Puzzle Bobble aka Bust-a-Move

[Edmond Dantes]

Shoot the bubbles... pop the bubbles... bounce the bubbles....

So, this went on sale on the Nintendo eShop (this being the Arcade Archives version of the original Neo-Geo game). Admittedly, Puzzle Bobble is something I never played much before, and I think I knew more about clones like Snood and that one facebook game than I did about the real game.

.... And I see why its cloned so much. Even having played all thirty or so levels, I still keep firing it up and taking shots.

But having now played it, there's two things I dislike and hope were improved later:

One, I wish there was an option to keep the aiming laser. You have one in the first level, and for one level each time you game over and use a continue, but it goes away next level. While I did adjust to not having it, I don't like a large part of the game being guesswork and hoping the physics work the way you think they do.

Two, I swear the game often gives me bubble colors I don't need, where the only possible match is buried layers deep in a place I can't shoot to yet. Worse, you have to shoot the bubble--there's no way to discard useless bubbles--and these wasted shots can end up blocking other shots or having a knock-on effect where you get so many useless shots you end up game overing.

Basically, if there's a Puzzle Bobble game (whether home port or even some fanmade clone) that fixes either or both of these problems, it would probably be right up there with Puyo Puyo in the Puzzle Game Pantheon.

[gbpxl]

I'll have to check it out after I chip away at my backlog. I'm trying not to get in the habit of buying more games than I am finishing

[Baloo]

I have the WiiWare game Bust-A-Move Plus on my Wii, it is very good. But used to play a ton of Bust-A-Move in the arcades, its always been a classic, one of those underrated puzzle games that never got its due I always felt. Think it is certainly better and a little more unique than Puyo Puyo, Columns, Klax, Super Puzzle Fighter, or the other dozen games that came out in the 90s trying to capture the essence and widespread appeal of Tetris. Weird that Snood is more remembered than Bust-A-Move these days though. Just another Neo Geo game that was high-quality but few remember by itself, alongside Neo Turf Masters, Garou Mark of the Wolves, Aero Fighters, and SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos.

[Gameguy]

I should try playing it more, I've only played it a few times and just thought it was ok. Maybe I'm missing something.

[megasdkirby]

Been after the MVS version for some time. My current copy is a clone/bootleg, unfortunately.

[Edmond Dantes]

So anyone who owns one of the ports/remakes/clones/sequels... do any of them have the option of having the aiming laser be always on? In the OP this was one of my criticisms of the original game--that you don't keep it for more than one level.