Where Bubble Bobble 4 Friends differs from the original is with the addition of stage bosses that appear every ten levels and need additional cunning and skills to defeat. There are collectable bubbles that spell out the word “EXTEND” and once you have the full word you get an extra life. There are various ‘fruits’ that then drop into the game to give you points. Up to four players can join via co-op on one console and gameplay generally involves capturing the enemies in bubbles and then popping them.

While the previous sequels saw protagonists Bub and Bob return to uber-cute human form, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends sees them appear as the two little dinosaurs from the first game, and this latest addition to the series brings back classic bubble-blowing gameplay. Following the all-time classic Bubble Bobble came similarly brilliant, Rainbow Islands and the underplayed and under-appreciated Parasol Stars we now have Bubble Bobble 4 Friends on the Nintendo Switch. TAITO’s classic arcade platformer returns with a new sequel.

Value bubble bobble original game