Manual Stimulation: Bubble Bobble Junior (Japanese GameBoy)

Last week, I published a "Manual Stimulation" post that focused on this game's predecessor. Would you believe I prefer that manual to this one? I ask because that's pretty much the only thing related to the first Bubble Bobble GameBoy title that I prefer to its sequel.



That's not to say Bubble Bobble Junior's manual is a total stinker. On the contrary, some of it is rather nice--with the cover (above) being a prime example.



Unfortunately, it doesn't take this manual's designers long to pass up some golden opportunities. The right-hand page above is a case in point, with Bubble Bobble Junior's backstory being relegated to a third of a page of text. Would it have killed someone to come up with a few doodles to accompany it?



The next few pages aren't much more appealing, I'm afraid, as the high point (if it can even be called that) of this section of the manual is two shots of the game's title screen.



At least the next few pages showcase a few photos of the game in action, although I doubt anyone would describe them as thrilling.





Now we're getting somewhere! Kind of. I think. Oh, well, at least we get to look at an adorable illustration of Bub (or Bob) on the left-hand page below.



Just like the manual produced for this game's predecessor, Bubble Bobble Junior's saves its best pages for last.



In fact, I think the enemy drawings above are even cuter than the ones that can be found in the first Bubble Bobble's booklet. If only there were a few more of them...

See also: previous 'Manual Stimulation' posts

I guess I've come around to Bubble Bobble Junior's box art as well as its gameplay

My initial reaction to Bubble Bobble Junior's box art basically mirrored my initial reaction to its gameplay--which is another way of saying both initially prompted me to scrunch my face in a way that implied I was not altogether pleased.

As I shared in this recent "Second Chances" post, however, I recently came around to this portable platformer's gameplay. Sure, it lacks some of the thrilling punch for which the arcade original is known and loved, but it's still an enjoyable little romp.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to come around to this GameBoy release's box art, to be honest. I have a feeling, though, that I turned up my nose at it early on because it showcases a rather derpy Bub (or is it Bob?) rather than the far more adorable one that was featured in the cover illustration created for this title's predecessor. (I guess you could say I'm not a fan of how Taito has screwed with, er, altered Bub's and Bob's designs in recent years.)

I've since softened my stance, of course, and now I actually find Bubble Bobble Junior's packaging to be pretty darn appealing. 

That's mainly because its logo is both colorful and precious--although both of those words also could be used to describe the rest of its cover, if you ask me.

As is often the case with Japanese GameBoy titles, the back of Bubble Bobble Junior's box is a smidge less exciting than its front.

Unsurprisingly, Bubble Bobble Junior's cart label apes its cover art, although the logo's now in Japanese and makes use of a far less fabulous font.

Those of you who regularly check out my Flickr photostream may have seen this recent upload, which highlights a page of the first Bubble Bobble GameBoy port's instruction manual.

Did the artist responsible for the illustrations showcased in the linked scan also produce the ones seen in the photo above? I have no idea, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the same person created both sets of drawings. (He or she may have had a hand in the manuals made for the PC Engine ports of Don Doko Don, Mizubaku Daibouken and The New Zealand Story, now that I think about it.)

See also: 'Where have you been all my life, Cave Noire?'

Second Chances: Bubble Bobble Junior (GameBoy)

First things first: I am a longtime fan of Taito's Bubble Bobble series, the first entry in particular. That love didn't develop slowly over time as is usually the case; no, I fell head over heels for the title that started it all the second I laid eyes on its adorably decorated cabinet while perusing the arcade room of the local bowling alley as a skinny, bright-eyed, game-obsessed boy.

Despite my love for the series in general and the initial game in particular, I've never much cared for Bubble Bobble's portable iterations--namely, the non-port that's (still) known as Bubble Bobble (expect a post devoted to this one soon, by the way) and its sequel, called Bubble Bobble Junior in Japan and Bubble Bobble Part 2 in North America.

Although I've always considered the latter effort to be leagues better than the former (despite its completely fabulous Japanese box art), it's still not a game that's prompted me to think, I really enjoying playing that one--until fairly recently, I mean.

