With Super Bomberman R reaching two million sales worldwide and Konami’s announcement that Super Bomberman R Online is coming to Switch later this year, we’re pleased to see this iconic character back in the news. Sadly, it’s not all for good reasons.
Back in 2019, IDW Games obtained the licence for a Bomberman board game, which was planned for a 2020 release and never materialised. Designed by Sean McDonald at Tower Games, he’s just confirmed this has been quietly cancelled, showcasing a rough prototype through Twitter.
Behold, the rough prototype for the officially licensed Bomberman board game that was cancelled. Figured I’d at least show everyone. #bomberman #boardgames #konami #idw #videogames #boardgamenews pic.twitter.com/vAfM7QMJou— Sean (@TowerGuardGames) March 19, 2021
Planned as a turn-based experience, Bomberman would’ve offered a modular board, allowing players to design their own arenas with features like teleporters. Players would drop bombs with colour-coded items, and tokens would give players permanent upgrades, like increased speed or additional bombs.
It’s a genuine shame this never saw an official release, as – on paper, at least – the idea sounds incredibly fun. Worse still, this isn’t the only cancelled IDW Games collaboration with Konami, as Metal Gear’s planned adaptation saw a similar fate.
Still, if you’re a fan of old-school Konami, at least Blacklist’s Contra: The Board Game currently remains on track.
Would you have bought this Bomberman Board Game? Any other series you’d like to see adapted? Let us know below.
