The Soft Block Pass or Wall Pass (壁通過) is a recurring power-up item in the Bomberman series.
Description[]
It is an item that allows the player to walk freely through Soft Blocks. This is advantageous because the player no longer has to destroy these blocks to get around them. This item's appearance is usually a Soft Block with a bunch of dash lines. In Bomberman (DS), it is called Metawall.
Strategy[]
This item is usually available in single player modes but has occasionally appeared in multiplayer ones as well. While some monsters have this ability from the start, most do not and still must abide by the placement of soft blocks. This makes it easier for the player to sneak up on enemies and box them in with bombs for easy kills. The same use can be applied to multiplayer mode as well.
This also helps reduce the time taken to clear a stage in single player mode, resulting in a higher score when completed.
In some games such as Bomberman 64 AC, this can be enabled for White Bomber (1st player/1st CPU) in multiplayer by using AR/Gameshark; if White Bomber is killed, White Bomber will drop the item in the field like dropping a common item in the field. This gives a great chance to other Bombermen, because they can pick up the item like stealing a common item. The same thing happens with the Bomb Pass.
Bomberman Hero[]
In Bomberman Hero, this item appears only in specific stages, and is only used to pass through translucent brick walls which generally protect the access of the exits of the stages, or guard other valuable items such as Adok Bombs. Unlike the traditional use in the series, it can only pass through those walls, and can't pass through the Soft Blocks (which in this game, are represented in form of crates). The item is only valid in the stage it is found, and will be removed after finishing the stage.