Bomberman ’94: Surprisingly laid-back for a game full of explosives

The first boss in Bomberman ’94‘s single player mode is a naughty little monkey remotely controlling a giant and very angry banana. The next one’s a walking temple with rocket-powered arms. After that I get to fight a bomb-clasping crab. Bomberman has never been serious (I’ll continue to pretend Bomberman: Act Zero is just a weird fever dream), but there’s something special about the way this one is silly that just feels so right. It’s enthusiastic and fun, but without coming across as forced or exhausting. It’s weird, but never to the point I roll my eyes and wish it would just stop trying so hard to be zany for a bit. When I want to play “classic” Bomberman, with the grid-like stages and the familiar power ups and all of that (as opposed to this treasure), this is always the first game I reach for. It’s the kind of game that almost fades into the background as I play. Not because I’m so amazing at it I barely need to pay it any attention (heck, if I had a penny for every time I’ve…