The English version appears to be exclusive to Round1, a Japan-based amusement chain with numerous locations in the US. Information about it online is pretty limited, but I've seen various spottings of the machine in America dating back to 2020. I'd certainly rather play traditional Bomberman, but if I've got an afternoon to waste at an arcade? Sure, I'll see how long I can make my medals last.īut that's not how this localized version works. You put some money in, and the better you play, the longer you get to keep playing.
With that in mind, Bomberman: The Medal doesn't sound so bad. In modern terms, these are typically absurdly difficult games that ask you to make a microtransaction every time you run out of lives. This is the point where I have to stop and acknowledge the fact that arcade games have always been exploitative.
