Bubble Bobble
Encyclopedia
is an arcade game
by Taito
, first released in 1986 and later ported
to numerous home computer
s and game console
s. The game, starring the twin Bubble Dragons and , is an action-platform game in which players travel through one hundred different stages, blowing and bursting bubbles
, avoiding enemies and collecting a variety of items. The game became very popular and led to a long series of sequels and spin-offs. The main goal of the game is to rescue Bub and Bob's girlfriends from monsters. It is also notable for being an early example of a game with multiple endings
, which depended on the player's skill and discovering secrets.
The player can also blow bubbles. These can trap enemies, who are defeated if the bubble is then burst by the player's spiny back. Bubbles that contain enemies can be popped at the same time resulting in different foods being projected throughout the level. Each enemy trapped in a bubble equates to a different food. Food is consumed and transferred to points (an increasing scale of 1000 points is awarded for each enemy burst in tandem with another meaning: one enemy burst equals one food item worth 1000 points, two enemies burst equals two food items worth 1000 and 2000 points, three enemies burst equals three food items worth 1000, 2000, and 3000 points, and so on) which results in more lives. These same bubbles also float for a time before bursting, and can be jumped on, allowing access to otherwise inaccessible areas. Players progress to the next level once all enemies on the current level are defeated.
Enemies turn "angry" – becoming pink-colored and moving faster – if they are the last enemy remaining, escape from a bubble after being left too long, or a certain amount of time has been spent on the current level. A monster will also become angry if either player collects a skull (the only negative item in the game), and the monster is hit by the resulting comet crossing the screen. However, this is a rare occurrence.
After a further time limit expires, an additional invincible enemy appears for each player, actively chasing them using only vertical and horizontal movements. These do not need to be defeated to complete the level, and disappear once a player's life is lost.
Contact with enemies and their projectiles (rocks, lasers, fireballs, etc.) is deadly, resulting in the loss of a life.
The game's music was written by Japanese team Zuntata
. Peter Clarke, Tim Follin
and David Whittaker have arranged music for home computer ports (some versions have a new intro music by Whittaker).
to many home computer
s and video game console
s. Ports of the game were released for the Commodore 64
, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Amiga
, Atari ST
, MSX
, Amstrad CPC
, Sharp X68000
, PC
(MS-DOS
, 1989 and 1996), Apple II
, FM Towns Marty
, Sega Master System
, Game Boy
, Game Boy Color
, Game Boy Advance
, Nintendo DS
, PlayStation, Sega Saturn
, Nintendo Entertainment System
, Famicom Disk System, Sega Game Gear
, mobile phone
(Sprint PCS
), Texas Instruments
TI-8x series of calculators and UltraCade
's Taito Arcade Classics. A version also exists for the BBC Micro
on public domain
though never officially released. The original Sega Master System
version had two hundred levels.
In 1996 Taito
announced that they lost the original source code. As Probe Entertainment
was in charge of the home conversions, Taito
sent them a Bubble Bobble arcade
PCB
so they could play the original game and reproduce its mechanics. This led to the release of Bubble Bobble also featuring Rainbow Islands
for Saturn
, PlayStation and PC
(MS-DOS
) in 1996.
The original Game Boy
and Game Boy Color
versions have a Moon Water storyline, and are known as Bubble Bobble, and Classic Bubble Bobble respectively.
In 2002, a homebrew
version for the TI-83
graphing calculator
was released.
In October 2005, a version was released for the Xbox
, PlayStation 2
, and PC
as part of the Taito Legends
compilation of classic arcade games
.
At the end of 2006 a new port for mobile phones in Europe and Japan was released.
On December 31, 2007, the NES version of Bubble Bobble was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console
service for the Wii
. It costs 500 Wii Points, the equivalent of US$
5.
gave the Game Boy port of the game a score of 91%, noting that while some changes had been made the game played identical to the original arcade port and "provides much addiction and challenge".
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
by Taito
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
, first released in 1986 and later ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to numerous home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
s and game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s. The game, starring the twin Bubble Dragons and , is an action-platform game in which players travel through one hundred different stages, blowing and bursting bubbles
Liquid bubble
A bubble is a globule of one substance in another, usually gas in a liquid.Due to the Marangoni effect, bubbles may remain intact when they reach the surface of the immersive substance.-Common examples:...
, avoiding enemies and collecting a variety of items. The game became very popular and led to a long series of sequels and spin-offs. The main goal of the game is to rescue Bub and Bob's girlfriends from monsters. It is also notable for being an early example of a game with multiple endings
Multiple endings
Multiple endings refer to a case in entertainment where the story could end in different ways, described as an alternate ending.-Literature:...
