Bombergirl is really fun yes, ask around and you can set up the PC version and play on the Japanese servers or the translated fan servers
I'm sure people just line up to change out the Bombergirl anime stuff.
Jokes aside, that whole robot thing makes me question Bomberman64 and Bomberman Hero, where it's implied that they're real or at least sentient robots. Speaking of 64, I never beat it, but I remember as a kid thinking Sirius had a cool design and while I never beat the game, I was still heartbroken two decades later finding out he just used BM to get the Omnicube.
I wouldn’t give the prototype bomber thing any validity considering Wars and GB 2 show Bombers have been around for a really long time and I’m pretty sure the implication is that the Dastardly Bombers were lying
Redial from Bomberman Hero never leaves my head every time I see a 3D Bomberman game.
I like how Mario 64 only had object-bouncing as an unintended glitch (stacking goombas with HOLP manipulation) while Bomberman 64 codified that as an actual mechanic.
Oh my God, KBash has literally been immersed into the medium.
Bomberman Hero is my favorite N64 game. The music is to die for.
Jun Chikuma is legendary for this soundtrack imo. Realized afterwards how huge this game's music was on my tastes, as it was my first introduction to Drum and Bass, and it still holds up excellently to this day.
Hardest ost - really high up in the pantheon
it's just so peak bro, best in the franchise
IKR?
The reason Bomberman Hero plays so differently is because it started out development as a 3D Bonk game.
Best way to end 2023. Happy New Year everyone!
For bomberman seconds attack, you didn't talk about the Co-op, evolving you partner to be stronger, or even the armor pieces that you find that gives you permanent power ups. I feel like you missed bomb jumping so much you skipped over the great things that makes this game truly unique
Not to mention bomb jumping is in the game anyway lol
Unironically, Bombergirl is incredibly popular here, and maybe the most money the series has ever made x_x
Awesome video, helped me remember and distinguish the old 64 titles which tend to blend together. I've been making an indie Bomberman 64-like game and have REALLY struggled designing to make it work at all. Mobile enemies walk away! Can you aim bombs, how fast can you walk, all these things have massive changes to gameplay. Bomberman also doesn't animate when dropping bombs at all in these games. It's weird to drop a bomb below the player character without feedback, right? You can appreciate how well these games solve these problems when you see it done worse.
Color me surprised I liked this video, I may not have mutual thoughts exactly and i think some kinda vital information at points was left out to maybe strengthen arguments? you can find hearts in Bomberman 64 and they last until you lose em, they even function differently depending on the difficulty with normal mode having them expelled from you and able to be recollected, much like Sonic rings, and Hard Mode having them just disappear, enemies also behave a bit differently depending on difficulty, with some of them moving faster and actively pursuing you on hard but not on normal.
But regardless of some things it just seems like you actually played these games and gave them a solid analysis, I love Bomberman but I find the recent Super Bomberman R games to be more than disappointing and I think its because no one is really trying to break down Bomberman game design at all to see what makes it tick, whats great about it and what could be improved, they just keep doing the same uninspired thing but hell I actually keep up with this series and have played the majority of them, the SBR games don't even get what made the classic games work, they struggle with enemy variety, pacing, progression, boss design, and more in ways that say Bomberman MAX, from 1999 does not and that is a GBC game predating SBR2 by well over 20 years.
It's nice to see someone make an attempt at genuinely putting thought into how these games were designed, this is a hot take but I genuinely think Bomberman 64 held up better than most games from the same era and it's my favorite game for the N64, I also think all of these games are worth playing and would call them all at least good maybe except Jetters which is okay, I would love to see more budget pumped into Bomberman but honestly what they were able to pull off is impressive and maybe proof that not everything needs a massive budget to shine, these games seem more at the mercy of developers not having figured everything out quite yet than needing more money or something being particularly rushed.
Fun Fact Bomberman Hero is so distanced from Classic Bomberman mechanics and hardly makes use of the character in particular's unique attributes likely because it was originally supposed to be a PC Genjin/Bonk the Caveman game but was more or less retooled into Bomberman at some point in development, and lastly Hudson didn't really give up on 3D Bomberman, they were gonna do it again for 3DS after much begging from the community, I remember being a fan in 2011 and seeing the official Facebook Page comment about the anticipated return of 3D adventure play, but that game was unfortunately scrapped by Konami who fully absorbed Hudson the following year and has since churned out 3 uninspired mediocre games in the classic format.
