This week, I welcomed a new addition into my handheld collection: An Anbernic RG Nano - a teeny tiny Linux emulation-box on a keychain. Therefore, I'll be playing my pick for this weekend on that, and that pick is Bomberman Max - a 1999 Game Boy Colour game that was the Bomberman series' offering during the Pokemon craze of the late 1990s. I had already planned to get around to this one soon anyway, but the astounding success of the new game Palworld put it back in my mind and gave it a bump up in priority.


Specifically, I'll be playing the Blue Champion version, since that's the one where you play as Bomberman; The accompanying Red Challenger version sees you play as Max instead - a cyborg knight who, at the time, was introduced as both a friendly-rival and protoge to Bomberman. Max is a bit edgier, which was the style at the time, with his viewpoint being that Bomberman and his siblings are sometimes too kind for their own good, and he prefers handling villains in his own loose-cannon sort of way.

Aside from being playable in the big 2018 send-off update for the Nintendo Switch version of Super Bomberman R, Max hasn't appeared in the series in quite a while, which is a pity, since he's an interesting foil to Bomberman and his family (and has the twist that one of the parties who mortally injured him, leading to him being converted into a cyborg in the first place, was one of Bomberman's relatives who wasn't in control of their actions at the time) - hopefully this will change in the future, as I think that there's still interesting interactions that could come from this.


I actually skipped this one back in the day as I had mistakenly thought that it was an RPG (a genre I generally don't enjoy), but it's actually not - it meshes fairly standard Bomberman gameplay (the usual core gameplay-loop of blowing up enemies and destroying soft-blocks to get power-ups, a vast expansion of the clear-conditions idea from Bomberman GB 2, topped off with a much-improved and more sensible variation of the multiple-exits concept from Super Bomberman 5) with some creature collecting and trading (via an infrared module that was embedded in the cartridge, of all things) that was clearly inspired by Pokemon, in the form of Charaboms. Charaboms were introduced to the series in Bomberman 64: The Second Attack! with the character Pommy, who was an amusingly-written spoof of cutesy RPG mascots along with characters like Kirby - he's sort of the Pikachu-like poster-boy mascot for the Charabom concept, though not all of his evolutions appear in Bomberman Max.


I like what I've played so far, and the presentation is really nice, too. So far, it's proving to be a really fun and creative little entry in the series, and I'm really enjoying it - it's quickly become one of my favourite installments! It feels like one of those "Better late than never!" sorts of games - I love finds like that.

[+..••] Other stuff that I played this week;


Donkey Kong Country Competition Cartridge (SNES)


Donkey Kong Land (Game Boy)


Donkey Kong: Original Edition (NES)


Kirby's Dream Land (Game Boy)


Stardew Valley (Native Linux)


Star Fox Super Weekend Competition (SNES)


Super Bomberman R 2 (Proton)


Wario Blast Featuring Bomberman! (Game Boy)

I also added a few tiny treasures to my Bomberman collection this week;


Specifically, a little Bomberman tin for storing PlayStation Memory Cards which will surely come in handy for keeping stray flash-media within reach, an 11cm tall smiley mascot-plush of Black Bomberman with cord limbs, and a Super Bomberman R 2 omamori which was a pre-order bonus for the console versions of the game in South Korea.

Quoting: StoneColdSpider

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Happy Australia Day.....

Happy Australia Day, mate!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderFunselektor Labs

Every time I see this studio's name, I misread it as "Funskeletor Labs"!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderVery bright and colourful to ward of the evil Doritos Pope…..

Yay!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderThe controls……... Very nice and simple….. Very tight and responsive….. Uses the D pad and two buttons…… Very easy to pick up and play……..

Oddly, I've heard people describe Windjammers in ways that make it sound far more complicated than this.

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderThe storyline....... There is no storyline so I again get to make one up……. April O’Neil has been kidnapped by Dr Robotnik…… And its up to the Ninja Turtles to rescue her…… Again…… Can Turtles get there in time or will Shadow the Hedgehog turn our heroes into turtle soup???…… “I am the emo that sulks in the night……. I am the hammer that will shatter your shells….. I am Shadow the Hedgehog”……. *Lightning strikes in the background*…….

