One of the most popular multiplayer franchises of the retro era returns, with a generous compilation of seven games that show Bomberman at its peak.

Up until a few years ago it seemed as if Konami had completely given up on the games industry. Unlike most other publishers, they have many other business concerns, from fitness clubs and casinos to slot machines and anime. Considering the state of the industry today their disengagement makes a lot more sense now than it did at the time, but we’re glad to see that their re-emergence as a major publisher has begun to pay off for them.

Nevertheless, without Hideo Kojima, it’s still unclear what they’re going to do about Metal Gear, even with the success of the recent remake, and the continued lack of any new Castlevania game is baffling, especially given how many other older franchises they’ve brought back. But, after a shaky start, the Silent Hill franchise is now in rude health, while they’ve also brought back everything from Contra and Gradius to Survival Kids.

Some revivals have worked out better than others but inevitably they’ve now got around to Bomberman. Once the mascot of PC Engine maker Hudson Soft, which Konami bought in 2011, it was one of the most popular multiplayer games of the 80s and 90s. The series has struggled to stay relevant since but with this compilation of SNES games, it’s easy to see why it was once so beloved.

Bomberman first appeared in 1983, on the MSX home computer, and initially was released under multiple names in Europe, including Dyna Blaster and Eric & The Floaters (for the little known ZX Spectrum version). The series is interesting in that it’s not closely associated with any one format, although the 10-player Saturn Bomberman was a favourite at gaming events long after the Sega Saturn itself became irrelevant.

Nevertheless, the majority of people have probably experienced the series on the SNES, which is what this compilation concentrates on. It includes Super Bomberman 1 through 5, the latter two of which have never been released outside of Japan before. That alone is a welcome effort, but the collection also includes two additional games and a host of artwork, a music player, and a boss rush mode with an online leaderboard.

Whether you’ve played these particular entries in the series before or not, all Bomberman games work in the same basic way: you’re trapped in a small maze that’s filled with destructible blocks. These can be destroyed by laying a bomb, which explodes in four directions and will kill you, or any enemies or fellow players, if you’re caught in the blast.

All the games have single-player modes, of increasing complexity, but Bomberman is an early example of a game where it was played almost solely for the multiplayer. It’s also interesting in that you could make an argument for the first one being the best, simply because it’s the most uncomplicated, with only classic power-ups such as being able to lay more than one bomb at a time, increasing the range of your bombs, and punching or kicking bombs once they’re placed.

Each new game adds more power-ups and complications, some of which became regulars and some of which were never seen again. Super Bomberman 3, for example, introduces Louies, which are rideable kangaroos clearly inspired by Yoshi. They either let you punch bombs or jump over obstacles, while also taking a hit for you if you’re caught in a bomb blast.

It’s fairly obvious why Super Bomberman 4 and 5 were never released outside of Japan, as the PS1 was over a year old by the time 4 arrived, let alone 5. Super Bomberman 4 is arguably the best of the bunch, though, as it introduces additional creatures and vehicles which, after you’ve first blown them up and turned them into eggs, can be used or ridden.

Super Bomberman 5, which was released only a few months before Bomberman 64, is less of an evolution, although it does introduce non-linear progression to the story campaign. It’s a decent capstone to the sub-series too, incorporating the best elements of the previous games.

The collection also includes what we believe is the NES version of the original game, although bizarrely it doesn’t say and we’re only assuming that based on the copyright date and a small piece of cropped artwork. Bomberman 2, which is definitely a NES game, is also included, which is a very welcome bonus, but Konami really needs to start including some proper museum info in their retro compilations.

This is even worse than Gradius Origins, in that while there’s plenty of games, lots of artwork, the original manuals, and neat rotating 3D boxes and cartridges – for all three regions – there’s absolutely no text or descriptions describing what anything is, beyond the modes and power-ups in each of the five SNES games.

Despite that, this is a great little compilation, with plenty of games and a rewind option for the often frustrating single-player campaigns. Technically it does have online multiplayer but only via Nintendo’s GameShare feature. That means you can play against anyone else online without them having to own a copy. However, only one person can play per console, which makes it difficult to organise full matches.

