[Updated on July 27, 2024, to improve readability]
The adorable bubble blowers Bubble and Bobble will leap onto US Nintendo Switches next month. The delightful dragons first appeared in the 1986 Bubble Bobble arcade game from Japanese arcade giants TAITO. The game was popular in the arcades and was ported to many home systems during the 1980s. The pair went on to star in numerous sequels on multiple platforms throughout the ‘80s to the present day.
The lovable duo also starred in the much-loved spin-off puzzle game franchise Puzzle Bobble – A.K.A. Bust-A-Move. Bubby and Bobby, their un-cursed human forms, starred in the superb Rainbow Islands series and Parasol Stars, complete with its instrumental lambada boss-battle music.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back! will release on March 31, 2020. The game was released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch in Europe on November 19 of last year to rave reviews. North and South American fans have been waiting for the ININ Games title with bated breath ever since. Next month, their wait will be over. New to the franchise is a four-player co-op, which is sure to create no end of on-screen mayhem and fun for all the family.
The story is as delightfully simple as its gameplay. Bubby and Bobby have been cursed and turned into the chibi bubble-blowing dragons bub and bob by an evil wizard – who has also kidnapped their girlfriends.
To rescue their girlfriends Bub and Bob must complete the game’s first 50 levels. The wizard’s minions will make life difficult. To defeat them, Bub and Bob must trap them in blown bubbles, then pop them, which is every bit as satisfying as popping bubble wrap.
As a bonus extra, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends includes the original Bubble Bobble arcade game for that old-school nostalgia.