Ten minutes from the classic puzzle game Bombuzal the thinking man's version of Bomberman. Bombuzal started life as a European home computer game and was one of the many to make the jump to console. Oddly it was Kemco who picked up the license to release this on Super Famicom in 1990.
Gameplay is simple enough, all you have to do is blow up all the bombs on any stage without dying. Sound easy doesn't it, well it isn't as Bombuzal is packed full of different bomb types, enemies, traps and teleports. Each stage requires perfect planning to work out how you can blow up all the bombs without tapping yourself or getting killed by the follow on blast. Bombs need to be moved, some need to be remotely detonated and some you need to stay as far away as possible or teleport out of the blast range. Many stages need to be practised over and over again until you find that perfect route, like we did just before recording this video.
Bombuzal is better remembered as an Amiga and Commodore 64 title and the Amiga version was even given away on the first issue of Amiga Power. If puzzles and mind games are what you like this is a great title to challenge the mind. Funny enough the SNES release didn't get a PAL version despite the game originating from the UK. Kemco also developed a sequel many years later on the PlayStation 1 and the Nintendo 64.
Also known as: KABLOOEY (Alternative spelling) ボンバザル (Japanese)
Release: 1990
Developer: Kemco / ケムコ (Original game Mirrorsoft & Image Works)
Publisher: Kemco / ケムコ
Format: Super Nintendo (SNES) / Super Famicom (SFC) / スーパーファミコン
Bombuzal was released on a number of formats in the early 1990s, from 28th July 2021 it is being re-released on the Nintendo Switch via the Switch Online service. The PC version was also recently re-released on steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1084010/Bombuzal/
All footage in this video is captured directly from a NTSC Super Nintendo console, via an Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro using a RGB Scart to HDMI upscaler.