"A Fun Arcade Style Game for the Mac"

Ambrosia, Ambrosia... if you are a Mac user and don't know who Ambrosia is.. then shame on you!

Ambrosia is a small shareware company dedicated to bringing great Software to the Macintosh. They started off with a nifty little game called "Maelstrom," which was really an Asteroids remake with some nifty additions, like power ups, blackholes, and UFO enemies. They continued with several other arcade remakes, including remakes of Galaga (swoop) and Centipede (Apeiron). Now, Ambrosia is testing its luck with a fully original creation. Enter Bubble Trouble.

Ambrosia's talents seem to lie in addictive, high-score games.. not large, sprawling epic RPGs or involving, white knuckle bustin 1st person shooters. Bubble Trouble is no exception. Its addictive, its clever, and most of all, it's fun.

You take control of a fish. This fish can blow bubbles, push bubbles, and trap things in bubbles. The goal of the game? Pretty much to beat your enemies and collect the prizes. Of course, despite my described simplicity, the game is addictive because of its subtleties. Crush more than one enemy with one push of the bubble, and you get extra points. Collect a bunch of letters to get an extra life. And of course, there's all sorts of nifty powerups and such to nab. Which is good. You need all the help you can get. Points is the name of the game, and as you progress, things get nasty -- there's a lot to this game I haven't even seen yet.

The game goes level by level, stage by stage, in true classic video game style. As you progress, you meet new enemies, find new powerups, and encounter new obstacles. There's even dynamite! Pretty wicked underwater. The enemies range from clever, Pac Man like chasers, to morons that kind of pace up and down the same old avenues.

The graphics are simple, cute, and cartoony... but they are extremely well animated and everything takes on an "over energetic" arcade look. The game also has a couple of nifty filters. For instance, as you play, bubbles will constantly flow over the playfield in the foreground. It's not the least bit distracting -- in fact, it just adds to the flavor of the game.

The music is MOD based, and easy to listen too. It threatens to get annoying, but you always pass on to the next level before that inevitable conclusion. Also, the sounds are right on.. bubbles pop, dynamite explodes, the fish gurgles as he is defeated. Ambrosia is known for putting memorable sounds in their games, and Bubble Trouble is no exception.

Variety? For this being a single-objective based game, there's plenty to do and plenty to see. This game is truly made in the Ambrosia Style. Do yourself a favor. Download the game. If you like it as much as I do, be a doll and register the stupid thing. And tell them the Jipster sent ya. They'll love that. ;)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99