Yeah in hard mode the enemies DO pursue you. They are kind of pushovers but the 1 or 2 hit health system make them such a huge threat and actually enjoyable to interact with. Imagine if these buggers were stronger troops but you still had a 1 health system. That'd be hell to fight.
And I agree 64 has held up wonderfully and its one of if not my fav game on the system.
@@minixlemonade2335 You can also pick up nearly every object in the game enemies included, and throw them into bombs or out of the stage.
also this game has some of the best boss encounters in a retro game, for something so minimalistic in its approach to combat those boss fights got a lot of depth, they are able to be damaged at practically any point in the battle save for Draco and one attack from leviathan so waiting isn't forced on you and every attack they do has a proper counter and you can even damage parts of them to stop them from doing certain attacks entirely and much of these require knowledge or skill to pull off, and they do a good job showcasing the N64's 3D Depth, framing the camera in really dynamic ways but still being fixed on the action.
the game also has one of the best cameras on N64 it's always fixed and can be rotated and zoomed in/out at any point during normal levels, it can even still do this while paused, I've seen people bring up wonky camera issues with this game and I have never understood how, with this in mind.
@@TurtleTitan03 Yeah the bosses are great and the camera is way too functional for a 1997 game
Bomberman could take a lot of lessons from Silent Bomber for fast-pased bomb-drop gameplay.
So, I understand you're discussing the single player parts of the game, but massive shout out to Bomberman 64 multiplayer. It was so damn fun with a few friends.
🔥🔥🔥
And the goofy costume pieces. I loved my knight helmet so much.
@@Maniacman2030 And actually "unlocking" them by progress in the game. Beating levels within a certain time and difficulty or finding hidden things in the different levels. I freaking miss that.
The character customization was great 👍🏼
I spent so much time on that. Bomberman 64 was one of the first games I got on the 64, and we didn't buy many games.
Bombergirl is actually kind of fun, it's surprisingly a MOBA, and if you're really dedicated you can play it on your PC even though only Japanese people are supposed to be able to do that
Awesome video! Huge Bomberman fan since the SNES days. I agree with most of your analysis and I LOVE your new Bomberman idea at the end. Also, you forgot to mention Pommy from Second Attack! It was pretty cool playing co-op with my brother back in the day. There was a surprisingly in-depth evolution mechanic for him too depending on the type of food he ate.
maybe too early to talk about it, but i've been drafting up design documents for an old 3D bomberman style game.
i decided years ago one of my first actual projects is absolutely going to be in this very style you talked about through your videos, so that chunk at the end really gave me something more to chew over (especially that part about using the bombs to fuel a train! admittedly my 'wild west' level was lookin REAL sparse, with just the minecart sorta puzzles you mentioned and classic 'racing the dynamite fuse' style puzzle )
I guess you wanted to end the year with a bang.
I grew up with Bomberman 64/Hero, it warms my heart to see one of my fav content creators addressing them. Big ups🍻
Dude! Bomberman 64 was my childhood! And you are not getting into the worst aspect of the game: You needed a memory card (the one that plugs in the controller) to save the game.
So, not only was the game hard as nails, with lots of multiple hidden mechanics, secrets, moon logic and layers to the gameplay, but you also had to go through all of it in a single run!
I remember when I was 12 or smth and I finally had a memory card, I could finally save my outfit (Oh yeah, you unlock customizable items which can be equiped)
Great video (:
No you didn't. Maybe you had a flawed cart or maybe you needed to change batteries (I'm not sure the cart had batteries because I never changed mine, but it makes sense that it should have). Bomberman 64 only needed a memory card to save multiplayer settings (like clothing and names). Not single player progression. It had 3 saves that would save directly to the cart.
