The text version of this FAQ is here.

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==================================  FAQ v1.51  ==============================================
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This Saturn Bomberman FAQ is maintained by Alex Eaton-Salners. You can email him comments at aeatonsa --at-- wso.williams.edu. To find the most recent version of the FAQ: "http://wso.williams.edu/~aeatonsa/bomb/faq.html".

Copyright 1997 Alex Eaton-Salners.

Feel free to redistribute this FAQ as long as it retains this heading.

VERSION HISTORY

Changes from v1.5

• updated info on Bonk
• changed Desert Stage info

Changes from v1.00

• reorganized sections
• made text as well as html versions of the FAQ
• added ASCII art at top
• added info on Bomera
• added character names section
• added Normal Mode section

CONTENTS

BATTLE MODE

• Powerup Properties
  • Powerups that can be found in regular play
  • Powerups that can only be won in the Bomber Catcher
  • Powerups available on the various boards
• Properties of various boards
• Character names

• Powerup Properties

BATTLE MODE

Powerup Properties

Powerups that can be found in regular play

• Extra Bomb: Lets your character lay more bombs at once
• Extra Flame: Makes your explosions larger
• Skates: Makes your character faster
• Kick: Your Bomberman is able to kick bombs across the screen by running into them. Note that you can also stop bombs that you have kicked by pressing L or R.
• Glove: This powerup enables you to throw bombs. To pick a bomb up, lay a bomb and press A without moving away. Now to throw it press A again. Notes on the glove:
  • You can hold the bomb for as long as you want before throwing it
  • If a bomb hits another Bomberman it temporarily stuns him
  • If a bomb goes off the screen, it will bounce around to the other side
  • You cannot use the glove if you are riding a Tyra
• Line Bomb: This powerup allows you to lay all of your bombs in a row in front of you. To do this press C twice. You can do this more then once if you have more bombs then will fit in a line in front of you.
• Power Bomb: This powerup makes the first bomb you lay (after all of the explosions generated by your other bombs have ceased) into a power bomb. This means that it has an extra long range and its explosion takes an extra long time to disappear.
• Invisible Bomb: This powerup gives you a special kind of bomb (you may have at most one of these). When you lay it, it disappears. It is triggered when someone walks over it. It detonates almost immediately. Once it has exploded you may lay another one.
• Psycho Bomber: To use this powerup, lay a bomb, but keep holding down C until you absorb the bomb. Then move around and point yourself in any direction you want. When you release C the bomb will fly out in that direction exploding at the first thing it hits. If you hold C to long, you will become uncharged and re-lay the bomb.
• Absorption: If you get this powerup you can absorb people. You can only absorb one less then the total players (i.e. there must be at least 2 players on the board). When you absorb players, they can't move, get powerups, or kill you until the powerup runs out. However, if you are hit, you get hurt but they don't.
• Full Flame: This makes all of your bombs behave as power bombs (see above)
• Skull: Has one of the following effects:
  • Slows your Bomberman down
  • Speeds your Bomberman up
  • Makes your bomb's fuse very short
  • Makes your bomb's fuse very long
  • Makes the size of your explosions small
  • Your character is no longer able to lay bombs
  • Your character can't stop laying bombs (almost true, see the Tips Section)
  • Your controls are reversed
  • You switch places with another Bomberman (including switching Tyras if applicable)
  • You can't stop moving unless you run into a wall/bomb
• Egg/Tyra: If you get an egg then you get a level 1 Tyra. If you get another egg while riding your Tyra, then it grows (you can have up to a level 3 Tyra). The following types of Tyra are possible:
  • Pink Tyra: This Tyra has the ability to jump
    • Level 1: You can only jump over one bomb or soft block
    • Level 2: You can jump over a few soft blocks/bombs/hard blocks
    • Level 3: Your range increases phenomenally. You also get the ability to vary your jumping distance (depending on how long you hold down A).
  • Blue Tyra: This Tyra has the ability to kick bombs. Make sure you are standing next to the bomb you are trying to kick. This could be difficult if you also have the kick powerup.
    • Level 1: Your kicking action is slow and of minimal distance
    • Level 2: Your kicking action is faster with less recovery time. The distance the bomb travels increases. You have the ability to vary the distance the bomb travels by a square. (See Pink Tyra)
    • Level 3: Your range is much greater. The amount by which you can adjust your kicking distance is larger (between 3-6 squares!).
  • Green Tyra: This Tyra can travel faster then normal
    • Level 1: You can only travel in a straight line and can't stop until you run into a wall. You have also have a short period of vulnerability after you run into the wall.
    • Level 2: You can go faster during your speed bursts. You can also do a slide stop by pressing in the direction opposite from which you are traveling.
    • Level 3: You can go extremely fast when your Tyra is running. Also, you gain the ability to change directions while speeding without slowing down.
  • Purple Tyra: This Tyra has powerup detecting radar as well as the ability to remotely detonate bombs with the sonic boom. Note that if a powerup is detected inside of the range of the radar sweep then the block turns red.
    • Level 1: Your radar is limited to the two squares directly in front of you
    • Level 2: Your radar range expands to include some squares not directly in front of you
    • Level 3: Your range becomes enormous
  • Yellow Tyra: This Tyra has the ability to stun other players and make them lose their powerups. The lost powerups, 1 for each hit, are placed randomly on the board. The order that powerups are returned is bomb, flame, skate, kick, glove...?
    • Level 1: Your ability is limited to two squares (it is a bark)
    • Level 2: Your range gets larger (it is a growl)
    • Level 3: Your range goes across most of the screen (it is a roar)

Powerups that can only be won in the Bomber Catcher

• Heart: This gives you the ability to live through one explosion (after losing Tyra)
• Sandals (geta): This powerup slows your Bomberman down
• Bomera(wide mode only): For a description of Bomera see the Properties of Various Boards section below

Powerups available on the various boards

Note that all stages have the following items: extra bomb, flame extender, skates, skulls, and kick. Also the additional powerups found in the Bomber Catcher (glove, heart, sandals) can be used on any level.