I don't think that Darkwing Duck would be amused to see his catchphrase being misappropriated like this, haha!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderThe road to unlock the PES Penguin in Pro Evolution Soccer 6 is at 2800 PES points out of 5000……….

Only 2200 to go!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderOther Screenshots……...

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Madden NFL 2003 (2002 EA Sports) - Sony PlayStation 2 - Sports (Football)

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TOCA Touring Car Championship (1997 Codemasters) - Sony PlayStation - Sports (Racing)

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NASCAR Heat 5 (2020 Motorsport Games) - Steam - Sports (Racing)

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ESPN NFL 2K5 (2004 Sega) - Sony PlayStation 2 - Sports (Football)

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NASCAR Thunder 2003 (2002 EA Sports) - Nintendo GameCube - Sports (Racing)

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SRX: The Game (2021 Monster Games) - Steam - Sports (Racing)

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NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona (2002 Infogrames) - Nintendo GameCube - Sports (Racing)

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art of rally (2020 Funselektor Labs) - Steam - Sports (Racing)

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Shane Warne Cricket '99 (1998 Codemasters) Sony PlayStation - Sports (Cricket)

All looking good and colourful, here!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderNow for my bad joke of the week……
The naked man fears no pickpocket…….
*ba dum.... tssssh…...*

Oh lord!

Last edited by Pengling on 26 January 2024 at 10:08 pm UTC

Quoting: Pengling

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This week, I welcomed a new addition into my handheld collection: An Anbernic RG Nano - a teeny tiny Linux emulation-box on a keychain.

That is so tiny I can see each pixel of the screen behind it.......
Which is worse........ Your plushie addiction or your handheld addiction????.......

Quoting: Pengling

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Specifically, I'll be playing the Blue Champion version, since that's the one where you play as Bomberman; The accompanying Red Challenger version sees you play as Max instead - a cyborg knight who, at the time, was introduced as both a friendly-rival and protoge to Bomberman. Max is a bit edgier, which was the style at the time, with his viewpoint being that Bomberman and his siblings are sometimes too kind for their own good, and he prefers handling villains in his own loose-cannon sort of way.

I knew the first game you would play on it would be a Bomberman game.......
But is Max as edgy as Shadow The Hedgehog???...... I am the emo that sulks in the night....... I defuse bombs with all of my might....... I am Shadow the Hedgehog........

Quoting: Penglingit's quickly become one of my favourite installments! It feels like one of those "Better late than never!" sorts of games - I love finds like that.

That would be a long list by now right???......

Quoting: Pengling

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Donkey Kong Country Competition Cartridge (SNES)

Monkey crap..... huh..... D.... K...... DONKEY KONG......

Quoting: Pengling

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Stardew Valley (Native Linux)

Nice snowing weather........ Pity its 40+ here......

Quoting: Pengling

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Star Fox Super Weekend Competition (SNES)

Do a barrel roll

Quoting: Pengling

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Super Bomberman R 2 (Proton)

GOD DAMMIT PENGLING........

Quoting: Pengling

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Wario Blast Featuring Bomberman! (Game Boy)

Finally a game with a real good guy.......

Quoting: PenglingI also added a few tiny treasures to my Bomberman collection this week;

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Specifically, a little Bomberman tin for storing PlayStation Memory Cards which will surely come in handy for keeping stray flash-media within reach, an 11cm tall smiley mascot-plush of Black Bomberman with cord limbs, and a Super Bomberman R 2 omamori which was a pre-order bonus for the console versions of the game in South Korea.

You remember last week how I said you have a problem???........

Quoting: PenglingHappy Australia Day, mate!

Cheers cobber...... I had a really nice BBQ..... Filled with the three best food groups...... Steaks, Sausages and Bacon.......