At first, I passed on it due to what I considered to be its wonky-looking protagonist. I also wasn't all that fond of the fact that its stages are larger than the GameBoy's diminutive screen and, as such, scrolling is required to see them in their entirety. And then there's the little fact that, as most (if not all) of you've probably figured by now, this game is a black-and-white--or black-and-green, I guess--rather than a rainbow-colored affair, unlike nearly all of the other Bubble Bobble games in existence.

So, what caused me to give Bubble Bobble Junior a second chance? Truth be told, I only decided to give it another shot after falling in love with its box art while writing this recent blog post. Maybe if I can find a way to at least somewhat enjoy its gameplay, I thought to myself, I can justify picking up a copy of it sometime soon. 

And what do you know? Shortly thereafter I started having fun--if not "a blast"--with this portable platformer. Now, I still don't love the fact that the levels scroll, and I can't help but wish Bub's and Bob's leaps were a smidge less "floaty," but other than those two aspects--OK, so maybe the game's not-horrible-but-also-hardly-amazing soundtrack could be thrown into the mix, too--Bubble Bobble Junior's actually pretty solid.

The enemy sprites are surprisingly well drawn, for starters. Also, similarly nice-looking bosses--like the one showcased above--pop up every 10 (or is it 20?) stages, and all of the ones I've battled so far have been a blast.

Other than that, there isn't a whole lot more to say, as this is a pretty standard Bubble Bobble outing--which of course is a very good thing, or at least it is in my opinion.

Unfortunately, should you want to own an actual, physical copy of this "pretty standard Bubble Bobble outing," you're more than likely going to have to pay dearly for it, as prices--for complete copies, especially--on eBay and elsewhere tend to be sky high. At least that nabs you some pretty packaging to ogle when you're not busy playing its contents, though, right?

See also: previous 'Second Chances' posts

Five favorites: Japanese GameBoy box art

In the recent post in which I declared 2014 to be the "Year of the GameBoy," I warned folks that they should expect a good number of GB-focused write-ups in the coming weeks and months.

This isn't really the kind of post I was talking about, but it is related to them. After all, one of the things that has pushed me to turn my attention, once again, to Nintendo's first handheld system is the cool, quirky and even beautiful box art that was created for some of its Japanese titles.

The following five pieces of cover art certainly deserve to be tagged as cool, quirky or beautiful--if not all three--or at least I think they deserve to be tagged as such. What do you think?

Banishing Racer--I only became aware of this Jaleco-made platformer--which stars an anthropomorphic car that hops and bops its way across the US--a few months ago, but I've since made up for lost time by basically falling in love with it. Truth be told, the game itself is far from amazing and even can be downright frustrating at times, but I've never been overly picky and I've always been a bit of a masochist, so neither of those things bother me too much. Granted, I may be more lenient on the game than I should be because of its colorful--and kind of hilarious--box art.

Bubble Bobble Junior--Another kind of ho-hum GameBoy title, I have to admit, but, boy, do I like its box art. Of course, I like almost anything related to the iconic Bubble Bobble series, so maybe my interest here shouldn't be too much of a surprise. If only the gameplay were as tight and energetic as its arcade and Famicom/NES predecessors...

Hoi Hoi--Seriously, how can you not love a piece of cover art that features a gigantic, grinning--and winking--cockroach? I also like the kiddies that appear on this one, thanks in large part to the rosy cheeks that make them look like they belong in a cartoon or comic from the early 1900s. Thankfully, the gameplay--which can only be compared to modern tower-defense titles--in this one is worth a second glance, too.

Kitchen Panic--What? Another piece of Japanese GameBoy cover art that showcases illustrations of insects? Yep! Unsurprisingly, those bugs are the star attractions here, with my personal favorite being the bee or fly or spider or whatever you want to call the thing on the left (the one that's crying and holding its face with two of its many hands).

Lock 'n' Chase--After all of the drama above, you're probably surprised I'd decide to include such a "boring" piece of box art in this post. The thing is, I've always liked how this game's Pac-Man-like protagonist is depicted here. Plus, I like the overall use of color in this creation. A really attractive and well-balanced cover, in my humble opinion.

See also: previous 'five favorites' posts