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Bubble Bobble 'genre'
- Thread starter dock
- Start date
Simplifying the genre to 'single-screen platformer' includes some quite vastly different games. Donkey Kong is a single-screen platformer. So is Chuckie Egg, so is Manic Miner. I think it's fair to say that those games are a long way away from Bubble Bobble.
I think the key points of the genre we're discussing are as follows:
* Platforms to jump between. However, platforming ability is not the principal skill involved.
* A number of enemies, all of which must be defeated to progress (barring special cases like the umbrella warps)
* Item collection is purely for bonus points and power-ups, not for progression.
I think the key points of the genre we're discussing are as follows:
* Platforms to jump between. However, platforming ability is not the principal skill involved.
* A number of enemies, all of which must be defeated to progress (barring special cases like the umbrella warps)
* Item collection is purely for bonus points and power-ups, not for progression.
Yeah, this is a pretty good. Beating all the enemies is always the solution for this genre.mclem said:
I would say that simultaneous two-player co-op is an important part of this genre too, and the inclusion of such really nails down the gameplay to specific criteria. The drop-in drop-out multiplayer nature is actually very accessible and relevant for modern games, as seen in Lego Star Wars and its ilk.
Unfortunately, the Turbo Grafix is nigh on impossible to find and own cheap in the UK, I don't even remember it being released here although apparently it was. Mega Drive or SNES ports would have been preferred for myself. Parasol Stars was actually my introduction to the Bubble Bobble series (I got the other two on the Saturn some years later) so it holds a special place in my heart. Plus there's nothing quite like beating the shite out of creatures with umbrellas. Same goes for Rodland; cute graphics yet very violent.dock UK said:
Here's a few more suggestions to add to your list: Joe & Mac Returns, Funky Jet, and Jump Kids.
Those criteria are good; they filter out a few significant but atypical single-screen co-op platformers: Wrecking Crew, Rampage, Pipi and Bibis, Berlin Wall, Bomb Jack Twin, Super Burger Time (which also has some scrolling levels), and the Pang series (which are more like gallery shooters than platformers).
Good point. I'd include Joust and Mario Bros. (which was inspired by Joust) as prototypes of the genre because they included some of the most basic Bubble Bobble mechanics. Single-screen, co-op platforming. Eliminate each wave of baddies to go to the next round. You can immobilize your enemy with an attack, but make sure you "finish the job", or else it will come back stronger, madder, and palette-swapped. The pterodactyl/the fireball/Baron von Blubba punishes slowpokes to keep playtime short and earn more money for the proprietor of the video arcade. Mario Bros. added more conventional run-and-jump platforming, basic item collection (coins), bonus rounds (coins again), and a few different enemy types to the mix. Unlike Joust and Mario Bros., though, games in the Bubble Bobble style are much more heavily skewed toward enouraging cooperation rather than competition. Bubble Bobble and its successors are adventure-themed games with varying stages (Joust's platforms just disappear, and the ones in Mario Bros. can get icy), many different enemies, lots of items to increase your score, powerups galore, boss battles, secrets hidden throughout the levels, and a goal at the end of the game to reach.
mclem said:
Those criteria are good; they filter out a few significant but atypical single-screen co-op platformers: Wrecking Crew, Rampage, Pipi and Bibis, Berlin Wall, Bomb Jack Twin, Super Burger Time (which also has some scrolling levels), and the Pang series (which are more like gallery shooters than platformers).
maxmars said:
Good point. I'd include Joust and Mario Bros. (which was inspired by Joust) as prototypes of the genre because they included some of the most basic Bubble Bobble mechanics. Single-screen, co-op platforming. Eliminate each wave of baddies to go to the next round. You can immobilize your enemy with an attack, but make sure you "finish the job", or else it will come back stronger, madder, and palette-swapped. The pterodactyl/the fireball/Baron von Blubba punishes slowpokes to keep playtime short and earn more money for the proprietor of the video arcade. Mario Bros. added more conventional run-and-jump platforming, basic item collection (coins), bonus rounds (coins again), and a few different enemy types to the mix. Unlike Joust and Mario Bros., though, games in the Bubble Bobble style are much more heavily skewed toward enouraging cooperation rather than competition. Bubble Bobble and its successors are adventure-themed games with varying stages (Joust's platforms just disappear, and the ones in Mario Bros. can get icy), many different enemies, lots of items to increase your score, powerups galore, boss battles, secrets hidden throughout the levels, and a goal at the end of the game to reach.
This is a pretty important part of what makes Bubble Bobble great, in my opinion. Immobolising an enemy is one thing, but having to follow up and finish the job makes the task far more interesting, and it makes it impossible to sit back and let rip with attacks. The moments in Bubble Bobble where you pick up 'fireball' attack are actually pretty boring, and only exciting because of the short time period. It also encourages co-operative play, in that one person can 'trap' the enemy and the other can help out by finishing it off.m00 said:
Parallax Scroll
Banned
I'm not aware of any that are 4 player, but I think it could be done.dock UK said:
According to KLOV, Snow Bros. 2 - With New Elves supports 4 simultaneous players.dock UK said:
The original Bubble Bobble has always been my favorite arcade game. As a kid our family used to go on vacation camping all the time. Like every Summer. Pretty much every arcade at those campgrounds would have the game back in the day. (Along with other classics like "R-Type" and the "Fun House" pinball game.) Man, if I was as much a gamer then as I am now I'd probably spend a buttload of money back then.
Thankfully the PlayStation (Original) version of Bubble Bobble includes the only faithful arcade emulation ever. All other clones (Including the NES version) can suck it. It's the only reason I keep my PS2 out. It even has a cheat mode for entering "Dip Switch" cheats for lives and level select.
Thankfully the PlayStation (Original) version of Bubble Bobble includes the only faithful arcade emulation ever. All other clones (Including the NES version) can suck it. It's the only reason I keep my PS2 out. It even has a cheat mode for entering "Dip Switch" cheats for lives and level select.
The saturn and PSone versions are great, it's true.Jasoco said:
I'm pretty sure that I read somewhere that the Acclaim versions are actually based on the Atari ST version of Bubble Bobble (but using arcade graphics), because Taito had lost the source code for the original version.