Return of the magic dragons

Think up a game about dragons blowing bubbles today and people would wonder what you’ve been smoking. But hey it’s OK. Rising Star’s Bubble Bobble Revolution - a game about two bubble-blowing-dragons is a remake of a classic (that means old - first released in 1986 trivia fans!) arcade game.

And what nice dragons they are. Called Bub and Bob - hence the game name (or should that be the other way round?) - this 2005 version of the platform game where they trap enemies in their bubbles and then pop them, is bringing some special goodies into the mix. These include a new playable character designed by Harvest Moon’s artist Igusa Matsuyama that you can unlock, a special mini-game as well as a food-based collection bonus system for ensuring you can say you’ve completed 100 percent of the game.

There’s also a new power bubble, the Ghost bubble which we’re guessing will make you invisible. This will be in addition to old favourites such as elemental power bubbles - water, fire and lighting. Rising Star claims this will open up a wide range of tactical opportunities as you play the game. Another tweak is that the instant death of the original will be replaced with a health bar to give you more flexibility if you make a mistake. And extra dangers within levels are promised as well as new ways of dealing with the time limit which previously involved you having to complete the level before water rising from the bottom of the screen flooded it.

In terms of the main single player option, this is the New Age mode, in which playing as either Bub or Bob, you’re on a mission to rescue your missing friends from a magical island. The levels are displayed across both DS screens and they will scroll along to provide a wide environment to blow bubbles and collect items in.

This being DS, there will be several multiplayer options too including a two-player co-operative mode where you and a friend get to guide Bub and Bob through the original two-player arcade version of the game. There’s also a four-way head-to-head competitive mode where it’s a mad dash to capture as many enemies as possible in the time limit, although you should beware because bubbles will harm you and the other players so this is more like a deathmatch version of Bubble Bobble if such a thing is imaginable.

As for control methods, there’s no news on whether you’ll be able to control the dragons using the touchscreen - which seems unlikely given the way the both screens are being used - although there will be ways of activating the fans which alter the flow of bubbles within the levels using the DS’ microphone - so you’ll be able to (cue laughter track) puff the magic dragons.