Puzzle Bobble
Encyclopedia
, also known as Bust-a-Move, is a 1994 arcade
puzzle game
(for 1 or 2 players) created by Taito Corporation
, based on Taito's popular 1986 arcade game Bubble Bobble
, featuring characters and themes from the original. The game's 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.
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.
When set to the US region the Neo-Geo version would display the alternative title "Bust a Move" and feature anti-drugs and anti-littering messages in the title sequence. The Bust-a-Move title was used for all subsequent games in the series in the United States
and Canada
, as well as for some (non-Taito published) console releases in Europe
.
The fired bubbles travel in straight lines (possibly bouncing off the side walls of the arena), stopping when they touch other bubbles or reach the top of the arena. If a bubble touches identically-colored bubbles, forming a group of three or more, those bubbles—as well as any bubbles hanging from them—are removed from the field of play, and points are awarded.
After every few shots, the "ceiling" of the playing arena drops downwards slightly, along with all the bubbles stuck to it. The number of shots between each drop of the ceiling is influenced by the number of bubble colors remaining. The closer the bubbles get to the bottom of the screen, the faster the music plays and if they cross the line at the bottom then the player dies and the game is over.
The objective of the game is to clear all the bubbles from the arena without dying. Bubbles will fire automatically if the player remains idle. After clearing the arena, the next round begins with a new pattern of bubbles to clear.
"Popped" bubbles (that is, bubbles of the same color which disappear) are worth 10 points each. However, dropped bubbles (that is, bubbles that were hanging from popped bubbles), are worth far more: one dropped bubble scores 20 points; two score 40; three score 80. This figure continues doubling for each bubble dropped, up to 17 or more bubbles which scores 1,310,720 points. It is possible to achieve this maximum on most rounds (sometimes twice or more), resulting in a potential total score of 30 million and beyond.
Bonus points are also awarded for completing a round quickly. The maximum 50,000-point bonus is awarded for clearing a round in 5 seconds or less; this bonus then drops down to zero over the next minute, after which no bonus is awarded.
The two dinosaurs operating the pointer are called Bub and Bob (or Bubblun and Bobblun in Japan). Their graphics and animation are based directly on the original Bubble Bobble, only larger (very similar to Bubble Symphony
which was released less than a month later). Less obvious is the fact that Puzzle Bobble also features all the enemies from Bubble Bobble, which are trapped inside the bubbles and fly out when the bubbles pop. Inspecting the bubbles closely, one can see the enemies twitching inside the bubbles.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
puzzle game
Computer puzzle game
Puzzle video games are a genre of video games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles to be solved can test many problem solving skills including logic, strategy, pattern recognition, sequence solving, and word completion....
(for 1 or 2 players) created by Taito Corporation
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
, based on Taito's popular 1986 arcade game Bubble Bobble
Bubble Bobble
is an arcade game by Taito, first released in 1986 and later ported to numerous home computers and game consoles. The game, starring the twin Bubble Dragons and , is an action-platform game in which players travel through one hundred different stages, blowing and bursting bubbles, avoiding...
, featuring characters and themes from the original. The game's characteristically "cute"
Cuteness in Japanese culture
Since the 1970s, cuteness, in Japanese the noun , has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, behavior, and mannerisms...
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.
Versions
Two different versions of the original game were released. Puzzle Bobble was originally released in Japan only in June 1994 by Taito Corporation, running on Taito's B SystemTaito B System
-Specifications:* CPU: MC68000* Sound CPU: Z80* Sound Chip: YM2610, YM2610B or YM2203* Custom Chips: TC0220IOC, TC0260DAR, TC0180VCU, and TC0140SYT* Video resoution: 320x224...
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
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
and having some different sound effects and translated text.
When set to the US region the Neo-Geo version would display the alternative title "Bust a Move" and feature anti-drugs and anti-littering messages in the title sequence. The Bust-a-Move title was used for all subsequent games in the series in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, as well as for some (non-Taito published) console releases in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Gameplay
At the start of each round, the rectangular playing arena contains a prearranged pattern of coloured "bubbles". (These are actually referred to in the translation as "balls"; however, they were clearly intended to be bubbles, since they pop, and are taken from Bubble Bobble.) At the bottom of the screen, the player controls a device called a "pointer", which aims and fires bubbles up the screen. The colour of bubbles fired is randomly generated and chosen from the colors of bubbles still left on the screen.The fired bubbles travel in straight lines (possibly bouncing off the side walls of the arena), stopping when they touch other bubbles or reach the top of the arena. If a bubble touches identically-colored bubbles, forming a group of three or more, those bubbles—as well as any bubbles hanging from them—are removed from the field of play, and points are awarded.
