Bubble Bobble
By Yorch la Torch
Originally released in 1986, Bubble Bobble caught the video game scene by storm. Developed by Taito and designed by Fukio 'MTJ' Mitsuji, the game is centered around Bub and Bob, two young boys transformed by magic into dinosaurs, who need to save their girlfriends from The Cave of Monsters. Mitsuji's goal was to develop a game that could be enjoyed by couples who visited arcades. Bubble Bobble is one of the best arcade games ever made, and helped modernize Taito to become a global player in the videogame industry.
5 reasons to play Bubble Bobble this week
1. The Arcade Mechanics
Bubble Bobble is the quintessential arcade experience. Throughout 100 levels, you will need to trap your enemies in bubbles and pop them away to convert them into bonus items. If you touch a player, you lose one life. The idea is to clear every level, while facing greater challenges as you progress. The level layouts become tougher, and the newer enemies grow more unpredictable, providing that classic sense of progression that defines arcade titles. Oh! And never leave an enemy trapped for too long because it can burst its bubble, and become angry, incresing its speed. You can also gain bonus lives by collecting the bubbles that spell EXTEND. Have you ever heard or read the phrase 'easy to learn, but hard to master'? That is Bubble Bobble in a nutshell.
2. Co-op Play
Pac-Man and Space Invaders are mainly single player experiences. Pong is a competitive game. Bubble Bobble evolves brings something new to the table by providing players the opportunity to tackle the game cooperatively. Don't get me wrong, the game is a fantastic single-player title, but it really shines when you play it with friends or family. Does Bubble Booble reward you based on your co-op performance? You bet! The game introduces multiple endings and even an extra mode after your first run.
3. The Level Design
Bubble Bobble mixes platforming with a bit of strategic jumping in a unique way. Each level is a single screen featuring different platforms that can be walked over by both players and enemies. Bub and Bob can either jump to higher platforms or fall to lower ones. Similar to the warping tunnels in Pac-Man, many Bubble Bobble levels have gaps that can be used by players to appear at the top of the level. There are bonus stages depending if two players try to beat the game without losing a life by level 20, 30 or 40.
4. The Memorable Soundtrack
Just listen to this. That's all you need to appreciate Bubble Bobble's charm:
5. The Versions
After the success of the arcade version, Bubble Bobble was ported to a myriad of computer systems and game consoles. There's a Bubble Bobble version for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, MS-DOS, Amiga, NES, Sega Master System and MSX2. You can also find handheld versions for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. The game also spawned different sequels and versions over the years for different consoles and handhelds such as the DS and PSP. There's even a modern 4 player version for both Steam and the Switch titled Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back!
Bubble Bobble is one of the most popular arcade games ever. Its unique gameplay mechanics, co-op mode, and joyful soundtrack make it a game you must play this week!