Shinichi Nakamoto ported it alone in seventy-two hours — and later called it the only version that mattered.
The original Bomberman appeared in 1983 on Japanese home computers — NEC PC-8801, MSX, FM-7, a handful of machines few people outside Japan had ever heard of. Two years later, Hudson Soft's director of research and development, Shinichi Nakamoto, sat down to bring it to the Famicom. He worked alone, and he finished in seventy-two hours. The result was sharper than the original: cleaner sprites, tighter controls, a two-player battle mode that became the template for every Bomberman that followed. In 1995, Nakamoto said something that stuck: 'I personally believe that the Famicom version of Bomberman is the one and only version of the game.' Not the original. Not the later editions. The one he made in three straight days. What he knew — and what the rest of us forget — is that speed and conviction can produce something more focused than endless revision. Sometimes the truest version of a thing is the one you finish.
— inspired by Shinichi Nakamoto
About this game
Released for the PC Engine on December 7, 1990, Bomberman was a reimagining of the 1983 original developed by Hudson Soft with Tsukasa Kuwahara as sole designer. The game featured eight worlds of eight levels each, a password system for resuming progress, and support for up to five players in battle mode — a feature that became the template for multiplayer Bomberman games that followed. The PC Engine version offered enhanced graphics and tighter controls compared to earlier home computer releases.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Bomberman was released for the PC Engine on December 7, 1990 in Japan, and later published in North America by NEC in April 1991. Developed by Hudson Soft with Tsukasa Kuwahara as sole designer, it was a reimagining of the 1983 original that had appeared on Japanese home computers. The PC Engine version featured enhanced graphics, support for up to five players in battle mode, and eight worlds of eight levels each, with a password system allowing players to resume progress.
Tricks & Tales
The PC Engine Bomberman was created by a small team: Tsukasa Kuwahara served as sole designer, Atsuo Nagata and Yūji Muroya as co-programmers, Hideyuki Ogura and Mika Sasaki as pixel artists, and Jun Chikuma composed the soundtrack with Keita Hoshi as sound programmer. Later Bomberman titles in Europe were released under the title 'Dyna Blaster' to avoid associations with real-world bombings. The Famicom version, ported in 1985 by Shinichi Nakamoto alone in a 72-hour session, was called by Nakamoto himself in a 1995 interview 'the one and only version of the game.'
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The PC Engine (Japan) and TurboGrafx-16 (North America) share the same physical HuCard slot shape but are not compatible with each other's software. NEC deliberately reversed the data bus wiring between the two regions: data pin D0 on the PC Engine corresponds to D7 on the TurboGrafx-16, and so on through all eight lines. Beyond the hardware wiring difference, most North American HuCards contain region-checking code that detects a Japanese console and immediately crashes. Converters that electrically flip the data bus do exist and allow cross-region play. CD-ROM² discs themselves carry no region protection and play freely on both systems—however, the System Cards required to boot CD software are region-locked in the same way as HuCards, so a Japanese System Card cannot be used in a TurboGrafx-16 and vice versa.
Maintenance Tips
HuCard contacts are the most common maintenance point on the PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16. The card's edge connector oxidizes over decades of storage, causing failure-to-read and graphical glitches. Cleaning with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab—gently wiping the gold contacts on the card itself—resolves most contact issues; stubborn oxidation responds to dedicated contact cleaners such as DeoxIT. Never blow into the card slot with your mouth, as moisture accelerates the very corrosion you are trying to remove. On systems equipped with the CD-ROM² or Super CD-ROM² add-on, the optical drive is subject to the same age-related laser and sled degradation seen in any CD system of that era; the laser assembly uses a KSS-220a-type unit on the Super CD-ROM² and replacement parts remain available.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Bomberman copies regularly.
Will this work on my TurboGrafx-16?
No, not without modification. This is the original Japanese PC Engine HuCard. PC Engine HuCards and TurboGrafx-16 TurboChips are the same physical size and shape — both roughly credit-card sized but twice as thick — but the pin wiring is reversed between the two regions specifically to prevent cross-region play. A stock TurboGrafx-16 won't accept it. Playing Japanese PC Engine software is most reliably done on a Japanese PC Engine console.
How do I save my progress — is there a battery inside?
Bomberman on PC Engine uses a password system: after clearing a stage you get an A-to-Z password you can type back in later to resume from that point. There is no battery-backed save system in this HuCard.
Does this come with the box and manual?
This listing is HuCard only — no box or manual included, as stated in the title.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Bomberman
A short checklist for buying used PC Engine software wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Make sure it fits your console
Japanese PC Engine HuCards and CDs are not compatible with the North American TurboGrafx-16 — the formats differ. Use a Japanese PC Engine system.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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HuCard or CD-ROM² — know which you're buying
PC Engine games come on HuCard chips or on CD-ROM². CD titles also require the right CD system and a working System Card.
Confirm the format in the listing, and for CDs check the disc surface and that saves are supported.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Bomberman sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
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