Puzzle Bobble 3

Last updated
Puzzle Bobble 3
Puzzle Bobble 3 Arcade Flyer.jpg
Arcade flyer
Developer(s) Taito [a]
Publisher(s)
Taito
  • Sega Saturn
    PlayStation/Nintendo 64
    • JP: Taito
    • NA/PAL: Acclaim Entertainment
    Game Boy
    • PAL: Acclaim Entertainment
    Windows
    PS3 / PSP / PS Vita
Platform(s) Arcade, Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Windows, PlayStation Network
ReleaseArcade
  • WW: September 1996
Saturn
  • JP: March 28, 1997
  • NA: December 9, 1997
  • EU: 1997
PlayStation
Game Boy
Nintendo 64
  • EU: November 1998
  • NA: April 5, 1999 [2]
  • JP: March 5, 1999
Windows
  • JP: 2001
  • EU: January 11, 2002
PlayStation Network
  • JP: December 10, 2008
PlayStation 3 / PSP
  • WW: December 10, 2008
PS Vita
  • WW: August 28, 2012
Genre(s) Puzzle
Mode(s)Up to two (four on the N64) players simultaneously
Arcade system Taito F3 System

Puzzle Bobble 3 (also known as Bust-A-Move 3) is an action puzzle video game developed by Taito. The second sequel to Puzzle Bobble , it was released for arcades in September 1996 and later ported to the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy, Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows. Like its predecessors, the player is tasked with shooting balls at groups of balls, creating groups of three or more, which are then removed from play. Further ports for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in February 2023 by City Connection alongside Puzzle Bobble 2 .

Contents

The version of the game for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 featured refreshed graphics and new features. It was released as Bust-A-Move 3 DX in Europe (versions for the Game Boy and Microsoft Windows were exclusively released there) and Bust-A-Move 99 in the United States. In Japan, the Nintendo 64 port was released as Puzzle Bobble 64, while the PlayStation version was released as Puzzle Bobble 3 DX.

Gameplay

The game completely abandons the idea of previous titles that the playfield is being pushed down by some sort of mechanical device and instead attaches groups of bubbles to nodes that move downwards. When a node is no longer connected to any bubbles, it will disappear and when all nodes in a level have vanished the level is complete. As a result, shooting a bubble to the top of the visible playfield without striking any bubbles causes it to bounce and travel back downwards. [4] The player is not penalised if such bubbles again leave the playing field without attaching to anything (except for adding to the number of moves until the field is pushed down by one empty line). Despite this, some versions include a reimplementation of the Puzzle Bobble 2 levels now built around nodes (entitled Version 2.5).

Gameplay is further varied by the implementation of new scrolling playfields that are several times as high as the screen and must be conquered as an endurance event. Each scrolling playfield occupies the same space on the world map as five previous levels.

This game also marks the introduction of rainbow bubbles into the series - bubbles that are initially transparent and filled with a rainbow. If an adjoining bubble is burst, the rainbow bubbles switch to the colour of the burst bubble, [5] allowing the player to build up chain reactions.

The ability to choose a character was introduced, but only to the VS Computer mode. As in Bubble Bobble, the first player controls Bub, and the second player controls Bob. In the Nintendo 64 version, a four-player-simultaneous option is available.

Release

Puzzle Bobble 3's developer, Taito, also published the game in Japan. The U.S. division of Acclaim Entertainment, which held the rights to publish Taito's games in the Western hemisphere, had dropped support for the Sega Saturn in mid-1997, [6] so the Saturn version was published in North America by Natsume Inc. instead. [4] However, Acclaim's European division published the Saturn version in PAL territories. [7]

Promotion

The game was showcased at the JAMMA 96 along with Fighter's Impact and G-Darius. [8]

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Puzzle Bobble 3 on their January 1, 1997 issue as being the seventh most-successful arcade game of the month. [19]

The Saturn port received moderately positive reviews, with critics voicing approval for the introduction of multiple playable characters with their own individual abilities, [11] [17] [7] the vast number of levels included in the collection mode, [11] [13] [17] [7] and the intensity of the multiplayer gameplay. [11] [7] However, most questioned whether the game's improvements to the series formula were enough to warrant a purchase for gamers who already owned Bust-a-Move 2. [11] [13] [7] [20] GamePro found the reuse of the previous installment's soundtrack and the limited changes to the gameplay in particular doused much of the excitement for the game. [20] Next Generation disagreed, asserting that "it's arguable that the formula Taito and Natsume hit on with the Bust-A-Move series needs no major improvements and is sure to please any puzzle fanatic. A must-have classic game." [17]