I think you are correct. Then I guess the customization aspect was part of the multiplayer and that's why I needed the memory card. Thanks man (:@@Sataaa
Happy new year
This year I discovered this channel
And a new kbash video is probably the best way to start the new year
Thank you kbash for a year full of your weird unique content that is full of both thought provoking and funny explosion while still containing genuine criticism of games I might have never discovered
Knights in the nightmare is the prime example 👍
let's gooOOO, the whimsical GC Bomberman is back ! B)
16:54 Fun fact, Naoki Yoshida directed the story mode for Bomberman 64: TSA. He went on to direct FF14 and FF16.
Bomberman 64 and Bomberman Hero are similar in one important way which sets them far above the other 3D Bomberman games in my opinion: the levels are designed with time attack and getting high scores in mind.
I remember wanting to design a 3D Bomber man when I was a kid. I drew up sketches for levels on paper. Thanks for the nostalgia
I put an unholy amount of hours into Bomberman Hero as a kid and my only regret is that i can't put in more
Same and did the same with 64 (the first one which I actually own, not Second Attack).
KBash said "New year, new me" and then put himself *_IN_* the gameplay footage.
It really makes you feel like Bomberman
Thinking about it now, Bomberman with a shield is a brilliant idea!
It makes so much sense in terms of puzzles, traversal and combat it's a crime that Bomberman really didn't try this in 3D
I figured the secret Bomberman 64 technique that the game never talked about was throwing the Bomberman bosses into pits. Once you learn that, then the humanoid bosses are super easy after the stun!
i have the bomberman controller for sega saturn and it is the best bomberman thing alive. yes, the controller is alive. speaks latin for some reason.
Hi Kbash i watched your show for 7 years its a bit overdue but i love you
Gooosh, Imagine to my young self having my first Bomberman game be Bomberman 64. Not knowing how many other games were built on a completely different method of play. I constantly wanted more true 3D Bomberman and yeah Generations was as close as we got to what I wanted.
I did my own Bomberman Design fanfic awhile ago. Giving Bomberman an energy shield to protect himself from explosions while letting him bounce of bombs and explosions. Giving him more ways to interact with his bombs and enemies.
I really love the design for Bomberman 64. The 3D puzzle solving, bomb bouncing, and need to be careful while wandering interesting levels all added up to make a game I always enjoyed.
Also the multiplayer was one of the funniest experiences I ever had growing up. Sadly never knew about Second Attack.
The best thing about Hero is that iconic "redial-used-by-every-youtuber-ever" soundtrack. Helps you overlook the Star Wars plot. Also fond of the snowboard levels.
I recently played through all of Generations a year ago and was surprised at how much fun I had, despite it's lackluster final boss and story. Pommy is the best karabomb since they give you remote bombs. Overall a solid entry, but I prefer 64.
I played through the first level of Jetters and dropped it because it felt so much worse than Generations did. ESPECIALLY how fully upgraded Bomberman still feels slow.
My interest in the whole "big 1 hr+ essay on a videogame" genre started with Kbash and noone has bested you in my eyes. In part that was because of a clever balance between gameplay footage, memes and footage of the man himself. And those moments were when I paid most attention, cuz I believed that something meaningful, yet personal, would be said. So I find any person (not just Kbash) waving their hands and shaking their head on the camera... distracting? I mean, if you like it that way - great! Don't let anyone (especially some random me) stop you from doing this. I hope this message didn't come out as aggressive or something like that, I love the videos and will keep watching them, just didn't feel like this much webcam in this manner added anything valuable to the video.
I'm so used to people telling me to kill myself that this is pretty fair tbh
the "design fanction," as you put it, reminded me of a game concept i came up with a while back that also revolved around explosives and platforming
specifically, it was a spin on the genre of "take famous movement tech and build an entire game around it" and more specifically the subgenre of "take rocket jumping and build an entire game around it," but rather than rocket jumping it was grenade jumping. and dynamite jumping. and various other timer-operated explosives, because the main thing was the ability to start a bomb's fuse ... and then shove it in your pocket to start finagling with another, only to pull the first one back out at the last second and use it to launch yourself. why do it that way? well, now you've flying through the air, riding the shockwave of an explosion ... and all the while, that second fuse is ticking down, primed just right for you to toss it as you reach your apex to completely alter your trajectory in mid-air
yes, the core concept is, in fact, to make the ultimate cooking game
Fun watching this after A Bomberman Journey from RifeXD. I didnt know I would watch so many quality retrospectives on such a forgotten hero.
