MMLC Robot Master List: Bomb Man

Number: DLN-006

Weapon: Hyper Bomb

Weakness: Fire Storm

A robot who, together with Guts Man, used to clear land for development. Be sure to damage him before throwing the Hyper Bomb.

As a Light Number robot, Bomb Man was originally intended as an instrument of good. His Hyper Bomb and overall knowledge of demolition tools made him a great asset out in the field… until Dr Wily reprogrammed him and set the events of Mega Man 1 into motion.

After defeating Bomb Man you obtain his Hyper Bomb, which can be hurled a short distance and used to take Guts Man out in just a few hits. The blast radius is rather large, so whether you’re tossing the bomb or avoiding Bomb Man’s attacks, consider this weapon’s range when it’s on the screen!

It’s worth noting that Bomb Man sports a robo-mohawk (robohawk? rohawk? work with me here) and a wrestler-like physique emphasizing his sturdy size. Ready for action and a striking visage – two great things to have when battling Mega Man.

Bomb Man has always been my first stop when replaying MM1. His pattern is pretty simple (basically keep running at him, stay close & he’ll hop away without tossing a bomb) and the stage is similarly easy. However, as a kid I had no idea you could switch weapons after beating a boss. Weapon stealing and swapping was a unique concept at the time, and the particular cart I rented had no manual.

So, this being 1988 with no internet and not much magazine coverage, I played those first 8 bosses (unsuccessfully, I should add) for many days. Then one day I dropped the controller while the game was paused and heard a “BLIP!” noise. When I unpaused the game, Mega Man was green and I could toss bombs! So Bomb Man also has a special place in my heart as the very first weapon I ever used.

Brian aka “Protodude” ( Rockman Corner )

Bomb Man holds the dubious honor of being the fastest and easiest boss to beat in MM1. You can take him down pretty easily with just the buster! He gets a lot of flack for this but I like him. From a design standpoint, he’s oozing with character: the ’80s punk mohawk, a grin from ear to ear, and a big round belly. And hey, I even hear he enjoys bowling and fireworks.

Of all the Robot Master stages, I’d say Bomb Man’s holds the most variety in terms of enemies and terrain. There’s explosions and bullets flying all over the place, Joes lying in ambush, and spikes out the wazoo. To top it off, we’ve got these huge ominous spheres looming in the background. I dunno; Bomb Man is just so cool.