Bubble Bobble is the name of an arcade game by Taito, first released in 1986. It featured two cute dragons, Bub and Bob, who moved over a system of platforms, busting and pushing bubbles, avoiding bad guys and collecting a variety of power-ups. The game featured 100 levels, each with intriguing puzzles and twists.

Versions of the game were released for several home computer or game systems, including the Commodore 64, the Atari ST, and the Nintendo Entertainment System. A sequel to Bubble Bobble called Bubble Bobble 2 was also released for the NES, as well as Rainbow Islands, a sequel to the first two games. Rainbow Islands was later remade for the Sega Genesis.

Legacy

Bubble Bobble inspired many sequels, including:

• Rainbow Islands - The Story Of Bubble Bobble 2
• Rainbow Islands Extra Version
• Parasol Stars
• Bubble Symphony
• Bubble Memories - The Story Of Bubble Bobble III

Bub and Bob also appeared in Puzzle Bobble, otherwise known as Bust a Move in the United States. Bust a Move was followed by many sequels, for many consoles, including PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and even the N-Gage, along with computer and arcade versions. It became more popular than the original Bubble Bobble game itself.

External links

• The KLOV entry on Bubble Bobble (http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=B&game_id=7222)
• Bubble Bobble FAQ (http://home.ptd.net/~glisman/bubble/bbfaqv1.txt)
• Bubble Bobble HQ (http://taito.overclocked.org/)
• Bubble Bobble 2 (http://perso.wanadoo.es/bubblebobble/bubblebobble2.swf) Flash game
• Unofficial homepage of Bub and Bob (http://www.bubandbob.com/)
• Category at ODP (http://dmoz.org/Games/Video_Games/Platform/Bubble_Bobble_Series/)