Best version of Bubble Bobble?

[skeezix]

I have for whatever reason this big urge to fire up mighty Bubble Bobble and give it a good run.... when I get a moment to myself (hahahahahaha*wheeze*hahahaha)..


As an Atari ST junkie, I always found that version pretty good, but in comparing screenshots and such, it doesn't hold up as well, but not bad. Seems a little sluggish in Hatari, so I'll have to investigate that, and really should update to the latest Hatari version...


Anyway, anyone tried..


.. the Arcade version in one of the MAMEs/etc?


.. the Amiga version?


.. the C64 version?


.. the NES version?


.. the Genesis/Megadrive version? ("Super Bubble Bobble" was it? no regular edition?)


... others?


I've rather assumed the C64 and NES would be 'bad' given 16bit options ..


If the arcade edition plays okay, thyats probably the way to go.


But.. anyone know for sure?


jeff


(Disclosure, I in fact do own BB for ST, the arcade pcboard, and a few of the little versions, that haven't been fired up in decades And yes, I could hit the basement and fire up the arcade pcboard, but lazyness _matters_ damnit, at 2am when I get moments to myself!)

 

[gruso]

I just wanted to say that

"(Rainbow Islands) is sometimes called "Bubble Bobble 2". However, two other games --"Bubble Symphony: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2" and "Bubble Bobble 2"-- claim the same name. Rainbow Islands happens after Bubble Bobble. Bubble Symphony happens after Bubble Memories, which is called Bubble Bobble 3, so Bubble Symphony is really Bubble Bobble 4 or 5. Bubble Bobble 2 also happens after Bubble Memories, so it is either Bubble Bobble 4 or 5. Bubble Symphony's song titles, which refer to Bub and Bob as "Grandfather", are true, then Bubble Symphony is Bubble Bobble 5 and Bubble Bobble 2, which features Robby, the "son", is Bubble Bobble 4. But then again, the intro of Bubble Symphony refers to Bubby and Bobby as the children of Bub and Bob, so Bubble Symphony is Bubble Bobble 4".

 

[erico]

I believe there was also a team 17 take on the raindow islands style! I got a cu cover disk on that but never the full game .

 

[iprice]

Saturn Bubble Bobble is pretty authentic and includes Rainbow Islands and Rainbow Islands Enhanced. The CGI intro is awful though

 

[asimov-solensan]

Hey gruso, just to mess the things a bit more, where do you fit "parasol stars" in that explanation?


Now answering to skeezix, the version I play is the one for master system, It was almost the same that the arcade version and you can use savestates with picodrive. By the way was the version I played as a child at home so maybe nostalgia makes me see it better than it is.

 

[pmprog]

C64 version was pretty close to the arcade version - ie if you can only pop bubbles with the spikes on your head and back. The arcade version, well, you really have to call this the best, it's the original with all the cool features. To be honest, I never played any 16bit versions though, I don't think


I remember reading an awesome article on the dissection of Bubble Bobble and how *nothing* was random in the game. Bonuses were given based on lives and score and all other interesting things. If anybody knows the link to this, please post, I'd love to read it again (but can't seem to find it)

 

[ekianjo]

Thats Quak, it was a budget game.

 

[THB]

I just wanted to say that

"(Rainbow Islands) is sometimes called "Bubble Bobble 2". However, two other games --"Bubble Symphony: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2" and "Bubble Bobble 2"-- claim the same name. Rainbow Islands happens after Bubble Bobble. Bubble Symphony happens after Bubble Memories, which is called Bubble Bobble 3, so Bubble Symphony is really Bubble Bobble 4 or 5. Bubble Bobble 2 also happens after Bubble Memories, so it is either Bubble Bobble 4 or 5. Bubble Symphony's song titles, which refer to Bub and Bob as "Grandfather", are true, then Bubble Symphony is Bubble Bobble 5 and Bubble Bobble 2, which features Robby, the "son", is Bubble Bobble 4. But then again, the intro of Bubble Symphony refers to Bubby and Bobby as the children of Bub and Bob, so Bubble Symphony is Bubble Bobble 4".

Good times

 

[NoeleyC]

Thats Quak, it was a budget game.

It's on IOS if you want to play it again! Think there's a GBA version too...

