Nintendo Okie

Bubble Bobble was originally an arcade game released by Taito in 1986.  It proved to be so popular in the arcades that the company decided it would be a good idea to port the game to home computers, as well as video game consoles.  The game stars two dinosaurs known as Bub and Bob, who would also go on to star in another arcade classic Bust-A-Move. 

Bubble Bobble featured 100 levels or arcade style puzzle/action platforming.  You were tasked with removing all of the enemies from each of the games single screen levels by trapping them in bubbles and then popping it.  Once all of the enemies were defeated you would move on to the next level in the game.  Enemies that were trapped in bubbles could also be used as temporary platforms that would slowly rise.  There were different conditions that would cause the enemies in a level to become enraged and travel twice as fast as normal; if they were trapped for too long in a bubble, a certain period of time had elapsed or they were the last enemy alive. 

The mechanics of the game were very simple, but the way the levels were laid out and the interaction with the enemies is what made this go so memorable.  You couldn’t just go around killing randomly.  There were times when you needed “help” from one of the bad guys to reach higher areas of the level that are inaccessible.  Jumping on a trapped enemy will cause you to go higher than you normally could and give you access to out of reach platforms.  You trapped these enemies in bubbles by basically spitting on them and then touching the bubble to pop it and kill them.  Other than that there’s not really anything more to the game.  You also had to do all of this quickly because if you took too long to accomplish your goal the level would be invaded by the deadly Baron Von Blubba, an invincible whale who would kill you instantly upon touching him.  There were power ups that would help you along the way as you traversed through the game numerous levels.  Things like a pair of shoes that would increase the speed at which you moved and an umbrella that would pull you along a few levels making it just a little bit easier to reach the game’s end.

The visuals and sounds match the overall lighthearted toned of the game.  All of the worlds look like something you’d see in a candy store.  Everything from the checkerboard pattern to the levels, Bub and Bob, even the enemies themselves are all very colorful and cartoony.  The music that accompanies this is also very lighthearted and bubbly.  Like many NES games chances are that after just a few minutes you’ll be humming along with the tunes while they’re playing and will even catch yourself humming them to yourself after you’ve finished playing. 

For anyone that had a friend around they could pick up a controller and the two of you could go on your bubble popping genocide together.  This would make the game substantially easier, but you would be having a lot of fun along the way.  I think, personally, that the game is better when played with more than one person.  The two players could work in tandem to really take advantage of everything the different levels offered. 

Bubble Bobble was originally released in the arcades, but it has been ported to numerous systems from the NES to the TI-83 graphing calculator.  There aren’t many systems that have seen some form of Bubble Bobble and it’s proven so popular that a number of sequels and spin-off franchises have been created from it.  I’m partial to the color ball puzzle action of Bust-A-Move but there is also the platforming of the Rainbow Island series that is based on this game as well.  There are options out there for anyone looking for some style of game play.  The most recent game released on WiiWare, Bubble Bobble Plus, features 100 new levels, plus two downloadable content packs that contain 50 super hard levels each. 

For all of the addictiveness and fun the game had it wasn’t a very difficult game.  The mechanics were learned very quickly, but you would find yourself doing the same things over and over again.  It’s good in short bursts and thanks to the game’s password system, or not the Wii’s save state you can play the game in short bursts to give you time to recharge from the seeming monotony of the game itself.  It can be played through in one sitting, but it’s best served small and broken up.