Super Bubble Pop

"Turn the beat around..."

So there I was, peering into the depths of the Gamecube rack at Gamestop. There were a bunch of the same old popular games. However, I was in search of something not so well known. I was about to trudge out of the store, when I noticed a strange case hidden at the very bottom of the rack. The vibrant colors of the box compelled me to pick it up. After looking at the back, I concluded that this game would play just like Bust-a-Move. Despite the judgment call, I decided to spend ten dollars and get Super Bubble Pop.

As I predicted in the store, Super Bubble Pop plays like Bust-a-Move and some other puzzle games. You play as one of four music deejays, each with their own power ups and abilities. Your deejay is then placed in front of a large electronic grid. Suddenly, several colored bubbles appear and start piling up. Your deejay must throw his or her own bubbles onto the bubbles on the grid. If you match up the bubbles with three corresponding colors, the pile will disappear. It's your job to get rid of all the bubbles on the grid in a timely fashion, and then advance onto the next level.

While this game is cheap and fun, a few flaws set it back. Your deejay is standing on what appears to be a standing next to the edge of the grid. When the music starts, you must let the character hobble back and forth along the edge of the grid. You have to line up the deejay with the row of the corresponding color bubbles. However, the flimsy controls may cause your aim to be off. You may be shooting for a particular row, but accidentally push too far on the Control Stick. You'll send your bubble rolling into the wrong row, resulting in a buildup of even more bubbles. Also, the camera angle only provides for a slightly overhead view of the grid. Once the rows of bubbles start to pile up, it becomes difficult to tell the difference between the rows. You'll throw out a few bubbles, thinking that you're about to eliminate another group of three. Suddenly, you'll end up having created a huge stack of multicolored bubbles inching its way ever so closer to you. After a while, the rows start to look the same distance away, so the camera angle can become a hazard to your overall strategy.

While you're dealing with the questionable controls and perspective, you still have to deal with the advancing bubbles. If you manage to eliminate some of the bubbles, your character can get special bonuses or power ups to aid in the bubble popping. You can gain extra time to pop bubbles, change the colors of certain bubbles, knock down all the bubbles in a single row, etc. If the character destroys bubbles that happen to be their favorite color, the character's energy meter will build up. Once the meter is filled to the brim, you can execute a special move unique to each character. The trick is incorporating these power ups at strategic points to get rid of difficult obstacles.

Ironically, the best feature of its game is its downfall. Super Bubble Pop has excellent graphics. Everything is presented in a brilliant disco theme. The words, the bubbles, the grids, everything is bright and vibrant. The psychedelic colors make the gameplay more enjoyable and entertaining…at least at first. The problem is that there's too much emphasis on the graphics, and not enough emphasis placed on the controls. The backgrounds are constantly flashing behind the grid. There's a strobe light swinging wildly over the grid. With so many bright colors intruding you eyes, it becomes difficult to focus on the rows of bubbles headed toward you. The incredible colors and vibrant lighting effects make for a flashy showcase, but they can also be a distraction.

However, the sound meshes well with the gameplay. Super Bubble Pop would fit in perfectly at a party. To stay true to the disco theme, our ears are pounded by fast-paced techno music. These catchy tunes set a great mood to make the game more enjoyable. There are blends of salsa, hip-hop, and electronic mixes. You can even customize the songs via the Jukebox feature in the main menu. You can choose what songs you want to groove to while you're taking out the bubbles. With so much going on the screen as it is, it's nice to have control of at least one aspect of the game.

So you have the visuals. You have the sound. And you have the somewhat questionable gameplay. But what about the replay value? Does Super Bubble Pop have enough replay value to keep up with its rivals? The answer can go both ways. This game doesn't have the great controls or some of the deeper combo abilities of some of the other puzzle games out there. Also, the brilliant graphics can either be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective. You could be drawn into the upbeat style the game has, or you could get a headache from staring at the background for a little too long. These problems take away from the appeal of the game. However, Super Bubble Pop still has the addictive qualities of any other puzzle game. If you can stand the eyestrain, you can play this game for hours at a time.

So, where does that leave Super Bubble Pop? This game has the same qualities of any other puzzle game in this generation. What limits it is the emphasis on presentation rather than graphics. I can appreciate the dedication of the sound to the disco theme. The lack of reliable gameplay and over-the-top graphics are another story. This game can still be easy and fun. I think it's all just a matter of patience on the part of the gamer. This is one of the cheapest games for the Gamecube. I think it's worth it. It's just a matter of what you think. Who knows, maybe that infectious beat will catch on to you…

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/09/04