Bubble Bobble/Bust-A-Move Games

The Bubble Bobble (バブルボブル Baburu Boburu?) series is a long-running series of video games that serves as the core series of the Bubble Bobble franchise, developed by the Taito Corporation. Games in the series are generally single-screen platform titles starring the twin Bubble Dragons Bub and Bob, who must encase their foes in bubbles and pop them in order to defeat them. The series began with the release of the arcade title Bubble Bobble in 1986, and numerous sequels have been produced since. The original game has also been ported to over nineteen different platforms alone. The Bubble Bobble games have also produced two sub-series, the Rainbow Islands series, which spun off from the sequel to Bubble Bobble, and the Bust-A-Move series, also known as the Puzzle Bobble series, a series of bubble-matching puzzle games starring the characters from Bubble Bobble.

Bubble Bobble[edit | edit source]

Bubble Bobble (1986)

- Bubble Bobble is a 1986 platform arcade game developed and published by Taito. It was distributed in the United States by Romstar, and in Europe by Electrocoin. Players control Bub and Bob, two dragons that set out to save their girlfriends from a world known as the Cave of Monsters. In each level, Bub and Bob must defeat each enemy present by trapping them in bubbles and popping, who turn into bonus items when they hit the ground. There are 100 levels total, each becoming progressively more difficult. Bubble Bobble was designed by Fukio "MTJ" Mitsuji. When he joined Taito in 1986, he felt that Taito's game output was of mediocre quality. In response, he decided to make a game that was fun to play and could rejuvenate the company's presence in the industry. Mitsuji hoped his game would appeal to women, specifically couples that visited arcades. As such, he decided to make Bubble Bobble focus largely on its two player co-operative mode. He made bubbles the core mechanic as he thought they would be a fun element that girls would enjoy. Bubble Bobble became one of Taito's biggest arcade successes, and is credited with inspiring the creation of many similar screen-clear platform games that followed. It was acclaimed by critics for its character design, memorable soundtrack, gameplay, and multiplayer, and is often listed among greatest games of all time. Bubble Bobble was followed by a long list of sequels and successors for multiple platforms; one of these, Puzzle Bobble, has become successful in its own right and spawned its own line of sequels.

- Cloudy is a huge fan of this game by the way, and it also got many ports, lets see each of them:

- One of the most popular ports is the NES port released November 1988, which is a great version that looks and sounds good for the hardware and plays well.

- While the NES port is great, the Master System port ultimately beats it, this incredible port of Bubble Bobble expands the game and gives it 100 more stages, with a total of 200 stages, the Sega console did what the Nintendidn't for sure here. The biggest flaw to this port is that it didn't get a US release! It was released in Japan in 1988 and in Europe in 1992.

- The 1994 Game Gear port was basically the Master System but with a smaller screen meaning smaller levels and was exclusive to the US.

- This Bubble Bobble Old & New game for the GBA is 100000000000x better than the awful game Bubble Bobble Revolution, the classic mode is better, and the modern mode is the original game with redesigned graphics but even with that its extremely better than what the DS owners got, not to mention the catchy music.

- This arranged Bubble Bobble Gameboy Color port was released in 1999, and it sucks ass big time due to the horrible floaty controls, not even GBC developers can make a decent Bubble Bobble port ffs...

- In 1996 for the PlayStation, DOS, and Sega Saturn, came Bubble Bobble in a game that also has Rainbow Islands, the Bubble Bobble port has an acid-trip bad cgi intro, however for the game itself its just like the arcade version in terms of looks sounds and the great gameplay, and you get plenty of continues incase you suck at the game like Cloudy does.

- In 1987 came along an Amiga port of Bubble Bobble, while the arcade version is more playable, this is actually a decent port, and as a bonus for the video, this longplay has 2 players cooperating together in it.

- The 1987 Atari ST port is pretty much the Amiga version with different music.

