Bubble Bobble Double Shot

I’ve always been a fan of the Bubble Bobble series since I played the NES version. Over the past 20 years (yes I’m dating myself) there have been countless versions of the Bubble Bobble franchise across multiple consoles. Fans that have been missing the platforming elements of the original games will be pleased to know that Double Shot returns to its roots. Yet something feels out of place with this trip down memory lane for Bubble Bobble: Double Shot.

The basic premise of a Bubble Bobble game is very simple. You control cute little dinosaurs (Bub, Bob and Bubu) that can blow bubbles, which can capture enemies. Once you’ve captured an enemy in a bubble you simply pop the bubble to destroy the enemy. When you’ve cleared all of the enemies from a stage you move on to the next stage. All of the stages are simple stationary levels with an assorted design for the layout. The designs can be simple blocks or patterns but some of them are designed based upon items in the game, such as fruit or characters. All of these are vintage elements found in almost every Bubble Bobble game released.

For Double Shot we do get some updated features, some unique to this game and some built upon the functions of the DS. In Double Shot you can switch between the three different characters at anytime by pressing the Left or Right buttons. The color of the dinosaur also determines which colored bubble it will blow. This impacts certain enemies you encounter during the game which can only be captured with a specific colored bubble.

These enemies have a colored star that circles them which represents the character/bubble you need to use. There are even some enemies that you will need to combine two bubbles together to generate a specific color to capture them. Other features include special power-ups such as Thunder, Water and Fire that you can use during boss battles. Star bubbles let you destroy all of the enemies or bubbles on a stage. You can also enhance the Star bubbles by blowing two different colored bubbles to create Extend bubbles. Each Extend bubble will produce a letter and if you capture all of the letters you earn an extra life.

The DS features of the game center upon three mini-games that allow you to continue the game once you’ve run out of lives. The Draw mini-game has you spinning a wheel to produce enough bubbles to continue the game. You can use your finger or the stylus to keep making circles to produce bubbles. The Escape mini has you pressing the touch screen to tap the dinosaur’s feet to run away from danger. The Match-Up game is a simple segment of matching the correct bubble to the pattern on screen. The mini-games try to do a decent job of making you forgot about the rest of the games shortcomings.

I really have two issues with Double Shot that kept it from being another classic Bubble Bobble game. First there is no save option in the game. The only item that is stored in memory is your name. You hear the phrase “old school” all the time but some old-school gameplay techniques, such as no saves, should remain in the past. You better clear your schedule when you start to play because you could be in it for the long haul.

The other issue with the game is really a two-part problem that goes hand-in-hand with each other: Graphics and Gameplay. First the graphics are too small for the DS screen. Once the game is filled with bubbles and enemies it because very hard to distinguish between your characters and other items in the game. The gameplay issue connects to the graphics since the gameplay can really pick up to a frantic pace. When enemies are scattered all over the stage and moving at a breakneck pace it can be hard figuring out who is who on the screen, which is not a good thing. Since you can’t save the game you’re left with having to keep playing some of the tougher stages repeatedly in the hopes of beating then eventually. Also the game between the top and bottom screen on the DS is never a good place for you to run into an enemy that you can’t see because of the gap. Not a good thing.

At the end of the day most of us want to sit down and enjoy the games we play. Sometimes we even overlook certain parts of the game that might be lacking because we enjoy other portions of the game. I really wanted to enjoy Double Shot since I’ve been a fan of the series for such a long time. Yet here I am writing a review to tell you that I didn’t find much enjoyment with the game. Sure the same basic charm and premise of the game is still intact but the rest of the pieces (small graphics and no save option) create an unpleasant atmosphere for the game. If you must own a Bubble Bobble game then be prepared for what could be a letdown.

Gameplay: 4.0
Once the game gets past the simple early stages the fast-paced action can be very hard to follow. Combining the different colored bubbles never seemed to work right and I was always running into enemies when I thought I hit them with a bubble.

Graphics: 5.2
While the visuals still look like a Bubble Bobble game, because of the stage designs and dinosaurs, the graphics are just too small to see clearly. I felt like someone had tried to stuff a Bubble Bobble game onto the resolution of the DS screens instead of creating new visuals that would stand out for the DS screens.

Sound: 6.0
Some catchy Bubble Bobble tunes from the past along with some new tracks make up the majority of the songs and music in the game. Standard old school style music you might expect from a game that started out in the 80’s.

Concept: 4.8
I do appreciate that the developers did include some new features such as the mini-games for continues along with character swapping and multiple color features. Yet we don’t get a save option?

Multiplayer: 6.1
The game does allow for up to three players to join together to clear all 100 stages. The multiplayer option however is limited to Multi-Card play, so everyone would need their own copy of the game. 

Difficulty: Medium
This really wouldn’t be a challenging game if it wasn’t for the squint-inducing graphics at times.

Overall: 5.2
Bubble Bobble: Double Shot is a game looking for a shot in the arm to keep it going. Some of you out there will probably fall in love with the game even with the issues I’ve mentioned. While the rest of you will probably avoid it like a visit to the doctor's office.