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Retro Corner: 'Bubble Bobble'

First Released On: Arcade, Amiga, Commodore 64, Atari ST, PC, Master System, Game Boy, NES
Now Available For: Virtual Console (NES), WiiWare (Plus!), Xbox Live Arcade (Neo!)

Bubble Bobble
Like so many classic arcade games that gobbled up an entire generation's loose change, Bubble Bobble's core gameplay is simple, easy to grasp but wholly unique. As Bub or Bob, two boy-turned-dragons on a journey to rescue their girlfriends, they must clear single-screen stages of enemies by spitting out bubbles. Their main function was to capture creatures inside them, stopping the critters in their tracks and leaving them open to bursting with a well-positioned jump. Once the screen was cleared of enemies, the duo were whisked off to the next stage, complete with a new layout with cleverly positioned placed platforms that often give enemies the upper hand.

There were plenty of baddies to look out for, all with their own traits. Bonzos would walk forward and fall off ledges, and if not careful, would crowd the lower floor. Or in many cases, would fall out of the bottom of the stage and emerge again at the top and trickle down in droves once again. Projectile throwing types like the cloaked Mightas and boxing glove-donning Hidegons would often be located in enclosed spaces, requiring quick and precise attacks to dispatch, while the bouncing Blubbas would circle around platforms ensuring players were in constant danger. And there was of course the invincible Skel, a bone-white, pink-eyed creature who would appear if the stage wasn't completed fast enough, and creep closer and closer in a menacing, panic-inducing manner.

Bubble Bobble
Aside from precision attacks and jumps, there were plenty of other key elements to consider. Bubbles would float and drift away if ignored, and if enemies were left inside long enough, would burst out and become angry and highly dangerous, meaning players had to keep tabs on where they fired their projectiles. Certain stages would trap enemies inside enclosed areas, which is where elemental powers such as water would come into play. Smashing open the water drop bubble would create a relentless, fast-flowing blue streak to carry everything in its wake as it traveled through the stage. The game was also littered with secrets, where seemingly ordinary items would yield unusual effects, and playing for long enough without losing a life would warp players to bizarre ruins littered with gems. And, the campaign's lengthy 100-stage slog, it rewarded tired gamers with a brutal battle against Super Drunk, a screen-filling foe that required new forms of strategy players had yet to encounter.

After its original arcade outing, Bubble Bobble was ported to just about anything with a joystick or d-pad in the late 80s and early 90s. Despite this, in 1996 developer Taito had revealed it lost the original source code, and so it issued Probe Entertainment (creator of the now ultra-rare remake on PlayStation, Saturn and PC) with an original arcade board to help replicate the game in its entirety. It was most recently recreated on WiiWare and Xbox Live Arcade as Bubble Bobble Plus! and Bubble Bubble Neo! respectively, which featured classic as well as new stages, four-player co-op and several DLC packs featuring tougher stages and unique bosses.

Bubble Bobble
One of the game's greatest legacies was that it spawned a whole line of spiritual successors. The most recognized is Rainbow Islands, which also shared its flare for straightforward but compelling and original gameplay concepts, and something we'll be sure to visit in its own retrospective in future. Bubble Bobble is a timeless arcade game that neatly summarises what made arcade games of its ilk so successful; simple ideas that were wonderfully executed and offered bags of challenge and replayability, and most importantly, a repetitive but inescapably catchy theme tune.

Do you have many fond memories of Bubble Bobble? Add a comment to the space below!

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