Stages

This is a sub-page of Proto:Bubble Symphony (Arcade).

Sub-Pages#

Deleted StagesStages that are exclusive to the prototype. Changed StagesNumbers! Numbers! Numbers!

General Changes#

Stage Slots#

Stages in bold text are completely new stages in the same slot. Stage names highlighted in blue are placeholders taken from the list of rooms in Namco's The Return of Ishtar.

Of the 116 stages in the prototype...

• 61 are part of the normal game. Of those 61 stages, only 8 didn't make it into the final game.
• 16 are stages that weren't used in the prototype but were later used in the final game.
• 39 were deleted before the game was finalized, leaving empty slots. Only 10 of those slots were filled in the final game.

To access any of the normally inaccessible stages in the prototype, but both of the following cheats in MAME's bublbob2p.xml cheat file and set both cheats to the appropriate stage:

  <cheat desc="Round A-1 Layout + Enemies">
    <parameter>
      <item value="0x00042D940002EFAE">Stage 001</item>
      <item value="0x00042F4C0002EFCC">Stage 002</item>
      <item value="0x000431040002EFDA">Stage 003</item>
      <item value="0x000434740002F02E">Stage 005</item>
      <item value="0x000437E40002F05E">Stage 007</item>
      <item value="0x0004399C0002F070">Stage 008</item>
      <item value="0x00043B540002F082">Stage 009</item>
      <item value="0x000443EC0002F100">Stage 014</item>
      <item value="0x00044C840002F15E">Stage 019</item>
      <item value="0x00044E3C0002F170">Stage 020</item>
      <item value="0x0004551C0002F1CC">Stage 024</item>
      <item value="0x000456D40002F1DE">Stage 025</item>
      <item value="0x00045A440002F206">Stage 027</item>
      <item value="0x00045DB40002F23E">Stage 029</item>
      <item value="0x0004664C0002F2C8">Stage 034</item>
      <item value="0x000468040002F2EA">Stage 035</item>
      <item value="0x00046B740002F30E">Stage 037</item>
      <item value="0x00046D2C0002F328">Stage 038</item>
      <item value="0x00046EE40002F34E">Stage 039</item>
      <item value="0x000472540002F37A">Stage 041</item>
      <item value="0x0004740C0002F38C">Stage 042</item>
      <item value="0x000475C40002F3A2">Stage 043</item>
      <item value="0x0004777C0002F3B4">Stage 044</item>
      <item value="0x00047AEC0002F3F8">Stage 046</item>
      <item value="0x00047CA40002F40A">Stage 047</item>
      <item value="0x00047E5C0002F41C">Stage 048</item>
      <item value="0x000480140002F42E">Stage 049</item>
      <item value="0x000481CC0002F440">Stage 050</item>
      <item value="0x0004853C0002F474">Stage 052</item>
      <item value="0x000486F40002F486">Stage 053</item>
      <item value="0x000488AC0002F498">Stage 054</item>
      <item value="0x00048F8C0002F504">Stage 058</item>
      <item value="0x000492FC0002F530">Stage 060</item>
      <item value="0x0004966C0002F56C">Stage 062</item>
      <item value="0x00049B940002F5B2">Stage 065</item>
      <item value="0x00049D4C0002F5D0">Stage 066</item>
      <item value="0x0004A5E40002F642">Stage 071</item>
      <item value="0x0004AB0C0002F680">Stage 074</item>
      <item value="0x0004B0340002F6D6">Stage 077</item>
      <item value="0x0004B1EC0002F6E8">Stage 078</item>
      <item value="0x0004B3A40002F6FA">Stage 079</item>
      <item value="0x0004B55C0002F70C">Stage 080</item>
      <item value="0x0004B7140002F722">Stage 081</item>
      <item value="0x0004B8CC0002F734">Stage 082</item>
      <item value="0x0004BA840002F746">Stage 083</item>
      <item value="0x0004C31C0002F7D0">Stage 088</item>
      <item value="0x0004C4D40002F7F6">Stage 089</item>
      <item value="0x0004C68C0002F810">Stage 090</item>
      <item value="0x0004CF240002F846">Stage 095</item>
      <item value="0x0004D7BC0002F890">Stage 100</item>
      <item value="0x0004D9740002F8AE">Stage 101</item>
      <item value="0x0004DB2C0002F8C8">Stage 102</item>
      <item value="0x0004E7340002F96E">Stage 109</item>
      <item value="0x0004E8EC0002F990">Stage 110</item>
      <item value="0x0004EAA40002F9B2">Stage 111</item>
      <item value="0x0004EE140002F9EE">Stage 113</item>
    </parameter>
    <script state="run">
      <action>maincpu.mq@2C400=param</action>
    </script>
    <script state="off">
      <action>maincpu.mq@2C400=0x0004D0DC0002F858</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

