My 10 Most Influential Games: Bubble Bobble (Arcade)

Although I have a pretty good memory, I'm rarely able to recall my first experiences with specific video games.

Thankfully, that's not true of my introduction to Bubble Bobble.

As I'm sure I've mentioned here before, my hometown has a rather nice bowling alley that my friends and I visited regularly while we were growing up. Tucked into its back corner were a slough of arcade cabinets and pinball machines, and we spent as much time playing them as we did bowling.

Among the games that gobbled up our hard-earned allowance money: Gauntlet, Karate Champ, Paperboy, Pole Position, Ring King, Xenophobe--and of course Bubble Bobble.

To be completely honest, I'm not entirely sure what drew my attention to Bubble Bobble's cabinet for the first time. I have a feeling it was the game's glorious, ear-wormy jingle, but it very well may have been its adorable, rainbow-coated visuals.

Something I remember clearly about my initial experiences with this classic quarter-muncher: I absolutely sucked at it. Although I blame some of my ineptitude on not fully understanding Bubble Bobble's rules right off the bat, but mostly I blame it on my life-long discomfort with using a joystick. (Ironic, right? Seriously, though, I've always preferred using a d-pad.)

Still, I kept coming back to it, and over time I got better and better at this Fukio Mitsuji-made (for Taito) title.

So, how did it influence my current taste in video games? It did so in a couple of ways, actually.

One is that it hurled me down the path toward loving games that feature collectible food items. Ms. Pac-Man showed me to its entrance (thanks to the level that offers up a pretzel rather than a piece of fruit, strangely enough), but Bubble Bobble and its bowls of sherbet, corndogs, sushi and martinis pushed me well inside.

Ever since, I've drooled over almost any game that includes such nabables. A few examples: Coryoon, Monster Lair, The New Zealand Story and Parasol Stars. (For more, read my old post, "the 10 fruitiest games (of which I'm aware).")

Bubble Bobble shaped my current taste in video games in another way as well--by opening my eyes to the wonderful world of single-screen platformers. (Here are some of my favorites, in case you're curious.)

Was Bubble Bobble the first single-screen platformer to see the light of day? Not by a long shot. A game called The Fairyland Story--also published by Taito, interestingly enough--beat Bub and Bob to the arcades by at least a year, and I wouldn't be surprised if a handful of other titles could claim the same.

Regardless, Bubble Bobble introduced me to the genre that's now one of my favorites. And not only that, but in the ensuing decades, it's served as a point of comparison for every other single-screen platformer that's come my way.

Naturally, none of those wannabes have quite stacked up to this 1986 release. I think that's because the game they so desperately try to ape is supremely focused and straightforward.

A case in point: unlike most of the games that have tried to snatch its genre-king crown over the years, Bubble Bobble keeps its control scheme simple. You can jump, you can blow bubbles, you can hop on bubbles--and that's basically it. (OK, so some levels let you pop bubbles that send lightning bolts at enemies or cover platforms with swaths of fire, but they're in the minority. The bulk of the game's levels force you to focus on the trio of aforementioned actions.)

Also, Bubble Bobble's stages never take up more than a single screen (hence the name of the gaming genre that contains it). And then, of course, there are its timeless graphics and its grin-inducing background tune.

At the end of the day, though, the aspect that keeps me coming back to Bubble Bobble, and that causes me to label it "influential," is its unfailingly enjoyable gameplay. Even when one of its stages is kicking my butt (an all too regular occurrence, I'm afraid), it never stops being fun.

I can't say that about too many games, can you?

See also: previous '10 Most Influential Games' posts about The 7th Guest and Balloon Kid.

Be still, my Fukio Mitsuji-loving heart: Tengen prepped Magical Puzzle Popils ports for the Famicom and PC Engine way back when

If this is the first time your eyes are coming across the name Fukio Mitsuji, please take a seat.

In short, Mitsuji was a brilliant Japanese game designer and artist who helped create a number of outright classics during his unfortunately short career. (Sadly, he died in 2008.)

Specifically, Wikipedia credits him with having a hand in just nine games within the span of seven years (1985 to 1991).

Of those three games, I personally consider three of them to be among the best games ever to see the light of day. One is Bubble Bobble, another is that game's sequel, Rainbow Islands, and the third is Magical Puzzle Popils.

