Incredibly rare video of HI-TEN Bomberman - the first game for HDTV (1993)

[airraid]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ijWXi-vUzrM


Hi-TEN Bomberman on a Plasma HDTV back in 1993 - the first HD videogame. This was a special prototype game shown a traveling Hudson Soft event called "Gaming Caravan", in 1993 and 1994.



This is the revolutionary Hi-Ten Bomberman, a ten player bomberman with custom hardware on one of the earliest and most expensive High Definition televisions from 1993.

Yes, 1993.

The system is quite amazing to imagine that HD gaming was taking place over 14 years ago in Japan.

There are rumors this game was done on a PC-FX prototype hardware, but it's more like a one of a kind machine.

This game went on to inspire the 10 player Sega Saturn version of bomberman.

This footage is ultra rare and probably the only footage available now, if ever.


related thread:
http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showt...i-ten+bomberman (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13158&highlight=hi-ten+bomberman)







http://assemblergames.com/forums/showpost....mp;postcount=14 (http://assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=29835&postcount=14)

the game runs on an NEC PC (probably a PC98 or PC88 variant) and uses the two PC Engines for nothing more than controller inputs. The entire game and video are generated inside the computer. The TV is, in this case, not much more than a widescreen flat monitor connected to a computer.

For some more details, please see Next Generation magazine, issue #3, page 79.



http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php...i-ten+bomberman (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121617&highlight=hi-ten+bomberman)


Hudson could gain a lot of goodwill and attention from ressurrecting Hi-Ten Bomberman for XBLA, as not only would it be 10-player online Bomberman but it would also be giving fans the chance to play the only unreleased Bomeberman game.

It was never released commerically, and only used at Hudson's HQ in Japan and on a roadshow that went round Japan.

http://www.pcenginefx.com/PC-FX/assets/images/facts_rumors_htb_01.jpg

http://www.pcenginefx.com/PC-FX/assets/images/facts_rumors_htb_02.jpg


There was a lot in it that didn't make it to the cut-down Saturn 10-player mode, like multiple stages, and the arrows in the above shot.

http://www.pcenginefx.com/PC-FX/assets/images/facts_rumors_htb_04.jpg

Look at that HD Bomberman goodness!

GIVE US HI-TEN BOMBERMAN!





Hi-TEN Bomberman was the basis of the 10-player mode in Saturn Bomberman (1996-1997), although after seeing this video, I can say that Hi-TEN looks MUCH better than Saturn's 10-player mode. Saturn's 10-player mode has TINY characters, a lower resolution, really looks very different than Hi-TEN. It looks flat & dull in comparison You could say Saturn's 10-player mode was a modified, downgraded version of Hi-TEN.
So I agree with Nash's post from neogaf.



note: there were actually two versions

http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showp...mp;postcount=10 (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=182549&postcount=10)

Hi-Ten Bomberman and Hi-Ten KaraBom from Hudson Summer Caravan 1993 and 1994.
The developper is Katsuhiro NOZAWA.

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/5913/hiten1936fq2.th.jpg (http://img243.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hiten1936fq2.jpg)

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/4999/hiten2946wo4.th.jpg (http://img341.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hiten2946wo4.jpg)




I had never seen Hi-TEN Bomberman in motion before today, we can thank Assembler from assemblergames.com for that incredibly rare video.

Too bad it probably will never see a commercial release - this is truly the Holy Grail of Bomberman games.

[cyberfluxor]

Pretty cool, thanks for the share!

[Snapple]

Of course, we can't really see the "HD-ness" through low-res video on YouTube, but I get the idea.

People on Assembler uncover the coolest stuff.

[diskoboy]

What system would it have shown up on? Not one console even dreamed they could pull off HD back in 1993. Most consoles couldn't even use S-video cables, yet.

Hell - HD in itself was still a few years down the road.

Still - a pretty cool find, though...

[airraid]

What system would it have shown up on? Not one console even dreamed they could pull off HD back in 1993. Most consoles couldn't even use S-video cables, yet.

Hell - HD in itself was still a few years down the road.

Still - a pretty cool find, though...

the gameplay, levels, graphics and widescreen could probably have been done on PC-FX, Saturn and Playstation, in 1994-1995, although at a lower resolution.

the original Xbox would've had no trouble with HD resolution, be it 1080i or 720p

[Ed Oscuro]

Was this really HD, or Japan's pre-HD MUSE/Hi-Vision (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_sub-nyquist_sampling_Encoding)?

Edit: I checked the thread, it was MUSE. It's different from today's HDTV, but similar enough.

[roushimsx]

What system would it have shown up on? Not one console even dreamed they could pull off HD back in 1993.

