The perfection of arcade co-op on NES. Bub and Bob blow bubbles, trap enemies, collect bonuses. Inexhaustible, charming, perfect for two. A monument.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player3+
Co-op
Description
Platformer featuring Bub and Bob transforming enemies into bubbles to pop in colorful settings. Published by Taito, released in the USA in 1988. Bub and Bob blowing bubbles to capture enemies, fruits to collect after popping, 100 levels and simultaneous two-player co-op. NES port of Taito's Bubble Bobble arcade classic.
Bubble Bobble review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The two round dragons and their iridescent bubbles give the game its immediate identity, over fixed screens built from short, readable platforms. The bestiary multiplies round creatures with big eyes, and the collected bonuses, fruit, cakes, gems, fill the screen with bold colours at every successful chain.
The main theme loops from the first screen to the last, a radical choice that could have wearied and produced the opposite: a refrain now inseparable from the game. The writing holds in a skipping melody and a simple bass, with tempo variations that signal urgency as time runs out.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Trapping enemies in bubbles before popping them lays the foundation for a single-screen platformer of fiendishly addictive simplicity. Two-player co-op multiplies both the chaos and the strategy. A hundred levels and well-hidden secrets ensure its longevity; this clear, joyful mechanic has lost none of its catchy charm.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Trapping enemies in bubbles then popping them with a jump: the move is cute, addictive and more tactical than it looks. Climbing a hundred levels keeps curiosity alive, between bonuses to find and secret endings. Colourful, good-natured and brimming with charm, this Taito classic stays a pure pleasure you restart without thinking.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Trap an enemy in a bubble, burst it, then gather the shower of fruit: the mechanic fits on a single screen and invites you to string together all hundred levels. Secrets, EXTEND letters and bonuses reward exploration, and two-dragon co-op multiplies the urge to keep going. The true ending reserved for the duo can frustrate the lone player, but the good-natured charm stays irresistible.
The US NES edition of the Taito co-op classic, a port that reached an NTSC market where two-player sessions marked a generation. The wide US print keeps the grey cart common and cheap. Desirability rests mainly on nostalgic capital and the brand's longevity through reissues (PS4, Switch); a clean complete Black Box copy, whose cardboard warps easily, is what sets a fine NTSC example apart.
Is Bubble Bobble still worth playing in 2026?
Bubble Bobble is the perfection of cooperative arcade gaming on NES. Bub and Bob blow bubbles, trap enemies, collect bonuses and climb through a hundred maddeningly inventive levels. Inexhaustible, charming, perfect in two-player with the famous true ending reserved for co-op, Taito's title remains a monument. The bouncy controls, Tadashi Kimijima's catchy soundtrack and the design's sheer generosity carry an experience that has not aged. For retro arcade fans and local play lovers, still an absolute must today.
