Few things have the typical flavor of arcades like the drakes of Bubble Bobble, few things move the soul of the average longtime gamer like the iconic Bubble Bobble main theme, few things seem as appetizing as the power ups that are released by our tender opponents upon their disappearance, after having traversed half a level inside of a bubble. Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, released these days on Nintendo Switch, tries to take these smells and flavors to bring them into modernity through an updated technical sector and a playful sector in step with the times.
The first chapter of Bubble Bobble, branded 1986, is one of the great masterpieces in the history of video games. Taito placed in the hands of the game designer Fukio Mitsuji the money needed to create a coin-op title that can fire a very interesting page of gaming for arcades. Bubble Bobble (the original) is a kind of single-screen run-gun in which the player, in the role of one of two cute little dragons, must capture enemies inside bubbles and then make them explode by eating fruit and obtaining power ups.
The original formula of Bubble Bobble, already very funny in single but practically perfect in cooperative play (thanks also to exclusive secrets), it made Taito create a considerable number of sequels (all repudiated by Mitsuji, known by fans by his arcade name MTJ) anchored quite firmly to the original formula. MTJ, after having found success with this title, ended up making two more spiritual than visual sequels to the title of the two dragons: Rainbow Island e Parasol Stars, and then devote himself to teaching game design at Japanese universities.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is the latest iteration of the brand, the first on new generation consoles and hides inside some surprises for nostalgics and fundamentalists. Al not particularly modest price of forty euros the title is aimed at a wide audience, made up of nostalgic gamers or gamers who are looking for a good video game to play in cooperative mode.
Let's see together if it's worth spending this money.
Anyone have four friends to play Bubble Bobble?
Let's be clear right away: Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is not a game that can be played with friends found on the internet; the title has no function for online multiplayer, skipping even the scoreboards. For inin games the multiplayer is local, suitable for evenings with friends and destined to make happy all those players who a little regret the shoulder-to-shoulder times of the arcade rooms; anachronistic choice that certainly may not please many.
The first approach with this new chapter of Bubble Bobble is not the best: at first glance the title presents the player with a quantity of content that is certainly not generous, with the original emulated Bubble Bobble and a few dozen new levels: a new story mode (complete with a plot that we will cherish later) with its twists and its peculiarities; something that can be completed in less than five hours and that, for the amount spent, really leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends also has an outline of the narrative on its side: in a child's bedroom, an almost toystoryesque setting so to speak, the toys seem to sleep blissfully. Super Drunk and Bub the Drake suddenly come to life, one the villain of the title and the other the good. In a boyish exchange of blows, the story of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends begins, introducing our favorite green dragon to the joys of the real world.
The title has since its fifty brand new levels, children of a different level design from that of the original series, that brings our green dragon around the child's room, in settings inspired by the child's games. Each level is a fixed screen that asks the player to eliminate the opponents by capturing them inside the usual bubbles, in order to make them then burst by passing over them. The bubbles follow the flow of the air current (this time highlighted on the screen) and can be used to jump and reach otherwise elevated positions. Between one bubble and the next, our dragon will be able to collect fruit and bonus letters, in order to accumulate points and get to the last stage where he will have to face a specific boss for a series of levels.
These new levels are organized like small puzzles, with obligatory paths to pass and patterns to execute to try to collect the spoils of all enemies with the least possible risks. Unlike the parent chapter the game speed has decreased, like the game balances given by the hitboxes and by the reactivity of the commands are also slightly different; shooting bubbles at point-blank range is difficult, controlling your jump is more complex and often and willingly you will find yourself confusing background elements with what are the real game platforms.
The difficulty will become selectable only after finishing the game once, giving vent to the same levels already faced with great differences in the positioning of the opponents. The enemies of the game, having different behaviors between them, will force the player to review their paths and their strategies in this regard. At the end of each world our little dragon will have access to permanent power that you can select before venturing into the series of levels; these powers are nothing more than transfigurations of what in the original Bubble Bobble were the power-ups dropped by enemies in particular conditions. We have increased attack range, thunder bubble and so on.
Where the game is at its best is in four-player co-op.
The game seems to be structured to be best enjoyed in company, with a strategic division of powers and a more reasoned approach to the puzzle elements of the whole: certain enemies knock down more simply with certain powers, certain situations are best dealt with with a character to make from bait and one to shoot bubbles. Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, in this case, with an almost iconoclastic perspective, wants to show another face, show an alternative version of the original gameplay of the title with successful things and less.
Bubbles all over the place.
While the nostalgic will always be able to give it a damn by taking advantage of the first Bubble Bobble, available immediately within the main menu of the game, the other players will be able to enjoy a Bubble Bobble which seems identical to what is known with variations on the theme. The emulation of the original is particularly well done, complete with slowdowns due to lag and with a multiplayer anchored to the two players (exactly like in the original chapter of the saga).
From a purely technical point of view Bubble Bobble 4 Friends boasts on its side the best three-dimensional representation of the saga: the graphic engine, simple and colorful, stages an entertaining theater without framerate clauses or similar problems, with the right responsiveness and quantity of details both on mobile consoles and on docked consoles. The title control system, practically unchanged from the original, sees support for HD Rumble (which we remember is not supported by the Nintendo Switch Lite) of the Nintendo Switch leaving aside motion sensors or fingers on the screen; the touch screen can only be used to navigate within the main menus of the title.
The five worlds of the title are inspired by childish themes and recall the imaginaries of analog games that everyone, during childhood, probably had in their own room: railways, building blocks and so on. The sound of the title remains fairly anonymous, with songs that fail to have the catchy touch of the original video game and that will have some trouble getting room in the player's head. For forty euros you will have in your hands a video game that smells of nostalgia and heresy at the same time, a curious mix that is certainly not suitable for all videogame palates.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is a particular video game. If on the one hand we only have to reject it for the value for money, on the other we cannot help but look at the product as an interesting possibility for the nostalgic or for those looking for a sofa party game with friends. The former will have the original Bubble Bobble on Switch, emulated in great detail while the others will have four different dragons to command in about fifty levels that are played differently from the original ones. Despite some gameplay problems, the title is still quite fun (especially in company) and it knows how to defend itself from absurd problems such as the total absence of online modes. Basically we are dealing with a video game dedicated to fans interested in variations on the theme, not looking for the indisputable masterpiece that was the title of MTJ.
