Set in a galaxy creatively named the Bomber Nebula, the original Bomberman did not incorporate an official storyline but focused purely on the puzzle aspect of the game. When Bomberman was re-released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, a story was incorporated into the gameplay.
In the NES version of Bomberman, the title character grows tired of making bombs in an underground factory in the Bungeling Empire. Bomberman finds out that if a robot is able to reach the surface, it can become human. The title character decides to escape, and is turned into an organic human being known as the "Runner".