Quoting: PenglingEvery time I see this studio's name, I misread it as "Funskeletor Labs"!

I keep reading it as "FunkSelector".......
Whos the FunkSelector...... The one who selects all the funk that he can......... SHAFT....... Oh baby........

Quoting: PenglingYay!

Its the only way to defeat the Doritos Pope.......

Quoting: PenglingOddly, I've heard people describe Windjammers in ways that make it sound far more complicated than this.

I dunno where you got that from.... The super fast gameplay is way more complex than the controls.....

Quoting: PenglingI don't think that Darkwing Duck would be amused to see his catchphrase being misappropriated like this, haha!

I dont think shadow cares...... I am the emo that sulks in the night....... I read the book of DILIGAF to bring me some light...... I am Shadow the Hedgehog.......

Quoting: PenglingOnly 2200 to go!

Feels like its years away.......

Quoting: PenglingAll looking good and colourful, here!

Well you know what they say...... A colourful game a day keeps the Doritos Pope away........

Quoting: PenglingOh lord!

I bet u still laughed though

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderNow for my bad joke of the week……
The naked man fears no pickpocket…….
*ba dum.... tssssh…...*

But do the naked man fear Team Rocket? Where does he put his Pokéballs? Is that also a secret?

Quoting: whizse

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderNow for my bad joke of the week……
The naked man fears no pickpocket…….
*ba dum.... tssssh…...*

But do the naked man fear Team Rocket? Where does he put his Pokéballs? Is that also a secret?

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Why does your Pokeball smell like fish???......

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderThat is so tiny I can see each pixel of the screen behind it.......

Haha. That's actually a towel-scarf!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderWhich is worse........ Your plushie addiction or your handheld addiction????.......

I wouldn't use the description "worse".

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderI knew the first game you would play on it would be a Bomberman game.......

Ah, I'm afraid that's where you're wrong, my friend! The first game I played on it was Donkey Kong Land (I gave the device itself the hostname dk-island, so it only felt right to play the game that inspired that choice first), and the first one that I completed on it was Kirby's Dream Land.

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderBut is Max as edgy as Shadow The Hedgehog???...... I am the emo that sulks in the night....... I defuse bombs with all of my might....... I am Shadow the Hedgehog........

Thankfully Max is a bit more interesting than that. Though, I suppose it helps that he pre-dates Shadow by a few years.

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderThat would be a long list by now right???......

There's a few. This one's right up there with Stardew Valley.

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderMonkey crap..... huh..... D.... K...... DONKEY KONG......

If you listen to it, it's gonna hurt!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderDo a barrel roll

Being utterly pedantic for a moment, not only is it an aileron roll, but that quote is from a different game, and also technically from a different series entirely, since Star Fox 64 was a reboot.

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderGOD DAMMIT PENGLING........

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderFinally a game with a real good guy.......

Yeah, Bomberman.

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderYou remember last week how I said you have a problem???........

There's nothing wrong with collecting things that reflect your passions.

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderCheers cobber...... I had a really nice BBQ..... Filled with the three best food groups...... Steaks, Sausages and Bacon.......

Awesome!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderI keep reading it as "FunkSelector".......
Whos the FunkSelector...... The one who selects all the funk that he can......... SHAFT....... Oh baby........

Hahahaha!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderIts the only way to defeat the Doritos Pope.......

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderWell you know what they say...... A colourful game a day keeps the Doritos Pope away........

Yes! Spread the word!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderI dunno where you got that from.... The super fast gameplay is way more complex than the controls.....

There are some weird people out there, clearly.

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderI dont think shadow cares...... I am the emo that sulks in the night....... I read the book of DILIGAF to bring me some light...... I am Shadow the Hedgehog.......

Very good, very good.

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderI bet u still laughed though

Yeah, I did.

Quoting: whizseBut do the naked man fear Team Rocket? Where does he put his Pokéballs? Is that also a secret?

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Hahahaha, oh lord!

Last edited by Pengling on 30 January 2024 at 3:06 am UTC