, which depended on the player's skill and discovering secrets.
Game mechanics
In the game, each player controls one of the two Bubble Dragons, Bub and Bob (a.k.a. Bubby and Bobby). The player can move along platforms, as well as jump to those above and to the side, similar to most platform games.The player can also blow bubbles. These can trap enemies, who are defeated if the bubble is then burst by the player's spiny back. Bubbles that contain enemies can be popped at the same time resulting in different foods being projected throughout the level. Each enemy trapped in a bubble equates to a different food. Food is consumed and transferred to points (an increasing scale of 1000 points is awarded for each enemy burst in tandem with another meaning: one enemy burst equals one food item worth 1000 points, two enemies burst equals two food items worth 1000 and 2000 points, three enemies burst equals three food items worth 1000, 2000, and 3000 points, and so on) which results in more lives. These same bubbles also float for a time before bursting, and can be jumped on, allowing access to otherwise inaccessible areas. Players progress to the next level once all enemies on the current level are defeated.
Enemies turn "angry" – becoming pink-colored and moving faster – if they are the last enemy remaining, escape from a bubble after being left too long, or a certain amount of time has been spent on the current level. A monster will also become angry if either player collects a skull (the only negative item in the game), and the monster is hit by the resulting comet crossing the screen. However, this is a rare occurrence.
After a further time limit expires, an additional invincible enemy appears for each player, actively chasing them using only vertical and horizontal movements. These do not need to be defeated to complete the level, and disappear once a player's life is lost.
Contact with enemies and their projectiles (rocks, lasers, fireballs, etc.) is deadly, resulting in the loss of a life.
The game's music was written by Japanese team Zuntata
Zuntata
Zuntata is Taito Corporation's "house band" composed of Taito developers. The members include Hisayoshi Ogura , Tamayo Kawamoto, Masahiko Takaki , Norihiro Furukawa, Yasuhisa Watanabe , Shuichiro Nakazawa , Kazuko Umino , Tomohito Takahashi, Munehiro Nakanishi, and Katsuhisa Ishikawa.Supposedly,...
. Peter Clarke, Tim Follin
Tim Follin
Timothy John Follin is a former video game music composer who has written tracks for a variety of titles and home gaming systems, including the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, NES, Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Dreamcast and PlayStation.Follin's early 8- and 16-bit...
and David Whittaker have arranged music for home computer ports (some versions have a new intro music by Whittaker).
Ports
The popularity of Bubble Bobble led Taito (or its licensees) to portPorting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to many home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
s and video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s. Ports of the game were released for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, Sharp X68000
Sharp X68000
The Sharp X68000, often referred to as the X68k, is a home computer released only in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The first model was released in 1987, with a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM and no hard drive; the last model was released in 1993 with a 25 MHz Motorola 68030...
, PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
(MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
, 1989 and 1996), Apple II
Apple II series
The Apple II series is a set of 8-bit home computers, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977 with the original Apple II...
, FM Towns Marty
FM Towns Marty
The FM Towns Marty was a fifth-generation video game console released in 1993 by Fujitsu, exclusively for the Japanese market. It was the first 32-bit home video game system, and came complete with a built in CD-ROM drive and disk drive. It was based on the earlier FM Towns computer system Fujitsu...
, Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
, Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
, Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, PlayStation, Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, Famicom Disk System, Sega Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
, mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
(Sprint PCS
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
), Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
TI-8x series of calculators and UltraCade
UltraCade Technologies
UltraCade Technologies, also known simply as UltraCade, is a computer and video game hardware company, founded in 2002 by David R. Foley....
's Taito Arcade Classics. A version also exists for the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
on public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
though never officially released. The original Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
version had two hundred levels.
In 1996 Taito
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
announced that they lost the original source code. As Probe Entertainment
Acclaim Cheltenham
Acclaim Cheltenham was a game studio in Cheltenham, England that was founded in 1984. They were acquired by Acclaim Entertainment on October 10, 1995...
was in charge of the home conversions, Taito
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
sent them a Bubble Bobble arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
PCB
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
so they could play the original game and reproduce its mechanics. This led to the release of Bubble Bobble also featuring Rainbow Islands
Rainbow Islands
is a 1987 arcade game developed and published by Taito. 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...
for Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, PlayStation and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
(MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
) in 1996.
The original Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
and Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
versions have a Moon Water storyline, and are known as Bubble Bobble, and Classic Bubble Bobble respectively.
