Puzzle Bobble (Arcade)

This page details one or more prototype versions of Puzzle Bobble (Arcade).

Bubble Buster is the unreleased US version of the B-System Puzzle Bobble. A prototype B-System board containing a build of the game was found in 2021.

To do: Continue with Regional Differences

Differences#

Compared to the Japanese version, some drastic changes were made. Notably, Bubblun and Bobblun from Bubble Bobble were completely removed. Curiously, a similar set of changes would be later made to the Taito F3 System version of Puzzle Bobble 2, Bust-a-Move Again, which did get released in the US.

Title Screen#

Puzzle Bobble shows in a spacey background an animated sequence where twelve bubbles flying in the center of the screen then Bub and Bob join them. Then Bub and Bob appear on the edges of the screen and start to fire bubbles from their mouths and start to pop all the bubbles, then they jump on the last three remaining bubbles revealing the title name. Finally, the title appears and Bub and Bob do a small dance in rhythm with the music and the sequence ends. Bubble Buster shows the game's title logo on a black background, and has it bouncing twice and approaching in rhythm with the music. This same animation would later be used in Bust-A-Move.

Japan	US

Game Mode Selection Screen#

Apart from the text that was translated in English, Bubblun was removed from the game mode selection screen in the US version. Also to play the 2P VS mode, in the Japanese version, only a credit is required. While in the US version two credits are required.

Japan	US

Gameplay#

Bubbluns/Bobbluns below the cross line were removed, the bag was replaced with a pipe, the golden arrow was recolored in a silver arrow, the Bubble Bobble enemies that are encased in the bubbles were removed and the waiting Bubblun/Bobblun in the bottom-left/bottom-right of the screen was removed.

Japan	US

Ending#

In the Japanese version, the ending shows a plain "congratulations" screen followed by beautifully rendered scenes of all the characters from the game, followed by a credits sequence (where at the end, the Silverhawk and King Fossil from Darius make a cameo).

In the US prototype, the ending shows a plain "congratulations" screen with a different, less bubbly font. Notably, this is followed by a screen for a "Taito T-Shirt Challenge", displaying a scrambled sentence and a (placeholder?) deadline of January 1, 1994.

High Scores#

The high score table in Bubble Buster uses a different background, as well as the same font used for the game over, congratulations, and round start screens.

Japan	US

Music#

The music is very different in Bubble Buster, sounding less cutesy and having more of a techno vibe. The only surviving track would be the title theme, which is used in the final release of Bust-A-Move. Though the title theme as well as the rest of Bubble Buster's soundtrack would later be rearranged and reused in Bust-A-Move Again.