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Review of a 3D Bubble Bobble remake that, sadly, falls short of being a great nostalgia trip.
No matter what the medium, remaking a classic is always a risk. There's no avoiding comparisons to the original. GameOver Games took just that risk in creating a modernized version of the arcade classic Bubble Bobble. Bubble BobbleThe original Bubble Bobble featured two dinosaurs, Bub and Bob who made their way through various single-screen platform levels defeating enemies (mostly weird mechanical walking things) by trapping them in bubbles and then popping the bubble. Once the screen was clear of baddies, the next level scrolled up. It was pretty basic, but a lot of fun back in 1987. Arcade Classic UpdatedDinos and Bubbles while modernized, is still a platform game. And the object is still to trap enemies in bubbles and then burst them. However, the graphics are completely re-done. The little sprites are replaced by well-drawn animated dinosaurs and the backgrounds have a three-dimensional look to them (then again, the original didn't even have backgrounds, just black space.) The levels also span more than a single screen, so there's much more room to get around. To help though, the game provides a small map at the top of the screen showing the basic layout of the level, the players position, the enemy positions and also where any power-ups are located. While a fun game, Dinos and Bubbles falls short of the original for 2 reasons: Easier GameplayCompared to Bubble Bobble, Dinos and Bubbles is far less challenging. Once an enemy is trapped in a bubble, they float around for a long time, whereas in the original, you had only a second or two to pop the bubble before they escaped and came back for revenge. The baddies are also less aggressive than in the original. In the early levels, they seem to almost ignore the player's presence. Plus, they took out one of the more challenging elements of Bubble Bobble: the last enemy left in the level would go crazy in an attempt at self-preservation. No Classic Bubble Bobble MusicThe second and probably biggest flaw of Dinos and Bubbles is the music. The soothing flute and piano tune that plays throughout the game is nice, but it doesn't compare to the catchy Commodore 64 that would be stuck in player's heads for weeks from the original. Some kind of remix of the original Bubble Bobble tune in the background would probably have negated all the other short-comings. ConclusionDinos and Bubbles is certainly a fun way to pass the time but without the original music, it's no nostalgia trip. For younger gamers who have never played the original, it may very well be great. Besides, cute dinosaurs popping bubbles? It doesn't get more family-friendly than that.
The copyright of the article Dinos and Bubbles Review in Video & Online Games is owned by Robert Janelle. Permission to republish Dinos and Bubbles Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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