Sega Saturn Magazine concluded that while the game's one-player modes lack sufficient longevity, they are highly enjoyable, and the two-player mode makes Bust-a-Move 3 a great purchase for puzzle fans. [7] While Dan Hsu of Electronic Gaming Monthly argued that the Bust-a-Move games are mindless compared to other action puzzlers, his three co-reviewers all found the game to be great fun, and felt the enhancements were enough to make it worthwhile for veterans of the series. Kraig Kujawa summed up that "This game has about everything one could ask for from a sequel that keeps the original gameplay intact." [11]

Electronic Gaming Monthly named Bust-a-Move 3 "Puzzle Game of the Year" at their 1997 Editors' Choice Awards, citing its accessibility and addictiveness. [21] GamePro later named the PlayStation version of Bust-A-Move 99 a second runner-up for "9th Annual GamePro Readers' Choice Awards" for "Best Brain Game", which went to Mario Party . [22]

Related Research Articles

<i>Puzzle Bobble</i> 1994 video game

Puzzle Bobble, internationally known as Bust-A-Move, is a 1994 tile-matching puzzle arcade game developed and published by Taito. It is based on the 1986 arcade game Bubble Bobble, featuring characters and themes from that game. Its characteristically cute Japanese animation and music, along with its play mechanics and level designs, made it successful as an arcade title and spawned several sequels and ports to home gaming systems.

<i>Hexen: Beyond Heretic</i> 1995 video game

Hexen: Beyond Heretic is a fantasy first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by id Software distributed through GT Interactive on October 30, 1995. It is the sequel to 1994's Heretic, and the second game in Raven Software's "Serpent Riders" trilogy, which culminated with Hexen II. The title comes from the German noun Hexen, which means "witches", and/or the verb hexen, which means "to cast a spell". Game producer John Romero stated that a third, unreleased game in this series was to be called Hecatomb.

<i>Zoop</i> 1995 video game

Zoop is a puzzle video game originally developed by Hookstone and published by Viacom New Media in 1995 for the Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, MS-DOS, Macintosh, PlayStation, Game Gear, and Game Boy, then in 1996 for the Saturn and Jaguar. Zoop has similarities to Taito's 1989 arcade video game Plotting, but Zoop runs in real-time instead. Players are tasked with eliminating pieces that spawn from one of the sides of the screen before they reach the center of the playfield. By pointing at a piece and shooting it, the player can either swap it with the current player color and thus arrange the same color pieces in a row or column, or match the color.

<i>Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2</i> 1987 video game

Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (レインボーアイランド) is a 1987 arcade video game developed and published by Taito, with the arcade version licensed to Romstar for North American manufacturing and distribution. The game is the sequel to Bubble Bobble from the previous year, and it is the second of four arcade games in the series. The game was ported to home computers and home video game consoles.

<i>Parasol Stars</i> 1991 video game

Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III (パラソルスター) called Parasol Stars: Rainbow Island II on the NES is a video game by Taito released in 1991. It is a sequel to Rainbow Islands and the third game in the Bubble Bobble series. On July 11, 2024, the game got ported for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox one, Xbox series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

<i>Mortal Kombat Trilogy</i> 1996 video game

Mortal Kombat Trilogy is a fighting game released by Midway in 1996 as the second and final update to Mortal Kombat 3 for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn and PCs. Further versions were also released for the Game.com and R-Zone. It features a similar basic gameplay system and the same story as Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, but adds characters and stages restored from Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II. New additions to the game included the "Aggressor" bar. The Brutality mechanic was introduced with this installment. The game was met with positive to mixed reviews upon release.

<i>Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo</i> 1996 video game

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, released in Japan as Super Puzzle Fighter II X, is a tile-matching puzzle video game released in 1996 for the CP System II (CPS2) arcade board, by Capcom and its Capcom Coin-Op division. The game's title is a play on Super Street Fighter II Turbo, as there were no other Puzzle Fighter games at the time, and the game includes music and interface elements spoofing the Street Fighter Alpha and Darkstalkers games. It was a response to Sega's Puyo Puyo 2 that had been sweeping the Japanese arcade scene.

