Bubble Bobble Revolution
A poorly received DS remake with a game-breaking bug.
Bubble Bobble Revolution is a 2D platform game for the Nintendo DS, developed by Dreams and released by Taito in Japan in late 2005. It received strongly negative reception due to poor graphics, level design, and a major software bug in the North American version that prevented completion.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Dreams
- Publisher
- Taito (JP)
- Rising Star Games (EU)
- Codemasters (NA)
- Series
- Bubble Bobble
- Platforms
- Nintendo DS
- Released
- 24 November 2005 (JP)
- 2 December 2005 (EU)
- 3 October 2006 (NA)
- Genre
- Platform
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Bubble Bobble Revolution offers two primary modes: Classic and New-Age. Classic mode is a conversion of the original Bubble Bobble, nearly identical in gameplay: players control Bub or Bob through 100 single-screen levels, defeating enemies by trapping them in bubbles and colliding with them to produce food items for points. Being hit by an enemy costs a life. Two-player co-op is available via the DS Multi-Card Play feature if each player owns a copy. New-Age mode features larger characters and levels spanning both screens, faster enemies and projectiles, boss fights every tenth level, and the ability for Bub and Bob to take three hits before dying. New bubble types and fans that can be spun by blowing into the microphone are also present. Instead of co-op, a four-player competitive mode lets players compete for points across ten levels. Due to a programming error, all levels beyond #30 in the North American version are unplayable because the boss of level 30 does not spawn. Codemasters later released a fixed version that included a free copy of Rainbow Islands Revolution.
Reception
The game received generally unfavorable reviews according to Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu gave it one seven and three sixes, while Famitsu Cube + Advance gave three sixes and one five. 411Mania issued an unfavorable review nearly two months before the North American release. Common criticism targeted the dated visuals and level design, as well as numerous odd glitches such as enemies failing to spawn and levels being skipped. Frank Provo of GameSpot described these glitches as strange and bizarre. Craig Harris of IGN stated the level 30 glitch makes a bad game worse. John Walker of Eurogamer praised the original game before harshly criticizing the New-Age remake. Reviewers also noted the drastic character redesigns, calling them stupendously ugly. Some praise was given to the inclusion of the original Bubble Bobble, which Provo called a genuine classic and enjoyable, and to the multiplayer modes. However, Harris and Walker criticized the co-op requirement of two copies of the game.
More in Taito Games of the 2000s
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