Bubble Bobble was one of the first computer games I had ever played. Born in the mid 80s I grew up with computers, and this is one of the best experiences I've had with gaming for my entire life.
Created by Taito in 1986, Bubble Bobble was a hit from the start. Extremely popular all across the world, it has come through many incarnations in its now 20 year history. The game has evolved into the highly popular Puzzle Bobble series, and has had many off-shoots such as Parasol Stars and Bubble Symphony.
But, of course, these aren't the reason I'm writing this article.
Bubble Bobble follows the journey of two intrepid heroes, Bub and Bob, through one hundred levels of bubble blowing, bad-guy popping, level hopping fun to rescue their girlfriends. It essentially involves encasing Bub and Bob's enemies in their cute green and blue bulging bubbles, and then popping them to reveal sweet treats, such as ice-creams and bananas.
The game-play is incredible, and provides hours of fun for kids and adults alike, except the resounding memory I have of the game is the music. Taito's music designers obviously took great care in the creation of Bubble Bobble's unique and poppy soundtrack, and thus have given birth to a fantastic, unforgettable score to delight generations. The Commodore
64's limited capacity to create music has, instead of limiting the music's quality, have created a quality of its own. Listening to it after 15 years has brought back memories and the sound just compels me to make a ring tone on my mobile phone!
Bubble Bobble is one of my favorite memories of my childhood, and the nostalgia of downloading it once more has given me a new lease of life. Listening to the cute music again just reminds me of sitting in front of an old TV, sliding the tape into the drive and waiting for half-an-hour for the game to boot up, and then playing through an enchanting adventure and getting really stuck! Obviously the game gets harder as it progresses, but with the new challenge and variety comes bigger rewards, and getting to level 99 and then getting told to turn off the TV and go to bed, could be the defining moment of anybody's life.
Bubble Bobble is fantastic, and I urge anyone to go and play it RIGHT NOW. I mean it. Yes, I’m talking to you.
