Super Bomberman Collection

Genre: Compilation / Arcade / Party Game

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local), 2-5 Competitive / Team Competitive (Local)

The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

.

Review:

Super Bomberman Collection, released in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2, is a Compilation of seven games in the Bomberman series of Arcade-style Party Games released on Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System from 1985 through 1997, though the last three games in this collection were never previously released in North America, and the last two games never released outside of Japan – this collection marks the first time they have been officially released in North America.

Here is what I thought of each of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Score
Bomberman	Arcade	1	D-
tl;dr While it laid the groundwork for every game in the series that followed, the original Bomberman (specifically the NES release of the game in this case) is absolutely terrible. No multiplayer, slow pacing, no multiplayer, scarce power-ups making gameplay dull and monotonous, no multiplayer, randomly-moving enemies making gameplay unpredictable, no multiplayer, overly-short level timer making completion often down to dumb luck, and… oh yeah, no multiplayer. This game is good for historical context to get a full picture of the series, and pretty much nothing else.
Bomberman II	Arcade / Party Game	1-3 Competitive (Local)	C-
tl;dr This sequel vastly improves over its predecessor by adding the multiplayer that should have been in the series the entire time, but oddly only supports 3 players. In addition, the single-player campaign is still slow with little variety and scarce power-ups.
Super Bomberman	Arcade / Party Game	1-2 Co-Op (Local) 2-4 Competitive (Local)	B-
tl;dr Another jump in quality for the series, bringing the player count up to 4, introducing a co-op mode,and adding a more balanced campaign with better pacing. Unfortunately, the multiplayer lacks options. This is a solid game worth playing, but still feels a bit lacking in some areas.
Super Bomberman 2	Arcade / Party Game	1-4 Competitive (Local)	B-
tl;dr This is another solid entry in the Bomberman series, and the addition of the glove power-up completely changes how the game plays and really helps to set this game apart from its predecessors. Unfortunately, the co-op mode is missing this time, and the campaign mode is still lacking options.
Super Bomberman 3	Arcade / Party Game	1-2 Co-Op (Local), 2-5 Competitive (Local)	B
tl;dr This game adds rideable mount power-ups that once again bring a whole new element to the gameplay, and the co-op mode is back again. However, once again the multiplayer lacks options, and also the nicer graphics can be a bit overly-busy and make it difficult to parse what’s going on. This is a step in the right direction for the franchise, but one that’s still lacking in some areas.
Super Bomberman 4	Arcade / Party Game	1-2 Co-Op (Local), 2-5 Competitive / Team Competitive (Local)	B+
tl;dr This release expands on the mounts from Bomberman 3, and more importantly adds the new Bombermania mode that finally lets players customize the power-ups in multiplayer, as well as adding the ability to play in teams. The result is an all-around great entry in the series.
Super Bomberman 5	Arcade / Party Game	1-2 Co-Op (Local), 2-5 Competitive / Team Competitive (Local)	B+
tl;dr Once again building on its predecessor, Super Bomberman 5 brings back Bombermania and even throws in a fun extra little bowling minigame, and also adds a new Config Battle Mode, allowing you to create custom characters with their own unique starting advantages. The result is the best game yet for this series, at least on Nintendo platforms.

What we have here is a series that started out in terrible shape, but genuinely improved with each new installment. And it’s a real shame that American games never got Super Bomberman 3, 4, and 5 in their original releases, because these three are all truly excellent games that are still a blast (ha) to play today, and I would argue that Super Bomberman 4 and 5 can outdo many modern Bomberman releases. And apart from the original Bomberman, all of these games are at least somewhat enjoyable… though I don’t see any reason to play Bomberman II when you could play the other games in this collection instead. It may be due to their outdated nature that the two NES Bomberman games are delegated to an “Extras” menu rather than being listed with the five Super Bomberman games.

Despite some of the games in this Compilation previously only releasing in Japan, all menus here are in English and the games are perfectly playable without reading Japanese. That said, the included instruction manuals for a few of these games haven’t been translated, so you may want to consult an online wiki if you’re trying to figure out some of the mounts, power-ups, and other gameplay elements that aren’t immediately apparent.