The amount of entertainment you get from Bomberman is directly proportional to the number of people playing, which is further multiplied if they’re in the same room with you. On that basis alone the lack of flexibility in the online options is forgivable, especially at the very generous asking price.

Konami has tried many times before to make online-focused versions of the game but after the SNES era the franchise saw a swift decline in popularity, particularly in the West. It’s not really clear what they can do to reverse that trend, but this is certainly a welcome reminder of how much fun the games could be at their peak. If they do try and make a new entry after this, we really hope it doesn’t bomb.

Formats: Nintendo Switch 2 (reviewed), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Price: £19.99
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Red Art Games (original developers: Produce! and Hudson Soft)
Release Date: 5th February 2026
Age Rating: 7

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Manchester City have been battling some significant injury troubles across the team, with Pep Guardiola giving an update on Erling Haaland’s fitness situation after the Fulham game

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The Premier League title race is heating up, as Manchester City applied pressure on Arsenal once again by picking up an important win in midweek action.

A first-half blitz from Pep Guardiola’s men saw them defeat Fulham, as goals from Antoine Semenyo, Nico O’Reilly, and Erling Haaland handed them victory at the Etihad Stadium.

With the gap at the top now down to just three points, it’s up to City’s title rivals Arsenal to respond, as they are in action on Thursday against an in-form Brentford side.

In the meantime, Guardiola will be keen to rally his troops once more, hopeful of avoiding injuries at a key time of the season when they can start to crank up the pressure on their rivals for the Premier League crown.

So, with that said, here’s a look at the latest City injury news, including an update on Haaland after the Fulham victory.

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Erling Haaland

City fans were left nervous over Haaland’s fitness after the goalscorer was substituted at half-time during his side’s win over Fulham.

Fortunately, Guardiola downplayed the issue after the match, as he told reporters: “Niggles. Some problems, he didn’t feel comfortable, it was 3-0.

“The reason why is too many games. Fatigue. He said ‘I don’t feel comfortable’. With 3-0 and with a lot of games and with having Omar [Marmoush], common sense.”

As a result, it’s unclear whether Haaland will feature against Salford in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, before City turn back to Premier League action against Newcastle the following weekend.

John Stones

After a spell out of the team through injury, John Stones finally made his return to the City squad again in midweek, featuring on the bench.

The defender was an unused substitute, while he could make an appearance against Salford in the FA Cup over the weekend.

Jeremy Doku

Jeremy Doku is still out through injury, having picked up a calf problem against Galatasaray in the Champions League earlier this season.

There is an expectation that he could return at some point this month, but it remains to be seen whether the recovery will meet that timeline.

Josko Gvardiol

City will be without Josko Gvardiol for the foreseeable future, with the defender picking up a tibial fracture in the clash with Chelsea.

There is hope that the Croatian international will be back at some point before the end of the season, with a few months left for him to make a return.

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Savinho

Savinho has struggled to get going this season, having failed to get many minutes on the pitch with some proper momentum, as injuries continue to impact him.

The Brazilian winger was lined up for a possible return this week, but after failing to make the squad against Fulham, it’s unclear exactly when he will be available once again.

Mateo Kovacic

It’s been a tough campaign for Mateo Kovacic, who picked up an ankle problem in November, and has been unable to play for City ever since. A return seems unlikely until next month at the earliest.

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Serial killer Steve Wright – The Suffolk Strangler – and missing Suzy Lamplugh worked together on a luxury liner.

A cold case police probe into a missing estate agent are looking at possible links with a notorious serial killer. The Metropolitan Police is examining the relationship between Suzy Lamplugh and Steve Wright, also known as The Suffolk Strangler.

Detectives from the cold case Homicide unit have been carrying out a review of ‘Operation Phoebus,’ the original investigation into Suzy’s disappearance, and are exploring a possible connection between Suzy and Steve, after new witnesses told The Mirror about his time on board the luxury liner with Suzy, who went missing aged 25.

