Published by ININ Games and developed by TAITO, Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! is a brand-new chapter for the iconic Puzzle Bobble franchise. Release exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! is aiming at taking the franchise to modern players in a complete package that is filled with modern in-game mechanics. The game features the bubble-blowing dinos, known for this franchise, and this time around, they are accompanied by different friends as well. Puzzle Bobble is one of the earliest games that I started playing when I was little and it is amazing to see this brilliant making a comeback now after so many years. This is our review of Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! on the Nintendo Switch in which we pop some bubbles as cute little dinos.
There are different modes to play Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble!. Right as you jump in the game, you will see two different options, one is the main Story Mode while the other one is the Vs Mode. The Vs Mode offers you both offline and online options with Online Play and Local Play. The Local Play can be played in 1v1 or 2v2 modes where four players can have a go at the game at the same time. The Online Mode gives you the option to play with random players from around the world in a Global Match or play with someone specific with the Password Matching option. In Vs games, your goal is to make sure that your opponent’s bubbles cross their red line. As you match bubbles, your power level goes up and if it stays above your opponents, you can shoot bubbles into their section and sabotage their game. The player whose bubbles cross into their red line will lose the game while the other one will win the game. This is the first time in the franchise that four players can play in a match at the same time.
For the first time in the franchise, Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! features a narrative story complete with dialogue and cutscenes. The game is set on the Rainbow Islands where the bubble-blowing dinos are present along with their friends. One day, their little friends Miniroon who were previously unable to blow bubbles are given the power to blow bubbles and in their excitement, they end up blowing so many bubbles that the whole Rainbow Islands are now filled with them and making trouble for everyone located there. It is now up to Bub, Bob, Peb, and Pab to clear away all of the bubbles alongside their companion friends. The Rainbow Islands have different locations that need to be cleaned and the game has a map where you will move around to reach different locations in a hot air balloon. Each location is different from the previous one and you will unlock the next location after completing the location currently unlocked.
The story progression is linear and you only move forward after completing the previous stages and completing the main story of a location. There are different cutscenes for each location as well. Apart from the story missions, each location has EX levels as well which are unlocked after you earn 3 stars on all the base levels of a location. These are tougher challenges and are aimed at highscores. Earning 3 stars in Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! is all about time. The quicker you complete a stage; the more stars you will earn. You can also invite friends or add CPU players if you want to the game. Every aspect of Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! can be played with AI players or real-world players whether in co-op on online. The levels will adjust according to the number of players playing the game so it does not really get easy even if four players are playing a level at the same time.
The gameplay is pretty much what you will expect from a Puzzle Bobble game. You are at the bottom of the level and the bubbles are above you which gradually move down and you have to clear them all before they go below the red line. You will have two bubbles every time and you can switch between them to match the bubbles floating above you. Time is always of the essence however one new mechanic this time around is a new companion. You will take these companions with you to every stage and they will hold one special bubble for you if you drop it to the ground. If you pop bubbles from their base and there are other bubbles attached to them, they will drop down to the ground. Normal bubbles will pop but your companions will hold on to the special bubbles that you can save and use when you really have to.
Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! has plenty of special bubbles that will assist you in completing the levels. These range from bomb bubbles that will explore when you hit them, to paint bubbles that will scatter paint and match the ones that you have equipped. Similarly, there are star bubbles that will pop all similar color bubbles that you hit it with. These special bubbles are present in most of the levels and you will need them to complete the stages as quickly as possible. While most of the special bubbles are assists, there are also some bubbles that will hinder your gameplay as well. These include planks and rocks. While planks can be destroyed with bombs, the rocks are there to make your time miserable since they cannot be moved or destroyed. These special bubbles will give you new ways to explore the bubble popping and are a great addition to the game.
If you want a more endless mode, there is a special location called Baron’s Tower where you will choose a difficulty, and jump into the mode to try and reach the highscore target. While these levels can go on forever if you can make them so because the bubbles will keep coming and you have no time limits here. You just have to keep popping bubbles and prevent them from reaching the red line. The target scores for these levels are huge so once you commit to a level, you really have to commit while trying to meet these goals. Once you reach a goal for a difficulty level, you will unlock the next difficulty level. This acts like an end-game level because these are really challenging and the end goal is to just try and reach the top of the highscore board. The highscores on this board are collected from all around the world so you are basically competing with other players globally while doing them.
Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! also features a bonus mode called Puzzle Bobble vs. Space Invaders which is a mix of two iconic franchises. This mode plays out like a classic Space Invaders game where the enemies floating in the sky are replaced by colorful Puzzle Bobble puzzles and you must shoot colored bubbles and match three to pop all of the bubbles before they can reach down. There are some Space Invaders hiding inside these bubbles as well and they will shoot down on you just like the original game. This unique mode gives you a pleasant change of pace from the original Puzzle Bobble title and offers yet another way of experiencing the Puzzle Bobble formula. This mode has different levels as well and when you clear one level, you quickly move to the next one without having to go through menus.
Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! is a new era for the Puzzle Bobble franchise which shows that TAITO is now embracing the modern gaming times and is adapting according to it. The 4-player co-op, a narrative story, and plenty of new in-game mechanics bring Puzzle Bubble EveryBubble! at par with modern releases and I am happy to see that TAITO and ININ Games are doing everything to bring back to life and according to the current times as well. Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! is filled with tons of bubble-popping fun and features for you to explore. On top of that, different settings, such as brightness options and pattern options, will allow you to make the game more accessible to every player. It is a complete package for new and veteran players of the franchise. There is also a Memory Album that keeps track of all characters, buddies, and music that you have unlocked so far and you can check them out at any time.
Final Score:
The colorful and cute bubble-blowing dinos are back and in their best form yet on Nintendo Switch. The addition of a story mode and the new in-game mechanics present charming new ways to experience this brilliant franchise. Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! is a perfect foundation for the franchise and after playing it, we can only say good things about the franchise’s future. While Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! might be loaded with fancy new mechanics and colorful visuals that really immerse you in the game, at its core, it is still the same challenging puzzle game that we love and it will still keep you on your toes. If you love the Puzzle Bobble franchise and have been playing it for a long time or if you are a new player who is looking forward to jumping into the franchise, Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! is a great game that not only suits better to a modern gamer but retains the same fun and the challenge that we grew up with. Highly recommended for new and veteran players alike.
Final Verdict: 9.5/10
