While physical arcades might be relics of a awesome childhood, the games themselves have continued to live on. Take Bubble Bobble for example. First released into the arcades in 1986 by Taito, Bubble Bobble became a hit, spawning several sequels not just in arcades but also on home consoles, a spin-off with Puzzle Bobble. The original has been ported many times, bundled in various collections and is considered to be one of the greatest games of all time in its genre. Now it’s time for a whole new generation of gamers to experience the charm and wonder of the arcade classic with Bubble Bobble 4 Friends on the Nintendo Switch.
Re-imaging of an arcade classic
Timeless gameplay- The gameplay for Bubble Bobble is timeless, at least I think so. It’s simple: you jump around avoiding enemies, blow bubbles at them, pop them and collect the fruit that falls down. Its simple, easy to learn and most of all very addicting to play. It may be a bit repetitive but blowing bubbles at enemies and popping them is very satisfying and fun that you won’t even notice. Power ups also get an upgrade from the original game with powers like lighting and others making a return. Add in the fact now there’s four player co-op makes it even more fun. Speaking of four player co-op….
4 player coop- In the arcade and in its several ports and re-releases, Bubble Bobble has always been a two player co-op game. Now in Bubble Bobble 4 Friends up to four players can join in on the bubble popping fun. Now for most people this is a pretty great news, a simple light hearted game that the family can enjoy and work together to beat. Everyone shares lives from a pool of eight, but if someone loses all the lives, the game gives the option for players to restart but have invincibility activated But with what’s currently going on in the world right now, maybe now is not the best time to be sitting shoulder to shoulder on the couch. What about LAN/online multiplayer? More on that in a bit.
Very colorful and whimsical- While the original Bubble Bobble had some really colorful character and stages for its time, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends however gives the original a new coat of paint. A whimsical colorful coat of paint. Which is actually pretty cute. From the dream like setting of the different worlds to the game taking place in a playroom at night and its cast of characters, everything looks whimsical. This is helped by the game’s classic theme playing in the background.
Original arcade version included- A thing that most retro/classic games that have been remastered or get a sequel after all these years is adding their very first game. Bubble Bobble 4 Friends follows this trend by including the arcade version of Bubble Bobble. This is a really cool feature as Bubble Bobble was one of my favorite arcade games to play growing up. With arcades almost gone and the prices of some of the ports getting really pricey having the arcade game added in with its modern version is a real fun treat.
Bursting bubbles
Light on the extra features- Other than having the original arcade Bubble Bobble included in Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, being able to unlock and listen to music tracks, and unlock and watch the opening and ending cinematic, the game is very light on extra features. With there being four players, it would have been nice to have in addition to co-op, some sort of versus/competitive mode as well.
No LAN/online multiplayer- Now I mentioned that even though Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is a good game for getting friends and family on the couch and having fun, but due to current events that encourages everyone stay at home. So with the Switch being a hybrid home/portable console it would make sense to have some type of LAN/online multiplayer function. But there isn’t which is a shame, as online multiplayer would have made a great feature to have with what’s going on right now. Even LAN play would have been great to have.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is a great re-imagining of the arcade classic. The game plays is addictive and fun, the graphics and characters are colorful and whimsical, expanding the player count from the original two to four increases the fun and of course for those who loved the arcade classic, the original Bubble Bobble is packed in as well. However that the only real extra as the game is very lite on extra features, which include no LAN or online multiplayer. It sucks that the game came out during a time where everyone is encourage to stay home as this is a really fun game to have for a game night. It’s not the game’s fault so I’m not going to count that against it, though even there wasn’t a terrible event going on, in this modern age of online connections and the fact this is the Switch version, LAN and online multiplayer should be standard. Either way if you’re looking for a fun game to pass the time or need something to keep the family entertained, then Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is worth a look.
