Bubble Bobble
A classic arcade platformer series featuring bubble-blowing dragons.
Taito created and published the Bubble Bobble series of platform games. The first game, an arcade cabinet, came out in 1986. Players typically take control of two dragons, Bub and Bob. The series led to many sequels and spin-offs like Rainbow Islands and Puzzle Bobble. These games appeared on numerous arcade systems and home consoles. The newest title, Bubble Bobble Sugar Dungeons, was released in 2025.
The original *Bubble Bobble* launched in Japanese arcades on June 16, 1986. Players guide green dragon Bub and blue dragon Bob through the Cave of Monsters to rescue their girlfriends. On each of the 100 levels, the dragons trap enemies in bubbles they blow, then pop the bubbles to make enemies drop bonus items. The game was built for two players; inserting a second coin lets someone control Bob. Home ports arrived on systems like the Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II, Amiga, Famicom Disk System, NES, MSX2, and Master System. The Master System version, called *Final Bubble Bobble* in Japan, had 200 levels. Game Boy (1991) and Game Boy Color (1996) ports were titled *Classic Bubble Bobble*. Five months after release, *Game Machine* ranked it the second most successful arcade cabinet that month, and later listed it as Japan’s fifth-highest grossing arcade game of 1987. Many consider it one of the greatest video games ever.
*Bubble Bobble Part 2* came out in 1993, developed separately for the NES and Game Boy. Each version has a different story but similar gameplay. In the Game Boy version, a character named Robby rescues villagers captured by a floating skull. In the NES version, Bub’s friend Judy is kidnapped by a floating skull, and Bub and Bob turn into dragons to save her. Unlike the original, players take turns on every other level instead of playing cooperatively. The NES version includes three bonus games after bosses or through certain doors. In Japan, the NES version was called *Bubble Bobble 2* and the Game Boy version *Bubble Bobble Junior*.
*Bubble Symphony* (also *Bubble Bobble II*), an arcade sequel from 1994, introduced several changes. Bosses appear every five to ten levels, similar to *Rainbow Islands*, and players choose between two doors after each boss to take a branching path. Two new female dragons join the cast: amber Kululun and pink Cororon. Players can charge bubbles; releasing a charged bubble when
- first_release
- 1986
- developer
- Taito
- genre
- Platform
- notable_characters
- Bub and Bob
- latest_release
- Bubble Bobble Sugar Dungeons (2025)
Lore & Background
The original Bubble Bobble was released on June 16, 1986 in Japan. Players control two dragons, a green dragon named Bub and a blue dragon named Bob, who must save their girlfriends from the Cave of Monsters. In each level, enemies are trapped in bubbles blown from the dragons' mouths and then popped, causing enemies to drop bonus items. The game has 100 levels and was designed around two-player cooperative gameplay. It was ported to many home consoles, including the Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II, Amiga, Famicom Disk System, Nintendo Entertainment System, MSX2, and Master System. The Master System port featured 200 levels and was released as Final Bubble Bobble in Japan. Ports to the Game Boy in 1991 and Game Boy Color in 1996 were released as Classic Bubble Bobble.
Reader's Guide
Bubble Bobble is considered by many sources to be among the greatest video games of all time. Five months after release, Game Machine listed it as the second most successful arcade cabinet of the month, and later as the fifth-highest grossing arcade cabinet in Japan of 1987. The series has continued with numerous sequels and spin-offs, including Bubble Bobble Part 2, Bubble Symphony, Bubble Memories, Bubble Bobble Revolution, Bubble Bobble Evolution, Bubble Bobble Double Shot, Bubble Bobble Plus!, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, and the most recent release, Bubble Bobble Sugar Dungeons in 2025. The series has been published for and ported to a wide variety of arcade and home video game consoles, maintaining its influence in the platforming genre.
Did You Know?
- The original Bubble Bobble was designed around two-player gameplay; inserting a second coin allows control of the second dragon, Bob.
- The Master System port of Bubble Bobble featured 200 levels and was released as Final Bubble Bobble in Japan.
- Bubble Bobble Part 2 had simultaneous development by different teams on the NES and Game Boy, resulting in different storylines.
- Bubble Bobble Revolution on Nintendo DS had a bug in the North American release that prevented progression past level 30.
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