About this game
Bomberman for the PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16, released in December 1990, is the version of Bomberman that turned a single-player maze game into one of the greatest multiplayer experiences in gaming history. This was the first console Bomberman to leave Nintendo's platforms — a natural move, given that Hudson Soft had co-designed the PC Engine hardware. More significantly, it was the first Bomberman to support five-player simultaneous multiplayer, requiring the TurboTap accessory. The five-player battle mode became the game's defining mode: loud, chaotic, and irresistible.
Key Features
A single-player maze mode in which the player defeats enemies with bombs to clear each stage. A five-player battle mode requiring the TurboTap multitap accessory — up to five simultaneous players on one screen. Power-ups that increase bomb range, bomb count, and movement speed. A single-screen arena for multiplayer battles where the last survivor wins. The game has no NPC opponents in the battle mode — all five players must be human.
The Story Behind
The Bomberman series had existed since 1983, primarily on home computers and the Famicom, as a single-player maze game. The PC Engine version changed the equation entirely. By 1990, Hudson Soft had built the TurboTap — a five-player controller accessory for the PC Engine — and needed a game that would make it essential. Bomberman was that game. The five-player battle mode created a new genre of competitive party gaming that the series would carry through Saturn Bomberman (1996), Super Bomberman R (2017), and beyond. Reviewers at the time noted that the battle mode was "played daily" in offices — the game had achieved something rare: it was more compelling with more people, and more people meant more chaos, which meant more play.
Tricks & Tales
The five-player mode requires the TurboTap accessory — a physical multitap that plugs into the PC Engine's controller port and branches into five connections. Without it, the game supports only one player in multiplayer mode. The game has no computer-controlled opponents in battle mode at all; if you have fewer than five human players, empty slots simply have no player. This design decision — which could be seen as a limitation — made the five-player mode feel definitively social: it required you to fill the room with people.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Japan: Bomberman (PCエンジン). North America: Bomberman (TurboGrafx-16). Europe: Dyna Blaster (PC Engine, renamed for European release). The TurboTap accessory (Japan) / TurboTap (North America) is required for five-player mode and is sold separately.
Maintenance Tips
Bomberman for PC Engine is a HuCard title — a durable, battery-free ROM module. Contact cleaning with isopropyl alcohol is the primary maintenance task. If acquiring for five-player multiplayer, ensure the TurboTap (or a compatible third-party multitap) is in good condition — check the connection pins at the controller port end. The TurboTap itself has no active electronics; it is a passive splitter, so failures are typically physical (bent pins, loose connection). The game itself does not save data — no battery concerns.
Available in our shop
Hand-cleaned and tested units shipped worldwide from Toyohashi, Japan. HP direct purchase exclusive: we include a printed shop owner's note card with every order.
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