Bubble Bobble

[anagrama]

We're approaching the end of this GotW cycle now, and barring any late entrants, this week it's JellyCrystal with the penultimate choice... Take it away!

[JellyCrystals]

So realising I was up for game choice this week, I put in some hard yards on the Sega, and the game that I played the longest for without getting too annoyed/bored was the winner. Going through 100 games is tough!! But the winner is...

Bubble Bobble!!

In a nutshell: You, Bubblin and your brother Bobblin are on a quest to free your girlfriends from evil captors (sounds familiar) but in the process you have been turned into bubble blowing dragons and have to trap and pop your enemies in them. Travel through 200 levels to rescue your ladies. 1 or 2 player option

I selected this game using quite a few different criteria, but first and foremost was the seamless transition from 40c arcade game to Sega platform. Even without the control stick its arcade excellence.

The music i think, kicks arse. A repetitive ditty..? Maybe. But for some reason it just works. In fact I love it so much it is infact my mobile ringtone!!

As far as game play goes it is enduring. Each time you play it is different. You might get the "Hurry Up" and a secret door appears, you hang around and not pop the balloons and find some extra firepower or letter balloons. Its also quite addictive and not so "puzzley" as other puzzle games. Also due to the many secret items and rooms that pop up at different times the game has many directions it can take. At times you want to throw the control pad at the screen, but hey, which games dont do that. Also the basic button 1 shoot and button 2 jump makes it easy to play for anyone... or when you are stoned and want to see the pretty colours!

The graphics are simple and colurful. Sometimes with too many bubbles on the screen it flickers and can be hard to see the enemies.

There are passwords given after you lose your last life so you can pick up where you left off, which is handy in a 200 level game. And 2 player ability is also lots of fun and helpful on the "boss" stages. Note the "key" stages where the gems and secret rooms are.

And before Stan pipes up on the "another girl picking a cute-sy puzzle game... what a surprise" bandwagon, may I point out that Bomber Raid lost out as my choice on a coin toss!! So there!!!

Cheers guys!

[Hades]

Damn, another game I don't have. Is there any difference between this and the NES version, cause I played it a boat load on the NES.

[JellyCrystals]

As far as I know both systems were pretty true to the arcade, so odds are the NES version is quite similar.

[anagrama]

Excellent choice, JellyCrystal! There are few 80's videogames as close to my heart as Bubble Bobble, and another excuse to play it is always welcome.
The SMS version is a considerably better than the NES incarnation, with more levels & better graphics. As far as I know, the SMS boatsed the single best console conversion of this until the Saturn/PlayStation Bubble Bobble/Rainbow Islands 2-in-1.

[RetroReserve]

Excellent game!

Unfortunately I haven't got round to playing it for a while but I will dig it out and play it again now.

[RaccoonLad]

Exellent pick, the extra levels, secrets, and bosses make this version especially noteworthy.

If anyone needs any help with this game, look here:
raccoonlad.topcities.com/smscode.html#20
and here:
raccoonlad.topcities.com/bb-faq.html

[transbot]

good shit

[Stan]

Wait a minute, I recall this game already being reviewed? I guess not. Anyway, I have always had mixed feelings about this game. Oh wait, as for that question, this is about the same as the NES version, but also much different. I believe it is a little more complex with more levels and such, but it's been a long time since I played the NES version, so I can't say for sure. The gameplay is pretty true to the arcade, as well as the graphics and everything else. You control one of two little dinosaurs depending on which player you are. The goal is to locate several key items in the various levels so you can get to the end and defeat the final boss. You attacks, so to speak, by blasting bubbles from your mouth, which you can use to trap enemies, jump to higher areas, and a couple of other things. There are plenty of secrets and special items to find, as well as a variety of enemies, plus a few big bosses. Overall it's an interesting game, but I always had some problems with it even though it seems to have a history with anyone who remembers it. There's just something about it that I never liked. I guess it's just kind of tedious. It's not the finding the items part as much as it is the sheer number of levels. I believe it's like what, 208 in the SMS version? That's quite a ride. Luckily you have a password feature otherwise you'd be driven insane in no time. It took me about two or three days to beat it. At first it drove me nuts because after level 140 or so the screen turns black except for the enemies if you haven't located the candle further back. A bit annoying, but at least you could simply go back to the level it's in, grab it, start over, and then just go to where you were and you had it. It's a good game, and it's too bad they didn't release Bubble Bobble 2 (the third game, not Rainbow Islands) for the SMS, it would have been killer. This is bitchdick signing off.

[Sim]

I hate the music to this game it reminds me of that song.....'He's just a dedicated follower of fashion'.

[retro slippy]

Great choice... if only for the fact that it gives me an excuse to play a game I ain't played in yonks*.
;D

I'll post my comments tomorrow night if I can.

Steve

*A bloody long time

[dezanuebe]

what a fantastic choice, one of my all time favorites and a game with a special histiry. every year between christmas and new year´s eve me and my brother play this game and columns (it´s a 7 years tradition). I highly recommend this game!!

p.s. only this one could make me came back from hibernation!!!

[transbot]

I thought you'd died or something - you just stopped visiting all of a sudden, after posting almost every day.

Welcome back, anyway

[Stan]

I was actually going to make a post today about this. Where have you been dez?

[dezanuebe]

working really hard on several stuff , for the first time in 2 years i didn´t bought a new game in november, but i will start posting here again!!! ;D