Thank you for reviewing my favorite bomberman game, Bomberman Hero! Well made video like always dude!
Yeah I'm just here for Bomberman Hero, that shit is my childhood, even today I'm in love with that game, and that soundtrack SLAPS
26:33 “It demands players return to earlier stages […] because over the course of a play you’ll unlock new bomb elements”
Yo, what, there’s a BomberMetroidvania and I didn’t hear about it until now?
Hey man great video as always
As a gamedev I can assure you that you have studied more game design than a good portion of game developers and therefore you have the GD pass to confabulate what mechanics could maybe work for a hypothetical game
Game design is no exact science anyways
Bomberman 64 and Hero are honestly classics. Hero in particuilar is excellent in multiple ways and has one of those soundtracks that stay with you for your whole life.
I still listen to the Bomberman Hero tunes to this day. TO THIS DAY.
I need to know. Why every youtubers are starting to insert themselves on green screen during voice-over moments (that were in-game full screen moments on all previous videos)?
Josh Strife Hayes, Super Eyepatch Wolf, and now KBash. I need to know it drives me crazy to notice that everywhere! What is this meta!
So about a year ago I was planning that WoW video and wanted it to be more intimate. I'm also extremely careful with money, and don't spend on things I think are frivolous, so NOT using one was a great way to save money and be lazy with learning new skills. Eventually the stars aligned and I tried my hand at it.
Not planning on using it a ton, but thought it'd be fun here
@@KBash Thanks for the answer :) I was really curious about it. And awesome video as always! You're one of my top favorite content creators for sure!
Rule of KBash videos: Like first, watch second.
I complied.
Dude I thought I was the only one who did this!
Very glad you caught onto the bomb jump. To see that on the credits as a kid blew my mind.
What a mentally healing video. Just knowing that someone else played (& understood!) every 3D Bomberman game - I had *truly* given up hope.
I have so many fond memories of Bomber man 64. Using the bomb hopping mechanic to find all the secrets or new ways to traverse the levels kept my Brother and I busy!
I've never played any of these games but that song Redial from Bomberman Hero is the most nostalgic chill sounding song.
now that i think about it, it feel like Grand slam of a 3D transition/sucessor to Bomberman equivalent to what Mario and Sonic did, would have been if they could have somehow invented the gameplay and systems design of the game Teardown and done it with the aesthetic and narrative wrapping of the Bomberman IP. Also probaby in 3rd person instead of first person.
That being said, it would probably have been technically impossible to pull off back then, and wildly expensive to even attempt developing from scratch without the decades of development and physics technology which paved the way for that game.
Less emphasis on review
more on a breakdown of design evolution
Design fan fiction at the end as a summary of what went right/wrong over time?
I like
If Kbash ever got tired of the youtube grind I could see a future in him becoming a designer
Love the new format your hair is luxurious as usual, oh lord I'm getting the vapors!
While I very much appreciate this analysis, I think you missed a few important details:
-In Bomberman 64 The Baku Bomb, you refer to the explosions as circular, and they look a lot like low-poly circles, I'll admit, but they're actually octagonal. This is a specific reference to the 8 cardinal directions of the analogue stick which Bomberman can now move along, rather than the old 4.
-And while on that game, you also talk about how none of the tutorialisation, nor the manual mention bomb jumping and that you can roll credits without it. This is true but also a little misleading as the sequence of gameplay videos that run throughout those credits detail how the mechanic works and show the path to one or two of the gold cards. Turning it into a way of adding replay value as you go back and use it to uncover the true ending.
-Then, in Bomberman 64 The Second Attack, you mention the addition of elemental bombs as though it's completely new and not an expansion upon an idea introduced in Bomberman Hero. More specifically the second bomb type, salt.
-Similarly, in discussing Bomberman Generations, you go over the charabombs and, while these are a new adition mechanically and really weirded out me as a kid because I was european, the US and japan actually got a charabomb in The Second Attack. Which also established them as an existing species, lore-wise and apparently even gave him a Mario Galaxy-esque multiplayer component.
