A Japan only Super Bomberman 4, more generous. Unbeatable local multi, essential for Hudson series die hards.
Your verdict
Category
Action4 players3+
Co-op
Description
Fourth Super Bomberman with new arenas and characters, Japanese version. Published by Hudson Soft, released in Japan in 1996. Varied themed arenas, platforming elements in adventure mode and five simultaneous players. Fourth Super Bomberman on Super Famicom.
Super Bomberman 4 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The fourth instalment plays the time travel card: prehistoric arenas, a Japanese feudal castle, a Victorian street, a futuristic laboratory. Each era completely redraws the furniture around the grid, while the characters keep their round silhouette, which leaves readability untouched despite the variety of dressings.
The soundtrack follows the historical division: primitive drums, court flutes, a mechanical waltz, electronic pads. That run through eras gives the series the variety it lacked, and Hudson uses it to slip in a few musical nods to earlier games, recognisable to anyone who wore out the first three instalments.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Novel traps, mounts and new power-ups enrich a formula of explosive placement that was already perfectly tuned. The clarity of the arena and the tension of short rounds remain at the heart of the fun. More tailored to veterans than to newcomers, it delivers a tactical multiplayer whose effectiveness never wavers.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Ever more powers, mounts and tricky mechanics: this fourth entry enriches the formula without ever betraying its explosive snappiness. Laying a bomb, dashing to safety and watching the trap snap shut stays an instant, strategic pleasure. The multiplayer mode, frantic and hilarious, keeps all its magic. Direct, generous and convivial, a fearsomely effective bomb duel.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Dropping a bomb, gauging the blast and trapping a rival in a corner is the whole nervous thrill of the series, especially with several players. Each match reshuffles power-ups and positions, so you start the next one on reflex. The solo mode stays predictable, but the multiplayer clash keeps an immediate tension that never wears thin.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Blending platforming with bomb-laying gives the adventure mode unexpected depth that noticeably lengthens the solo run. On the multiplayer side, themed arenas host five players in endlessly fresh battles, ensuring nights that never end. Long exclusive to Japan, this fourth entry also appeals to collectors through its rarity, fueling the urge to explore it thoroughly.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
A 1996 Hudson Super Famicom Super Bomberman 4, Japan-exclusive (the PAL line ends at Super Bomberman 3). The Japanese cart is noticeably rarer than the previous entries due to a modest end-of-cycle SFC print. Intact boxed CIB with cardboard sleeve and illustrated Hudson manual has become a target for completionist Western Bomberman collectors who must turn to import to continue the line, and the cote climbs hard.
Better with friends
A fourth lap of the bomb party game, adding new mechanics and fresh dirty tricks to renew four-player chaos. The competition turns into joyful mayhem: makeshift alliances, vengeance and cascading explosions chain along in good cheer. Direct and snappy, it restarts in an instant and makes any gathering a field of laughter and endless rivalries.
Is Super Bomberman 4 still worth playing in 2026?
Never released outside Japan, Super Bomberman 4 introduces a time travel mode in solo and new multiplayer items. The base formula stays in place but the content grows, especially in co op. The cartridge is rarer than its predecessors in the West and has a fan translation. Recommended to series completionists and to Bomberman fans wanting extra multiplayer items, especially for those who enjoy a light thematic variation compared with the previous installments.