In 2002, a homebrew
Homebrew (video games)
Homebrew is a term frequently applied to video games or other software produced by consumers to target proprietary hardware platforms not typically user-programmable or that use proprietary storage methods...
version for the TI-83
TI-83 series
The TI-83 series of graphing calculators is manufactured by Texas Instruments.The original TI-83 is itself an upgraded version of the TI-82. Released in 1996, it is one of the most used graphing calculators for students...
graphing calculator
Graphing calculator
A graphing calculator typically refers to a class of handheld calculators that are capable of plotting graphs, solving simultaneous equations, and performing numerous other tasks with variables...
was released.
In October 2005, a version was released for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
as part of the Taito Legends
Taito Legends
Taito Legends is a compilation of 29 arcade games released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC in October 2005. The games were originally developed by Taito Corporation. The European release was published by Empire Interactive, who had licensed the games from Taito and developed the compilation...
compilation of classic arcade games
Retrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...
.
At the end of 2006 a new port for mobile phones in Europe and Japan was released.
On December 31, 2007, the NES version of Bubble Bobble was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
service for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
. It costs 500 Wii Points, the equivalent of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
5.
Reception
Mean MachinesMean Machines
Mean Machines was a market-leading multi-format gaming magazine released between 1990 and 1992 in the United Kingdom. Its style was popular with gamers of the time for its irreverent humor, anarchic editorial tone and style, and its sometimes outrageously outspoken reviews.- Origins :In the late...
gave the Game Boy port of the game a score of 91%, noting that while some changes had been made the game played identical to the original arcade port and "provides much addiction and challenge".
Legacy
Bubble Bobble inspired many sequels, including:- Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (1987)
- Rainbow Islands Extra Version (1988)
- Parasol StarsParasol Starsis a video game by Taito released in 1991. It is a sequel to Rainbow Islands . It is technically the third game in the Bubble Bobble series.-Straight to home systems:...
(1991 originally released for PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16, converted for NES (Europe only), Amiga, Atari ST, and Game Boy (Europe only) - Bubble Bobble Part 2Bubble Bobble Part 2Bubble Bobble Part 2 is a game in the Bubble Bobble series. Never released in the arcade, two versions of the game were developed independently from each other , with each game receiving a different storyline as a result...
(1993 Nintendo Famicom, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy) - Bubble Bobble IIBubble SymphonyBubble Symphony is an arcade video game in the Bubble Bobble series. While being a new Bubble Bobble for a new generation, in actuality it takes place after Parasol Stars....
(World) / Bubble SymphonyBubble SymphonyBubble Symphony is an arcade video game in the Bubble Bobble series. While being a new Bubble Bobble for a new generation, in actuality it takes place after Parasol Stars....
(Europe, Japan, U.S.) (1994 Arcade, Sega SaturnSega SaturnThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
(Japan only)) - Bubble Memories - The Story of Bubble Bobble IIIBubble MemoriesBubble Memories is a video game by Taito released to arcades in 1995. It is the sequel to Bubble Symphony and is the fifth Bubble Bobble game...
(1995 Arcade) - Rainbow Islands - Putty's Party (2000 Bandai Wonderswan)
- Rainbow Islands: Towering AdventureRainbow Islands: Towering AdventureRainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is a video game developed by Taito for WiiWare and Xbox Live Arcade. It is the latest installment in the Rainbow Islands series. The game was released in Japan on March 3, 2009, in the PAL regions on May 8, 2009 and in North America on June 15, 2009. The Xbox...
(2009 WiiWareWiiWareWiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
, Xbox Live ArcadeXbox Live ArcadeXbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
) - Bubble Bobble Plus!Bubble Bobble Plus!Bubble Bobble Plus! is a video game for WiiWare by Taito.The game was released in Japan on February 10, 2009, the PAL regions on April 10, 2009 and in North America on May 25, 2009.-Gameplay:...
(2009 WiiWareWiiWareWiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
) aka Bubble Bobble Neo!Bubble Bobble Neo!is a remake of the 1986 action-platformer arcade game Bubble Bobble. The game was developed and published by Taito and was released on the Xbox Live Arcade download service for the Xbox 360. The game stars the twin bubble dragons and as well as a magenta bubble dragon and an orange bubble dragon...
(2009 Xbox Live ArcadeXbox Live ArcadeXbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
)
External links
- Bubble Bobble at Arcade History.com
- Bubble Trouble A detailed analysis of the arcade version, as published in Retro Gamer magazine.
- Bubble Bobble Items Compiled by Stephen Tjasink and Paul Rahme.
- Bubble Bobble series chart Chronological chart of all Bubble Bobble games.