Bubble Bobble on the brain

I can't imagine the following admission will be a surprise to anyone: I've got Bubble Bobble on the brain.

After all, I've published a number of posts about this Fukio Mitsuji-designed title in the last few weeks. (Here's one, here's one and here's another one.)

What may surprise at least a couple of you: I've been playing more than just the arcade and the Famicom Disk System/NES versions of this all-time classic. I've also been playing the GameBoy Advance--which is part of the Bubble Bobble: New & Old release--and the Game Gear versions of the game.

Although the GameBoy Advance iteration of Bubble Bobble is interesting and noteworthy--mainly because it's arcade-perfect, with the exception of the oddly remixed background music--the Game Gear iteration is both of those things and then some.

The reason: All of the game's stages--but not Bob, Bub and their enemies--have been shrunk so they can fit on Game Gear's tiny screen. As a result, it often feels like you're controlling Bobzilla as you tear through each level.

Sure, Bubble Bobble for Game Gear is a good bit less strategic than other versions--and a number of its minuscule stages just don't work as well as their full-sized brethren--but it's no less fun.

Which means, I guess, that I may have to buy a Game Gear--along with a copy of this title and a copy of Mitsuji's Magical Puzzle Popils, too--sooner rather than later.