-Then, finally you talk about collecting gems to get an extra life or bomberman being immune to his own bombs in your fantasy segment but the latter was already a powerup in Bomberman Hero and that game also had a mechanic whereby collecting enough gems would provide an extra health pip to the player. Though I agree that tying those gems and the collection of charabombs to bomberman combat would be a great idea.
I forgot (if I ever knew) that bombs could be used as a physical shield in Generations and I very much enjoy the idea of launching yourself with bombs without the need for The Baku Bomb and Hero's specially placed bomb plates.
I clicked on this video, particularly hoping that bomb jumping would get its shine. Was not disappointed 🙌🏼
I remember learning how to bomb jump by watching the pre-recorded footage in the title screen. Ah the good ol' days 😂
Great video as always. I really don't care about bomberman but is so intertaining watch your in deph and crazy toughts on random games and series.
A video about the dead rising series would be so cool. It fits so well with the style and weirdness of the games covered in the channel.
Good video, and great look at the series. I'm still hoping for another Bomberman game that makes "elemental bombs" actually different and unique like Second Attack did; plus, the story was far crazier than anything I'd ever seen before as a kid. Your proposal at the end sounds like a lot of fun! The idea of using a charged bomb for a super-jump reminds me of Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows; Plague Knight's main moves there are basically tossing bombs and charging up for a super-jump.
Bombergirl is good tho
and it's not like Bomberman is not getting new games, it's that the series hasn't evolved since 64
There are also so many good bomb related ideas from other games that could be brought into a new 3D Bomberman game.
"Bombchus" from LoZ: OoT, or bombs that move on a path and climb walls, would be a natural fit. Bomb flowers could be a resource point for ammo restock, or used as a timed bomb with local access. I personally like the idea that non standard bombs be limited by an upgradable ammo capacity. The bomb powered mine carts from LoZ: BotW also come to mind, given that they'd still be more of a stage gimmick. Bomb jumping Metroid style could also be a fun way to gain verticality, assuming Bomberman either can't jump or only has a short jump.
3D Bomberman games were my first bomberman games, I loved them.
@1:38-.-This is the exact opposite of something being wrong.
I have a huge soft spot for generations. . . played a lot of it on the gc; probably more than I should've lol
I really miss that game too...
I wished the Crush Bombers were playable in battle mode
Not bomberman, but you should check out the Playable Mustache Girl mod for A Hat in Time. Recontextualizes the game with an entirely new moveset which is 100% bomb based.
man, the soundtrack for hero is great. honestly still have it in my music rotation
Bomberman needs more love
"I can ride on a little shark dude instead of making _ice paths_ like the last game! Isn't that awesome??" I mean when you put it like that, yeah. Shark riding tends to be a net positive for awesomeness.
I love the Bomberman series, and these are some of my favorites too. :D
In middle school my sister’s boyfriend gave us his N64 games because he had an Xbox 360 or something idk. I never thought much of Bomberman Hero, until after high school my friend and I would play N64 and get buzzed. Bomberman Hero really stood out because of the trippy levels and enemies. We would then start making music on my computer, sampling tracks from the game. I’ll always love the N64 entries.
Bomberman fantasy race was seriously one of my favorite games for PlayStation. I never played many others.
In the design fanfiction section, I couldn't help but think Shovel Knight:Plague of Shadows' Gameplay would be a fantastic template for a Bomberman platformer.
Finally a good bomberman review.
I’m almost surprised they never made a Bomberman that was essentially Metal Gear Solid but with bombs and destructible walls. There’s sections of MGS1 that have very similar level layouts to Bomberman. The the VR mission stuff is even built around those maze style stages more so. They could’ve easily done a Bomberman with a style similar to MGS1, with a camera just like MGS1, with the radar system (3D Bomberman on the MSX basically as a bad version of this radar system) of MGS1 and that game would’ve probably have been an easy sell from the PSX era to the 360 era. Could’ve even went back to the NES box art version of Bomberman, and it’s connection with Lode Runner.
