Bubble Bobble
ใใใซใใใซ
- Year
- 1986
- Developer
- Taito
- Publisher
- Taito
- Platform
- Arcade
- Hardware
- Taito arcade hardware
- Genre
- Platformer / Score Attack
- Players
- 1-2 players (simultaneous co-op)
- Controls
- 4-way joystick + 2 buttons (bubble / jump)
- Series
- Bubble Bobble series
Gameplay Screenshots
About This Game
Bubble Bobble turns brothers Bub and Bob โ dragons, after a witch's curse โ loose on the Cave of Monsters: one hundred single-screen platforms packed with wind-up enemies. Blow a bubble to trap a foe, then jump-pop it into fruit for points, chaining pops and fruit drops into astronomical scores.
Its depth hides under cuteness: bubbles become platforms for climbing, the Secret Game rooms hide enormous score caches, and the two-player mode is one of gaming's great co-op experiences โ partners bounce each other to high platforms and pass enemies back and forth. The main theme might be the most earworm-inducing tune of the 8-bit arcade era.
- One hundred single-screen stages of bubble combat
- Bubble-trap and pop mechanics that double as platforms
- Chain scoring: popped bubbles drop fruit worth escalating points
- Famous two-player co-op and hidden secret rooms
Version History
- Bubble Bobble (arcade)1986
Taito's original; this page's screenshots come from the US set.
- Bubble Bobble (Famicom / NES)1986-1988
Console conversions, extremely popular on home systems.
- Rainbow Islands1987
Taito's sequel, trading bubbles for rainbows.
Cheats & Secrets
Service menu (F2 in MAME)Free Play, difficulty, lives per credit and other cabinet settingsArcade boards carry operator DIP switches โ set Free Play on your own cabinet or emulator.
Secret roomsMassive score caches hidden behind special doorsThe Cave of Monsters hides secret game rooms reachable only via specific doors and conditions โ the reason high-level players treat Bubble Bobble as a score game rather than a clear-the-100-levels game.
Tips & Strategy
Pop bubbles from below
Popping a bubble as you rise through it sends the enemy-item flying upward, and caught at the peak it bursts into the most valuable fruit. Practice the timing โ it is the core of the entire scoring system.
Use bubbles as stairs
Trapped bubbles float and can be jumped on. When a platform looks unreachable, blow a bubble under it, let it rise, and ride it up instead of hunting for a ladder.
Let your partner do the dirty work
In co-op, one player can herd enemies into a corner while the other traps them. Popping each other's bubbles still counts for your score, so teamwork literally pays.
Chain your pops
Multiple enemies popped in one chain multiply the fruit value dramatically. Line up a group with one bubble-wave before popping rather than trapping and popping one at a time.
Download Resources
Resource packs for this game are provided through the button below.
โฌ Coming soon