Puzzle Bobble

Puzzle Bobble

Game No.	500
Voting	7.67 points, 9 votes
Developer	Programming: Bas Scheijde (aka Acied) Graphics: John Henderson (aka Hend) (Original: Design: Kazuhiro Kinoshita, Seiichi Nakakuki, Programming: Yasuo Tsumori)
Company	C64-Port: JHB; (Original: Taito)
Publisher	(Original: Taito)
Musician	C64-Version: NM1564; (Original: Kazuko Umino, Yasuko Yamada)
Release	2022
Platform	C64, (Original: SNES, Arcade, IBM-PC, Neo Geo, WonderSwan, 3DO)
Genre	Arcade, Logic
Gamemode	Multiplayer
Operation
Media	(D64)
Language
Information	aka Bust-a-Move The game is a fan port ported from other systems 18 years after the release of the original. It was released digitally as a .D64 image.

Description[edit | edit source]

A game scene of "Puzzle Bobble" in single player mode.

Puzzle Bobble is an arcade puzzle game released in 1994 by Taito for arcade machines and some 16-bit consoles. The game features a comeback of the two cute dragons from the hit video game "Bubble Bobble".
The game "Puzzle Bubble" is also known as Bust-a-Move.

Aim of the game[edit | edit source]

The player has to use a cannon to shoot random coloured balls (bubbles) up into an array of coloured balls in the playing field. These then stick to a ball. If you succeed in forming groups of three or more balls in matching colours, they dissolve. You have about 5 seconds for each shot. If this does not happen, the ball will be fired automatically.
The aim of the game is to clear all coloured balls on the playing field within a time limit. This is displayed as the music playing speed increases. From time to time, the playing field decreases in the lower direction (or the ceiling lowers). If one of the balls from the playing field reaches the lower part of the playing field (area of the cannon), the game is over. There is a single player mode, as well as a two player split screen mode and four different tournament modes. The quicker the player has skilfully eliminated all balls, the more points there are.

Conversion[edit | edit source]

No official, commercial version of the game has been released for the C64. As early as 2002 there was an attempt to implement the game "Puzzle Bobble" for the C64. However, it has not been completed (only Preview status).
The version released in 2022 is a fan port from the demo scene, which is based on the Neo Geo version both visually and in terms of content.

Design[edit | edit source]

When designing, value was placed on transporting the look of the game from the nineties as faithfully as possible to the C64 with the appropriate background music, the game sound and the noises of the dragons. This has worked very well. The inspiration for this was the implementation on the Neo Geo.

Two player mode in Puzzle Bobble...

Don't dawdle! Otherwise the ceiling will drop...

Hints[edit | edit source]

Control[edit | edit source]

Before the game, the keyboard layout and the trainer selection appear.

The game supports Keyboard, Joysticks and Paddles.

Joystick control

joystick movement	action
	Move bubble cannon to the right
	Move bubble cannon to the left
	Fire bubble cannon

Keyboard assignment

button	action
←	Music filter on/off
RUN/STOP	exit game
1	single player mode
2	Two player mode: With choice of tournament mode.
5	insert coin
S	Player 1: Move bubble cannon to the right.
F	Player 1: Move bubble cannon to the left.
E	Player 1: Fire bubble cannon.
H	Player 2: Move bubble cannon to the right.
K	Player 2: Move bubble cannon to the left.
U	Player 2: Fire bubble cannon.

Tournament mode

In the two-player mode there is the following selection, which is made with the corresponding number key:

Random (random level)
Random Endless (endless random levels)
levels (levels in order)
Levels Endless (levels in order, endless)

Points[edit | edit source]

Points are awarded for each ball combination of the same color.
The more balls are shot at the same time, the more points there are.
Extra points are awarded for bullets shot down and hanging underneath.
There is a time bonus within the first 60 seconds for completing a Level, which starts at 50,000 points and decreases quickly.

Tips[edit | edit source]

Try to solve a level quickly to score as many points as possible.
Try to shoot the highest balls quickly by skilful shooting.
You can also use the side walls as ties to reach certain positions.
You should try to shoot a ball colour as fast as possible, then it won't come any more.
It is often better to shoot a coloured ball somewhere to the side or slightly higher to be able to shoot faster and better.
Don't block your way, especially in higher levels...
For practising, we recommend the famous continue function after entering the high score...

Solution[edit | edit source]

Get as many points as possible and get as far as possible by playing fast and skilfully.

Cheats[edit | edit source]

The version of JHB published in the CSDb already has a trainer function including the ability to skip levels.

Votes[edit | edit source]

Voting of the C64-Wiki users (10=the best vote):
7.67 points at 9 votes (rank 198). You need to be logged in to cast a vote.
CSDB	9.7	3. February 2022 - "Highlight" 32 votes

Reviews[edit | edit source]

Zore: "Puzzle Bobble is a cute game that shows that there are still a number of interesting games from the 90s that can technically be implemented very well on the C64 It's a nice reunion with the two dragons from Bubble Bobble, whose names are Bubby and Bobby, by the way, and who have had to wait far too long for their return to the good old bread box."

Jodigi: "Very good arcade implementation of this beautiful, funny and charming game of skill, which also spreads fun and good mood on the C64. Of course, the loading times are a bit annoying..."