After every few shots, the "ceiling" of the playing arena drops downwards slightly, along with all the bubbles stuck to it. The number of shots between each drop of the ceiling is influenced by the number of bubble colors remaining. The closer the bubbles get to the bottom of the screen, the faster the music plays and if they cross the line at the bottom then the player dies and the game is over.
The objective of the game is to clear all the bubbles from the arena without dying. Bubbles will fire automatically if the player remains idle. After clearing the arena, the next round begins with a new pattern of bubbles to clear.
Scoring system
As with many popular arcade games, experienced players (who can complete the game relatively easily) become much more interested in the secondary challenge of obtaining a high score (which involves a lot more skill and strategy). Puzzle Bobble caters to this interest very well, featuring an exponential scoring system which allows extremely high scores to be achieved."Popped" bubbles (that is, bubbles of the same color which disappear) are worth 10 points each. However, dropped bubbles (that is, bubbles that were hanging from popped bubbles), are worth far more: one dropped bubble scores 20 points; two score 40; three score 80. This figure continues doubling for each bubble dropped, up to 17 or more bubbles which scores 1,310,720 points. It is possible to achieve this maximum on most rounds (sometimes twice or more), resulting in a potential total score of 30 million and beyond.
Bonus points are also awarded for completing a round quickly. The maximum 50,000-point bonus is awarded for clearing a round in 5 seconds or less; this bonus then drops down to zero over the next minute, after which no bonus is awarded.
Two player mode
There are no rounds in the two player game. 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 delaying their efforts to remove all the bubbles from their individual arena. In some versions, the two player game can also be played by one player against a computer opponent.Connections with Bubble Bobble
The characters and theme of the game are based on the 1986 platform arcade game Bubble Bobble. A remix of the original Bubble Bobble music is played in the game's end credits.The two dinosaurs operating the pointer are called Bub and Bob (or Bubblun and Bobblun in Japan). Their graphics and animation are based directly on the original Bubble Bobble, only larger (very similar to Bubble Symphony
Bubble Symphony
Bubble Symphony is an arcade video game in the Bubble Bobble series. While being a new Bubble Bobble for a new generation, in actuality it takes place after Parasol Stars....
which was released less than a month later). Less obvious is the fact that Puzzle Bobble also features all the enemies from Bubble Bobble, which are trapped inside the bubbles and fly out when the bubbles pop. Inspecting the bubbles closely, one can see the enemies twitching inside the bubbles.
| Bubble color | Enemy | Japanese name |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Super Socket | Invader |
| Yellow | Hullaballoon (a.k.a. Boaboa) | Pulpul |
| Green | Willy Whistle (a.k.a. Bonner) | Drunk |
| Blue | Bubble Buster (a.k.a. Benzo) | Zen-Chan |
| Purple | Beluga (a.k.a. Blubba) | Monsta |
| Orange | Coiley (a.k.a. Bonnie-bo) | Banebou |
| Black | Incendo | Hidegonsu |
| White | Stoner (a.k.a. Boris) | Mighta |
Game series
- Puzzle Bobble (a.k.a. Bust-a-Move) – 1994
- Puzzle Bobble 2Puzzle Bobble 2Puzzle Bobble 2 is the first sequel to "Puzzle Bobble" , It was entitled in Europe and North America as Bust-A-Move Again on the arcarde and Bust-A-Move 2 on the home consoles. Released into the arcades in 1995, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64 and PC conversions followed...
(a.k.a. Bust-a-Move 2 in Europe, Bust-a-Move Again in North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
) – 1995 - Puzzle Bobble 2XPuzzle Bobble 2Puzzle Bobble 2 is the first sequel to "Puzzle Bobble" , It was entitled in Europe and North America as Bust-A-Move Again on the arcarde and Bust-A-Move 2 on the home consoles. Released into the arcades in 1995, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64 and PC conversions followed...
(with holiday-themed attract mode animations and a special mode with new levels) – 1995 - Puzzle Bobble 3Puzzle Bobble 3Puzzle Bobble 3 is the second sequel to Puzzle Bobble. It was released into arcades in 1996 and later ported to the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy, Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows. It would be the final appearance of Puzzle Bobble on the Sega Saturn...
(a.k.a. Bust-a-Move 3 in Europe, Bust-a-Move '99 in North America) – 1996 - Puzzle Bobble 4Puzzle Bobble 4Puzzle Bobble 4 is the third sequel to the video game Puzzle Bobble and is the final appearance of the series on the Arcade, PlayStation and Dreamcast...
(a.k.a. Bust-a-Move 4) – 1997 - Puzzle Bobble MiniBust-A-Move PocketBust-A-Move Pocket is a Neo Geo Pocket Color version of the Bust-A-Move series of puzzle games. It was released on the Neo Geo Pocket Color by Taito in 1999....
