Magic Bubble - MD/GEN (Not in the DP Guide) Need Info! Rarity?

[Cauterize]

Okay, direct your eyes to my latest purchase...



I spotted this on eBay and it really confused me, i hadnt heard of such a game for the Megadrive. I was a little sceptical at first, incase it was a famicom bootleg, untested and marked up as a Megadrive game. However once i looked into some details, the only ones i could uncover, it seems there is a Hong Kong Version of this avalaible (According to Guardiana.net)

The seller offered a return within 14 days (according to the auction) if i wasnt happy so i leaped on it and had my fingers crossed

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWN:IT&ih=020

It finally arrived today after being on the edge of my seat all week waiting for it to arrive It is indeed a Megadrive release/version!
However all the mysteries need solving!!

Now what makes me curious is that the Hong Kong release, is actually written in Hong Kong all over the box etc... Look at the pictures below...



The box is completely different to mine, the dimensions of the HK release suggest it was in a hard plastic case like most MD releases. But mine is in cardboard with english text on both the front and back!









I havent been able to track down an existing Rom of Magic Bubble yet to see if there are any differences as of yet. I have tried to dump this game to Rom for further research using my Super Magic Drive, but im having no luck with that as of yet, just getting bad checksums, ill look into it as ive only tried twice...

Here are some screenshots...

The game jumps straight past the 'Licensed By Sega' screen into the game!



Some bubbles dance for an intro scene...
Gameplay is like a mixture of Pop n Pop, Tetris and Puzzle Bobble! Infact for the die hard gamers, gameplay seems to be the same as Bubble Bath Babes for NES!!
The best screen, the pause screen A sleeping fish


So i was wondering does anyone have any information on this, i cant find it in the DP guide nor anywhere on the net apart from scans of the HK version on Guardiana.
One guy did get in touch with me via eBay about my purchase claiming there are only 5 copies of this in existance, how true this is i do not know... So im hoping someone on here has some further information.

Were there only so many copies made?
Where was it sold?
Who are C&E Inc (Computer and Entertainment Inc)?
What rarity should be given to this?
Pal Version or NTSC Version? (this ill be able to clarify once dumped)
Is it somewhat based loosley on this? http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?...M&game_id=8492
Is it a copy of Bubble Bath Babes for Kids!?



Btw the whole DP limit to 10 images seems a but of a silly rule... ive just had to go resize them all and combine them in photoshop :/

[pogo]

looks interesting. I have a korean md game (to tired to remember the name, but some shooter with turtle in the title) and i must say your title reminds me alot of that game, so it might be korean and not a hong kong release. Doesnt look chinese to me.

Otherwise i know nothing of the game, but seems like a very nice find!

[anagrama]

It's one of the many titles waiting to be incorporated into the DB.
The "Hong Kong" version you mention is actually a South Korean release (that's Korean text on the spine, and it's listed as such at Guardiana). It's the only unlicensed Korean MD game I've seen (all other Korean games I've seen are licensed Samsung releases), though there's loads of unlicensed Korean Gam*Boy(SMS) games.

The English-language version like yours is probably from Taiwan - C&E Inc are the same company that developed the original version of Beggar Prince, as well as several other unlicensed titles.

[anagrama]

I have a korean md game (to tired to remember the name, but some shooter with turtle in the title) and i must say your title reminds me alot of that game, so it might be korean and not a hong kong release. Doesnt look chinese to me.

That's Keo-Buk-Son, or Space Turtle Battleship, which was published in South Korea by Samsung (the official Korean Sega licencees). No relation to Magic Bubble.

[pogo]

yes, i know. I meant i recognized the korean symbols from my space turtle game. But i wasnt very clear though

[Cauterize]

The English-language version like yours is probably from Taiwan - C&E Inc are the same company that developed the original version of Beggar Prince, as well as several other unlicensed titles.

Cheers for the info James, seems there is a whole lot more research we need to do into this game!
Any further info from anybody will be greatly appreciated

[TonyB80]

I have this game as well, but only the cart. I assumed that it was the Korean release at the time, but maybe it's this release instead.

It was reviewed in one of the later issues of Mean Machines Sega and i've been wondering for a while whether it was released in any other regions. MMS didn't really review non-euro releases on MD later in it's life so i thought there might be a least a Japanese version knocking about somewhere.

[Cauterize]

I have this game as well, but only the cart. I assumed that it was the Korean release at the time, but maybe it's this release instead.

It was reviewed in one of the later issues of Mean Machines Sega and i've been wondering for a while whether it was released in any other regions. MMS didn't really review non-euro releases on MD later in it's life so i thought there might be a least a Japanese version knocking about somewhere.

Oooh really? What issue please? Any chance of scans if you own the issue please?

[TonyB80]

Oooh really? What issue please? Any chance of scans if you own the issue please?

I'll try and dig it out and get it scanned in the next day or so, although i can't remember which issue at the moment.

[TonyB80]

Scan of Magic Bubble Review - Mean Machines Sega Issue 22


http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...M/scan0007.jpg

Text is a little small in the scores box.

[CMA Death Adder]

Magic Bubble was produced by C&E (Taiwan) for the Megadrive in 1992, and released in 1993. It is a new take on their Famicom game, "Mermaids of Atlantis", which was released in the USA by AVE.

Magic Bubble is the only C&E game on the Megadrive which is in English. Perhaps, it was originally planned as an export to the USA but this is not yet known. However, as the president of C&E does not remember the game being exported to Korea, the Korean release of Magic Bubble may not have been authorized.

I am learning more as I can.