• Stage 1(Regular): Tyra, glove
• Stage 2(Soccer): Tyra
• Stage 3(Jungle): invisible bomb
• Stage 4(Desert): Tyra, glove, line bomb, power bomb
• Stage 5(Outer Space): Tyra, glove, psycho bomber, absorption
• Stage 6(Trampolines): Tyra
• Stage 7(Ninja House): glove
• Stage 8(Arrows): Tyra
• Wide Stage: glove, line bomb, power bomb, full flame, (Bomera from the Bomber Catcher)

Properties of Various Boards

• Stage 1(Regular): No special features
• Stage 2(Soccer): If a bomb goes inside a goal (either by kicking or throwing: see expert strategy) then a full fire explosion occurs immediately. The explosion comes out of both sides of that goal.
• Stage 3(Jungle): The edges of the screen are partially hidden, making it difficult to see (Especially when those invisible bombs are triggered!).
• Stage 4(Desert): There is conveyer belt that goes around the screen. Bombs and people (but not powerups or abandoned Tyras) move if they are on the belt. Additionally a cyclone appears partway through the match. It bounces people and bombs around. The cyclone can cause players to lose powerups by dizzing them with the bombs that it knocks around.
• Stage 5(Outer Space): The three buttons in the middle of the board change the speed at which the background and the players move. The left most button speeds the background up, but slows the characters down. The right most has an inverse effect, while the middle button makes both things travel at normal speeds.
• Stage 6(Trampolines): By walking on a trampoline, you are bounced in the direction you are facing. Special notes about the trampolines:
  • The bomb explosions DO go through them
  • You can jump off the screen then bounce around and land on the opposite side
  • It is possible to switch directions if jumping off a second trampoline in a row
  • If you jump off a trampoline onto the final falling blocks, then you automatically die
• Stage 7(Ninja House): The squares on the ground can be used as barriers (to both people and explosions). To operate them, stand on one side of the square. If you wait for a little bit, you will be pushed off and the barrier will appear in front of you. If you don't push any buttons then the barrier will remain up. If you move, however, the barrier will disengage.
• Stage 8(Arrows): If you kick a bomb onto an arrow then it will travel in the direction of the arrow. Note that if an already moving bomb comes into contact with an arrow then the same result occurs. Also, if you place a bomb directly on an arrow and then kick it then it will still travel in the direction of the arrow.
• Wide Stage: Bomera: (special thanks to eastman@mastnet.net)
  • Bomera (a word play on the monster Gamera) can only appear if won in the Bomber Catcher
  • He will appear each round if enough of the board has been cleared
  • He flies in and then begins tromping around blowing flames which destroy soft blocks
  • He will leave if he is hit 10 times, kills a player, or when it's "Hurry Up" time, usually 1 minute left

Character Names

These are the names of the Battle Mode characters from left to right (special thanks to howard@mailer.fsu.edu)

• Shiro (White) Bomberman: The classic star of the Bomberman Series
• Kuro (Black) Bomberman: Another classic Bomberman character
• Honey (-Tyan): One of Hudson Soft's primary mascots (Same Game)
• Kotetsu: Another Hudson Soft mascot
• Milon: A character from the NES game Milon's Secret Castle
• Master Higgins: The star of the Adventure Island Series
• Bonk: The star of numerous TG-16 and Game Boy games (and an NES game) (special thanks to rukes@ix.netcom.com)
• Manjimaru: The star of the TG-16 game Neutopia and appearing in Tengai-Makyo II
• Kabuki: Another character from Tengai-Makyo II (Far East of Eden-Kabuki Klash)
• Kine: A character from the Tengai-Makyo Series

• Manto: a bear
• Yuna: Galaxy Frauline Yuna, an Anime character who stars in several video games

NORMAL MODE

Powerup Properties

These are the powerups found in Normal Mode:

• Extra Flame: see Battle Mode Powerups (BMP)
• Skates: see BMP
• Extra Bomb: see BMP
• 1 UP: gives Bomberman another life
• Kick: see BMP
• Block Pass: allows Bomberman to walk over soft blocks
• Glove: see BMP
• Remote Control: allows remote detonation of bombs
• Bomb Pass: Bomberman can walk over bombs (incompatible with kick)
• Power Bomb: see BMP
• Invisible Bomb: see BMP
• Spiked Bomb: explodes through 2 soft blocks instead of 1 (incompatible with Remote Control)
• Slime Bomb: bounces around, incompatible with other bomb powerups
• Line Bomb: see BMP
• Vest: Bomberman is temporarily invincible (while he flashes)
• Clock: Bomberman gains extra time to complete the level
• Sandals (geta): see BMP
• Heart: see BMP (limit of one possible)
• Meat: get 500 points
• Apple: 1000 points
• Ice Cream: 4000 points
• Egg: get a Tyra (in Normal Mode you must fill your egg gauge to increase your Tyra's size)