Don't worry if you've similarly never heard of that last title. After all, Magical Puzzle Popils was made for Sega's Game Gear--and only for Sega's Game Gear. (If you want to learn more about this puzzler, which was called Popils outside of Japan, check out its GameFAQs entry, its Wikipedia page or this previous post of mine.)



Or so I thought until yesterday. That's when I learned (via neogaf.com) that, at some point in the fairly distant past, developer and publisher Tengen prepped Famicom and PC Engine ports of Magical Puzzle Popils.

It's also when I came across footage of these previously unknown console ports. The PC Engine version can be seen in the video above, while the Famicom version can be seen here.

None of what's showcased in these clips looks tremendously different from what can be found in the Game Gear original, although the stages appear a smidge larger and some of the intermission graphics seem unfinished. (Or maybe the latter are just oddly rough?)

Still, I'd hand over a week's salary to buy physical copies of these long-lost conversions so I could play them on real Famicom and PC Engine hardware. How about you?

See also: a couple of photos of Magical Puzzle Popils' Japanese Game Gear box and my 'Manual Stimulation' post devoted to this 1991 title

Manual Stimulation (Rainbow Islands, Famicom)

It seems strange to me now that I haven't always been a big fan of (now mostly defunct) Japanese game developer and publisher Taito.

Sure, I've always liked the company's first real hit, the arcade classic known as Space Invaders, well enough, and I fell in love with another of its quarter-munchers, Bubble Bobble, the second I laid eyes on it. Aside from that pair of games, though, I didn't think much of Taito until a couple of years ago.



What caused my opinion on the former jukebox-maker to do a 180? As far as I can remember, the turnaround was prompted by me finally--and kind of randomly--deciding to give its Chack'n Pop Famicom port and its Chuka Taisen PC Engine remake a go.



I enjoyed both of those games so much that I expanded my get-to-know-Taito-a-bit-better endeavor to include a number of others. Among them: Don Doko Don, Elevator Action, Insector X, Jigoku Meguri, KiKi KaiKai and Panic Restaurant.



Admittedly, I'd played some of these titles earlier in my life. Most of them only earned a few minutes of my time, though, and none of them succeeded in blowing me away during that initial experience.



The same can be said of the Famicom conversion of Taito's Bubble Bobble follow-up, Rainbow Islands. This 8-bit "demake" (of sorts) really rubbed me the wrong way the first handful of times I played it.

Thankfully, I eventually pushed that negativity--born out of my love of the original coin-op--to the background and embraced the unique positives this iteration brings to the proverbial table.

Five favorites: Sega Game Gear titles

You'd think that with the 3DS, DS, GameBoy, Neo Geo Pocket Color and WonderSwan (all of which I've been playing in recent weeks--sometimes using actual hardware and sometimes going the emulation route), my portable gaming bases would be covered for the time being.

Over the weekend, though, I ditched the systems mentioned above and instead spent some quality time with a few Game Gear titles (again, both via real hardware and emulation), an experience that prompted me to contemplate my favorite examples of that handheld's game catalog.

Here's what I came up with, in alphabetical order. (Note: the following games are my personal favorites. I don't necessarily consider them to be the "best" this Sega-made machine has to offer. Also, I have to admit I've yet to play Phantasy Star Gaiden, a title that surely appears on some similar lists.)

The Berlin Wall--Although I've been a fan of the single-screen platformer (think: Bubble Bobble) since I first got into gaming, I wasn't aware of this game's existence until a year or so ago. That's a shame, as The Berlin Wall is a lot of fun. How would I describe it? Don Doko Don blended with Lode Runner is the best I can come up with at the moment, although I doubt that means much to some of you. Regardless, check it out if you've ever gotten a kick out of games like Snow Bros. or Tumblepop.

Bubble Bobble--Those looking for a direct port of Taito's bubble-centric classic will want to steer clear of this version, as it ends up feeling more like Bubble Bobble Mini than a full-fledged port. That's because although each stage has been shrunken down to fit the Game Gear's tiny screen, the title's other elements--Bob, Bub and their many colorful enemies, mainly--were given a reprieve. The game's honestly a bit broken because of that fact, but it's still a lot of fun.

Madou Monogatari I--A first-person dungeon crawler from the makers of Puyo Puyo? Where do I sign up? That was my first thought upon hearing about this series (four of its entries ended up on the Game Gear) some years ago. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was even more enjoyable--and charming--than I assumed it would be. By the way, if you're too chicken to play through such a game in Japanese, this first one was translated into English courtesy of SSTranslations.