- The 1989 Sharp X68000 port proves that those in Japan get the better home computer ports than those in the West, as this port is ARCADE-PERFECT, just like so many incredible Sharp X68000 games due to the powerful hardware.

- The 1993 FM Towns is another arcade-perfect port, however not arcade-perfect in the sound department as it could've been better, also the gameplay used a code that change Bub and Bob into girls.

- The 1989 DOS port is once again just like the Amiga port, a good effort yet not perfect for the hardware, there are 3 versions, this one has the VGA/EGA graphics and the SoundBlaster music, which both are done well here.

- The DOS port again, but with CGA and PC Speaker. The speaker noise is AWFUL here just like many DOS games using the PC Speaker for music, the CGA is limited in colors but here it actually isn't that bad, I mean, Bub still managed to have his correct colors here.

- This is the DOS Tandy port, with music that sounds very similar to the Master System/Game Gear port.

- Once again the DOS port but with CMS/Game Blaster music, yep the DOS port has 3 graphics options and 5 sound options.

- in 1987 even an Apple II version came out, they atleast tried here and there were ways this could've been a clearly worse port, but yea Bubble Bobble isn't really meant to be on that weak of hardware.

- In 1987 came a C64 port, the best of the official home computer releases in the West in Cloudy's opinion as the graphics sound and gameplay are all good here, however it is beaten by things like the X68000 port and the Master System port.

- Another 1987 home computer port, this time for the Amstrad CPC, and it sucks. You should see 2 big problems right away, there is no in-game music, which is something the CPC is clearly capable of doing so theres no excuses for it to remove the music, for example the CPC version of Lemmings has atleast 14 tunes while this version has 0. The graphics are also poor, meaning the developers like to pull the machine down, and according to Retro Core the gameplay also is a bummer.

- An OK port of Bubble Bobble on the Gameboy from 1990, pretty much an arranged game, tho not as good as some other ports, but definitely 100000000000x better than the Gameboy Color port that was awful.

- The MSX port from 1987 is definitely a great effort, instead of being a crappy Spectrum clone port, it resembles the NES version more.

- The ZX Spectrum port of Bubble Bobble from 1987 again, except the awful jumping noise feels more like the bite of 87, sides point to this being an awful port with terrible gameplay looks and sounds, while others think its a decent port, both sides do hate the jumping noise, but atleast this port is better than the CPC one.

Bubble Bobble Part 2 (1993)

- Bubble Bobble Part 2, known in Japan as Bubble Bobble 2, is a game in the Bubble Bobble series. While it was never released in the arcade, two versions of the game were developed independently from each other (for the NES and Game Boy formats), with each game receiving a different story line as a result.

- The Game Boy version is known in Japan as Bubble Bobble Junior.

Bubble Symphony (1994)

- Bubble Symphony, also known as Bubble Bobble II, is an arcade video game in the Bubble Bobble series developed by Taito in 1994. While being a new Bubble Bobble for a new generation, in actuality it takes place after Parasol Stars.

- The only home port it got was a Saturn port in 1997.

- A PlayStation port with the name Bubble Bobble II, was cancelled, but hey atleast there is a prototype!

Bubble Memories (1996)

- Bubble Memories: The Story of Bubble Bobble III is a video game by Taito released to arcades in February 1996.[2 It is the sequel to Bubble Symphony and is the fifth Bubble Bobble game (although it is listed as being the third). Unlike Bubble Symphony, this game stars only two dragons, Bub and Bob, like the original Bubble Bobble. However, it failed to get a US release and also doesn't have any ports outside the arcade except for on Taito Memories II Volume 1 on the PS2 in just Japan.]

Bubble Bobble Revolution (October 2006)

- Bubble Bobble Revolution is a 2D platformer for the Nintendo DS. Developed by Dreams, Inc. It was released in Japan on November 24, 2005 by Taito Corporation as Bubble Bobble DS, in Europe on December 2, 2005 by Rising Star Games and Atari and in North America on October 3, 2006 by Codemasters. The game is awful due to the glitches, especially the US release as in that one you can't get past level 30 due to the boss not spawning, so yea, this is a terrible Bubble Bobble game, what a disappointment, the only upside is being able to play the classic version since atleast you get something here.