 

[Trip]

C64 version was pretty close to the arcade version - ie if you can only pop bubbles with the spikes on your head and back. The arcade version, well, you really have to call this the best, it's the original with all the cool features. To be honest, I never played any 16bit versions though, I don't think


I remember reading an awesome article on the dissection of Bubble Bobble and how *nothing* was random in the game. Bonuses were given based on lives and score and all other interesting things. If anybody knows the link to this, please post, I'd love to read it again (but can't seem to find it)

I'd have to agree with this. The C64 version sounds, looks and plays brilliantly and remains one of the reasons for me to fire up a C64 emulator from time to time.

 

[skeezix]

C64 version was pretty close to the arcade version - ie if you can only pop bubbles with the spikes on your head and back. The arcade version, well, you really have to call this the best, it's the original with all the cool features. To be honest, I never played any 16bit versions though, I don't think


I remember reading an awesome article on the dissection of Bubble Bobble and how *nothing* was random in the game. Bonuses were given based on lives and score and all other interesting things. If anybody knows the link to this, please post, I'd love to read it again (but can't seem to find it)

Jeez, yeah, I read something like that as well ..... maybe in Retro Gamer (UK magazine)?


"Random" was always 'hard' in old arcade boards (since they were cheapskates!) so they often did things like sample what was in the audio buffer and weird stuff like that to get pseudo-random .. but games like BB used counters or modulo on things, etc.


Just like Pacman has the ghosts perform various behaviours, that just seem random or patterned at first, but sometimes you can just control them. ie: the direction you last turned in or are currently facing when one of the ghosts eyes in looking this way, and he will always do __, that sort.. so if you're freaky on top of it, you have some limited control over the ghopsts actions...


Always love to know details like that


jeff

 

[pmprog]

Jeez, yeah, I read something like that as well ..... maybe in Retro Gamer (UK magazine)?

No, it was online, I thought on Gamasutra, but I can't find it now

Just like Pacman has the ghosts perform various behaviours, that just seem random or patterned at first, but sometimes you can just control them. ie: the direction you last turned in or are currently facing when one of the ghosts eyes in looking this way, and he will always do __, that sort.. so if you're freaky on top of it, you have some limited control over the ghopsts actions...

I was never really a PacMan fan, but I did enjoy reading about how the ghosts worked. Very ingenius!

 

[elwing]

Since I only played the NES version it's the one I prefer but I suspect there are some better versions...

 

[Prometheus]

Saturn Bubble Bobble is pretty authentic and includes Rainbow Islands and Rainbow Islands Enhanced. The CGI intro is awful though

Saturn Bubble Bobble is, in fact, ported from the Atari ST version!


Taito lost the original source code during an office move in 1996, you see... All versions since then have either been emulated, reprogrammed, or based on a pre-existing port to an older platform.

Jeez, yeah, I read something like that as well ..... maybe in Retro Gamer (UK magazine)?

No, it was online, I thought on Gamasutra, but I can't find it now

Here you go! I bookmarked it way back when.

I was never really a PacMan fan, but I did enjoy reading about how the ghosts worked. Very ingenius!

For anyone who's interested in more on this, check out The Pac-Man Dossier - and also pass it on to any fool who would dare to proclaim things such as "Pac-Man is a casual game"!


Anyway, my two cents: You cannot beat the arcade version of Bubble Bobble, as it's the only one with every single feature, trick, and hidden counter in place. It is the best by far, and there can be no disputing that.


That said, the C64 version is actually a brilliant conversion (I still have fond memories of seeing a Bubble Bobble cabinet that was present in a local eatery - though I'm not sure if I ever got to actually play it - and then coming home from there and playing the C64 version at home), and I've heard good things about the Master System version as well.


I've been thinking about getting back into Bubble Bobble, lately. A few years ago, I became skilled enough that I could get to around stage 62 or 63 (though most often, it was 57) without dying. Then stupid mistakes would get the better of me. I bet I'm really rusty, now, though. :lol: Better fire up the MAME cabinet...


I do find it funny how almost everyone overlooks and corrects the broken English from the intro screen when quoting it, incidentally. It's not "Now it is the beginning of a fantastic story! [Let us/Let's] make a journey to the Cave of Monsters! Good luck!", it's actually "Now, it is beginning of a fantastic story!! Let's make a journey to the Cave of Monsters! Good luck!" (emphasis mine). Even the officially-licensed goods from 1UP2P.com do this.

 

[pmprog]

Jeez, yeah, I read something like that as well ..... maybe in Retro Gamer (UK magazine)?

