Here’s a concise, modern-style review of Bubble Bobble, the classic 1986 arcade game:

⭐ Review: Bubble Bobble

Platform: Arcade (1986), later on NES, Master System, Amiga, many others
Developer: Taito
Genre: Single-screen platformer / Action

🎮 Overview

Bubble Bobble is a charming and deceptively deep arcade platformer where you play as Bub and Bob—two bubble-blowing dinosaurs—on a quest to rescue their kidnapped girlfriends. Each level is a single screen filled with enemies, platforms, and the addictive core mechanic of blowing bubbles to trap foes before popping them.

👍 What It Does Well

✔ Timeless Gameplay

The bubble-trapping mechanic is simple to understand but rich in strategic nuance. Enemies bounce unpredictably, bubbles drift and stack, and chaining pops for score multipliers creates a satisfying arcade rhythm.

✔ Co-Op Excellence

The game shines in two-player mode. Cooperative play introduces friendly chaos—accidental pops, shared power-ups, and frantic escapes—which made it a staple of couch co-op long before that was a term.

✔ Cheerful Personality

The bright pixel art, cute character designs, and one of the most recognizable earworm soundtracks in gaming give the game a sweet, upbeat atmosphere. It’s cheerful enough that its difficulty doesn’t feel punishing… at first.

✔ Surprising Depth

Hidden items, branching endings, and secret conditions (like the “true ending” requiring cooperative play) give the game surprising longevity. Beneath the cute exterior lies a cleverly designed scoring system.

👎 Where It Shows Its Age

• Steep late-game difficulty: Later levels can feel unfair without memorization or expert bubble control.
• Repetition: The single-screen format is iconic—but also repetitive during long sessions.
• Limited moveset: Modern players may find the controls stiff or simplistic.

🧠 Legacy

Bubble Bobble is widely considered one of the best arcade platformers ever made. Its mechanics influenced countless games, and it spawned sequels like Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars. It’s still frequently re-released today and remains fun for all ages.

Here are practical tips and strategies to help you survive (and score big) in Bubble Bobble, whether you’re playing casually or pushing for 100+ levels and the true ending.

🧠 Bubble Bobble — Tips & Strategies

🎯 1. Master the Bubble Mechanics

Ride your own bubbles

• Hold jump while landing on a bubble to bounce higher.
• Useful for reaching platforms and dodging enemies.

Know bubble drift

• Bubbles float upward and collect near ceilings.
• Use this to trap enemies in clusters before popping them for huge score bonuses.

Pop at the right time

• Popping multiple enemies simultaneously gives:
  • Higher score
  • Food chain reactions (more points!)
  • Safer clears

Try to trap the entire wave, then sweep them all at once.

⚡ 2. Power-Ups & How to Get Them Consistently

Bubble Bobble’s items may seem random, but they follow patterns:

Collect everything

Your item drops improve the more you pick up, so grab every piece of food, gem, and power-up, even small ones.

Pop lots of bubbles

Produce tons of bubbles quickly—this triggers:

• Shoes (speed boost)
• Lightning, fire, or water bubbles
• Candy upgrades (increases bubble-blowing distance)

Avoid dying early

Power-ups reset after a death, so staying alive makes getting strong upgrades easier.

🔥 3. Use Special Bubbles to Your Advantage

You’ll see three elemental bubbles:

Lightning bubbles (yellow)

Shoot a horizontal lightning bolt after popping. Great for clearing lines of enemies.

Fire bubbles (red)

Release a flame that travels and burns enemies—dangerous to you too, so jump early.

Water bubbles (blue)

Create a flowing wave you can ride; it sweeps enemies away and racks up points.

💡 Tip: Try to pop elemental bubbles when groups of enemies are nearby for maximum effect.

👾 4. Manage Enemy AI

Every enemy type has predictable movement:

Corner safety

Many enemies struggle to reach tight corners or edges. Use this to trap and pop safely.

Staying above enemies is safer

Most enemies threaten from below. Being on higher platforms gives reaction time.

When angry… run!

Enemies turn red and fast if you wait too long:

• Keep moving
• Use bubble-riding to dodge
• Pop an elemental bubble if available

💎 5. Scoring Tricks

If you want big points:

Create EXTEND letters

These appear if you pop enemies in a specific pattern:

• Trap enemies simultaneously
• Pop them all together
• Letters drop in place of some bubbles

Spell E-X-T-E-N-D for 1UP + bonus level.

Go for big food drops

Large food items spawn when:

• You trap/popup multiple enemies at once
• You play fast and avoid deaths
• You pop many bubbles per level

⭐ Verdict

Bubble Bobble remains a joyful, clever, and wonderfully replayable classic.
If you enjoy arcade-style action, co-op games, or retro platformers, it’s absolutely worth playing—whether as a nostalgia trip or for the first time.

Score: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

below is official gameplay of “bubble bobble” by World Of Longplay