Anonymous‐villain, welcome. Super Bomberman 4 hit SNES on April 26, 1996. What inspired you to orchestrate this new layer of chaos after Super Bomberman 3?
You flatter yourselves calling it inspiration. In truth, it was pure necessity. At that point, the hero had grown complacent mowing down simple bombs and block puzzles. Therefore, I needed fresh arenas, fresh victims. Nearly identical to Super Bomberman 3? Precisely. It’s a familiar lure—before I unleashed even deadlier traps cloaked in new levels and a deceitful story. Consequently, it’s elegant: players think they know the battlefield, then I twist the dials on difficulty without warning.
Reception among players has hovered at an 8.2. Critics praise the balance but some cry it’s too punishing. How do you respond?
Balance? Ha! I revel in that accusation. Sneer all you like at its “fairness.” In fact, it’s a precision-engineered gauntlet. Every pixel, every explosion, every cunning AI detour is calibrated to remind heroes they are disposable. Admittedly, feedback calls it challenging, but I see gratitude that I didn’t let them waltz through easily. After all, they deserve a dance with annihilation before tasting victory.
One twist is the battle mode letting players choose former bosses—with jet packs and throwing abilities. What was your goal there?
Pure theatrical cruelty. First, let them wield the very forces they once despised. Then, each boss’s special power—jet pack thrusts that send them plummeting to their doom if misused, or throwing abilities that ricochet unpredictably—was designed to sow confusion. As a result, they learn to fear their own reflections. Ultimately, I watch their joy morph into panic as alliances shatter and betrayals spark across arenas.
How did you ensure that puzzle elements and direct control would keep players hooked?
They crave control, yet I yank it away in the blink of an eye. Initially, tight direct-control inputs lull them into complacency—until I throw a puzzle element that requires split-second timing. Miss one step and the bomb you plant rebounds, detonating at your feet. It’s a dance of precision and panic. Moreover, that mixture of action, arcade frenzy, and top-down strategy ensures they never—ever—stop reaching for redemption.
Some say the game is almost a retread of Super Bomberman 3. Do you concede any flaws?
Flaws? The hero’s term for deliberate design. Yes, it treads old ground, but I relish it. Comfort lulls them into underestimating the new horrors. In addition, I overlay a sci-fi veneer—futuristic hazards and anime-style flares—to mask the familiar. Even a “sloppy” level layout, as critics might call it, becomes a secret funnel to more devious traps. Consequently, every misstep, real or perceived, furthers my grander scheme.
Many applaud the challenge, yet some lament the occasional slowdown and glitch on SNES hardware. What’s your take?
Hardware hiccups? Guardian angels of chaos. I could optimize code, but instead I prefer letting the console stutter under the load of my intricate bomb patterns. When sprites flicker and controls stutter, panic blooms in players’ minds. Thus, these “sloppy moments” are my clandestine allies. Even flawed code can be harnessed to serve my ruthless purposes.
Finally, any hints on your next wicked return?
Oh, there’s always a next act. Imagine arenas that warp reality, bombs that bend gravity, puzzles that rewrite themselves mid-game. Soon, the hero will learn that no code is safe from my influence. Until then, they’ll replay Super Bomberman 4, chasing ghosts of challenges past. And I? I’ll be waiting in the shadows of the code, smiling at their futile defiance.
Watch the static lines carefully. My next masterpiece flickers in the periphery.
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