game
icon
title Bomb Jack (set 2)
set name bombjac2
manufacturer Tehkan
year 1984
genre Platform (hof)
category Platform / Run Jump (hof)
driver status good
driver source bombjack.c
snapshots MW: in game | parent / CT: in game | title | parent / Mr. Do: parent / EJ: parent / PS: in game | title | scores | parent
zoom
rating

65.7% after 78 votes
 
parent Bomb Jack (set 1)
display
colour emulation good
palette 128
display type raster
orientation vertical
resolution 224x256
frequency 60.000000Hz
sound
sound emulation good
channels mono
controls
players 2
nplayers 2P alt
controls 8 way joystick
buttons 1
coin slots 2
hardware
cpu Z80 @ 4MHz
cpu Z80 @ 3.072MHz
audio AY-3-8910A @ 1.5MHz
audio AY-3-8910A @ 1.5MHz
audio AY-3-8910A @ 1.5MHz
data
version added .009
last change(s) none since version .53
roms
name size crc set flags sha1
09_j01b.bin  8192  c668dc30  bombjack    51dd6a2688b42e9f28f0882bd76f75be7ec3222a 
10_l01b.bin  8192  52a1e5fb  bombjack    e1cdc4b4efbc6c7a1e4fa65019486617f2acba1b 
11_m01b.bin  8192  b68a062a  bombjack    43bae56494ac0202aaa8f1ed5c1ed1bff775b2b8 
12_n01b.bin  8192  1d3ecee5  bombjack    8b3c49e21ea4952cae7042890d1be2115f7d6fda 
13_r01b.bin  8192  bcafdd29  bombjac2    d243eb1249e885aa75fc910fce6e7744770d6e82 
01_h03t.bin  8192  8407917d  bombjack    318face9f7a7ab6c7eeac773995040425e780aaf 
03_e08t.bin  4096  9f0470d5  bombjack    94ef52ef47b4399a03528fe3efeac9c1d6983446 
04_h08t.bin  4096  81ec12e6  bombjack    e29ba193f21aa898499187603b25d2e226a07c7b 
05_k08t.bin  4096  e87ec8b1  bombjack    a66808ef2d62fca2854396898b86bac9be5f17a3 
06_l08t.bin  8192  51eebd89  bombjack    515128a3971fcb97b60c5b6bdd2b03026aec1921 
07_n08t.bin  8192  9dd98e9d  bombjack    6db6006a6e20ff7c243d88293ca53681c4703ea5 
08_r08t.bin  8192  3155ee7d  bombjack    e7897dca4c145f10b7d975b8ef0e4d8aa9354c25 
16_m07b.bin  8192  94694097  bombjack    de71bcd67f97d05527f2504fc8430be333fb9ec2 
15_l07b.bin  8192  013f58f2  bombjack    20c64593ab9fcb04cefbce0cd5d17ce3ff26441b 
14_j07b.bin  8192  101c858d  bombjack    ed1746c15cdb04fae888601d940183d5c7702282 
02_p04t.bin  4096  398d4a02  bombjack    ac18a8219f99ba9178b96c9564de3978e39c59fd 
cabinet art
marquee bombjack.png
control panel bombjack.png
flyer bombjac2.png
PCB bombjac2.png
additional information
info 0.35b13 [Nicola Salmoria]

0.09 [Mirko Buffoni, Nicola Salmoria, Brad Thomas, Jakob Frendsen, Conny Melin]

NOTE:
  • Press fire to skip the ROM/RAM test at the beginning.
  • In the dip switch menu, DIFFICULTY 1 refers to the speed of the mechanical bird, while DIFFICULTY 2 to the number and speed of enemies. SPECIAL refers to how often the (E) and (S) coins appear.
  • If game is reset when screen is flipped, the screen remains flipped for the start-up tests and we'll be OK when scores are displayed. Source (ID 02584)
  • "Bonus Life" dipswitch NEVER give extra lives. Source (ID 02585)
WIP:
  • 0.126u4: Andrew Gardner merged memory maps in Bomb Jack.
  • 0.126u2: Fabio Priuli added DIP locations to Bomb Jack.
  • 0.118u2: Stephane Humbert improved dipswitches for Bomb Jack.
  • 0.104u3: Adam Bousley added save states support to the Bomb Jack driver.
  • 25th February 2001: Olivier Galibert added save states support to Bomb Jack. However, the driver needs to be updated to include the save states.
  • 0.35b13: Nicola Salmoria added Bomb Jack (set 1). Renamed (bombjack) to (bombjac2).
  • 0.22: Nicola improved color palette emulation in Bombjack which has now perfect colors. Bomb Jack doesn't have a color PROM, it uses a RAM to generate colors and change them during the game.
  • 0.18: Bomb Jack is much faster on a 486. Now runs very well with -frameskip 1 on my 486/100.
  • 0.15: Jarek Burczynski submitted a sound driver for Bomb Jack. The game is now a bit slow on Nicola's 486/100, -frameskip 1 is almost good but not quite.
  • 0.13: Fixed a couple of minor bugs in Bomb Jack background colors.
  • 0.10: Fixed a small graphics glitch in the background of Bomb Jack's third level. Thanks to Philip Chapman for the report.
  • 0.09: Mirko Buffoni added Bomb Jack (Tehkan 1984). Thanks to Brad Thomas, Jakob Frendsen and Conny Melin for the hardware info on Bomb Jack. Issues: Colors are accurate, but not entirely: the original machine uses 12 bits (4 bits per pen), while I currently use only 8 bits (3 bits for red and green, 2 bits for blue). Is the sprite priority correct? For example, during the demo, should GAME OVER be in front or behind other sprites? There is another bit in the sprite attributes which I don't know what means: It seems to be set only when the (B) materializes. For the DIFFICULTY 2 setting, EASY and MEDIUM might be swapped. Anyone can confirm? The INITIAL HIGH SCORE setting doesn't only set that, it does something else as well - but I don't know what.
LEVELS: 99 (endless)

