Part 2 expects players to work through the stages rather than blasting their way through using power-ups and room-clearing items typical of other entries. Items play less of a role in Part 2 than they do in the other games with candy power-ups, time-stopping clocks, and health-increasing hearts being the most common.
New attack bubbles can be found throughout the stages including powerful star bubbles that spray stardust in a falling arc, wind bubbles that launch whirlwinds that travel along the ceilings of platforms, and dangerous skull bubbles that damage the brothers on contact. The graphics have improved and have taken on a pastel-colored tint, and the music is varied and largely enjoyable, save for the title screen theme that sounds like a cat flopping around on a keyboard. None of the bosses feel unfair to fight, and they each require players to battle them in different ways instead of hiding in a corner and spamming bubbles.īubble Bobble Part 2 enjoys the kinds of improvements one would expect from a sequel. Doh, the boss of Arkanoid, throws pieces of itself in an effort to bludgeon the brothers, while the alien/motorcycle-like Ruckus pursues Bub and Bub in a high speed chase. The pill-shapped Springit mech wanders around his arena, hopping up and down platforms while Bub and Bob are challenged to hit it in the face with the bubbles. Many bosses have their own arena they are fought in, and the strategies differ based on each one. Defeating Barcelon in any of the volleyball, basketball, or gem collecting games awards items worth a load of points – which is extremely important given the number of extra lives players can earn through specific totals.īosses have always been one of the worst aspects of the Bubble Bobble series, but the ones found in Part 2 are actually enjoyable to encounter. Collecting several crystal items spawns a door that, once entered, enables the brothers to challenge a goofy, hyper creature known as Barcelon. Other new features include stage gimmicks like trash cans that, when knocked over, release a cloud of enemies nesting inside, moving gears that Bub and Bob can ride and then launch themselves off of, and even moving cars that the brothers can hitch a ride on.īub and Bob can also play a variety of minigames in yet another first for the series. Although moving platforms seem simple to navigate at first, they oftentimes are moving so quickly that it’s hard to land where you want to, and enemies often wedge themselves in positions where they cannot easily be bubbled. Many stages feature platforms that move about the stage, frequently trapping enemies and forcing players to ride them and carefully capture these enemies.
In other cases, players can use floating to their advantage by reaching out of reach platforms rather than employing precise bubble jumps.įurther complicating platforming is another feature never seen in past entries – moving platforms. Some stages take advantage of this fact by placing spikes along the sides of platforms, requiring players to struggle against the current or be impaled and lose health or a life. Early levels allow the brothers to float side to side without much resistance, but later stages force the ballooned brothers along invisible air currents. Bub and Bob can now take a deep breath by holding down the B button and, if not released, they grow large and begin to float into the air. Platforming is simultaneously easier and more challenging than in any other game in the series. Being able to soak up damage is a godsend in some levels as it allows players to immediately counterattack the enemy that hit them or remain on a difficult to reach platform. Collecting additional hearts adds to their total enabling them to take additional hits without dying. Bub and Bob now possess hearts that, once depleted, result in losing a life. While the core gameplay loop of Part 2 is the same as every other entry in the Bubble Bobble series, there are several major differences that appear in few other titles. Players must complete 80 levels spanning four themed worlds – each with their own hazards and bosses.
#Bubble bobble platforms series
One of the most experimental entries in the Bubble Bobble series begins with a relatively standard story Bub and Bob (or their descendants Chubby and Rubby in the Japanese version and back of the NES release box) must save Judy from the clutches of three powerful Skel Monsta wizards known as the Skull Brothers.