Given what they were seemingly trying to do with Bomberman Act Zero, it’s almost surprising they didn’t go in on something like MGS. Because Act Zero is just regular normal Bomberman
To add to your bomberman design fan fiction I'd have a shield mechanic where bomberman can have the built in protection, bomb jumping and enemy stunning ideas you mentioned, while also having players engage more in the action at play (Id also add the risk of losing your upgrades, since it feels like it'd be the players fault for not protecting themselves with the shield in mind) and options of different bombs that more or less act like weapons like a throwing disc, a yoyo, a punching glove or like you said a bowling ball.... This will probably never happen even with your idea in mind, but its nice to dream I guess.
Bomb jumping on Bomberman 64 (to skip some areas) seems more like an oversight than a hidden mechanic
Sometimes I forget you don't have 500k+ subs. Keep going! This year is the year of kbash I can feel it!
Still to this day it’s crazy how I was like 8 years old and I figured out all of the crazy bomb jump puzzles.
I’m glad to see you continue to evolve your content and it’s creation over time KBash! Well done with this new video! Your editing, voice work and your scripting are very good here! Gotta say, my favorite part of these games is still their very good soundtracks. I still feel like what I’ll remember Hudson Soft most for is their work on Mario Party more than Bomberman, but it has been a long-standing IP for a reason.
Bomber man games look so charming
Bomberman 64 was awesome, kind of bummed I never knew there was a second one back then, even if it wasn’t a sequel. Looks fun!
Man that bomberman heroe got me right in the 4 to 5-year-old that still lives deep inside my core 💜👁💜
I really enjoyed Bomberman 64 as well as bomberman hero. I 100% agree with how difficult Bomberman 64 can be though. I made it all the way to the final island before the bonus island. And it is so unforgiving that I put the controller down for months now
I've seen these games but never got the chance to play them outside of Hero and it was a great platformer for the n64 besides Banjo & Mario
I got Bomberman Jetters on GameCube as a child, and while I wasn’t a huge fan at the time, I’ve started to grow an appreciation looking back as an adult.
Hey.... this single manly tear on my cheek. This is because you mentioned Bloody Roar again. I just want my Super Sayian Lion man back... I'm not ugly crying... YOU ARE!
Completing Bomberman 64 because it was the only game we had was one of the wildest experience in a videogame I've ever had.
"Also Bloody Roar if you even care of that kind of thing"
Dude, I love Fatal Furry.
You know this is a quote I think about from time to time
"How could it be that everybody knew Bomberman and yet nobody knew Bomberman?"
- RifeXD
A Bomberman Journey (2021)
There is a tons of bomb jumping in 64 TSA, like from the first level. Im super confused why you think there isnt any
As someone who’s very first games were Bomberman Hero and Super Mario 64, I was tickled by the intro having wahoo man. Blessed be Mr. Bash.
Bomberman 64 was my jam. We could use another one like that
I grew up with Generation, and I mostly agree with KBash on the positives. I think Generation holds up extremely well and is always worth a run through.
Edit: in fact, we’re at the point where we can rom hack GameCube games, right? I’d love to see someone do that with Generation. Kind of a Star Road situation: I really like Generation’s core, I just want more of it.
The odd thing about the bomb jumping mechanic is, I swear I remember watching the gameplay demos, that played after a little bit if you just left the title screen stagnant on Bomberman 64, showcased the bomb jumping ability in a couple instances. But I'm referencing vague "only possible" memories from about 20 years ago so who knows how reliable my input is.
Lol man that bomberman heros OST was a hit though!
Collecting all the Gold Cards in Bomberman 64 and unlocking the secret level is still one of my favorite unlocks. 8 year old me lost their mind.
Bomberman 64 Bomb jumping always felt like you're abusing bugs for how jank it was, yet it was intended and required for alot of collectables.
The 64 and Hero soundtracks are with me for lyfe, son.
My favourite part of Bomberman 64 was the multiplayer, especially when the crystal spawned on my head at the start of the match repeatedly stunlocking me out until it killed me.
Also the soundtrack.
im also imagining a 7th console gen, gritty brown, linear singleplayer military campaign Bomberman game.
where you are the grizzled vet John Bomberman. you retired from being a bomberman after the war, but the big wigs hunt you down for *one last mission.*
They know you're a loose cannon, and dont bomb by the book. but goddamnit, you're the only man who can pull this mission off.
It's just like your old unit always said during the war...............
_when shit hits the fan..................call John Bomberman_ 🚬😎💣