Bubble Bobble (video game)

Bubble Bobble
Company type	Video game
Industry	Video games
Founded	June 16, 1986; 40 years ago
Founder	Fukio Mitsuji
Products	Bubble Bobble series
Parent	Taito

| genre = Platform | modes = Single-player, multiplayer | arcade system = Taito Bubble Bobble }}

, launched in 1986, is a platform game developed and released by Taito for arcade systems, with distribution handled by Romstar in the United States and Electrocoin across Europe. Players take control of Bub and Bob, two dragon characters on a quest to save their girlfriends from the Cave of Monsters. The gameplay centers on capturing enemies inside bubbles and bursting them to transform adversaries into bonus items throughout 100 progressively challenging stages.

Created by Fukio Mitsuji, who joined Taito in 1986 with the goal of refreshing the company’s game lineup, Bubble Bobble was intentionally designed to be captivating and to attract couples and female gamers through its cooperative two-player functionality. Mitsuji selected bubbles as the main gameplay element due to their entertaining and approachable nature.

Bubble Bobble stands as one of Taito’s most prominent arcade successes and is recognized for influencing a variety of screen-clearing platform games. It earned widespread praise for its charming character design, memorable soundtrack, engaging gameplay, and multiplayer dynamics, consistently ranking among the top video games. The series expanded with numerous sequels across different platforms; notably, the spin-off Puzzle Bobble achieved remarkable commercial success and developed into its own franchise.

Plot

Bub and Bob are dragon brothers residing in an enchanted forest. Their girlfriends have been abducted by "Baron Von Blubba," prompting Bub and Bob to navigate through 100 levels within the Cave of Monsters to rescue them. Upon defeating Super Drunk on the final stage (level 100) in cooperative mode, it is revealed that Bub, Bob, and their girlfriends were once humans transformed by magic, with their parents also having been taken captive.

Gameplay

Players assume control of either Bub or Bob as they maneuver through single-screen platform levels. The core mechanic involves trapping enemies inside bubbles and popping them to eliminate foes. Various magical items provide special powers, while unique bubbles unleash elemental attacks such as fire, water, or lightning against enemies. When defeated, enemies convert into food items that increase the player’s score; higher points are awarded for vanquishing multiple enemies simultaneously. Collecting bubbles containing letters spelling EXTEND grants an extra life and progression to the following level. Players can also ride bubbles to access areas that are otherwise unreachable.

A life is lost if a player comes into contact with enemies or their projectiles. Enemies become "angry"—turning pink and moving faster—if they remain unpopped too long or if players linger excessively on a level; their speed resets upon losing a life. Should delays continue, invincible foes emerge, relentlessly pursuing players until the level is cleared or a life is lost. The final enemy on each stage always becomes angry until defeated.

The 100th level features a boss encounter. Finishing the game solo prompts a message encouraging cooperative play. Completing it with two players unlocks a "happy ending" where Bub and Bob revert to human form and reunite with their girlfriends, followed by an unlocked faster "super" mode. Successfully clearing this mode cooperatively reveals an additional ending disclosing that Super Drunk is actually their parents under external control, culminating in a full family reunion.

Secret chambers appear on levels 20, 30, and 40 if no lives are lost; these rooms present coded messages offering significant clues for completing the game.

Development and release

Bubble Bobble was created by Fukio Mitsuji, a Japanese game designer working at Taito. Drawing inspiration from Namco's Xevious, Mitsuji sought to raise the standard of Taito's arcade offerings. After completing Super Dead Heat and Halley's Comet in 1985, he redirected his efforts toward crafting a platform game featuring charming characters and a humorous style.

Aiming to attract a female demographic, Mitsuji explored over 100 concepts before settling on bubbles as the central gameplay element, convinced that bursting them simultaneously would deliver an exciting experience for players. Initially, he contemplated using a robot as the main character but ultimately chose dinosaurs for their unique ridge features. Mitsuji demonstrated great dedication, often working late nights and holidays to perfect the title, including enemy designs borrowed from Taito's earlier release Chack'n Pop (1984). He also implemented several endings to resonate with couples playing together.

The game first launched in Japan on June 16, 1986, followed by a broader release within Japan in September and an international rollout in October. Alongside Arkanoid, Taito granted distribution rights to Romstar in the United States and Electrocoin Automatics in Europe.

Ports

Bubble Bobble was adapted for a wide range of home consoles and computer systems such as the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II, Amiga, Famicom Disk System, Nintendo Entertainment System, MSX2, and Master System. Notably, the Master System version offered 200 stages—double the arcade's count—and was released in Japan under the title Final Bubble Bobble. In 1994, Dempa developed a version for the X68000 that included a special mode named Sybubblun, paying tribute to Mitsuji's arcade game Syvalion. Versions for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color came out in 1991 and 1996 respectively, with the latter titled Classic Bubble Bobble. An unreleased edition for the Taito WOWOW console was also produced. In 1996, Taito revealed that the original source code had been lost, resulting in all subsequent home versions being reconstructed through reverse engineering from arcade hardware.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Bubble Bobble as the second most successful table arcade cabinet in November 1986, surpassed only by Taito's Arkanoid. It ranked as the fifth highest-grossing table arcade game of 1987 in the country. In the United Kingdom, it topped arcade game earnings between April and June 1987. Home adaptations also achieved strong sales in UK charts; notably, a budget re-release for ZX Spectrum reached number one in July 1991.

The arcade edition received favorable critiques from publications such as Computer and Video Games, Crash, among others. The Game Boy port was awarded a 91% rating by Mean Machines, commended for its faithful recreation of gameplay and difficulty level. Reviewers at Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the Game Gear version for its accurate conversion, visual quality, straightforward gameplay, and inclusion of a two-player link feature.

Bubble Bobble is regularly recognized as one of the greatest video games ever made. The ZX Spectrum iteration was ranked number 58 in Your Sinclair's "Top 100 Games of All Time" (1993), while GamesMaster placed it at 19th on their 1996 list. In 2005, Yahoo! featured it at number 71 among "100 Greatest Computer Games Of All Time" due to its engaging design and appeal. It has also appeared on rankings by Stuff, GamesTM, and GamesRadar+, which highlighted its cooperative multiplayer modes and multiple endings. IGN ranked it as the 23rd best NES title. Additionally, it was included in Hardcore Gaming 101's "The 200 Best Video Games of All Time" (2015) and featured in Game Informer's "Top 300 Games of All Time" (2018) for its lasting popularity and pioneering multiplayer gameplay.

Re-releases

Throughout the years, Bubble Bobble has been officially adapted for more than 30 different platforms, spanning a wide range of computers and gaming consoles.

A revitalized version titled Bubble Bobble Old & New was launched on the Game Boy Advance, featuring both the classic arcade gameplay and additional new elements.

In Europe and North America, distribution was managed by Empire Interactive.
The Japanese edition was published by MediaKite.

In October 2005, the title was included in the Taito Legends collection, which was made available on Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Windows.

Nintendo's Virtual Console service brought the NES version to the Wii in December 2007. Subsequently, the Famicom Disk System variant became accessible on the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS in October 2013 and for the Wii U in January 2014.

The game was also part of the lineup on the NES Classic Edition released in November 2016.

In July 2020, MORIBIX Corporation launched a mobile adaptation called "Bubble Bobble Classic," available for both iOS and Android devices.

External links

Bubble Bobble for Atari ST at Atari Mania