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Super Bomberman is a great and popular video game featured as the first installment in the Bomberman series on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. This is also the first four-player game to be released on the SNES, or Super Farmicon, as it is known in Japan.

The gameplay is very simple. It takes place on a single non-scrolling screen, and is based on a grid of 143 squares. The grid stops the movement of the little bomberman, so he can only move horizontally and vertically around the screen. The “A” buttom makes the bomberman to drop a bomb at his feet, which will pulse for few seconds (time in which the player has to run away) and then explored. The bombs shoot flames vertically and horizontally. The main idea behind the game is to use the bomb blasts to destroy walls and enemies.

Large chain reactions can also be produced, if the flame of a bomb hits another bomb. If the flame from any bomb hits the character it will injure, but most of the time kill the player, unless he is invincible, thanks to one of the surprise grids scattered around the map.

In the beginning of the game most levels are filled with destructible soft walls, which disintegrates if hit by a bomb. After the player makes way, he is able to move around and clear the other remaining walls. However, it would be smarter to leave some walls and to try to trap the moving enemies inside it and the bomb. It is impossible to walk past a bomb, so getting trapped between a wall and a bomb will most likely kill you, unless you have much space to hide into.

Some special items are scattered on the screen and can easily be picked up by the player. However, these items are first revealed after enemies or walls are destroyed. Bomberman is not only a game of killing enemies and destroying walls, but also a game of strategy.

The “Battle Mode” is the most interesting way to play Bomberman. Up to four different players, human or controlled by a computer, can play in the Battle Mode of the SNES version (it is, however, required to have a multitap).

There are twelve themed stages and the battle takes place on one of them. The aim is to blow up the other players while staying alive yourself. The last player standing wins the round.