Bomb range is 1 if you start from Normal Mode but it's 2 if you start from Password. Works with all releases. Faster to enter hitting down since the numbers go from 0 to 7.

I don't think a superior starting strategy should be banned just because no one did it yet. Then the time lost from entering 5555 has to be made up. Or would this go in a separate category that plays slightly easier?

Super Bomberman 2 specifically does not allow starting from Password but that game with 1111 starts with max bombs, range, heart bomb and glove. Using 4361 to start does not give any advantage. Range is still 1.

I wanted to practice making a gif so we are:

I don't see reason enough for this idea to be banned, only thing is that you can't guarantee the correct layouts for the lenght of the game, so I think in the long run you would be losing time for having different layouts every run, and specially on the game start having to insert the password everytime you want to start a run.

That's such a smart take, thank you! I've tried a countdown timer trying to nail the exact frame to start in Ogre Battle and succeeded a little better than 1 in 10. That with password entry is annoying, as is scouting out the whole game to find a better starting seed. LIJI the researcher said the RNG is 15 bits, implying 2^15 / 60 = over 9 hours of waiting to for the current seed to loop back around. I'll pass!

I thought about playing as black bomber with controller slot 2 for a setup with the exit mostly on the right side. Super Bomberman 4 specifically doesn't allow that. Maybe it's best not to ask for too many things.

Super Bomberman 3 allows starting with black bomber and is faster for most stages, if ypu want to reroute the game to see if it's faster, be my guest. I'm having trouble enough trying to route the all mystery items run.