Magical Puzzle Popils--All you really need to know about this one is that it was made by the same guy, Fukio Mitsuji, who brought Bubble Bobble to the world. Like that game, Magical Puzzle Popils features more-adorable-than-they-have-any-right-to-be protagonists and tunes but takes the gameplay in a different direction altogether by tasking players with getting from each level's start to its exit (a trapped princess) in as few steps as possible.

Puzzle Bobble--If you're looking for the best-possible portable version of this classic puzzler, look no further than this old port. Sure, it's far from perfect, but it's miles better than its GameBoy, Neo Geo Pocket Color and WonderSwan counterparts. (I'm especially fond of how Bub and Bob look here.) Plus, this release actually features the original arcade soundtrack, which alone makes it well worth checking out.

Honorable mentions: Galaga '91, Ganbare Gorby, Magical Taruruuto-kun, Mappy, Shining Force Gaiden

Manual Stimulation: Magical Puzzle Popils (Game Gear)

You know you're in for quite a read when someone decides to call the booklet that's included with a particular game--in this case, Tengen's Magical Puzzle Popils for the Sega Game Gear--a "guide" rather than a "manual," as is typically the case.

Which begs the question: Is it a good read in this case or a bad one?

Considering I don't know a lick of Japanese, you'll have to take my response with a rather large grain of salt. Based on what I can see, though, I'd say Magical Puzzle Popil's 30-page (yes, you read that correctly) "guide" is a bit of both.



The manuals' designers certainly didn't start things off on the wrong foot, thanks in large part to its colorful front and even back covers.



The first two interior pages are quite a bit less thrilling, but the following pair offer up a trio of adorable illustrations that more than make up for the preceding yawn-fest.





Even more illustrations appear on the manual's next handful of pages. They're not as precious--or large--as the ones I just pointed out, but they're still pretty cool.

Acquisition #143: Magical Puzzle Popils (Game Gear)

If you visit this blog with any regularity, you've likely seen a mention or two (or five) of the Tengen-published puzzler known as Magical Puzzle Popils in Japan and Popils: The Blockbusting Challenge in Europe.

As I'm sure you can guess from the frequency of those mentions, I'm a pretty big fan of this Game Gear title, which was designed by the man responsible for both Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands, Fukio Mitsuji.

In fact, I'm such a big fan of this game that earlier this year I bought a loose copy of it via eBay. (You can see a photo of that acquisition and read more about it in this post.)

Given that, some of you are likely to be a bit surprised to hear that I recently picked up a complete-in-box copy of the very same game. Why did I do that, you ask? I think the cover art shown in the following photos is all the response I need to share.

In addition, I've also long wanted to own (and mindlessly flip through on a regular basis) Magical Puzzle Popils' manual. So, in a way, you could say this particular acquisition was kind of a two-for-one deal for me.

Expect to see scans of said manual in an upcoming "Manual Stimulation" post, by the way. Also, a few additional photos of both the front and back sides of this game's box will be uploaded to my Flickr photostream shortly, so keep an eye out for them, too, if you're so inclined.

See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

I'd love to have a chat with the person selling this sealed copy of Bubble Bobble Part 2

Said conversation would begin, of course, with me asking the seller, "You're completely bonkers, aren't you?"

I can't think of a better question to ask someone who is trying to sell (via this auction) a factory-sealed copy of Bobble Bobble Part 2 for the oh-so-reasonable (insert eye roll here) price of $19,999.99.

Sure, the seller is accepting offers from interested parties, but I can't imagine any of them are going to walk away with this particular copy of the game for, say, a few hundred dollars (which, although a lot more than I'd personally be willing to spend on an NES title, is sure to be closer to what this one is worth) when all is said and done.

And then, of course, there's the fact that this eBay auction is for a copy of Taito's Bubble Bobble Part 2, a game that pales not only in comparison to its predecessor, but in comparison to that release's "real" sequels, Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars, too. (Truth be told, I'd much rather play the oddly-expansive GameBoy title that goes by the same name than this ugly duckling of the series.)

Even if this not-made-by-Fukio-Mitsuji pseudo-sequel were the best game ever made, though, I guarantee you I wouldn't spend nearly $20,000 on it.