- Cloudy agrees with this article BIG TIME.

Bubble Bobble Evolution (December 2006)

- Bubble Bobble Evolution is a game in the Bubble Bobble series for the PSP system. It is known as Bubble Bobble: Magical Tower Daisakusen!! in Japan. Bub and Bob, the two main characters in the series, have been trapped in costumed versions of their bubble dragon forms (instead of physically into bubble dragons) and are separated into each of the two Towers of Entertainment. Bub and Bob must traverse the towers while defeating the various enemies inside it. The game's levels are now in a cylindrical structure, and there are puzzles that must be completed to progress through the game, such as activating switches and moving items. Like Revolution, this one is complete shit.

Bubble Bobble Double Shot (February 2008)

- Bubble Bobble Double Shot is a platform action game for the Nintendo DS, part of the Bubble Bobble series. It was released in Europe on March 23, 2007 and Australia on April 5, 2007 by Rising Star Games. It was released by Ignition Entertainment in North America on February 26, 2008.

- While its WAY BETTER than Revolution, it still isn't very good due to the frustrating shit in this version.

Bubble Bobble Plus!/Neo! (2009)

- Bubble Bobble Plus! and Bubble Bobble Neo! are remakes of the 1986 action-platformer arcade game Bubble Bobble. The games were developed and published by Taito. Bubble Bobble Plus! was released for WiiWare in Japan on February 10, 2009, in the PAL regions on April 10, 2009 and in North America on May 25, 2009 while Bubble Bobble Neo! was released on the Xbox Live Arcade download service for the Xbox 360 in Japan on August 5, 2009 and in North America on September 16, 2009. The normal mode features the original two playable characters, Bub and Bob, while the Arrange Mode adds support for up to 4 players (as seen in the video), joined with female characters Peb and Pab, as yellow and pink bubble dragons respectively.

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends (November 2019)

- Thought the franchise died? It made a comeback with the late 2019 release of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends for Nintendo Switch, it seems you can play the classic arcade game or try out the new levels, and it has 4 player support.

Rainbow Islands[edit | edit source]

Rainbow Islands (1987-1993)

Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 is a 1987 arcade game developed and published by Taito.[1] The arcade version was licensed to Romstar for North American manufacturing and distribution. The game is subtitled "The Story of Bubble Bobble 2" and is the sequel to Taito's hit game Bubble Bobble from the previous year. It is the second of four arcade games in the Bubble Bobble series (followed by Bubble Symphony and Bubble Memories, but itself has two direct sequels: Parasol Stars and Bubble Bobble Part 2). The game was ported for numerous home computers and game consoles. The main characters are Bubblun and Bobblun, the protagonists of Bubble Bobble (known as "Bub and Bob" in the western releases). However, in this game they appear in their human forms as "Bubby" and "Bobby", as opposed to the "bubble dragons" of the first game (following on from the first game's true ending). Also unlike the first game, players must now "alternate" (i.e., take turns), with player one as Bubby (green shirt), and player 2 as Bobby (blue shirt) (the same color scheme as in the first game).

- Arcade

- Amiga

- NES

Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move[edit | edit source]

Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move (December 1994)

