Bubble Bobble review - Sega Master System

It's not an easy life, y'know. Take Bub and Bob, for example. One minute, they're their normal selves, the next they're bubble-blowing dinosaurs! Who could have performed this dastardly deed? Only the not-very-nice Baron von Blubba, that's who. To regain their human forms, the two dayglo dinos have to travel through 100 levels of madcap action, then confront and destroy the Baron himself!

The is by no means an easy task, though, as the Baron has his hordes of minions waiting to dispose of any bronto that might get too big for its bubbles, and each has its own way of dishing out the devastation.

The bad guys don't have it all their own way, however - they can be blatted by blowing a bubble at 'em, then butting the bubbled beastie (try saying that after a few barrels of Old Flatulence Bitter)!

As the dinos progress through the game, the screens get tougher and tougher, and the enemies increase in speed and intelligence. So you'd better give your bubble-fingers a work-out!

What the Mean Machines staff thought

Bubble Bobble may be about a million years old, but there must be something in it because Sega have finally chosen to convert it to the Master System. The graphics are quite jolly, although there is some horrendous sprite flicker near the top of the screen when there's a lot going. Sound is likewise funsome, with a faithful rendition of the original candy-floss theme tune. Following this trend of arcade-perfection, the gameplay has also been faithfully retained. The whole thing is a veritable bubble fest, with loads of jumping, cobbing and general bubble excitement for the taking, and even the fact that it has infinite continues doesn't stop it from being a fun-filled feast.

Featuring weirdo action, supercute sprites and maniacally addictive gameplay, Bubble Bobble is one of those classic arcade games which never seems to lose its appeal. This conversion is great to play, and features a beautifully graded difficulty level which starts out easy and just gets tougher and tougher - some of the later levels are incredibly hard, especially when you lose lose your power-ups! And if that's not enough, the simultaneous two-player action of the original has also been included, which adds even more to the lasting appeal! If you're looking for a brilliant game that'll keep you entertained for months, look no further than this.

Have your say about this review

michael larkin - 22 Aug 2010, 01:11 GMT

this one is literally made for 2 player gaming, and man does it deliver!! i first played this game at the local chip shop in tahmoor in '87 and havent looked back. top conversion despite some sprite flicker and occasional slowdown. 6.5/10

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