(Psst: why not listen to a track from the game's lush OST while reading this thread?)
In browsing older DS game recommendation threads on GAF (yes, I have too much time on my hands), one game I kept coming across was Soul Bubbles. I wasn't sure if it was my kind of thing, and--I wasn't really sure what exactly the game was. I knew it was some kind of bubble-based platform (?) puzzler, but I wasn't sure how arcade-y it was or if it was more level-based, and how much content it had to offer. I knew it was supposed to be good, though, and I knew it had this unusual and charming disclaimer:
The game was published by Eidos and made by developer Mekensleep, who I believe has not yet released any other games. Soul Bubbles came out in 2008 but call me an optimist, because I'd love to see more games from this developer, and I still hope we will.
This game is just terrifically designed, and elegantly simple. You play as a little spirit dude, and he's got some souls to herd. This is where the titular soul bubbles come in. You can create, split, and pop bubbles. If you're going for 100%, you want to bring all seven souls in each level to their destination. You'll want to grab every bit of stardust (think coins in a Mario game) and track down each hidden calabash (similar to a puzzle piece in a DKC game). There are dozens of levels, each of which takes a solid 6 to 30 minutes to fully complete. Average level is maybe 9 minutes or so, which means this is a great game to just pull out and play for a bit when you want a relaxing break.
Like the Mario games we all laud, what's great about this game is the sheer volume of ideas it throws at you without each new concept never overstaying its welcome. The game gradually throws new and more complex mechanics at you: wind to struggle against (you have a limited amount of breath to blow before losing steam for a moment), icy environs to limit your bubbles' gravity, gaseous emissions to sink and fall when encircled in a bubble, and much more.
One thing I absolutely loved about this game is the plethora of unusual settings you're taken to. Each has its own subtle spiritual tie, whether it be to Aboriginal lands or Tibetan mountaintops. These are new and different kinds of places for games to visit, and the relaxing OST and pitch-perfect touchscreen controls make you feel like a conductor with your stylus, harmonizing a metaphysical orchestra.
This is a relaxing game, but not a painfully easy one by any stretch. Completing the game in its entirety will require some thoughtful playing. I was tempted to consult a guide several times (I did end up checking one at the very end of the game for one particularly tricky calabash). It's not a stressful game by any means, so when you're faced with some of its more brutal challenges they feel suitably ultra hard, more than they might otherwise. On the whole, though, it's a breezy and whimsical escapist kind of game, the kind some kid will come across in a retro game store one day and think, oh hey, Soul Bubbles. This looks neat. Maybe I'll give it a shot. And if he does, he'll be playing one of the best games on the DS. So I recommend you give a shout to your own inner child, and pick up this game sometime for a jaunt into the spiritual world of Soul Bubbles.
P.S. the game is dirt cheap:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00161K9X0/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.gamestop.com/ds/games/soul-bubbles/77337
In browsing older DS game recommendation threads on GAF (yes, I have too much time on my hands), one game I kept coming across was Soul Bubbles. I wasn't sure if it was my kind of thing, and--I wasn't really sure what exactly the game was. I knew it was some kind of bubble-based platform (?) puzzler, but I wasn't sure how arcade-y it was or if it was more level-based, and how much content it had to offer. I knew it was supposed to be good, though, and I knew it had this unusual and charming disclaimer:
The game was published by Eidos and made by developer Mekensleep, who I believe has not yet released any other games. Soul Bubbles came out in 2008 but call me an optimist, because I'd love to see more games from this developer, and I still hope we will.
This game is just terrifically designed, and elegantly simple. You play as a little spirit dude, and he's got some souls to herd. This is where the titular soul bubbles come in. You can create, split, and pop bubbles. If you're going for 100%, you want to bring all seven souls in each level to their destination. You'll want to grab every bit of stardust (think coins in a Mario game) and track down each hidden calabash (similar to a puzzle piece in a DKC game). There are dozens of levels, each of which takes a solid 6 to 30 minutes to fully complete. Average level is maybe 9 minutes or so, which means this is a great game to just pull out and play for a bit when you want a relaxing break.
Like the Mario games we all laud, what's great about this game is the sheer volume of ideas it throws at you without each new concept never overstaying its welcome. The game gradually throws new and more complex mechanics at you: wind to struggle against (you have a limited amount of breath to blow before losing steam for a moment), icy environs to limit your bubbles' gravity, gaseous emissions to sink and fall when encircled in a bubble, and much more.
One thing I absolutely loved about this game is the plethora of unusual settings you're taken to. Each has its own subtle spiritual tie, whether it be to Aboriginal lands or Tibetan mountaintops. These are new and different kinds of places for games to visit, and the relaxing OST and pitch-perfect touchscreen controls make you feel like a conductor with your stylus, harmonizing a metaphysical orchestra.
This is a relaxing game, but not a painfully easy one by any stretch. Completing the game in its entirety will require some thoughtful playing. I was tempted to consult a guide several times (I did end up checking one at the very end of the game for one particularly tricky calabash). It's not a stressful game by any means, so when you're faced with some of its more brutal challenges they feel suitably ultra hard, more than they might otherwise. On the whole, though, it's a breezy and whimsical escapist kind of game, the kind some kid will come across in a retro game store one day and think, oh hey, Soul Bubbles. This looks neat. Maybe I'll give it a shot. And if he does, he'll be playing one of the best games on the DS. So I recommend you give a shout to your own inner child, and pick up this game sometime for a jaunt into the spiritual world of Soul Bubbles.
P.S. the game is dirt cheap:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00161K9X0/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.gamestop.com/ds/games/soul-bubbles/77337
