"What do you get when you combine dinosaurs, multicoloured bubbles and a catapult?"

Puzzle Bobble (or Bust-A-Move) is one of those unique puzzle games that never really gets old, no matter how many times you play it (Tetris is another). Though it isn't as widely available as Tetris (which I've seen come for free built into TVs), you'd be hard-pressed to find a decent arcade that doesn't have the machine for this gem.

Story: 5/10
Firstly, I'd like to say that Puzzle Bobble's story is about as deep as the story in Pac-Man. In other words, there isn't really any beyond the basic “Make Bub and Bob (the two dinosaurs) shoot bubbles at the other bubbles before the whole thing collapses!”. Actually, I think the guys over at Taito might be encouraging you to make up your own story, so here goes.

“A long time ago, on a prehistoric Earth, there were two dinosaurs named Bub and Bob. One day, the Earth came under attack from alien invaders, and the only way to stop them was to shoot bubbles and connect three of the same coloured bubbles!”

…I think I'll let you decide the rest yourself.

Graphics: 8/10
Though the game's main focus is obviously not the visuals, the graphics in this game are actually quite detailed. The bubbles are bright and shiny and Bub, Bob and the shooting machine thing are all cute and well drawn. The backgrounds tend to be similar, but aren't a pain for the eye. The animation is very fluid too, although to be honest, there isn't that much to animate.

Sound: 7/10
Well, you've got one looping track playing in the background on every stage, which can be either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on whether you find the music catchy or downright annoying (after playing the game for all these years, I've started to fall into the latter). The sound effects sound pretty much like what they should sound like with a touch of cuteness, which is good enough for a game like this.

Gameplay: 9.5/10
Ah…what can I say? This game is built around one simple concept: Shoot bubbles at the ceiling of a…rectangle and try to get them in groups of three of the same colour. Every so often, the ceiling will drop down a bit, and if the bubbles go past a certain point, it's game over. While the game starts off very, very easily, it eventually gets harder and harder, until it is insanely difficult.

The game also features a two player mode, where two players go head to head and try to last longer then the other. You also send more bubbles to the opponent if you blow up more then 3 bubbles at once. This mode can be lots of fun, and it's always entertaining watching your friend screaming in frustration as you send 10 bubbles his way.

As I've said before, you can have fun with this game for a long, long time. It's insanely addictive and it'll take a lot of time/money to make your way past every stage in the game. Sadly, this is also one of the game's faults, as unless you are rich, you probably won't be able to beat this game at an arcade, and even if you are, it'd take a very long time. With that said, it can still be lots of fun playing the early stages again and again.

Overall: 9/10

In the end, one simple word can sum up everything about Puzzle Bobble:Fun. Fun is what drives people to play a game, and this game generates mountains of the stuff. Don't let the cute graphics and the somewhat annoying music get to you, this game is truly one of the best in the puzzle genre.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/23/06, Updated 03/12/06