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Consoles come and go, bringing with them the occasional gaming hero destined to stand the test of time. Thus, whilst the likes of Bounty Bob, Technician Ted and Monty Mole are not but vague memories of past platformers, Hudsonsoft's explosive-lobbing hero, Bomberman, is a veritable 'luvvie' of the games world - the binary equivalent of Bruce Forsythe, no less. But without the crap jokes. And wig.

Anyway, for longer than I care to mention, yon Bomberman has eked a living throwing large comedy bombs at a series of foes and opposing players. Whilst the premise may not sound that great, the sheer frenetic playability generated has won our hero a legion of fans on virtually every console known to man. Except the Megadrive, though. Mind you, that's all changed now as Sega have brought the little TNT-toting hero to a Megadrive near you. Which is quite lucky really, or our cover and the following five pages would be blank...

Bomberman started his explosive life on the PC Engine, before jumping ship to the Nintendo machines. This is an expanded version of those.

Collect pieces of puzzle in the one-player game, or simply blow three mates into small pieces in the multi-player mode.

On locating an egg, touching the ovoid doubles Bomberman's durability by giving him a trusty steed. Whilst the newly-hatched creatures resemble brightly-coloured kangaroos, Sega assures us they are in fact donkeys - mind you, the picture on the game's title screen makes it look like kitten! The kangaroo's... sorry, donkey's main task in life is to act as an extra life for our hero and sacrifice themselves if hit by an explosion. However, depending on the animal's colour, they can also perform extra functions, with blue ones jumping, the yellow ones moving blocks, and the green showing a handy turn of speed.

Mega Bomberman is an amalgam of every version of the game released so far. In addition to the expected four-player mode, different bombs and play areas, Hudsonsoft have drafted in animals for our hero to ride and added an entire family of Bombermen (and Bomberwomen) to control. The one-player mode shows the greatest addition though, as a purpose has been given to the bomb-bunging antics.

The game is split into five worlds, each of which is presided over by a boss. Each world is built around a circular disc which brings peace to the locale. However, in order for the game to have a scenario, the five discs have been shattered, leaving the worlds in disarray. To restore good, Bomberman must blow up a series of metallic columns to shatter a glass tower containing the pieces. On doing so, any remaining baddies and blocks are turned into bonus-giving coins and, eventually the discs replaced. Simple.

Whilst Mega Bomberman is a smart one-player game, it really comes alive when four people get together in an attempt to outwit each other. The multi-player mode begins with the four contestants (including really evil computer-controlled ones) trapped in a corner. From here, the basic aim is to blow your mates up using whatever comes to hand. However, in order to add a little spice to the proceedings, there are ten battlegrounds on offer.

Let's see what sort of person lives in a maze like this:

1. Arrowed
   Kicked bombs, follow arrows.
2. Haunted House
   With trap doors!
3. Lava
   Everyone has multi bombs...
4. Jungle
   Pretty basic.
5. Normal
   Nowt, just a warm-up zone.
6. Ice
   An icy backdrop. Not slippery, though, oddly enough.
7. Conveyor Belt
   A moving platform is supplied to transport bombs.
8. Hi-Speed Zone
   The action is three times as fast.
9. Swamp
   Hide in swamp weed.
10. Arctic
    Run through igloos, and raise the roof - literally!

Killing nasties or blowing a path through blocks often reveals an icon which, when collected, is immediately added to Bomberman's inventory. Hey, and guess what, here's a list of what they are:

1. Bomb: Yer basic, simple extra explosive. 2. Flame: Expands the range of the detonation. 3. Foot: Punt bombs towards opponents. 4. Hand: Throw bombs. 5. Egg: A steed, no less. 6. Three Bombs: Plant three bombs at once. 7. Jacket: Temporary immunity. 8. Skull: Uh-oh. One of several viruses. 9. Clock: Extra time. 10. Skates: Move faster. 11. Man: Extra life. 12. Heart: Concede two hits. 13. Brick: Walk through walls. 14. Red Bomb: Trigger bombs with A button. 15. Blue Bomb: Walk through laid bombs.

No sooner have the missing pieces of amulet been retrieved, than the screen goes quiet and blocks drop on to the play area - hotly followed by a larger boss creature. Each of the game's five worlds is based on a graphical theme - water, volcanic, haunted house - and the bosses reflect this and appear in the guises of a large radio-controlled banana, a huge crab and a vampire. As has become the norm with bosses, they wander around the screen, loosing off the occasional stream of something deadly or morphing into another form, and only give up the ghost when sufficient TNT is pumped into them.

I have been an ardent Bomberfan throughout his many incarnations, b but this Megadrive version is quite simply the best of the bunch.

Rather than porting the rather dated Super NES game over lock, stock and barrel, Hudsonsoft have taken ideas from virtually every version of the game in existence, and created the ultimate Bomberman in the process.

The basic premise of blowing up mates and collecting power-ups dates back to his first appearance in Dynablaster several years back, but the addition of kangaroos, a wealth of scrolling levels and the toughest opponents this side of Chris Eubank bring Bomberman bang up to date and rightfully earns him his new 'Mega' monicker.

I could go on for hours spouting praise for this stunning game. The four-player mode has to be played to be believed, the difficulty level is spot-on without resorting to frustration techniques, and the incredibly low price is a massive bonus. It may not be a MEG-heavy cart, but Mega Bomberman has more playability than most of the graphically fancy carts we've seen of late.

The word classic is bandied around far too often, but if anything deserves it, this does.

While the trend of Megadrive games is continual improvement, there has been a price to pay, and consumers have had to pay it: £50, £60 then £70. Buying a game like Bomberman at £35 and finding it to be one of the greatest games ever (as indeed it is!) is like all your Christmasses come at once.

The multi-player option, glorious in its simplicity, is the best reason ever to buy a four tap. You'll be hooked within minutes, yet still playing it heavily months ahead.

Luckily, Hudsonsoft have been gracious to improve and add elements to this part of the game, the core of the Bomberman experience. The single-player mode, in all honesty, is not half as rewarding, but still a pretty good crack, and there are masses of tough later levels.

You have to have this game if you want to call yourself a serious Megadrive gamesplayer - it's as simple as that.

Graphics 80%
P. Plentiful backdrops, and a wide range of nifty ideas - including a mine cart ride!
N. Initial appearances may be offputting - don't be fooled!

Sound 76%
P. The music adds to the frenetic nature of the multi-player game.
N. A bit weak in the explosion department to say the least.

Playability 96%
P. Second to none. Easier to grasp than a velcro beach ball, and with playability that outlasts the Queen Mum in the longevity stakes...

Lastability 93%
P. The one-player modes gets tough after the third boss, so won't be completed in a hurry. The multi-player mode will keep you burning the midnight oil.

Value For Money 95%
P. £35 for this! It's a steal! Get it before they change their minds...

Overall 94%
Playability incarnate. Mega Bomberman is quite simply the most addictive game of the year. A steal at the price and a genuine classic.