Game:

Puzzle Bobble (1994)

Category:

Let's Play

Duration: 1:01:07

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Note: Mame Cheat is used at the end of this Playthrough. Due to me having so many failed attempts on the last level (level 30), I decided to skip to the ending sequence.

Puzzle Bobble was produced by Taito in 1994. Puzzle Bobble is an arcade puzzle game offering either one or two-player competitive play, in which the aim is to clear each play area of the colored bubbles clustered in the upper half of the screen. This is achieved by firing bubbles up the screen - with the angle of trajectory dictated by the player - at the clusters of bubbles. The aim is to forms chains of like-colored bubbles, making them disappear. At regular intervals the 'ceiling' of the play area - together with any bubbles stuck to it - will drop one row down the screen, decreasing the size of the play area making life more difficult for players. The game is over when the bubbles reach the very bottom of the play area.

In the single-player game there are thirty-two rounds to complete. In the two-player 'versus' mode, the winner is the player who clears their arena first. Both players have an identical arrangement of colored bubbles in each arena and when a player removes a large group of bubbles (four or more), some of them are transferred to the opponent's arena. 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. As well as typically cute Japanese animation (Bub and Bob from "Bubble Bobble" operate the cannon) and music, the game's mechanics and level design were beautifully balanced, and the game was terrifically successful at the arcades, spawning several sequels. It is unusual in being popular with women and girls.

If you look closely at the bubbles, you'll notice that the enemies from Bubble Bobble are trapped inside; a different enemy for each different colored bubble. The following chart shows which enemies are trapped in which color bubble:

(Legend: Color of Bubble → Bubble Bobble Enemy Inside)

Blue → Zen-Chan
Yellow → Pulpul
Red → Invader
Green → Drunk
Purple → Monsta
Orange → Banebou
Black → Hidegonsu
White → Mighta