<i>Rampage World Tour</i> 1997 video game

Rampage World Tour is an arcade video game released by Midway Games in 1997 as the sequel to Rampage. It was developed at Game Refuge by Brian Colin and Jeff Nauman, who designed the 1986 original. Ports were released for the Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PlayStation, and Microsoft Windows. It was re-released on Midway Arcade Treasures 2 and included in Rampage: Total Destruction.

<i>Fighting Force</i> 1997 video game

Fighting Force is a 1997 3D beat 'em up developed by Core Design and published by Eidos. It was released for PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo 64. Announced shortly after Core became a star developer through the critical and commercial success of Tomb Raider, Fighting Force was highly anticipated but met with mixed reviews.

<i>FIFA: Road to World Cup 98</i> 1997 association football video game

FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 is a football video game developed by EA Canada and released by Electronic Arts in 1997. It is the fifth game in the FIFA series and the second to be in 3D on the fifth generation of video game consoles. A number of different players were featured on the cover, including David Beckham in the UK, Roy Lassiter in the United States, Mexico and Brazil, David Ginola in France, Raúl in Spain and Portugal, Paolo Maldini in Italy, and Andreas Möller in Germany. FIFA 98 was the last FIFA game released for the Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

<i>Puzzle Bobble 2</i> 1995 video game

Puzzle Bobble 2 is a tile-matching video game by Taito. The first sequel to Puzzle Bobble, it is also known in Europe and North America as Bust-A-Move Again for arcades and Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition for home consoles. Released into the arcades in 1995, home conversions followed for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, and Windows platforms. The game was included in Taito Legends 2, but the US arcade version was included in the US PS2 version instead. Further ports for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One were released by City Connection alongside Puzzle Bobble 3 in February 2023.

<i>NBA Hangtime</i> 1996 video game

NBA Hangtime is a 1996 basketball arcade game developed and released by Midway. Home versions were released for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Microsoft Windows.

<i>NHL Breakaway 98</i> 1997 video game

NHL Breakaway 98 is a 1997 ice hockey video game for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. It was the first hockey game to come from Acclaim Entertainment and the first game released under the publisher's new Acclaim Sports label. The game met with divisive reviews upon its release for the PlayStation, though the game's management mode and its system of using points to improve aspects of a team received widespread praise, but reviews for the later Nintendo 64 version were more consistently favorable. It was followed by a sequel, NHL Breakaway 99, released the following year.

<i>Baku Baku Animal</i> 1995 video game

Baku Baku, released in Japan as Baku Baku Animal, is a falling block puzzle arcade game released by Sega in 1995. The game is dedicated as Sega's first ever Network Compatible PC Game. A Sega NetLink compatible version of the game was also announced, but never released.

<i>Super Puzzle Bobble</i> 2000 video game

Super Puzzle Bobble, released as Super Bust-A-Move in Europe and North America, is a puzzle video game in the Puzzle Bobble series. It was developed by Taito, and released on November 27, 2000 by Acclaim Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, and by CyberFront and EON Digital Entertainment for Windows in 2001. It was later ported to the Game Boy Advance that same year, the Japanese version under the name Super Puzzle Bobble Advance. It was re-released in Japan for the PlayStation 2 in 2004 as part of Super Puzzle Bobble DX, which is Volume 62 of the Japan-exclusive Simple 2000 Series. This compilation includes a few graphical enhancements.

<i>Puchi Carat</i> 1997 video game

Puchi Carat is a 1997 video game by Taito.

<i>Space Invaders DX</i> 1993 fixed shooter arcade game

Space Invaders DX is a 1993 fixed shooter arcade game developed and published in Japan by Taito. It has been re-released for several consoles since, including the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PC Engine Super CD, and Sega Saturn — several of these conversions use the name Space Invaders: The Original Game. The player assumes control of a laser base that must fend off waves of incoming enemies, who march down in formation towards the bottom of the screen. It is the fifth entry in the long-running Space Invaders series. DX contains four variations of the original Space Invaders, in addition to a multiplayer mode and a "Parody Mode" that replaces the characters with those from other Taito franchises. Home ports of DX received mixed reviews for their high price point and general lack of content.