  <cheat desc="Round A-1 Settings + Name">
    <parameter>
      <item value="0xE7CE0001">Stage 001</item>
      <item value="0xE7DE0002">Stage 002</item>
      <item value="0xE7EE0003">Stage 003</item>
      <item value="0xE80E0005">Stage 005</item>
      <item value="0xE82E0007">Stage 007</item>
      <item value="0xE83E0008">Stage 008</item>
      <item value="0xE84E0009">Stage 009</item>
      <item value="0xE89E000E">Stage 014</item>
      <item value="0xE8EE0013">Stage 019</item>
      <item value="0xE8FE0014">Stage 020</item>
      <item value="0xE93E0018">Stage 024</item>
      <item value="0xE94E0019">Stage 025</item>
      <item value="0xE96E001B">Stage 027</item>
      <item value="0xE98E001D">Stage 029</item>
      <item value="0xE9DE0022">Stage 034</item>
      <item value="0xE9EE0023">Stage 035</item>
      <item value="0xEA0E0025">Stage 037</item>
      <item value="0xEA1E0026">Stage 038</item>
      <item value="0xEA2E0027">Stage 039</item>
      <item value="0xEA4E0029">Stage 041</item>
      <item value="0xEA5E002A">Stage 042</item>
      <item value="0xEA6E002B">Stage 043</item>
      <item value="0xEA7E002C">Stage 044</item>
      <item value="0xEA9E002E">Stage 046</item>
      <item value="0xEAAE002F">Stage 047</item>
      <item value="0xEABE0030">Stage 048</item>
      <item value="0xEACE0031">Stage 049</item>
      <item value="0xEADE0032">Stage 050</item>
      <item value="0xEAFE0034">Stage 052</item>
      <item value="0xEB0E0035">Stage 053</item>
      <item value="0xEB1E0036">Stage 054</item>
      <item value="0xEB5E003A">Stage 058</item>
      <item value="0xEB7E003C">Stage 060</item>
      <item value="0xEB9E003E">Stage 062</item>
      <item value="0xEBCE0041">Stage 065</item>
      <item value="0xEBDE0042">Stage 066</item>
      <item value="0xEC1E0047">Stage 071</item>
      <item value="0xEC5E004A">Stage 074</item>
      <item value="0xEC8E004D">Stage 077</item>
      <item value="0xEC9E004E">Stage 078</item>
      <item value="0xECAE004F">Stage 079</item>
      <item value="0xECBE0050">Stage 080</item>
      <item value="0xECCE0051">Stage 081</item>
      <item value="0xECDE0052">Stage 082</item>
      <item value="0xECEE0053">Stage 083</item>
      <item value="0xED3E0058">Stage 088</item>
      <item value="0xED4E0059">Stage 089</item>
      <item value="0xED5E005A">Stage 090</item>
      <item value="0xEDAE005F">Stage 095</item>
      <item value="0xEDFE0064">Stage 100</item>
      <item value="0xEE0E0065">Stage 101</item>
      <item value="0xEE1E0066">Stage 102</item>
      <item value="0xEE8E006D">Stage 109</item>
      <item value="0xEE9E006E">Stage 110</item>
      <item value="0xEEAE006F">Stage 111</item>
      <item value="0xEECE0071">Stage 113</item>
    </parameter>
    <script state="run">
      <action>maincpu.md@2C40E=param</action>
    </script>
    <script state="off">
      <action>maincpu.md@2C40E=0xEDBE0060</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

Note that Stages 014 and 031 are bugged: Stage 014 crashes because it tries to load four enemies even though it only has three enemy entries, while Stage 031 has six enemy entries but only loads four. Put this code in bublbob2p.xml to fix those two stages:

  <cheat desc="Fix Stages 014 and 031">
    <script state="run">
      <action>maincpu.mw@2F100=0x0003</action>
      <action>maincpu.mw@2F272=0x0006</action>
    </script>
    <script state="off">
      <action>maincpu.mw@2F100=0x0004</action>
      <action>maincpu.mw@2F272=0x0004</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

Stage Graphics#

A-1		A-2		A-3		A-4		A-5
B-1		B-2		B-3		B-4		B-5
C-1		C-2		C-3		C-4		C-5
D-1		D-2		D-3		D-4		D-5
E-1		E-2		E-3		E-4		E-5
F-1		F-2		F-3		F-4		F-5

In the prototype, stage tilesets are made up of five tiles: Four are used for the stage's walls in a 16x16 block, and one tile is used for the stage's platforms. Each tileset also includes a unique graphic for the top of the floor. This setup is only used in a few places in the final version, mostly in boss stages.

Of the thirty-two unique tilesets in the prototype, seven made it into the final game, minus the unique floor graphics:

• The A-1 tileset is used in the tutorial room. This is the only stage that has the same tileset in both the prototype and final game.
• The A-2 tileset is used in the World I, J, L, L, and M boss stages.
• The A-7 tileset is used in the World A (Right), C, G, and H boss stages.
• The A-8 tileset is used in the game's secret rooms.
• The B-1 tileset is used in the World O boss stages.
• The B-5 tileset is used in the World A (Left), D, and E boss stages.
• The D-4 tileset is used in the World A (Middle) boss stage.

The tilesets for normal stages in the final game are much more flexible and don't necessarily have to be organized in 8x8 or 16x16 blocks. Take, for examples, the fish seen on the walls of Round L-8. However, the new setup eliminates the unique graphics for stage walls, and floors use the same gradient graphic in each stage.