Bubble Bobble Part 2

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Wikipedia

Bubble Bobble Part 2
North American NES box art
DevelopersITL Co., Ltd.
OLM[a]
PublisherTaito
DirectorTakashi Shiokawa
DesignersYoshihisa Akashi
Tiger Kawano
ProgrammerKenichi Hiza
ArtistsHirotogu Ichisumi
Yoshihisa Akashi
ComposerKenichi Kamio
SeriesBubble Bobble
PlatformsNES, Game Boy
ReleaseNES
Game Boy
GenrePlatform
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer (NES only)

Bubble Bobble Part 2, known in Japan as Bubble Bobble 2 (バブルボブル2), is a platform video game released by Taito in 1993 for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy. It is the fourth installment in the Bubble Bobble series, itself a sequel to the 1986 arcade game Bubble Bobble. While it was never released in the arcades, two versions of the game were developed independently from each other (for the NES and Game Boy systems). Both games received a different storyline as a result. The Game Boy version is known in Japan as Bubble Bobble Junior (バブルボブルジュニア).

Plot

NES gameplay screenshot

NES version

According to the NES version's manual, this game stars Bub and Bob, the original duo.[5] On the back cover, they are also said to be Cubby and Rubby, Bub and Bob's descendants.[6]

As seen in the game intro, Bub, and a girl named Judy,[5] were sitting in a park. Suddenly, a floating skull character, who is one of the Skull Brothers,[5] captures Judy inside a bubble, and sends her and Bub into the air. Two characters named Drunk (from the original Bubble Bobble) follow the skull and take Judy away. Bub turns (or is turned) into a bubble dragon and heads off to rescue his girlfriend.[7] There is also a two-player mode, implying that Bob has suffered from the same events as Bub had, but the manual says Judy is a friend of both.[5]

Game Boy version

In the Game Boy version, a character named Robby must rescue people from a village, who, according to this version's intro, have been captured by a skull character.[8]

Gameplay

The blank backgrounds of Bubble Bobble were replaced by background graphics like trees and the sky.[9] The backgrounds change every ten levels, possibly inspired by contemporary platform games such as Snow Bros. and Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics. Some reviewers say this helps to keep the game feeling fresh during longer sessions.[10]

For both the NES and Game Boy versions, the gameplay remains largely unchanged from the other games in the series, but the player has the ability to float upwards by holding down the B button.[5]

NES version

In the NES version only, there are three bonus games which are located after the player defeats a boss, or through a certain door.[5] This version also includes new items to pick up, such as clocks, which cause enemies to freeze, and bottles of wind, which create wind bubbles. The dragons can also blow Super Bubbles, which can trap multiple enemies.[9]

Game Boy version

In the Game Boy release, unlike the original Bubble Bobble and many other games in the series, the 2-player mode has players take turns across levels, rather than cooperatively play through them simultaneously.

Reception

Power Unlimited gave the Game Boy version a score of 75%, writing: "This kind of mind sport is ideal for the Game Boy. It can seem a bit simple at times, and sometimes gets a bit boring, but you have to use your head if you want to get through it. A fun game if you persevere".[11]

The NES version can be difficult to find on the secondhand market due to the low volume of production.[9]

Notes

  1. ↑ Game Boy version developed by Taito and OLM.

References

  1. ↑ "All Famicom games sorted from the latest release to the earliest". Famitsu. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023.
  2. ↑ "NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo of America. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 11, 2014.
  3. ↑ "GAMEBOY Software List 1993". GAME Data Room (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 27, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Game Boy (original) Games" (PDF). Nintendo of America. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bubble Bobble Part 2 (NES) instruction manual
  6. ↑ Bubble Bobble Part 2 (NES) back cover; see Bubble Bobble Part 2 - NES - Retro Game Guide
  7. ↑ Taito. Bubble Bobble Part 2 (NES). Scene: Opening.
  8. ↑ Taito. Bubble Bobble Part 2 (Bubble Bobble Junior) (Game Boy). Scene: Opening. Our village friends have been captured by the evil king Great Skall!! Robby! Please rescue them!! Good luck!!
  9. 1 2 3 Weiss, Brett (2012-11-12). Classic Home Video Games, 1985-1988: A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-0141-0.
  10. ↑ lordmrw (2022-12-12). "Bubble Bobble Part 2 review". Classic-Games.net. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  11. 1 2 "Power Unlimited Game Database". powerweb.nl (in Dutch). 1993. Archived from the original on October 19, 2003. Retrieved November 24, 2022.