Final Bubble Bobble

Final Bubble Bobble? This Bobble, released in 1988, was really just the start of the franchise, one that still finds itself infecting modern consoles. It's games like this (and Doom) that prove that you shouldn't put the word "Final" in the title. But then, there have been well over twenty games with the name Final Fantasy, so maybe Taito felt they were on to something.

Regardless of the name, Final Bubble Bobble is a solid port of a great arcade game. It looks the same, feels the same, and has everything you would hope for from an 8-bit port of the arcade classic. Best of all, the game offers a nice two player co-op mode that will keep both you and your friend interested for quite awhile. Although it hasn't changed much since the original Bubble Bobble, this Final version really does pull out just about every stop.

If you've never played Bubble Bobble before then you're missing out on one of those innocent and fun experiences that were so common with early-generation video games. You take control of one of two colored dinosaurs whose special ability is to blow bubbles. That's right; it's all about blowing bubbles. Thankfully these aren't your ordinary-sized bubbles, they are your jumbo edition ... large enough to trap your entire enemy and float him away. Once you've bubbled up your foes you can let them fly away or simply pop them for points, do this enough times and you're off to the next level.

True to its arcade roots, Final Bubble Bobble features tons of levels, ranging from different colors to designs or enemies. Even with the large selection of levels, most of the challenges are pretty similar making for a sometimes repetitive romp. It's easy to tell which levels the developers put the most time into, but others can border on generic or just plain average.

This is not the type of game that will set the world on fire these days, but Final Bubble Bobble does offer a unique two player experience that was normally not found on the Sega Master System. With it's simplistic controls, solid graphics, and large selection of levels, it's easy to recommend a game like Final Bubble Bobble. Even if you've never experienced a Bobble title before this, Final Bubble Bobble is a great place to start.