Bubble Bobble (NES) Playthrough

A playthrough of Taito's 1988 puzzle-platformer for the NES, Bubble Bobble.

Single-screen arcade games were becoming long in the tooth by 1986. Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong had all had their day, but as technology progressed, so too did expectations. However, Taito was about to prove to the world that the format still had some life left in it.

Bubble Bobble quickly went on to become a worldwide hit in arcades, and its popularity continued to skyrocket thanks to the series of high quality console and computer ports it received in the years following its initial release. Among these, the NES conversion was arguably the most faithful home rendition of the game to be released in the 1980s, and it's still one of the most fondly remembered of the group.

The game stars Bub and Bob, a pair of adorable dragons that have traveled to the "Cave of Monsters" to save their girlfriends who have been kidnapped by Super Drunk. Classy name for a villain, dontcha think?

The Cave of Monsters consists of more than a hundred stages packed with droves of monsters and hidden treasure. Bub and Bob spit bubbles that can temporarily trap enemies, and the trapped baddies can be defeated by popping the bubbles they've been caught in. Once all of the enemies have been cleared out, the dragons can hustle their bustle on to the next stage.

The bubbles serve another important purpose: if you fire one off and jump on it while keeping the A button held down, you can use it as a makeshift platform to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. It's not an important move in the early stages, but you'll need to master it in order to get through many of the maze-like stages toward the end.

To keep things interesting, there are tons of secrets strewn throughout in the form of items that grant score bonuses, extra lives, beefed up firepower, and invincibility, and these are awarded when certain conditions are met. If you manage to clear the game with a "happy end," you'll be given a password for a second quest which, if cleared with another happy end, will reveal the game's true ending.

The NES version is missing the bonus stage and a few items, the graphics are slightly less colorful, a few animations were cut, and the music sounds a bit leaner, but its a very close approximation of the arcade game in terms of both quality and content. It also gives out passwords and unlimited continues, so while it's no cakewalk, the challenge feels much more reasonable here than it did in its quarter-munching counterpart.

And seriously, that song is one of the biggest earworms ever.

My aunt gave me her copy of the game for Christmas at some point in the early 90s, and it kept me hooked for months. It was, and still is, one of those rare games that I could play again and again without ever getting bored, and in my mind, Bubble Bobble's timeless gameplay makes it one of the essential picks of the NES's library.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.

[NintendoComplete]

Bubble Bobble is one of those special lightning-in-a-bottle sort of NES games.

[Bloodreign]

A game I have a few versions of, plus sequels, and puzzle spinoffs of, a timeless classic. IMO the best two player game ever created, and RIP to it's creator, Fukio Mitsuji, who passed away from kidney failure many years back. Mr Mitsuji left us quite the treasure with this game.

[rjcupid]

How can you not smile when playing Bubble Bobble? I used to rent this with friends all the time. It's such a deep game too, with 4 possible endings, secrets and a brutal difficulty spike. Bubble Bobble is a perfect example of what a video game should be: Fun and accessible to all, yet also extremely challenging for those who want to master it.

[mikeofmanymikes]

One of my favorite nintendo games, if not my absolute favorite of all time. I never get sick of the music.

[simonedavidalemanno]

Taito has never stopped doing things good. Even before this game was released, they already gained success with Space Invaders in 1978.

[MatthiaGryffine]

My childhood wasn't complete without this game

[therealseanw.stewart]

Classic! A brilliant little arcade type gem with a deceptive amount of depth. The main theme is legendary.

[jg]

The fun amazing music is what keeps me playing. Love this game

[ShadowbirdX]

what memories...when my little bro & i got an NES for x-mas this is one of the games we got (it was in a stocking). My mom would play this game with us ❤
level 57 brings back memories, hated that stage

[rcblazer]

My sister wasn't into video games like I am, but this was her favorite game on the NES. We played it together all the time!

[ultramasterostudios]

This game is addictive. The folks at Taito know how to make the best games for one or two players! Not to forget this game's fantastic sequels like Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars. The Bubble Bobble trilogy is probably one of gaming's finest.

[adolfojuarez]

I love everything of this game music gameplay

[selinaogorman]

I love this game so much I played it a lot back then and happy to say they have it in a multi cart the gba and the DS same gameplay and music the gameplay is excellent and easy to use the controls so it’s nice to see this game again I play it often.

[michaellindenmuth]

Cudos to you for being able to stand this song for over two hours

[jam]

Very cool game. I never played it though. I may end up getting it later. 😀

[ElizabethChapman-go]

My cousin and I love this game. I got it on my phone and he got the mini arcade

[tylerhelt]

My Aunt Amy and her sister Kristin played this game on our NES

[Omarencarnacion]

yeeeeah! i miss the soundtrack of this game

[nickgurlpa]

Where's the secret door level did I miss it? Great Game Play!! I miss this game my sister and I used to play this endlessly

[schoolfreak]

Thank you. I have no seen the ending.