Two player games weren’t exactly common on the Spectrum, but neither could they be easily classed as rare. Co-operative two player games, on the other hand, were – and Bubble Bobble was one of the finest examples as to why playing together was better than playing against each other.
Cute and crazy, as only the Japanese know how, the game features Bub and Bob; two bubble blowing dragons who jump around single-screen levels, capturing a wild variety of weird creatures inside their mouth-blown bubbles. Players had to be quick on their claws to pop these bubbles before the creatures escaped, and clear the level within a tight time limit.
A host of power-ups and special items appeared on the screen offering such strange delights as fast bubbles, extra bubble-blowing distance, a faster dragon, fireballs, time freezing and jumping ahead through multiple levels. Despite the similarity of each level, playing Bubble Bobble was somehow never boring, and the quality of its Spectrum adaptation proved the rubber keyed warrior’s prowess.
