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Also known as "Puzzle Bubble" this arcade puzzle game created by Taito
contains elements of columns, as well as Breakout.
At the top of the rectangular playing arena, a number of balls of various
colours are placed in a prearranged pattern at the start of the level. At
the bottom of the screen, the player controls the angle of a fixed cannon
that fires semi-randomly coloured balls in a straight line. The ball, when
fired, travels in straight lines, possibly bouncing off the side walls of
the arena, before eventually coming to rest either touching one or more of
the balls, or at the top of the arena. If the ball manages to come into
contact with identically coloured-balls, thus forming a group of three or
more, those balls, and any balls hanging only from them, are removed from
the field of play, and points are awarded depending on how many balls are
removed from the screen at once. An exponential scoring system is used,
leading to large rewards for removing many balls at once. To make life more
difficult, as the game proceeds, the top of the playing arena, and all the
balls, move down the screen from time to time. This imposes a time limit, as
the player must remove every ball from the arena before a ball passes a line
at the bottom of the arena.
As well as typically cute Japanese animation (the characters from Bubble
Bobble operate the cannon) and music, the game's mechanics and level design
were beautifully balanced, and the game was terrifically successful at the
arcades, spawning several sequels. It is unusual in being popular with women
and girls.
One or two players can play the game. In the single-player puzzle game
the goal is simply to clear the arena of balls. The two player game pits two
players against each other. Both players have an arena each (both visible on
screen) and an identical arrangement of coloured balls in each arena. When a
player removes a large group (four balls or more) some of the balls removed
percolate over to the opponent's arena, usually frustrating her efforts at
trying to remove all the balls from the arena. The two player game can also
be played by one player against a computer opponent.
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