Super Bomberman 4 Review

Super Bomberman 4 is a 1996 platform action video game and the fourth game in the series. In a very good franchise, this is unfortunately a weak entry.

The gameplay once again consists of battle and normal mode. Let’s talk about the normal first. It has five worlds and each consisting of eight levels. The first world is incredibly weak and probably the weakest world in this whole series unfortunately. And I noticed from the first moment playing that something is wrong and I was right. There are many unfortunate choices here such as the one where you get to carry all the eggs behind you. That was unfortunate because it was such an easy way to beat the game. And overall this whole world was filled with me wondering what was going on as there were many puzzling things about it.

The second world is much better, has some interesting designs and is harder of course, but it is still lacking and still quite forgettable. The third one is more of the same, but weaker this time around. As for the fourth world, it is the first truly great one as the enemies are so difficult here and even extremely fast which made it all the more fun.

Now of course the fifth world is the reason why this game is worth playing in the first place. As is the tradition with the franchise, the last boss is extremely difficult. You get to play all of the previous bosses before playing the last one and that is awesome as it makes it truly hard to beat and at times even frustrating. And I honestly was stuck here for a pretty long time. The first two bosses are not a big deal while the third has some interesting moves, but is also pretty manageable. But the fourth boss which is a giant worm is the most menacing. This one bothered me for a very long time as its moves are so unpredictable and it overall requires a very precise combination of quick movements and clever, targeted attacks. It is definitely the highlight of the game. And as for the fifth and the last boss, it is nowhere near the difficulty level of the previous boss, but it is definitely a feisty one.

The battle mode is lacking to be honest. The A.I. isn’t particularly smart and the design is pretty repetitive from the previous games. The eighth arena has some clever and authentic design and properties, but is not particularly difficult, engaging or that well executed as is the whole battle mode. The seventh arena is one of the highlights as it has hiding places which makes the play more difficult as the A.I. knows those things pretty well. The ninth arena is stupendous because of its solid execution of a phenomenal playground property incorporated into the battle. And the last one is also pretty good and one of the harder arenas to get through.

The graphics in Super Bomberman 4 is really good and a return to the looks of the previous games after the old-fashioned style of Super Bomberman 3. I liked its visuals and found the graphics to be one of the strongest aspects of the game. The character design is also very good and pleasant, but the same cannot be said for the level design. The sound effects are good and the score is once again a good and catchy, if repetitive one.

It is such a disappointing entry as both Super Bomberman 2 and even the first Super Bomberman are better. And naturally Super Bomberman 3 remains the best in the series as it is so strong. This was unfortunately so disappointing and I wish the final entry will be an improvement.