Bubbler is a ZX Spectrum

ZX Spectrum

The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...

 video game developed and published by Ultimate Play The Game

Ultimate Play the Game

Ultimate Play The Game was a critically acclaimed video game developer of the early home computer era. "Ultimate Play The Game" was the trading name of Ashby Computers & Graphics Ltd. , a software company founded in 1982 by two ex-arcade game developers Tim and Chris Stamper...

 in 1987. Although it uses isometric projection

Isometric projection

Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...

, as with Ultimate's second-generation isometric releases such as Nightshade

Nightshade (video game)

Nightshade is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1985. Building upon the earlier titles Knight Lore and Alien 8 using the flip-screen, isometric gameplay branded Filmation, Nightshade introduces a scrolling isometric environment branded Filmation II.-...

and Gunfright

Gunfright

Gunfright is a ZX Spectrum video game developed by Ultimate Play The Game for U.S. Gold in 1986. The game makes use of the same scrolling isometric projection engine used previously in Nightshade. The player takes the role of sheriff in the town of Black Rock. Some outlaws are headed into town...

, Bubbler used a scrolling

Scrolling

In computer graphics, filmmaking, television production, and other kinetic displays, scrolling is sliding text, images or video across a monitor or display. "Scrolling", as such, does not change the layout of the text or pictures, or but incrementally moves the user's view across what is...

 display rather than the flip-screen

Flip-screen

In video games, flip-screen is a principle whereby the playing environment is divided into single-screen portions...

 of earlier titles such as Knight Lore

Knight Lore

Knight Lore is a computer game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1984. The game is the third in the Sabreman series, following on from his adventures in Sabre Wulf and Underwurlde. Unlike the earlier games in the series it used Ultimate's filmation engine to achieve a 3D look...

and Alien 8

Alien 8

Alien 8 is a ZX Spectrum video game. It was written by Tim Stamper and Chris Stamper of Ultimate Play The Game, and was released by the company in 1985. The game was also ported to the BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC and MSX platforms. It is the follow-up to Ultimate's Knight Lore, which had been released...

.

As with the contemporary Ultimate title Martianoids

Martianoids

Martianoids is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and published by Ultimate Play The Game in 1987. Although it uses isometric projection, as with Ultimate's second-generation isometric releases such as Nightshade and Gunfright, Martianoids used a scrolling display rather than the flip-screen of...

, Bubbler was not written by the partnership of Tim Stamper and Chris Stamper. It was instead programmed by a team at U.S. Gold

U.S. Gold

U.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:...

, and was therefore an Ultimate game in name only. It was Ultimate's final title for 8-bit home computers. In 1988 the company became Rare Ltd

Rare (video game company)

Rare Ltd. is a British video game developer located in Twycross, Leicestershire. The organization was founded in 1982 by brothers Tim and Chris Stamper as a company called Ashby Computers and Graphics Ltd. and published games under the name Ultimate Play the Game. They developed games for 8-bit...

, embarking on a long-running partnership with Nintendo

Nintendo

is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....

 to develop console games.

Introduction

Typically for an Ultimate release, players are given a tantalising and cryptic introduction :

"After a hundred years or more, you discover that VADRA's assistant, a lesser wizard called KINTOR who had helped VADRA to overthrow IRKON, has now been imprisoned. KINTOR's power was increasing and would soon be equal to that of VADRA and VADRA feared this as KINTOR was becoming sympathetic to the plight of the IRKON people. Before his powers became too great, VADRA encapsulated KINTOR in a sphere of energy which slowly drained his life force, and then condemned him to a dungeon.

Before KINTOR became completely powerless he endowed you with the ability to move and fire globules of energy which will destroy any living entity in its path, so that you can escape from the prison with vital information on how to destroy VADRA. As VADRA's power is gradually diminished, KINTOR's power is thus rejuvenated, giving you extra time to complete your mighty task.

The corks have been hidden under trapdoors which you must pass through, but beware, some of the trapdoors emerge over the black void of the prison floor which will kill you. VADRA's spellbound followers, the guardians of the prison, can also pass through these trapdoors but only you know how to pick up the magic corks. Beware of other dangers in VADRA's prison, as your now formless body is delicate and is easily pierced by sharp objects.

If you can cork all the BUBBLERS in the prison you will escape and the knowledge that KINTOR has given you will destroy VADRA.

CAN YOU CORK THE BUBBLER?"

Images

External links

• Bubbler at Ultimate Wurlde
• Bubbler review at CRASH magazine
  CRASH (magazine)
  Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
  
  
• unreleased Bubbler for Commodore 64