Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition is, in my opinion, the best game in the series. The first sequel to Bust-A-Move (Puzzle Bobble in Japan, an offshoot of the Bubble Bobble series), it can be found on several systems, such as the PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo 64. Many games have taken their gameplay styles from it, such as the popular Snood and Bop n Pop. Surprisingly, this puzzle game has a story, something involving saving the stars of the universe that were stolen by a little gnome in a giant robot.
The player can face off against the computer in the story mode, against another player, or go it alone in a lengthy puzzle mode. The graphics are cute and anime-styled, and the sounds are cheesy, but what makes this game worth playing is its addictive gameplay. The object of the game is to line up three or more same-colored bubbles so that they pop, releasing the little animals or what have you that are trapped inside. The player does this by rotating a vertical arrow back and forth. Simple, but elegant, as you’ll find yourself unable to stop playing until the last bubble is popped.
In story mode, you’ll face off against several interesting characters, including a robot cat, a Mayan god, and a small
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planet with a city on its head. They range in difficulty from ridiculously easy to an almost impossible challenge. While actually a cheat, it’s possible to play as any of these characters in puzzle and multiplayer modes. In multiplayer mode, whatever extra bubbles happen to fall from popping a group wind up on your opponent’s side, making the gameplay fast and furious. Besides the regular bubbles (red, green, yellow, blue, purple, orange), in puzzle mode you’ll encounter special bubbles that can turn the game around. There are sparkling blue bubbles that clear all bubbles of whatever color you hit it with, bowling balls that wipe out anything in their path, and hexagons that cause bubbles to stick to them. Bubbles can also be ricocheted off the walls, and in certain stages, off of the ceiling. While other iterations of this series have expanded on its cast of characters, cute graphics, and various modes, the core of this series lies in Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition, and its addictive roots.
If you enjoy puzzle games such as Snood and Tetris, definitely get this game and check it out.