As Cloudy normally doesn't get into puzzle games often, this is an exception for him. Puzzle Bobble (also known as Bust-a-Move in North America) is a 1994 tile-matching arcade puzzle video game for one or two players created by Taito. It is based on Taito's 1986 arcade game Bubble Bobble, featuring characters and themes from that game. Its characteristically cute Japanese animation and music, along with its play mechanics and level designs, made it successful as an arcade title and spawned several sequels and ports to home gaming systems. At the start of each round, the rectangular playing arena contains a prearranged pattern of colored "bubbles". (These are actually referred to in the translation as "balls"; however, they were clearly intended to be bubbles, since they pop, and are taken from Bubble Bobble.) At the bottom of the screen, the player controls a device called a "pointer", which aims and fires bubbles up the screen. The color of bubbles fired is randomly generated and chosen from the colors of bubbles still left on the screen. The objective of the game is to clear all the bubbles from the arena without any bubble crossing the bottom line. Bubbles will fire automatically if the player remains idle. After clearing the arena, the next round begins with a new pattern of bubbles to clear. The game consists of 32 levels. The fired bubbles travel in straight lines (possibly bouncing off the sidewalls of the arena), stopping when they touch other bubbles or reach the top of the arena. If a bubble touches identically-colored bubbles, forming a group of three or more, those bubbles—as well as any bubbles hanging from them—are removed from the field of play, and points are awarded.After every few shots, the "ceiling" of the playing arena drops downwards slightly, along with all the bubbles stuck to it. The number of shots between each drop of the ceiling is influenced by the number of bubble colors remaining. The closer the bubbles get to the bottom of the screen, the faster the music plays and if they cross the line at the bottom then the game is over.

- Arcade/Neo-Geo Version

Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move Again/Bust-A-Move 2 Arcade Edition (1995-1998)

Puzzle Bobble 2 is a tile-matching video game by Taito. The first sequel to Puzzle Bobble, it was titled in Europe and North America as Bust-A-Move Again on the arcade and Bust-A-Move 2 Arcade Edition on the home consoles. Released into the arcades in 1995, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64 and Windows conversions followed. The game was included in Taito Legends 2, but the US arcade version was included on the US PS2 version instead. The game builds on the original by adding a tournament style variation on the two player game for play against the computer and by adding a branching map to the one player game, allowing the player to periodically select one of two groups of five levels to play next, leading to different game endings. Some of the contestants in the new tournament mode are based on characters from Bubble Bobble, including variations on a Monsta and a Mighta. Some versions of the game, including the PlayStation, feature time trial competitions in which a single player attempts to finish simple rounds quickly enough to beat previous time records or two players simultaneously attempt to beat the records and each other. Completion of the single player game gives the player a code which can be entered to unlock 'Another World' for the single player game, which features subtle changes to the existing levels to increase their difficulty and changes to all backdrops to resemble levels from Bubble Bobble. The various enemies from Bubble Bobble also make an appearance in the background of the credits sequence.

- Arcade/Neo-Geo Version

- DOS Version

- PlayStation Version

- Sega Saturn Version

- Nintendo 64 Version

- Gameboy Version

Puzzle Bobble 3/Bust-A-Move 99/Bust-A-Move 3 DX (1996-1999)

Puzzle Bobble 3 (also known as Bust-A-Move 3) is an action puzzle video game developed by Taito. The second sequel to Puzzle Bobble, it was released for arcades in September 1996 and later ported to the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy, Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows. Like its predecessors, the player is tasked with shooting balls at groups of balls, creating groups of three or more, which are then removed from play. The version of the game for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 featured refreshed graphics and new features. It was released as Bust-A-Move 3 DX in Europe (versions for the Game Boy and Microsoft Windows were exclusively released there) and Bust-A-Move 99 in the United States. In Japan, the Nintendo 64 port was released as Puzzle Bobble 64, while the PlayStation version was released as Puzzle Bobble 3 DX.

- Arcade Version

- PlayStation Version (US)

- PlayStation Version (PAL)

- Sega Saturn Version

- Nintendo 64 Version

- Gameboy Version

Puzzle Bobble 4/Bust-A-Move 4 (1998-2000)

Puzzle Bobble 4 (also known as Bust-a-Move 4 for the North American and European console versions) is the third sequel to the video game Puzzle Bobble and is the final appearance of the series on the PlayStation and Dreamcast.

