Play Bomberman Max - Yami no Senshi (Japan) Online

Bomberman Max - Yami no Senshi is one of those Game Boy Color games that somehow flew under the radar, which is a shame because it’s a total blast—literally. You’ve got the usual bomb-dropping madness, but with a cool twist: there are actually two versions (Red and Blue), each with different characters and stages. I went with Red first and immediately got hooked on how the power-ups change up your strategy.

The single-player campaign throws you against this shadowy "Dark Force," and the levels get surprisingly tricky—some made me stop and actually think about where to plant bombs instead of just spamming them everywhere. And yeah, the multiplayer is as chaotic as you’d hope, especially if you’ve got a friend who doesn’t mind getting blown up repeatedly.

What really stuck with me were the little details, like how the pixel art pops on the GBC screen and the music that somehow makes explosions sound cheerful. If you’ve got a soft spot for retro Bomberman but want something with a bit more meat to it, this one’s worth digging up.