Super Bomberman 5 beautifully closes the SFC series, Japan only and complete. Unbeatable multi, essential for Japanese franchise fans.
Your verdict
Category
Action4 players3+
Co-op
Description
Fifth and final Super Bomberman with peak series arenas and mechanics. Published by Hudson Soft, released in Japan in 1997. Most diverse Battle Mode arenas, enriched adventure mode, additional characters and five simultaneous players. Conclusion and apex of the Super Bomberman series on Super Famicom.
Super Bomberman 5 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The last of the line on this machine and never released outside Japan, it pushes on screen customisation: varied fighter silhouettes, arenas whose rules read at first glance, clearer indicators for temporary bonuses. The settings leave the space theme for more earthbound tableaux, ruins, temples, laboratories.
The score capitalises on five instalments of experience: loops still short, but richer harmonies, rounder bass and a few themes that dare a note of melancholy between rounds. You can clearly hear the command of the sound chip acquired at the end of the generation, in a genre that hardly demanded it.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
The last in the 16-bit lineage, this entry builds on varied arenas, mounts and refined traps for explosive, especially frantic duels. The zoning and anticipation mechanics, crystal clear, remain a model of the genre. Richer than ever, it closes the series on a multiplayer whose immediate fun has not waned.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The peak of the 16-bit series, this final entry gathers a host of modes, arenas and fresh powers that push the chaos to its limit. Laying bombs, taming the traps and surviving the tension stays a pleasure as immediate as it is addictive. The multiplayer, rich and deranged, holds entire evenings. Generous, snappy and fiercely convivial, a peak of the explosive 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"
Crowning the saga, this fifth entry serves up the most varied Battle Mode arenas ever devised, enough for endless five-player clashes that keep surprising. The enriched adventure mode and extra characters thicken the package further. Regarded as the peak of Super Bomberman, it owes its party longevity to that lavish content, making it the sought-after summit of the series.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
A 1997 Hudson Super Famicom Super Bomberman 5, Japan-exclusive and the last main SFC Bomberman entry. The Japanese cart is one of the rarest SFC Bombermans due to the drastically short print at the very end of the cycle. Intact boxed CIB with cardboard sleeve and illustrated Hudson manual has become a grail for completionist Bomberman collectors, and the cote climbs hard, sustained by extreme physical scarcity and by this series-closing logic.
Better with friends
A fifth installment of the bomb king, a high point of the formula with its polished four-player battle mode and arenas brimming with ideas. The competition stays joyful chaos of traps, chases and chain explosions that flip the game on a burst of laughter. Timeless and terribly addictive, it restarts endlessly and guarantees hilarious memories at every gathering of friends.
Is Super Bomberman 5 still worth playing in 2026?
Never released outside Japan, Super Bomberman 5 closes the SFC series with even more multiplayer maps, an expanded character menu and a few new modes. The formula stays familiar but the technical polish is probably the best of the SFC series. The cartridge has become rare. A fan translation exists. Recommended to Bomberman fans wanting the most accomplished version of the SFC formula, especially for multiplayer evenings.
