Bust A Move Game
Puzzle Bobble,[b] internationally known as Bust-a-Move, is a 1994 tile-matching puzzle arcade game developed and published by Taito. It is based on the 1986 arcade game Bubble Bobble, featuring characters and themes from that game. Its characteristically cute Japanese animation and music, along with its play mechanics and level designs, made it successful as an arcade title and spawned several sequels and ports to home gaming systems.
Bust A Move Game
Two different versions of the original game were released. Puzzle Bobble was originally released in Japan only in June 1994 by Taito, running on Taito B System hardware (with the preliminary title "Bubble Buster"). Then, 6 months later in December, the international Neo Geo version of Puzzle Bobble was released. It was almost identical aside from being in stereo and having some different sound effects and translated text.
In Japan, Game Machine listed the Neo Geo version of Puzzle Bobble on their February 15, 1995 issue as being the second most-popular arcade game at the time.[7] It went on to become Japan's second highest-grossing arcade printed circuit board (PCB) software of 1995, below Virtua Fighter 2.[8] In North America, RePlay reported the Neo Geo version of Puzzle Bobble to be the fourth most-popular arcade game in February 1995.[9]
Reviewing the Super NES version, Mike Weigand of Electronic Gaming Monthly called it "a thoroughly enjoyable and incredibly addicting puzzle game". He considered the two player mode the highlight, but also said that the one player mode provides a solid challenge.[3] GamePro gave it a generally negative review, saying it "starts out fun but ultimately lacks intricacy and longevity." They elaborated that in one player mode all the levels feel the same, and that two player matches are over too quickly to build up any excitement. They also criticized the lack of any 3D effects in the graphics.[10] Next Generation reviewed the SNES version of the game, and stated that "It's very simple, using only the control pad and one button to fire, and it's addictive as hell."[4]
A reviewer for Next Generation, while questioning the continued viability of the action puzzle genre, admitted that the game is "very simple and very addictive". He remarked that though the 3DO version makes no significant additions, none are called for by a game with such simple enjoyment.[5] GamePro's brief review of the 3DO version commented, "The move-and-shoot controls are very responsive and the simple visuals and music are well done. This is one puzzler that isn't a bust."[11] Edge magazine ranked the game 73rd on their 100 Best Video Games in 2007.[12] IGN rated the SNES version 54th in its Top 100 SNES Games.[13]
The simplicity of the concept has led to many clones, both commercial and otherwise. 1996's Snood replaced the bubbles with small creatures and has been successful in its own right. Worms Blast was Team 17's take on the concept. On September 24, 2000, British game publisher Empire Interactive released a similar game, Spin Jam, for the original PlayStation console. Mobile clones include Bubble Witch Saga and Bubble Shooter. Frozen Bubble is a free software clone. For Bubble Bobble's 35th anniversary, Taito launched Puzzle Bobble VR: Vacation Odyssey on the Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2,[14] later coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 as Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey in 2021.[15]
On August 25, 2022, a new game titled Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! was announced for Nintendo Switch, scheduled for a release on May 23, 2023.[16][17] The game will also come with an extra mode called "Puzzle Bobble vs. Space Invaders", where up to four players can work together to erase bubble-encased invaders before they reach the player while only being able to aim straight up.[18]
Bust-A-Move (Also known as Puzzle Bobble in Japan) Is a series of tile-matching puzzle games that serves as the spin-off of the Bubble Bobble series. The first game in the series is Puzzle Bobble. The series has been known to have many, many imitations.
Play Bust-A-Move online on bubbleshooter.net, Bust a move is released in 1994 and created by Taito. It was a popular game in arcade's and does have a very familiar soundtrack. It is since then release to different game consoles. It was first released on NeoGeo, featured stereo music.The goal is to complete all levels of Bust a move, this is fairly challenging, most levels are easy but some levels are very hard. Like level 9, most players don't go behind that level because of it's difficulty. A side goal is to score as many points as possible, there are huge gaming contests based on scoring the most points possible in bust a move. A popped bubble is worth 10 points, but dropped bubbles (Bubbles that are hanging only on the bobbles you pop) are worth more points. This score multiplies, the seconds hanging bobble is 20 points, the next 40, after that 80, 160 and so on. If you pop 17 bobbles you earn more then 1.300.000 points.Bust a move screenshotsBust A Move title screen.The version that is in most arcades.The original bust a move featured an multiplayer game mode. It is one vs one, you must score as much points as possible before you are game over.Bust A Move VideoThis is a gameplay video where you can see us play bust a move, it features basic gameplay and a few levels.
