Software:Bubble Symphony

From HandWiki
Short description: 1994 video game
Bubble Symphony
Japanese arcade flyer
Developer(s)Taito
Ving (Saturn)
Publisher(s)Taito
Ving (Saturn)
Director(s)Hiroyuki Maekawa
Designer(s)Yoshitake Shirei
Hiroyuki Maekawa
Programmer(s)Harumi Kasuga
Takafumi Kaneko
Kunio Kuzukawa
Takahiro Natani
Artist(s)Takaaki Furukawa
Yoshitake Shirei
Toshiaki Ozaki
Akiyoshi Takada
Composer(s)Yasuko Yamada
Tamayo Kawamoto
SeriesBubble Bobble
Platform(s)Arcade, Sega Saturn
ReleaseArcade
October 5, 1994
Saturn
  • JP: November 27, 1997
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Up to 2 players simultaneously
Arcade systemTaito F3 System

Bubble Symphony (バブルシンフォニー, Baburu Shinfonī), also known as Bubble Bobble II (バブルボブルII, Baburu Boburu II), is a 1994 platform video game developed by Taito for arcades. It is an installment in the Bubble Bobble series, and takes place after Parasol Stars.[1] A home port of Bubble Symphony for the Sega Saturn was released in 1997. The game was followed by Bubble Memories in 1996.[2]

Story

For this adventure, Bubblun and Bobblun, the familiar green and blue bubble dragons, are joined by girls Kululun (an amber dragon) and Cororon (a pink dragon), but they are stated to be the children of the Bub and Bob of Bubble Bobble.[3]

According to the intro, the four characters (as humans) inadvertently unleash Hyper Drunk, the final boss, while reading books. Hyper Drunk transforms the four into bubble dragons and banishes them to a new world.[3][4]

Cameos

The game includes cameos by other Taito characters and settings from The NewZealand Story, Darius, Space Invaders, Arkanoid, Liquid Kids, KiKi KaiKai (including Cindy, known in the Japanese version as Sayo-chan and the English Pocky & Rocky games as Pocky), Yūyu no Quiz de Go! Go!, Pu·Li·Ru·La, and The Fairyland Story.

Gameplay

Screenshot

Although a sequel to Bubble Bobble, the game features few changes to the gameplay formula of that title.[5] The small changes that have been made are that a boss is now encountered every five to ten levels, giving those scenes a similar prominence to Rainbow Islands, and the player takes a branching route through the levels by selecting one of two doors after every boss. The players can now charge the bubble shot; if released when the dragon's horns or bow is glowing, the player character will breathe three bubbles at once, with the specific formation dependent on the character chosen. The players must collect certain square cards with music notes inside, in order to get the 4 keys that lead to the final world or face an early false ending. Also, the characters have to collect a rod to turn their characters from their dragon to human forms during the course of the game.[2]

All the enemies from the original Bubble Bobble appear in this game, along with a lot of newer enemies. The credits (in the arcade version) show all the enemies' names, and those of characters who make cameos from other Taito games.

Characters

  • Bubblun (バブルン, Baburun) is the well-rounded character; he can fire three grouped bubbles straight ahead when powered up (the bubble button is held for a few seconds then released).
  • Bobblun (ボブルン, Boburun) has faster speed in exchange for shorter range. He can shoot three bubbles in a spread pattern when powered up.
  • Kululun (クルルン, Kururun) has the longest available range, but is slow. She can shoot her bubbles in a "T" pattern (forwards, backwards, and down) when powered up.
  • Cororon (コロロン, Kororon) has the fastest bubble blowing and can shoot her bubbles in an inverted-"T" pattern (forwards, backwards, and up) when powered up.

Ports

The only home port of Bubble Symphony was for the Sega Saturn in Japan in 1997.[6]

The game was included in the Taito Legends 2 compilation for Microsoft Windows in North America and Europe, and on the Xbox in Europe only. It was released on the PlayStation 2 in Japan only, via Taito Memories II Volume 2. The Xbox and PS2 versions run in upscanned 640x448 resolution, which results in slight flickering, no scanlines, and slightly blurrier image compared to the Arcade and Sega Saturn versions. A PlayStation version was completed, and was going to be published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment, but was never released.[7]

Bubble Symphony is set to be[needs update] included as a bonus feature with the 2025 game Bubble Bobble: Sugar Dungeons.[8][9]

Soundtrack

Bubble Symphony
Soundtrack album by
Pony Canyon, Scitron Label
ReleasedJanuary 20, 1995
GenreVideo game soundtrack
LengthScript error: No such module "hms".
Bubble Symphony Original Sound Track
Soundtrack album by
Zuntata Records / Taito Corp (distributed by iTunes Store)
ReleasedJuly 31, 2013
GenreVideo game soundtrack
LengthScript error: No such module "hms".

Bubble Symphony (バブルシンフォニー, Baburu Shinfonī) is a video game soundtrack that was released on CD and published by Pony Canyon and Scitron Label on January 20, 1995 in Japan. Tracks 1, 2 and 22 were arranged by Yasuko Yamada, Yasutaka Mizushima and Tamayo Kawamoto.

Bubble Symphony Original Sound Track (バブルシンフォニー オリジナルサウンドトラック, Baburu shinfonī orijinaru saundotorakku) was released by Zuntata Records and Taito Corp on July 31, 2013 in Japan.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Bubble Symphony on their December 1, 1994 issue as being the fourth most-successful table arcade game of the year.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Bubble Symphony". The International Arcade Museum. http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7224. Retrieved 2009-10-04. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Campbell, Stuart (July 2006), "The Definitive - Bubble Bobble", Retro Gamer (Imagine Publishing) (28): 58–68 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Taito. Bubble Symphony. Scene: Opening. "Little Bubby, Little Bobby, Kululun, and Cororon: Bubby and Bobby's four children all together happily reading a book." 
  4. ↑ Taito. Bubble Symphony. Scene: Opening. "The four children were transformed by a magic spell into dragons and banished to live in a strange new world." 
  5. ↑ "Preview: Bubble Symphony". Sega Saturn Magazine (Emap International Limited) (28): 26-27. February 1998. 
  6. ↑ Ayala, Michael; Ayala, Vita (July 5, 2020). "Bubble Symphony". Hardcore Gaming 101. http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/bubble-symphony/. 
  7. ↑ "Computer and Video Games #195". Computer and Video Games (EMAP) (195): 71. February 1998. https://archive.org/stream/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_195_1998-02_EMAP_Images_GB#page/n69. 
  8. ↑ "Bubble Bobble Sugar Dungeons". Taito Corporation. 2025. https://www.taito.co.jp/en/BBSD.  Section "Play Bubble Symphony, which gathers together Taito characters!"
  9. ↑ Sheehan, Gavin (August 26, 2025). "Bubble Bobble Sugar Dungeons Confirmed For November Release". Bleeding Cool. https://bleedingcool.com/games/bubble-bobble-sugar-dungeons-confirmed-for-november-release/. 
  10. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (485): 25. 1 December 1994. 

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Bubble_Symphony&oldid=3967086"