Mizubaku Daibouken = Bubble Bobble 4?

At least, that's what the editors of TurboPlay magazine suggested all the way back in 1992--just before Taito's Mizubaku Diabouken (aka Liquid Kids) hit the streets in Japan.

My initial reaction to that suggestion was something along the lines of "nuh uh!"--but after giving it some consideration my reaction has softened a bit.

After all, the series' other (actual) entries--Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars--don't share enemies, protagonists, settings or weapons, so why would part four--with its waterbomb-wielding platypus--be any different?

All that said, Mizubaku Daibouken isn't, as far as I can tell, officially called chapter four of the Bubble Bobble saga--although I suppose that may have been something the game's creators considered early on.

Life+ Interrupted

In early 2009 (or, more likely, in late 2008), someone who goes by the name Pastel started working on a "thematically organized, largely nonlinear Metroidvania" game called Life+.

According to Pastel, the game is "more similar to Doki Doki Panic/Super Mario Bros. 2 than anything else, [as] the combat involves ripping up chunks of floor and hurling them at enemies and obstacles. You can pluck certain projectiles out of the air, stand on some particular enemies and rip them asunder, and stuff like that. When you pull up a tile, its constitution depends on what you're standing on and your luck. If what you're standing on is too thick, you won't be able to pull it up until you find a strength building powerup."

A year and a half later, Life+ remains a work in progress. Thankfully, interested gamers can keep tabs on that progress by visiting the Life+ Update Blog now and then.

In the meantime, check out this "video test," which shows off the game's Cave Story-esque graphics and Doki Doki Panic-ish gameplay:



Oh, and if you're at all interested in learning more about Life+, this blog post is a good place to start.

'I'd hit that'

I know it's kind of juvenile, but I get a kick out of this t-shirt:



If I had my druthers the shirt would feature the actual Super Mario Bros. sprite, but it's doubtful I'd buy it anyway so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Buy: "I'd hit that"

I think the coast is clear ...

Well, I haven't had to deny any SPAM-ish comments for a few days, so I'm going to switch my settings back to the way they were a week or so ago -- which means comments will no longer need to be approved. Yay!

See also: 'Spam, sausage, spam, spam, spam, bacon, spam, tomato and spam'

5 things I love about 'Link's Barrel Beat'

If you've yet to see "Link's Barrel Beat," click on this, er, link. (Don't worry, it's suitable for work.)

Anyway, now that we're all on the same page, here are my five favorite things about Jenjamik's freaky, Wind Waker-inspired Flash video:

1. Tingle's shade-sporting cameo.
2. The face red Link makes whenever he contributes to the "tune."
3. The face all three Links make whenever Tingle arrives on the scene. (See below.)

4. Tetra's "WTF?" glare.
5. Gonzo's exploding noggin.

(Via doyoulovepuppiesido.blogspot.com)