<i>Puzzle Bobble Plus!</i> 2009 video game

Puzzle Bobble Plus!, known in North America as Bust-A-Move Plus!, and in Japan as Puzzle Bobble Wii, is a video game developed by Taito for WiiWare. It was first released in Japan on April 7, 2009, and later in the PAL regions on June 26, and in North America on July 6.

<i>Space Bust-a-Move</i> 2008 video game

Space Bust-A-Move is a puzzle video game developed by Lancarse and published by Taito in Japan, and Square Enix worldwide for the Nintendo DS. It was first released in Japan under the title Space Puzzle Bobble on December 18, 2008. It was later released in North America under the title Space Bust-A-Move on July 28, 2009, and in Europe under the title Puzzle Bobble Galaxy on August 28, 2009. As with Arkanoid DS, Space Invaders Extreme and Space Invaders Extreme 2, the game is compatible with Taito's paddle controller.

<i>Bubble Bobble</i> Video game series

Bubble Bobble is a platform game series originally developed and published by Taito. The first entry in the series, Bubble Bobble, was released in 1986 as an arcade cabinet. In most entries in the series, players control two dragons named Bub and Bob. This was followed by many sequels in both the main Bubble Bobble series, as well as the spin-off Rainbow Islands series. They were published for and ported to a wide variety of arcade and home video game consoles. The most recent release in the series is Bubble Bobble 4 Friends in 2019.

References

  1. ↑ 家庭用ゲーム一覧1996年～1997年
  2. 1 2 I. G. N. Staff (1999-04-06). "Busting into Stores". IGN. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  3. 1 2 "Computer and Video Games #195". Computer and Video Games . No. 195. EMAP. February 1998. pp. 71, 94.
  4. 1 2 "Bust-A-Move 3: The Bubble Popping Legacy Lives On". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 101. Ziff Davis. December 1997. p. 64.
  5. ↑ "Coin-Operated". Sega Saturn Magazine . No. 15. EMAP. January 1997. p. 94.
  6. ↑ "Sega and Bandai: A Merger Collapses". Next Generation . No. 32. Imagine Media. August 1997. pp. 16–17.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cutlack, Gary (November 1997). "Review: Bust-a-Move 3". Sega Saturn Magazine . No. 25. Emap International Limited. pp. 82–83. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Breaking news - JAMMA 96". Next Generation . No. 25. Imagine Media. January 1997. p. 19.
  9. ↑ "Bust-A-Move '99 for Nintendo 64". Archived from the original on 9 December 2019.
  10. ↑ "Bust-A-Move '99 for Playstation". Archived from the original on 9 December 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Review Crew: Bust-a-Move 3". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 102. Ziff Davis. January 1998. p. 156.
  12. ↑ Fielder, Lauren (April 28, 2000). "Bust-A-Move '99 (N64) Review". GameSpot . Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 Fielder, Lauren. "Bust-a-Move 3 Review". GameSpot . Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  14. ↑ Schneider, Peer (April 7, 1999). "Bust-A-Move '99 Review". IGN . Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  15. ↑ Perry, Doug (April 10, 1999). "Bust-A-Move 99 - PlayStation". IGN . Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  16. ↑ Kitts, Martin (January 1999). "Bust-a-Move 3 DX". N64 Magazine. No. 24. Future Publishing. pp. 68–69.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Rating - Bust-A-Move 3". Next Generation . No. 36. Imagine Media. December 1997. p. 168.
  18. ↑ Mithra; Robert (December 1998). "BustAMove 3". N64 Gamer . No. 10. pp. 62–63. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 533. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 January 1997. p. 33.
  20. 1 2 Bad Hare (December 1997). "Saturn ProReview: Bust-a-Move 3". GamePro . No. 111. IDG. p. 180.
  21. ↑ "Editors' Choice Awards". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 104. Ziff Davis. March 1998. p. 94.
  22. ↑ Dan Elektro (July 2000). "Your Final Answer (Best Brain Game)" (PDF). GamePro. No. 142. IDG. p. 48. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  1. ↑ Ported to Nintendo 64 by Distinctive Developments. Game Boy version developed by Probe Entertainment.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.