A Game Boy Color Bomberman with a twist: a brand-new platform mode alongside classic grids. White Bomberman across elemental worlds, with color exploited. More original than the previous GB Bombermans, generous content. A good portable Bomberman, especially for those wanting to step beyond the strict grid format.
Your verdict
Category
Action4 players3+
Description
Platforming and bombing game with White Bomberman crossing elemental worlds to defeat evil lord Pretty Bomber. Published by Hudson Soft, released in 1997 in Japan. The series' innovative platform mode, five elemental worlds, bombs to place, and end-of-world bosses.
Pocket Bomberman review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
For once, Bomberman leaves the grid and sets off platforming: you still lay bombs, but now to clear a path and corner enemies across scrolling stages. The blend surprises and refreshes the mechanic pleasantly. Lively and colourful, it keeps the series' edge without losing any clarity.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
This portable spin swaps the maze for levels to traverse, but the joy of blowing everything up to open a path stays intact. Bonuses to grab, bosses to trap and short stages chain together at a pace that invites you to carry on. The challenge sometimes lacks bite, but the explosive loop keeps its immediate effectiveness in small sessions.
Pocket Bomberman, the Japanese version of Hudson Soft's platform-and-bomb game, Super Game Boy compatible and predating the European pressing. This reworking of the mascot into a jumping game, distinct from the maze entries, appeals to series fans mindful of the original edition. Its collecting interest plays out in regional comparison and in the singularity of a Bomberman in an unusual format.
Is Pocket Bomberman still worth playing in 2026?
Pocket Bomberman dares an unprecedented approach for the series by swapping the fixed arena for a platforming mode, where White Bomberman crosses five elemental worlds laying his bombs. The idea works rather well and pleasantly renews the formula, even if the level design stays a notch below the handheld's best platformers. The multiplayer via link cable revives the original explosive spirit. For Bomberman fans and those curious about an atypical variation, it is a likable discovery.