Wright – who is serving a whole life tariff for killing six women – worked with Suzy on the QE2. The 67-year-old finally admitted he was a murderer last week, pleading guilty to strangling Victoria Hall. Police are now expected to speak to him about the missing woman.

The QE2’s movements indicate that Wright arrived in the UK on the morning Suzy disappeared, according to official records seen by The Mirror. The ship docked at Southampton for two days. Wright’s ex wife also recalls him appearing at their home in Essex briefly around that time for a surprise visit.

A spokeswoman for the Met Police said: “The Metropolitan Police Service’s investigation into the disappearance and murder of Suzy Lamplugh is ongoing, and detectives remain committed to securing justice for her family.

“Over the years, hundreds of pieces of information have been carefully followed up by officers, and we continue to assess any new information brought to our attention.”

Wright is believed to have been working on the liner when it docked there on July 28, 1986, the same day Suzy vanished after going to meet a client called ‘Mr Kipper’. His ex-wife, Diane Cole, who spoke to police 17 years ago for five hours about Wright’s links with Suzy, told The Mirror she’d left the ship months earlier than Wright in 1986.

But she now recalls him appearing on her doorstep in Halstead, Essex, “in the height of summer” during a surprise visit. She said he arrived loaded down with posh makeup but only had time to stop for a cup of tea.

“I remember it being the height of summer because I had the kids that lived next door in a paddling pool in my garden,” Di, who is now 71 from the north east, told the Mirror. “He drank that (the tea) and said he had to rush and get back. He arrived with all this Christian Dior makeup for me. Where did he get it all from? Suzy was a beautician on the ship. I do think it is right the police look at him.”

She also points out she saw Wright twice chatting to Suzy in the corridor by their cabins when they were all working on the QE2 together. The “beautiful” worker was a beautician and Wright a steward.

Their ship QE2 started the four-and-a-half day transatlantic journey from New York the Wednesday before, meaning it arrived in the early hours, giving Wright plenty of time to get to London, according to the Mirror.

The ship’s log shows the boat spent 26 days in total moored in Southampton in 1986. The rest of the year it was either at sea or docked in foreign ports.

The records confirm Di’s recollection that Wright left his job in October 1986 when the boat was taken out of service to remove the steam turbine engines.

Suzy started working as a beautician on the QE2 three years earlier, aged 22. At the time of her murder she had been an estate agent for 16 months. Witnesses have confirmed that Wright got to know Suzy during her time on the ship.

Steve Adler, a former steward on the QE2, said in 2006: “Steve wasn’t really one of the lads and was on the periphery but he liked the girls. He would ‘sniff’ around all the girls and particularly the beauticians like Suzy.” Fellow QE2 shipmate Paul Tennant, a former waiter, said previously that Wright “tried to become a friend of Suzy’s all the time”.

And more recently Terry Cassidy told the Mirror he would definitely have known Suzy who was behind reception at the salon right next to the shop where his then girlfriend Di worked.

Suzy vanished in the middle of a working Monday after apparently going to show a client around a house a few minutes’ walk from her office in Fulham, south west London. A note scribbled in her appointments diary read: “12.45 Mr Kipper, 37 Shorrolds Rd o/s outside”.

It could not be established when the arrangement to meet the mystery man was made or whether he had come into the office or telephoned. Suzy left her office after 12.40pm and a woman fitting her description was seen at the Shorrolds Road house.

Her company car, a white Ford Fiesta, was found by police in Stevenage Road at 10.01pm on the day she vanished. It was badly parked around a mile from the flat on Shorrolds Road that she was due to show to a “Mr Kipper”.

The handbrake was off and her purse was in the door pocket. Her seat was not in its usual position but pushed further back, suggesting Suzy may have been attacked in the car or had not been the last person to drive it. It was parked outside another flat being marketed by her estate agency and one theory was that she had shown her killer around that property.

The spot is close to the Thames, and police frogmen searched the river in the early days of the investigation. A woman fitting Suzy’s description was seen by a number of witnesses leaving the Shorrolds Road flat with a man at around 1pm and getting into her car with him.

