Codemasters brings Taito's classic arcade
title up to date with Bubble Bobble Revolution on the Nintendo DS. Bubble Bobble
Revolution takes many of the same play-mechanics from the original game and adds
some new abilities such as power-bubbles and additional enemies to make for a
solidly entertaining update. The game also includes a complete emulated version
of the original game with makes for some exciting play. There are also
additional mini-games, co-operative play and enhanced gameplay add even more
excitement to the package. Read on and find out why classic game fans should
love Bubble Bobble Revolution.
Bubble Bobble Revolution upgrades the visuals,
soundtrack and animation but doesn't stray too far from the original game. The
simplicity and sheer fun of Bubble Bobble has remained appealing through nearly
two decades and this cool update doesn't change the formula too much.
Codemasters have updated the graphics, added a few new weapons and enemy types,
but the basic game is immediately familiar. Like the previous games, the
objective remains to shoot bubbles at enemies to capture them, then run over
them and collect fruits. As in the original game, players also need to avoid the
enemies' fire and attacks, and have to navigate a variety of levels consisting
of platforms and boards.
The newly enhanced DS version stays true to the
original game, except the action now takes place across both screens and the
boards are a little wider than the screen can display. The levels scroll very
quickly, and the action can move from the bottom to the top very quickly, which
means you'll have to pay attention throughout. While it's a bit hard to get used
to these screen shifts, once you adjust to this, it makes the game feel bigger
than the original. This approach obviously leads to larger and more expansive
levels, but the drawback here is that it makes it more difficult to see where
some of the enemies are. This is frustrating initially, but once you learn to
anticipate where they are, it becomes easier. You can also figure out where they
are by looking to see if any bullets are heading at you from off the screen.
These new boards are slightly more challenging
than in the original game, and make you work a bit harder to find all the
enemies and escape without harm. At first some players will likely be confused
by some of these layouts, but they have new abilities, such as blowing a
super-bubble that allows them to jump higher and reach otherwise unreachable
areas. Players will encounter some of the classic bubble power-ups including the
famous zapping one which takes them through the levels along with several new
types of bubbles. You now have the option of using lightning and ghost types of
bubbles, which brings several new play mechanics to the game. Fortunately, these
additions only enhance the gameplay. These make things more interesting, with
some unleashing instant attacks on their foes which adds more strategy to Bubble
Bobble's gameplay. The game's save system is also fairly nice, and allows you to
continue from the same levels you just completed without having to replay the
same levels again and again.
Bubble
Bobble Revolution's smooth controls are fairly standard for the DS,
and most of the time, the action is easy to control. 
Every element of Bubble Bobble Revolution
succeeds in bringing back the feel and style of the original game. The 2D
approach works well on the DS screen, with nicely designed sprites and a
coherent look that mixes nostalgia with more modern graphics to create a game
that's been faithfully updated for the DS. While some of the levels in the game
can seem to be initially frustrating and overly complex, a little bit of trial
and error should get you through some of these rough spots. Players who are
familiar with the earlier games will be happy to know that the basic mechanics
and gameplay remain intact. Each addition and upgrade of the classic game seems
to be smartly designed and balances both the original's look with more current
sensibilities to create an excellent update. Bubble Bobble Revolution isn't
quite as revolutionary as you'd expect it to be, but this is still an excellent
example of how to update a classic game without losing the essence of its
appeal.
Update: We've heard many reports that this game is being
recalled by Codemasters due to some serious glitches. This apparently only
applies to the North American version. We'll keep you posted.
Grade: B
