with a fuckin’ hand grenade that’ll explode in your face
Okay, I lied about the second part. But the first part is basically true: SBR’s debut numbers are higher than any previous Bomberman game since Bomberman World (PS1) back in 1998.
Our previous post listed figures from Media Create, which put SBR at 36,623 copies sold. Famitsu is reporting 39,609 copies. According to Game Data Library, which uses Famitsu numbers, Bomberman World sold 76,801 copies in its first week. So while SBR isn’t in that neighborhood, a launch figure of almost 40k is pretty strong for a franchise long thought dead, especially considering that the last game we have debut numbers for is Custom Battler Bomberman from 2008, which clocked in at 1,600 copies.
Granted, as a launch title, gamers don’t have much in the way of choice right now. But it does seem like the market demand for the B-man is at least there. It helps that Konami’s marketing for SBR was pretty top-notch, and the game itself – while far from flawless – is a solid revival/reboot of the franchise and does leave the possibility of future iterations on the table in terms of its stylistic and narrative approach to the canon. The recent VC additions (Bomberman ‘94 and Bomberman 64 for Wii U) also point to official interest in the series again. So here’s hoping the Shining Fire Bombs continue to shine a little brighter from now on!