An artist’s impression showed an “extremely smart” man wearing a dark suit with dark, swept-back hair, who bore a resemblance to killer John Cannan. He was between 5ft 7in and 5ft 9in tall, white and aged between 25 and 30.

Cannan was considered to be the prime suspect, but the CPS ruled there was not enough evidence to charge him in 2002. It was not until 2006 that Wright featured in their investigation. Inmate Cannan died last year aged 70 before officers had a chance to quiz him again. It is thought Wright has never been quizzed by police about Suzy’s disappearance.

Suzy, who was 5ft 6in tall and wearing a black jacket, grey skirt and peach-coloured blouse, was spotted by a friend with a man she did not recognise driving north up Fulham Palace Road at 2.45pm. The case is thought to be the UK’s longest-running murder probe, having been actively investigated since the day she disappeared .

Suzy’s mother Diana Lamplugh died in 2011 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2003, and her retired solicitor father Paul passed away in 2018.

Wright’s ex wife Diane, feels lucky to have escaped with her life after numerous violent attacks during her relationship with Wright. They started dating after meeting on the QE2 and married in 1987, a year after Suzy disappeared.

Talking about the time she saw them chatting on the ship, she has told The Mirror: “They came to my attention twice when I stuck my head out of the cabin to see where the hell he was and I saw them talking. He was having a lovely time. I don’t think she was interested in him but he was her.

“I was in the main shop with Suzy working nearby and she was very pretty, very nice. She was most popular with most people, especially the men. But he never mentioned her to me at all. He was a man of mystery. He’s like Jack the Ripper.”

She also recalls his violent outbursts attacking her with a knife or scissors in her cabin, but missing and hitting her cabin door and trying to strangle her. Diane told how Wright would take ‘uppers’ on the ship to keep awake on his long shifts.

And on one occasion he used her lipstick to scrawl ‘whore’ and ‘slut’ on her cabin door after she went out for the day. “I quickly wiped it off,” she said. But not before the crew passing down the corridor had seen it.

She added: “He should tell the truth for the sake of Susie’s family. And for anybody else he’s done in. It’s cruel. I definitely do think the police really need to look at him again because I know how bad he could be. “

Wright is serving time for five murders in Ipswich all in 2006; Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29.

He recently admitted killing Victoria Hall, 17, after she was on a night out in Felixstowe where he had family and was born. But it is believed he could be behind at least five more, including three sex workers from Norwich.

Jeannette Kempton, aged 32 from Brixton, whose body was found in a ditch in 1989, Natalie Pearman, 16, who died of asphyxia in Norwich in 1992, Amanda Duncan, 26, from Ipswich went missing a year later in 1993, Kellie Pratt, 28, last seen in Norwich in 2000 and Michelle Bettles aged 22 from Norwich who was strangled in 2002.

The changes will allow 16 and 17 year olds in NI to vote in the next General Election

Plans to lower the voting age to 16 in UK-wide elections and introduce tougher measures against electoral intimidation have been set out in a new Bill, which will apply in Northern Ireland.

Announcing the proposals, the Government said: “These changes aim to remove practical barriers that prevent people from taking part.”

If passed, the legislation would allow 16 and 17-year-olds in Northern Ireland to vote in Westminster elections for the first time.

Sixteen and 17-year-olds can already vote in Assembly and local council elections in Scotland and Wales, but not in Northern Ireland. The change would extend the franchise here for UK Parliamentary contests.

The Government said the Bill would also crack down on harassment and intimidation and make rules around voter ID fairer and more accessible.

Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said: “The Representation of the People Bill will usher in a new era for our democracy – one that protects against foreign interference and empowers young people.

“With growing threats from abroad, now is the time to make changes to make our elections secure and get young people engaged in them.

“Our new laws will make this a reality – strengthening the safeguards on our elections and introducing once in a generation changes to finally give 16 and 17 year olds the voice they deserve.“

Among the additional measures are what the Government described as “much-needed measures to protect candidates, campaigners, and electoral staff from abuse and intimidation, deterring people from taking part in public life”. The Government said harassment of elected representatives has “risen to shocking levels in recent years”, with women and minority ethnic representatives facing a disproportionate level of abuse.