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Romset: 112 kb / 16 files / 55.5 zip
history Bomb Jack (c) 1984 Tehkan.


A Superbly playable and addicitive platform game, with gameplay that gives more than a passing nod to Namco's seminal "Pac-Man".


The object of the game is to collect all of the bombs on each level, before progressing to the next. Extra point bonuses are awarded for collecting bombs with their fuses lit. Only one bomb at a time has a lit fuse, and collecting twenty or more of these lit bombs on any given level will earn the player a points bonus (see TIPS AND TRICKS for details). Bomb Jack is pursued around each level by a variety of constantly spawning, mechanical enemies. When Bomb Jack gets killed, he drops to the nearest platform, always landing on his head.


The 5 different background pictures that feature in the game are : the Sphinx in Egypt, the Akropolis in Greece, Castle Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, skyscrapers and a cityscape by night. While the 5 backgrounds themselves are repeated as the player progresses, the platform layouts for each level are completely different. At least until level 18, after which the levels repeat themselves.


A powerball appears at semi-regular intervals and moves diagonally around the screen. If the player manages to grab this, all of the level's monsters are frozen for several seconds and can then be killed by having Bomb Jack fly into them (similar to the 'Powerpill' feature in "Pac-Man"). Collecting the Bonus 'B' symbols will increase the amount of points awarded for collecting bombs with their fuses lit. Picking up an 'Extra' symbol awards the player with an additional life, while catching the 'Special' symbol will give the player an extra credit.


- TECHNICAL -


Main CPU : Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)

Sound CPU : Z80 (@ 3.072 Mhz)

Sound Chips : (3x) AY8910 (@ 1.5 Mhz)


Screen orientation : Vertical

Video resolution : 224 x 256 pixels

Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz

Palette colors : 128


Players : 2

Control : 8-way joystick

Buttons : 1 (JUMP)


- TRIVIA -


Released in October 1984.


The original idea for Bomb Jack was conceived by Michitaka Tsuruta, lead designer for Guzzler and Solomon's Key, under the supervision of Kazutoshi Ueda, the genius behind Mr. Do, Lady Bug and other Universal coin-ops.


Curiously enough, the infamous Sphinx in the opening round was not rendered by the graphic designer of the game, but by Ekiko, the sound designer. Tsuruta-san recalls how roles in Japanese development teams were quite interchangeable, in those early years.


Round 1 music is the ending song from the Japanese animated cartoon series 'Spoon Oba-san', sung by the ultra-popular Mari Ijima (Lynn Minmay's voice in Macross). The anime was aired in 1983... at that time, Bomb Jack development was just starting : something more than a coincidence, then.

Round 2 features the music of 'Lady Madonna', by The Beatles. Tsuruta-san, recalls that rights were paid for the licensed music at the time; still, later ports (PS2 and Xbox) come with a replaced soundtrack (mostly the Vs. Mighty Bomb Jack score).


"Bomb Jack II" has nothing really to do with Tekhan or Tecmo : it was developed by british Elite Systems for European home computers only, in an attempt to follow the huge success of the Bomb Jack coin-op conversion. They basically bought the license for the name, and then proceeded to create a mediocre maze game.


Giauco Bondavalli holds the official record for this game with 20,010,960 points on November 3, 1984.


Alfa Records released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Tecmo Game Music - 28XA-95) on 25/09/1986.


- UPDATES -


The older version (set 2) says 'YOU ARE LUCY' instead of 'YOU ARE LUCKY'.


- SCORING -


Jumping, hitting a wall or falling from a platform : 10 points x bonus multiplier value.

Normal bomb : 100 points x bonus multiplier value.

Firebomb : 200 points x bonus multiplier value.


(P) Power : 100 when blue, 200 when red, 300 when purple, 500 when green, 800 when cyan, 1,200 when yellow and 2,000 points when grey x bonus multiplier value.


(B) Bonus Multiplier: 1,000 points x bonus multiplier value.

(E) Extra Life : 1,000 points x bonus multiplier value plus an extra life.

(S) Special : 1,000 points x bonus multiplier value plus a free credit.