(on Neo Geo Pocket ColorNeo Geo Pocket ColorThe Neo Geo Pocket Color , is a 16-bit colour handheld game console by SNK. It was the last console they produced in the Neo Geo family...
) – 1999 - Super Puzzle BobbleSuper Puzzle BobbleSuper Puzzle Bobble, also released as Super Bust-A-Move in Europe and North America, is a puzzle game developed by Taito Corporation, and released on November 26, 2000 by Acclaim Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 and PC . It was later ported to the Game Boy Advance on November 27, 2001...
(a.k.a. Super Bust-a-Move) – 1999 - Azumanga Puzzle Daioh (Spin-off based on the characters of Azumanga DaiohAzumanga Daiohis a Japanese comedy manga by Kiyohiko Azuma. It was serialized by MediaWorks in the shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh from 1999 to 2002 and collected in four bound volumes...
, Arcade) - 2001 - Super Puzzle Bobble 2 (a.k.a. Super Bust-a-Move 2) – 2002
- Super Puzzle Bobble All-Stars (a.k.a. Super Bust-a-Move All Stars in Europe, Bust-a-Move 3000 in North America) – 2003
- Puzzle Bobble Mobile (on various mobile devices) – 2003
- Puzzle Bobble VS (on Nokia N-Gage) – 2003
- Bust-a-Move Deluxe (on PlayStation PortablePlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
) – 2004 - Ultra Bust-a-Move (on Xbox) – 2004 in US, 2005 in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- Puzzle Bobble DS – 2005
- Hippatte!! Puzzle BobbleBust-a-Move DSBust-a-Move DS, known as Hippatte Puzzle Bobble in Japan, is a puzzle video game developed by Happy Happening and published by Majesco Games for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console....
(a.k.a. Bust-a-Move DS) – 2006 - Ultra Puzzle Bobble Pocket (a.k.a. Bust-a-Move Deluxe in US, Bust-a-Move Ghost in Europe) – (on PlayStation Portable) – 2006
- Bust-A-Move Bash! (on Wii) – 2007
- Bust-a-Move Online – 2007
- Bust-a-Move Mobile! (on Mobile Phones) – 2008
- Space Puzzle BobbleSpace Bust-A-MoveSpace Bust-A-Move is a puzzle video game developed by Lancarse and published by Taito for the Nintendo DS. It was first released in Japan under the title Space Puzzle Bobble on December 18, 2008, It was later released in North America under the title Space Bust-A-Move on July 28, 2009, and in...
(aka Space Bust-a-Move in North America, Puzzle Bobble Galaxy in Europe) (Nintendo DS) - 2008 - Puzzle Bobble Plus!Puzzle Bobble Plus!Puzzle Bobble Plus! is a video game developed by Taito for WiiWare. It is the latest entry in the Puzzle Bobble series...
(a.k.a. Bust-A-Move Plus!) (on WiiWareWiiWareWiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
) - 2009 - Puzzle Bobble Live (Xbox Live Arcade) – 2009
- Puzzle Bobble (a.k.a. Bust-A-Move) (iOS) - 2009
- Puzzle Bobble 3DBust-a-Move Universe, also known as Puzzle Bobble Universe, is a puzzle video game developed by Arika and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in Japan as a launch title on February 26, 2011, and was released in North America on March 27th.-Gameplay:...
(a.k.a. Bust-a-Move Universe) (Nintendo 3DSNintendo 3DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
) - 2011 - New Puzzle Bobble (a.k.a. New Bust-A-Move) (iOS) - February 4, 2011
- Puzzle Bobble Online (with Neowiz GamesNeowiz GamesNeowiz Games is an online game publisher in South Korea, with its own game portal, Pmang, publishing and servicing 41 diverse games of various genres, from sport to web board games....
) - 2011
Clones
Many popular clones of Puzzle Bobble have been produced, including:- Frozen BubbleFrozen BubbleFrozen Bubble is a free software Puzzle Bobble style computer game which is available on several operating systems including Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, the Symbian Series 60, Windows Phone 7 and Android line of smartphones...
- SnoodSnood (video game)Snood is a puzzle video game created in 1996 by David M. Dobson. Today, versions exist for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, Palm OS, and other systems, including unofficially on the TI-83 and TI-84 calculators....
- Bubble ShooterBubble ShooterBubble Shooter is a puzzle-shooter computer game originally developed for Microsoft Windows by Absolutist Games in 2000. A clone of Puzzle Bobble, it combines the features of puzzle, shooter, strategy and action games...
- Squirrel Bobble for the ViiViiJungle Soft's Sport Vii is a video game console similar in aspect to Nintendo's Wii. Originally released in China in 2007, according to Engadget China the console used to sell for 1,280 Yuan ; as of 2009 the Vii sells for a substantially lower price at 443 Yuan The Vii is not a competitive...