When it was originally released to arcades in 1986, developer Taito wanted to create a co-op game with the pacing and quarter-munchability of games like Galaga and Xevious. They succeeded at that, but they also managed to make it pretty darn cute.
Bubble Bobble enjoyed great initial success in arcades, and was a subsequently ported over to a dozen different home consoles. Of those console ports, the NES version is regarded as one of the best.
With its cute but fierce little dinosaur heroes, bubbly (kid-friendly) action, fast gameplay, and endless replayability (better with a friend), this is peak Taito and one of the best co-op games for the NES.
The Cave of Monsters Awaits
In Bubble Bobble, you play as Bub and Bob, two dinosaur brothers with a big problem. When the creepy Baron Von Blubba swoops in and kidnaps their girlfriends, the dino bros are hot on his tail.
Unfortunately, to rescue their beloveds, they must travel through the sprawling Cave of Monsters, home to ghosts, ghouls, and all manner of fantasy creatures. Equipped with nothing but their magical bubble powers and ability to jump, Bub and Bob must survive 100 floors of mayhem to save their special ladies and, one presumes, get some dino-smooches in return. Watch the teeth, lady. And the breath. Anyway…
Each level takes place on a single screen, contributing to the extremely relaxed learning curve. To complete a floor and move on up, you must eliminate all of the enemies and collect as many goodies as you can in order to rack up points.
Combat comes in the form of blowing bubbles at your enemies, then popping them. Pretty morbid if you ask me. In their bubbles, they can also be used as a temporary bounce pad. But if you wait too long, the enbubbled enemies will rage out and escape, becoming faster and more aggressive with their attacks.
As your quest continues, you’ll find special power-ups, improving your bubbles, speed, and more, to help you with the gradual difficulty ramp.
A tale of two players
But hey. You wanna know what the ultimate powerup is?
A friend.
That’s right. Bubble Bobble is one of the best co-op multiplayer games on the NES, especially if you’re introducing younger players to the world of genuine couch co-op in the old style. I’m not old, you’re old.
In fact, if you clear all 100 levels while playing solo, the game literally tells you to come back with a friend if you want to see the real ending. Once you’ve played Bubble Bobble in co-op, there’s really no going back. It’s awesome to bounce off each other’s bubbles, coordinate to quickly clear enemies, and compete over points along the way.
Bubble Bobble on the NES is an impressively true port of the arcade original. Beneath its overly simple controls and super-simple concept lies a true gem to rival other co-op classics like Contra, Double Dragon 2: The Revenge, and Super Mario Bros 3.
But don’t take my word for it. Try it yourself!
