Portable Bust-A-Move. Color bubble shots, wall ricochets, group drops. The concept is so pure it survives monochrome perfectly. Solo and link-cable vs modes. Excellent Game Boy puzzler, truly addictive. An easy buy for Puzzle Bobble fans.
Your verdict
Category
Puzzle2 players3+
Description
Bubble-shooting sequel with Bub and Bob aiming at groups of colored bubbles clinging to the ceiling to bring them down. Published by Taito/Acclaim, released in 1996 in Europe and North America. Bubble shooting with wall ricochets, over one hundred progressive puzzles, 2-player versus, and new power-ups.
Bust-A-Move 2 - Arcade Edition review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Masterful"
A few bubbles to line up and you already want another go: the arcade concept lends itself wonderfully to the handheld's short sessions. Pinpoint aiming and calculated ricochets reward dexterity as much as anticipation. The concept hasn't aged a day, and the timeless two-player duel still makes it a fearsome brain-teaser.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Aim, group three bubbles of the same colour and set off cascading drops: the mechanic lands instantly. The tension climbs as the ceiling creeps down, and the versus mode quickly turns into a friendly little war. Crystal clear to grasp, sly to master, it's the puzzle you switch on by reflex.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Aiming to the degree, gauging the ricochet then triggering a cascade of bubbles delivers an immediate reward that pushes you to the next board. Difficulty rises in fine steps and the versus mode revives the challenge without respite. The arcade principle hasn't aged a day, and its snappy tempo fits the handheld's short sessions beautifully.
A Game Boy port of Puzzle Bobble, this Bust-A-Move 2 Arcade Edition is among the machine's best puzzlers and also one of the most widely distributed in Europe via Acclaim. Its appeal lies in how intact the concept stays in monochrome rather than in scarcity: a common cart with a low loose price. Real interest for players, slight for rarity hunters, except in sealed form.
Is Bust-A-Move 2 - Arcade Edition still worth playing in 2026?
Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition revives the excellent bubble shooter puzzle where Bub and Bob aim at colored clusters hanging from the ceiling to drop them in groups of three. This crystal clear mechanic hides real tactical depth, made of wall ricochets and anticipation, that has not aged a day. With its hundred progressive screens and its still snappy two player versus mode, it is a fearsomely addictive puzzle. A safe bet of the genre on the console, recommendable without reservation to fans of reflex brain teasers.
