Safebuster

About

Safebuster is a single-player arcade game from Nintendo that tasks you with juggling bombs to stop a thief's heist. You control a guard who moves left or right with button presses to catch falling explosives. The goal is to collect each bomb and carry it to either screen edge for disposal. But you can only hold three at once, if a fourth lands in your grasp, it explodes. The challenge comes from balancing timing and movement while avoiding overflow, as missing a bomb or letting it stack too high means instant failure. The game’s premise is straightforward but tense, with a focus on quick reflexes. Notably, Safebuster was never sold in Japan despite being made in 1988, with around 500,000 units produced under model JB-63. A pocket version later hit America and Europe, and a playable version appears in Game & Watch Gallery 4. While it lacks the flash of later Nintendo hits, its simplicity and retro charm make it a curiosity for collectors and fans of early arcade mechanics.

Storyline

A thief is trying to blow up a safe in order to steal the money within it. The safe's guard tries to stop the bombs by disposing them to protect the safe and the money.