- Arcade Version

- PlayStation Version

- Gameboy Color Version

- Dreamcast Version

Puzzle Bobble Mini/Bust-A-Move Pocket (1999)

Bust-A-Move Pocket, also called Puzzle Bobble Mini, is a Neo Geo Pocket Color version of the Puzzle Bobble (Bust-A-Move) series of puzzle video games. It was released on the Neo Geo Pocket Color by Taito in 1999. The format is similar to Puzzle Bobble 2 for the PlayStation. The game's Puzzle mode includes a feature that saves initials of those who have completed the level in the fastest time. The game contains a survivor mode where the player has to burst the oncoming bubbles, making sure they don't reach the bottom line which spells the end of the game. Also present is a vs CPU mode, where the player can compete against a selection of eight characters.

- Neo Geo Pocket Color Version

Super Puzzle Bobble/Super Bust-A-Move/Bust-A-Move 3000 (2000-2003)

Super Puzzle Bobble, released as Super Bust-A-Move in Europe and North America, is a puzzle video game in the Puzzle Bobble series. It was developed by Taito, and released on November 26, 2000 by Acclaim Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 and Windows. It was later ported to the Game Boy Advance on November 27, 2001. It was re-released in Japan for the PlayStation 2 in 2004 as part of Super Puzzle Bobble DX (along with its sequel, Super Puzzle Bobble 2), which is Volume 62 of the Japan-exclusive Simple 2000 Series. This compilation includes a few graphical enhancements. Super Puzzle Bobble was ported to the GameCube in 2003, under the name of Super Puzzle Bobble All-Stars in Japan, Super Bust-A-Move All-Stars in Europe, and Bust-A-Move 3000 in North America. The game is a direct port, except for the inclusion of new backgrounds and remixed music. It also features new box artwork, more in line with the in-game artwork. It is the first mainstream game in the series not to see an arcade release, although there is an arcade game with the same title, which is a completely different game to this one.

- PlayStation 2 Version

- PlayStation 2 Version (Sequel)

- Gameboy Advance Version

- GameCube Version

Bust-A-Move Millenium (October 2000)

Bust-A-Move Millennium, also known as Puzzle Bobble Millennium outside of North America and Europe, is a video game developed by Altron and published by Acclaim Entertainment under their Club Acclaim label that was released for the Game Boy Color system.

- Gameboy Color Version

More Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move (2005-2011)

Bust-a-Move DS, known as Hippatte!! Puzzle Bobble in Japan, is a puzzle video game developed by Happy Happening and published by Majesco Entertainment for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. The game received mixed reaction due to the game lacking new features apart from the new slingshot system. Bust-A-Move Bash! (formerly known as Bust-A-Move Revolution), known in Europe as Bust-A-Move, is a video game for Nintendo's Wii console. The game has received mediocre to poor reviews on the Wii. Space Bust-A-Move is a puzzle video game developed by Lancarse and published by Taito for the Nintendo DS. It was first released in Japan under the title Space Puzzle Bobble on December 18, 2008. It was later released in North America under the title Space Bust-A-Move on July 28, 2009, and in Europe under the title Puzzle Bobble Galaxy on August 28, 2009. As with Arkanoid DS, Space Invaders Extreme and Space Invaders Extreme 2, the game is compatible with Taito's paddle controller. Puzzle Bobble Plus! (Bust-A-Move Plus! in North America) is a video game developed by Taito for WiiWare. It was first released in Japan on April 7, 2009, and later in the PAL regions on June 26, 2009 and in North America on July 6, 2009. There are also two additional downloadable add-ons for 200 Wii Points each. Bust-a-Move Universe, also known as Puzzle Bobble Universe, is a puzzle video game developed by Taito and Arika and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in Japan as a launch title on February 26, 2011, and was released in North America on March 27.

- Bust-A-Move DS (December 2005) Nintendo DS

- Bust-A-Move Bash (May 2007) Nintendo Wii

- Space Bust-A-Move (July 2009) Nintendo DS

- Bust-A-Move Plus (July 2009) Wii Ware

- Bust-A-Move Universe (March 2011) Nintendo 3DS