Much more likely to be bought by yours truly: The Famicom version of Bubble Bobble Part 2--in part because it can be purchased for a lot less than $19,999.99 and in part because I find its box art (which can be viewed here) a lot more appealing than the art (see above) that's plastered across the front of the North American release.

Reason #404 I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer

I recently bought a Game Gear game--the Japanese version of Tengen's Magical Puzzle Popils, to be exact--despite the fact that I don't yet own a Game Gear system.

There's a method (well, kind of) to my madness, though; you see, in part I bought a copy of this Fukio Mitsuji-designed game because I hoped it would push me to (finally) pick up Sega's first handheld. (Its second being the Nomad, of course.)

Another reason I bought the copy of Magical Puzzle Popils you see in the photo to the right: Its cover art. Duh! (For a bit more information on this precious puzzler, read these previously-published blog posts.)

Don't worry, I won't hold off on reviewing this titillating title until I actually acquire a Game Gear system. I've played it enough via emulation to know it inside and out, so there's no real reason for me to wait. Anyway, keep an eye out for it if you're so inclined.

In the meantime, have any of you ever bought a game or two for a system (console or handheld) that you don't yet own?

See also: Other reasons I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer

Second Chances: Chack'n Pop

Until a few months ago, I didn't know a game called Chack'n Pop existed. Actually, I'd still be ignorant of this Taito-made quarter-muncher (released in 1983) today if I hadn't decided to write yet another post about Bubble Bobble however many weeks ago. How so? Well, while writing that post I discovered (via Wikipedia) that Chack'n Pop is considered an ancestor to the aforementioned, Fukio Mitsuji-designed classic.

I don't know if you're aware, but there are times I love Bubble Bobble more than life itself. (On other days, I love it just a bit less than that.) So, it shouldn't be all that surprising to hear that after learning of Chack'n Pop's pedigree, I ran to my computer, downloaded a ROM of the Famicom version of the game and then proceeded to play it ... for about five minutes.

I stopped after such a short time because, honestly, I thought the game stunk more than my cat's litter box after a weekend getaway. It looked boring and, worse, it felt boring--thanks in large part to the plodding pace of its protagonist. Also, it was hard as hell. I'm pretty sure I failed to make it through Chack'n Pop's first stage during that initial, perfunctory playthrough.

After that execrable experience, I deleted the ROM from my computer--hey, why keep it around if I'm never going to play it again?--and decided to erase the game's existence from my memory, too.

How'd the game weasel its way back into my brain and earn another shot at my affections (this is a "Second Chances" post, after all)? Late last week, Simon Lethbridge published a rather positive review of arcade version of Chack'n Pop on his blog, Red Parsley, which, in turn, caused me to re-consider my previously snarky stance on this single-screen platformer.

Surprisingly, my second go-around with the game went pretty well. Actually, it went very well. (For proof, take a look at the "Now Playing" box on the right side of this blog.) In fact, it went so well that I made it to the fourth stage. Granted, it took me about 10 tries to conquer the first stage, but now that I've got the hang of things--as much as is possible in this challenging and often clunky game--I regularly get to the third and even fourth stage before losing all of my lives.

As for what prompted my "Chack'n Pop change of heart": Well, I guess you could say that, thanks to Lethbridge's prodding, I finally was able to look past the title's somewhat boring facade and see the quirky gameplay--like the protagonist's ability to stick to the ceiling and his ability to surprise (and blow up) the seemingly brain-dead Monstas by rolling bombs down stairways--that lies beneath.

See also: Previous 'Second Chances' posts

Reason #398 I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer

I really want to buy a Sega Game Gear--despite the fact that I only want to buy one game along with it.

That game: Magical Puzzle Popils, which I'm pretty sure I've mentioned on more than one occasion. (Yep, here and here.) I know, I could easily continue playing this Fukio Mitsuji-developed title via emulation if I really wanted to, but I'd prefer to own the real deal if at all possible.

There are a few other Game Gear titles I'm at least mildly interested in, of course--like Fantasy Zone Gear, Madou Monogatari I, II and III, and Shining Force Gaiden--but I likely wouldn't even consider picking up the system if Magical Puzzle Popils weren't available.

To make things even worse, I'd love to buy one of the rare, white Game Gears--like the one seen in the photo above--that only saw the light of day in Japan. Thankfully, even I have my (spending) limits. So, black it will be--should I ever buy one, of course.