PC (or some variant), of course! :)

[RugalSizzler]

We all know that the things we have now is old stuff. Wow thanks for telling me about another game we have no need for and is going to be crazy to get.

About that muse FM tech that sounds pretty sweet. I am so sad things is not the way it was back then. I mean OMGsh the way things are now is just so crazy.

Yes I am bomberman and you have wowed my intrest.:onfire:

[DefaultGen]

.....

[PallarAndersVisa]

we need this on live arcade!

[diskoboy]

we need this on live arcade!


I heard a rumor that Bomberman probably will show up on XBLA. I hope it's the Saturn version, but I'll be happy, reguardless. They should make a Bomberman with like 24 players now that the hardware could pull it off...

[airraid]

I heard a rumor that Bomberman probably will show up on XBLA. I hope it's the Saturn version, but I'll be happy, reguardless. They should make a Bomberman with like 24 players now that the hardware could pull it off...


it's not the Saturn version.


'Bomberman Live' info, screens and video for XBLA have already been leaked:

http://www.x-power.be/_gallery/Bomberman%20Live/bomberman-live-29.jpg

http://www.x-power.be/_gallery/Bomberman%20Live/bomberman-live-33.jpg

http://www.x-power.be/_gallery/Bomberman%20Live/bomberman-live-34.jpg

more screens here: http://www.x-power.be/?act=galleries&gallery_id=617

video:
http://www.xboxyde.com/stream_3816_en.html

video download:

SD video (http://fs01n3.sendspace.com/dl/0b543df69f59736d02734f05970371fb/46464581/irwb5i/BombermanLive_SDvideo_30.rar)

HD video (http://fs04n5.sendspace.com/dl/289cb469a3dbe6b1b4a78e6c806fcfcd/46464600/k4ktwn/BombermanLive_HDvideo_30.rar)

http://www.xboxyde.com/leech_3816_en.html


info:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=155197



Features:
- Developed by Backbone Entertainment
- Offline multiplayer up to 4 players (NO System Link)
- Up to 8 people can play over Xbox Live
- Official tournaments each month
- Customizable Bombermen (according to PR: 10,000 possibilities)
- Power-ups also customizable
- 8 different arena's
- No price revealed yet
- DLC planned (see below)
- Movies underway (BlimBlim?)
- Will be released mid June





First pack (30 days after LIVE date):
- 1 New Game Mode - Most Frags Mode
- 2 arenas – Air Ship, and a Las Vegas Level
- 10 new characters
- 5 Gamer Pics
- 1 Theme

Second pack (60 days after LIVE date):
- Bomb Shelters
- 10 new characters
- 2 arenas -- Race Level, and an Dreamland Level
- 5 Gamer Pics
- 1 Theme

Third pack (90 days after LIVE date):
- 2 new arenas Candy World & Inferno
- 10 new characters
- 5 Gamer Pics
- 1 Theme

[Kitsune Sniper]

... that XBLA port looks awful.

Why can't they stick to classic sprites? Ew.

[airraid]

... that XBLA port looks awful.

Why can't they stick to classic sprites? Ew.

I agree it looks awful, I would much prefer sprites, but it's not a port of any previous game, it's new.

after seeing it in motion, it looks better than in still shots. Yet I still would rather have intricate 2D sprite artwork, as seen in Hi-TEN Bomberman, and the single player mode of Saturn Bomberman.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I agree it looks awful, I would much prefer sprites, but it's not a port of any previous game, it's new.

after seeing it in motion, it looks better than in still shots. Yet I still would rather have intricate 2D sprite artwork, as seen in Hi-TEN Bomberman, and the single player mode of Saturn Bomberman.

Which is why I said "it looks awful".

I'm sure it'll play fine, but damn do those graphics suck.

[La4s]

To bad the Youtube video doesn't do the game justice.

[goemon]

Only 8 players? You'd think that today's technology would be able to handle massive Bomberman deathmatches. 32+ Bombermans fighting live in one huge arena... now that might get me to buy a 360.

[airraid]

Which is why I said "it looks awful".

I'm sure it'll play fine, but damn do those graphics suck.

fair enough :)

[diskoboy]

Not bad - but I like the sprites better.

It looks like Bomberman Online on the DC, gfx wise...

EDIT - But the good thing is, there may be a way to select between sprites and 3-D gfx... MS is notorious for letting you choose between original graphics and updated.

[PallarAndersVisa]

it looks like a port of Atomic Bomberman for PC

at least the graphics look like they took some from the pc game.

[Frica89]

:o Wow, that looks awesome....excellent post.