Killing monsters while (P) is active : 100, 200, 300, 500, 800, 1,200 and 2,000 points. These are all multiplied by the current bonus multiplier value.


End of level bonus :

23 firebombs defused : 50,000 points.

22 firebombs : 30,000 points.

21 firebombs : 20,000 points.

20 firebombs : 10,000 points.


- TIPS AND TRICKS -


* A little information about the appearence of the powerball : the rule is very simple and you just have to look at the colour at the left and right of the multiplicator number, its size grows as you collect bombs.


1) Take a 'lit bomb' and you get 1 point ahead for the next Powerball. Take a non-lit bomb and you'll get 0.5 point for the next Powerball. When you achieve 10 points, the powerball appears. Your powerball points don't grow if either the powerball is there or if the 'power music' is playing, so avoid collecting bombs when it's not necessary.


2) The powerball can have different score values when taking it. When it appears, jump or hit a wall and its colour will change. The colours and score values are blue (100 points), red (200 points), purple (300 points), green (500 points), turquoize (800 points), yellow (1000 points) and grey (2000 points).


3) The 'B' bonus coin adds 1 to the multiplicator value and appears each 5,000 points, but only if you 'pass' these 5,000 points when not taking a 'B' coin. For example, your multiplicator is 2x, your score is 9,000 and you take a 'B' coin; giving you 1,000x2 = 2,000 points which makes a total of 11,000 points. A 'B' coin should then appear because you have passed the 10,000 points, but doesn't because you took a 'B' coin to achieve this score so you'll have to wait for 15,000 points to get a new 'B' coin. The multiplicator limit is X5.


* An important piece of information to remember is that you can pick up the bombs in a certain order to earn maximum points. If you pick up most of the bombs while their fuses are lit, you get the following bonuses :

20 - 10,000 pts.

21 - 20,000 pts.

22 - 30,000 pts.

23 - 50,000 pts.

So of course, you'll want to try to get 23 each time (This is of course, VERY difficult!). The P (Power) coin appears after every ninth bomb is collected. The points value of the P coin ranges from 100 (Blue) to 2,000 (Silver). Since the color changes each time BJ jumps, you can control the bonus level by making small jumps until the coin turns silver.


* The B (Bonus) coin appears every 5,000 points, and advances the bonus multiplier by 1. There is a maximum of 5 B coins per level.


* Picking up the S (Special) coin awards one free credit. It will also take you to the next level automatically.


* You can control where the mechanical bird appears by holding the joystick in the opposite direction. Example : Hold the joystick to the Right as soon as the round starts and the mechanical bird appears on the left of the screen. If the stick is held diagonally, the bird appears in the opposite corner.


* When you start a level, and directly go to left or right, bird(s) will appear on the other side : it's usefull to put them where you want in order to make this level easyer, levels 7, 8 & 9 are good examples for that.


- SERIES -
  1. Bomb Jack (1984)
  2. Bomb Jack II (1986, Commodore C64)
  3. Vs. Mighty Bomb Jack (1986)
  4. Bomb Jack Twin (1993)
  5. - STAFF -
    • Director : Michitaka Tsuruta
    • Programmer : Michishito Ishizuka
    • Graphic & Character Design : Rie Ishizuka (aka Rie Yatomi)
    • Music & Sound Design : Ekiko
    • Producer : Kazutoshi Ueda
    • - PORTS -
    • * Consoles :
    • Sega SG-1000 (1985)
    • Nintendo Game Boy (1992)
    • Sony PlayStation 2 (2004, "Tecmo Hit Parade")
    • Microsoft XBOX (2005, "Tecmo Classic Arcade")
    • * Computers :
    • NEC PC8801 (1985)
    • Commodore 16 (1986)
    • Commodore C64 (1986)
    • Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1986)
    • Amstrad CPC (1986)
    • Atari ST (1988)
    • Commodore Amiga (1988)
    • * Others :
    • Mobiles phone [Nokia 3410] (2002)
    • - SOURCES -
    • Game's rom.
    • Tsuruta Michitaka's Web Site; http://www.turu3.net
    • Edit this entry at Arcade-History.com: http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=bomb-jack&page=detail&id=306&o=2
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cheats
cheats
code comments
00000000:819B:00000005:FFFFFFFF  Infinite Lives
00000000:824A:0000001E:FFFFFFFF  Invincibility
00000000:81AC:00000004:FFFFFFFF  Always Bonus Multiplier x 5
00000001:81AC:00000004:FFFFFFFF  Bonus Multiplier x 5 Now!
00000000:8036:000000FF:FFFFFFFF  Infinite Power Time
00000001:81A2:00000000:FFFFFFFF  Finish this Level Now!
00000000:81AB:00000023:FFFFFFFF  Always Perfect Firebombs
00000001:81AB:00000023:FFFFFFFF  Perfect Firebombs Now!
00000000:890C:00000001:FFFFFFFF  Bonus gives multiplier
00000000:890C:00000002:FFFFFFFF  Bonus gives extra life
00000000:890C:00000003:FFFFFFFF  Bonus gives extra credit
00000000:81A7:00000014:FFFFFFFF  P always present
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