See also: Other reasons I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Rainbow Islands edition)

I haven't always been a fan of Rainbow Islands. In fact, the first few times I played this Fukio Mitsuji-designed platformer I hated it. That's probably because I expected it to look and feel like its predecessor, Bubble Bobble. It wasn't until I got over the fact that "The Story of Bubble Bobble 2" wasn't a straight-up sequel to what I consider one of the best quarter-munchers ever made that it finally earned a place in my heart.

Even when I didn't like this arcade classic, though, I wanted to like it thanks to the wonderfully colorful cover art that was created for many of its console ports.

For instance, the Famicom version's box art, below, features a number of the game's characters crafted out of what looks like clay (or is it wood?).

The art that graces the cover of the FM Towns port, on the other hand, is two-dimensionally cartoonish.

The Mega Drive version's box art spotlights the game's various islands (each of which has a different theme) as well as a particularly bright-eyed and rosy-cheeked take on its protagonist, Bubby.

Speaking of Bubby, the cherubic character takes up a ton of acreage on the PC Engine CD-ROM2 port's cheerful cover.

The art that appears on the PC Engine release's box is my least favorite of the bunch, by the way. Which one is my most favorite? The Famicom version's--although I have to admit that I like the FM Towns and Mega Drive versions' box art quite a bit, too.

Now that I've had my say, which piece of Rainbow Islands box art do you like best?

See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts

For once, Bobblun gets the spotlight

How many folks actually refer to Bubble Bobble's second fiddle as Bobblun rather than Bob, I wonder?

Anyway, whether he's called Bob, Bobblun or "blue player two," the character is often ignored, even by those (like myself) who claim to be fans of Fukio Mitsuji's arcade classic. As such, the following piece of art, produced by Kasey Tararuj, is (to me, at least) as refreshing as it is adorable:



The image above doesn't give you the whole picture (pun intended) of Tararuj's piece, by the way. Looked at from the side, good ol' Bob--or Bobblun, or whatever you want to call him--and the bubble that encases him pop from the canvas in oh-so-au-currant 3D.

See what I mean, and read why Tararuj chose Bubble Bobble as a subject rather than Circus Charlie, by checking out the artist's blog, kaseytararuj. blogspot.com.

The Great Gaymathon Review #6: Bubble Bobble (Famicom Disk System)

Game: Bubble Bobble

Genre: Platformer

Developer: Taito

Publisher: Taito

System: Famicom Disk System

Release date: 1987

When I first played Taito's 8-bit port of Fukio Mitsuji's classic quarter-muncher, I hated it. The top three reasons for my malignity: the Famicom (or, rather, NES) version's backdrops lacked the depth of those seen in its big brother, its fruit sprites weren't as well drawn and it featured a metric ton of flicker. A few months ago, I gave the game another chance--after realizing its enemy sprites, at least, were pretty respectable recreations of their arcade counterparts. I'm glad I did, because the experience forced me to recognize that this version of the game successfully (and surprisingly) reproduces two of the most important aspects of the original: its addictive gameplay and its awesome soundtrack. Sure, there are a few quirks here and there--the main one being that bubbles sometimes float through the ceiling when they shouldn't--that keep me from calling it "perfect." (An accolade I'd use, without hesitation, while describing its arcade cousin.) It's close enough to that pinnacle, though, that I believe it's well worth buying if you own a Famicom, NES or Wii (it's available for sale via this last system's Virtual Console).

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

In more serious Bubble Bobble news ...

In a (fairly) recent blog post, the always awesome auntie pixelante waxed poetic about how Bubble Bobble designer Fukio Mitsuji used "visual information to help the player understand the rules of a game."

Specifically, she focused on how Mitsuji explained, visually, using the giant frying pan seen in the screenshot below, the behavior of the game's fire/flame bubbles.

"Players pop the bubbles and the flames fall down to the wide, flat surface of the pan, which then catches fire--like cracking an egg and dripping it into a frying pan to sizzle," she writes. "The enemies that inhabit this stage bounce diagonally through the air; when they come down they touch the fire, pop into the air and come down as food that the players can gather. The word “POPCORN” written on the screen makes the metaphor complete."

If you're interested in game design in general and Bubble Bobble in particular--and who isn't interested in the latter?--I'd highly recommend reading the rest of pixelante's post (here).