No, it was online, I thought on Gamasutra, but I can't find it now

Here you go! I bookmarked it way back when.

I'm pretty sure that's not the one I was thinking of, but just as good. Thanks

I was never really a PacMan fan, but I did enjoy reading about how the ghosts worked. Very ingenius!

For anyone who's interested in more on this, check out The Pac-Man Dossier - and also pass it on to any fool who would dare to proclaim things such as "Pac-Man is a casual game"!

Yep, that's the one I read on PacMan, great read.

I've been thinking about getting back into Bubble Bobble, lately. A few years ago, I became skilled enough that I could get to around stage 62 or 63 (though most often, it was 57) without dying. Then stupid mistakes would get the better of me. I bet I'm really rusty, now, though. :lol: Better fire up the MAME cabinet...

Have you ever tried playing the Bub Brothers? It's a multiplayer Bubble Bobble - Think there's even a Pandora port too. I keep meaning to try it, but never got around to it

I do find it funny how almost everyone overlooks and corrects the broken English from the intro screen when quoting it, incidentally. It's not "Now it is the beginning of a fantastic story! [Let us/Let's] make a journey to the Cave of Monsters! Good luck!", it's actually "Now, it is beginning of a fantastic story!! Let's make a journey to the Cave of Monsters! Good luck!" (emphasis mine). Even the officially-licensed goods from 1UP2P.com do this.

Damn you, I've never noticed this before, but it'll probably bug me now


I got the Hurry Up Tshirt from 1UP2P, very nice and a decent quality.

 

[mosschops]

The arcade is the best IMHO but c64 comes close. I have a bootleg board called Bobble Bobble which doesnt have much of the inner points to pickups the same.


Also worth a look is bubble bobble neo on the xbox 360 particularly for its new mode when you can walk at diagonals!Reto gamer 98 i think had a BB font cover and big feature but it sold out before i could pick it up!


Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Ian J]

Check these out:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/kPppbq4RWC0?feature=oembed

 

[Prometheus]

I'm pretty sure that's not the one I was thinking of, but just as good. Thanks

No problem. It's the only one that I know of that appeared in Retro Gamer - did I miss another one?

Have you ever tried playing the Bub Brothers? It's a multiplayer Bubble Bobble - Think there's even a Pandora port too. I keep meaning to try it, but never got around to it

I tried to get it running on my main box once, but it was far from user-friendly. You had to set up a server and a client (the former of which was quite confusing and off-putting), even if you wanted to play single-player. No thanks!

Damn you, I've never noticed this before, but it'll probably bug me now

Oops! Sorry about that. :lol:

I got the Hurry Up Tshirt from 1UP2P, very nice and a decent quality.

Good to know - thanks for mentioning this. I ordered the Start Screen design a couple of days ago (it should be here soon ), and I was hoping that it'd be as good in person as it looks online.

 

[erico]

Yep, Quak it was! Thanks for the reminder guys!


I never actually saw the arcade version of Bubble Bobble but sometimes, rarely sometimes, some game ports to other systems gets to be better then the original arcade.


Take Xenophobe for example, the arcade version is ok, but the atary lynx version is, IMHO, waaaaay superior in many fronts!


Pre-set levels, about 30 as I recall, more equipment, more base complexity, It has an ending and a boss.


Heck, it even allows to play the aliens should you happen to have 2 lynx, the com cable, and two copies of the game.


And this must be my biggest game frustration as I never managed to have it going and no emu to this day can help this itch.

 

[pmprog]

WTF is wit the Gameboy editions? I know they have a low screen res, but looks almost a different game. The first gameboy one also had wierd bubble glitches - wonder if that was an emulator bug though.


Sega GameGear didn't look to bad considering it's reduced screen resolution


NES seemed to play fast


Megadrive - What did they do to the game, bubbles going in the wrong direction, character select?! Interesting, but practically a different game


Amiga and MSX2 looked pretty good


DS (new?) ---- urrrrmmmm.... Scary! Very very scary!


DS (old?) - Much better!


GBA (new?) - Just weird!!!! Especially that "Yahoo" sound effect


Windows - Looks a bit weird, but I like it

No problem. It's the only one that I know of that appeared in Retro Gamer - did I miss another one?

Like I said, I don't think the one I saw was in/on/near Retro Gamer. I'm sure it was from Gamasutra, or through GameDev.net or one of the old development resources I used to browse.