Fire colored bubbles and match them up three in a row in Bust A Move.Imitated countless times and spurring numerous sequels and spin-offs, Bust-a-Move features simple action puzzle gameplay: You must link three or more identical bubbles to clear them from the screen. The game features the adorable cartoon character dinosaur Bub, who mans a catapult that launches colored balls in the direction of the play field. Players can use techniques like banking shots off walls and erasing several bubbles at once to win.
An exponential scoring system is used, leading to large rewards for removing many bubbles at once. As the game proceeds, the top of the playing arena, and all the bubbles, move down the screen after a certain number of bubbles has been fired. The player must remove every bubbles from the arena before any pass a line at the bottom of the arena. Bubbles will fire automatically if the player remains idle.
One or two players can play the game. In the single-player puzzle game, the goal is simply to clear the arena of bubbles. The two player game pits two players against each other. Both players have an arena each (both visible on screen) and an identical arrangement of colored bubbles in each arena. When a player removes a large group (four bubbles or more) some of those removed are transferred to the opponent's arena, usually frustrating his efforts at trying to remove all the bubbles from the arena. In some versions, the two player game can also be played by one player against a computer opponent.
As well as typically cute Japanese animation (the characters from Bubble Bobble operate the cannon) and music, the game's mechanics and level design were beautifully balanced, and the game was terrifically successful at the arcades, spawning several sequels. Some animations of Bub and Bob are based on the original Bubble Bobble arcade game, except Bub and Bob are larger than they were in Bubble Bobble. (Their signs are the same size.) This note only applies to inserting coins in the middle of the game (if a dip switch was set to have "intrude play" enabled), as well as losing a game.
As far as puzzle games go, the Puzzle Bobble series (known as Bust A Move in the West) is one of the most influential. These games introduced a new genre of puzzlers universally understood among casual and seasoned gamers alike: the bubble shooter.
After more than twenty-five years, the series is still going and launched its first VR title. So, we thought it would be fun to look back at our favorite games in the series. While we could not cover every Puzzle Bobble, we did manage to rank the series' mainline console releases from best to worst.
Puzzle Bobble Bash! was launched on the Wii when the series was struggling to innovate itself, and it shows. Incorporating motion controls into a bubble shooting game makes sense on paper. But unfortunately, this game's execution of this mechanic was flawed.
Even when played without motion controls, Puzzle Bobble Bash feels like a Puzzle Bobble knock-off. For instance, the bubbles' new design deviated from the Bubble Bobble-inspired orbs that the game is known for, opting for a blander look. Furthermore, the bubble shooter has a limited range of motion, making aiming feel like a chore. In short, this game was a misstep for the series.
Puzzle Bobble was the game that started it all. Well, Bubble Bobble was the game that started it all. After all, the series is a spin-off from Taito's Bubble Bobble. However, Puzzle Bobble is the first bubble-shooting puzzle game of its kind. Furthermore, its arcade cabinet was the second-highest-grossing in Japan upon its launch.
However, Puzzle Bobble 2 also had plenty of localization issues. The North American and Japanese arcade versions were dramatically different, with the NA version cutting down many of the stylistic touches that connected the series to Bubble Bobble in the first place. Furthermore, the console port of Bust A Move 2 had one of the most disturbing pieces of cover art in video game history.
As we mentioned earlier, Puzzle Bobble experienced a rough drought in the late 2000s into the 2010s. However, while Puzzle Bobble Bash was a flop on the Wii, the console's second Puzzle Bobble entry, Plus, was considerably better. The game also got ported on Xbox360 under the title Puzzle Bobble Live. 041b061a72