Speaking of manuals, let’s talk about added features and content here. All included games have screen settings, input settings, save states and a rewind feature (disabled during multiplayer to prevent abuse). Super Bomberman 1-5 have added Boss Rush modes, all games have 3D renders of their box and game cartridge that you can “unbox”, all games have scans of their instruction manuals (though as I mentioned, only in Japanese for the Japan-only releases), and there’s also a full music player and a collection of concept and production art from throughout the series, though there doesn’t appear to be much in the way of making-of materials.

Still, it’s a pretty hefty collection of games and extras given its relatively small $20 price tag. Sadly, it still lacks one very important element – this release has no online multiplayer. It’s a disappointing omission that takes a great Compilation and causes it to merely be a very good one. Still, if you’re looking for a value-packed bundle of excellent Party Games, Super Bomberman Collection is absolutely worth picking up, especially thanks to its inclusion of multiple phenomenal games never previously available in North America. Suffice it to say, if you have some friends wanting to throw down, this is definitely worth adding to your Party Game rotation.

tl;dr – Super Bomberman Collection is a Compilation containing 7 Arcade-style Party games: Bomberman, Bomberman II, and Super Bomberman 1-5, the latter three of which never previously released on North America. While the first few games are severely lacking, otherwise this is a bundle of some outstanding games with a good selection of features and extras, all in a nice $20 package. The lack of online play here is pretty disappointing, but otherwise this is a must-have for anyone looking to add games to their Party Game collection.

Grade: B+

.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

Super Bomberman Collection – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

Genre: Compilation / Arcade / Party Game

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local / Local Wireless Online), 2-4 Competitive / Team Competitive (Local / Local Wireless / Online), 5 Competitive / Team Competitive (Local) GameShare Support

.

Review:

After initially dropping the ball when it comes to Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade paths in earlier releases on the platform, Konami seems to have turned around and has made it a point to do better with newer releases, and Super Bomberman Collection is an example of this, offering players of the Nintendo Switch version of the game a $5 upgrade… but that does make the Nintendo Switch 2 version the most expensive version of the game on any platform. So then, what do you get for that $5 extra?

The eShop page claims that this release improves the resolution to 4K, but these are pixel art games and honestly I can’t see any difference. Maybe you see it when viewing the art in the galleries? In any case, don’t expect any difference in the visuals here.

The other advertised feature in this version is far more important – GameShare support. Using a single copy of the game, up to five players can play together both via local wireless or online. Unfortunately, GameShare doesn’t support 5-player play in Super Bomberman 4 or 5, but even being able to play this game online with 4 players using only one copy of the game is well worth the $5 extra, I think.

Finally, this release does see improved loading times as well. On Nintendo Switch, it took me 23 seconds to load to the title screen, and an additional 8 seconds to load up one of the individual games. On Nintendo Switch 2, those times are cut down to 17 seconds and 5 seconds. Not a huge difference, but a difference all the same.

Overall, the major difference here is the GameShare support, and if you’re looking to play this game with friends (you know, the main reason anyone plays the Bomberman games), then this is well worth the $5 upgrade, even if it’s not a drastic, transformative change. In any case, Super Bomberman Collection is still an excellent value-packed collection on Nintendo Switch 2, even with the small price increase. if you enjoy throwing down with friends, this is absolutely a game you should consider picking up.

tl;dr – Super Bomberman Collection is a Compilation containing 7 Arcade-style Party games: Bomberman, Bomberman II, and Super Bomberman 1-5, the latter three of which never previously released on North America. While the first few games are severely lacking, otherwise this is a bundle of some outstanding games with a good selection of features and extras, all in a nice $20 package. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition release costs an extra $5, but it’s well worth it for GameShare support, which enables up to 4 players to play online using only one copy of the game. I would argue this alone makes the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition the best version of an already-great Party Game.

Grade: B+

.

^{You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!}

^{This month’s sponsors are Jamie and His Cats, Ben, Ilya Zverev, Andy Miller, Johannes, Jaka, Jared Wark, Gabriel Coronad-Medina, Francis Obst, Kristoffer Wulff, Seth Christenfeld, and Vince Verrinoldi. Thank you for helping to keep the reviews coming!}