Bubble Bobble & Chibi Maruko-chan retrospective: Shop ’til you pop | Game Boy Works

Ah, Game Boy: The system that ruled the world on the strength of both its portability and its support for multiplayer gaming. Remember Tetris? Remember Pokémon? Remember F-1 Race and its four-player adapter? So naturally, when Taito brought Bubble Bobble-a cooperative arcade game designed to be played (and only fully completed!) with a second player-to Game Boy, naturally they made heavy use of its link capabilities for teaming up with a friend, right? Uh... right?
Oh well. At the least the title screen music for this episode's import title rocks hard enough to make you forget your disappointment in Bubble Bobble.
And yes, this episode I've finally taken advice from years of drive-by commenters and have palced myself briefly on-camera, which is something I've considered doing for ages. We'll see if putting a human face in there makes this series more personable or appealing or whatever to the average viewer. Do people actually want to see THIS particular face? I don't know, but it's the best I can do to obey the rules of gaming KZbin without going full screamy-thumbnail.
Video Works is funded via Patreon ( / gamespite ) - support the show and get access to every episode up to two weeks in advance of its KZbin debut! And be sure to check out the Retronauts podcast (www.retronauts.com), where I (and many others!) tackle a much wider array of classic gaming topics each week.

[@Poever]

Seeing Jeremy Parish on video is all kinds of dope, fly, and funky fresh

[@urkelheimer]

Hey not that different than I expected him to look

[@matthewlane518]

It was boss, and bitchin!

[@joshzumstien6289]

Listening to Jeremy in these videos always makes me feel like I'm taking a University class on obscure retro video games. I love it.

[@willmitchell8500]

Well as an 8 year old japanese girl living in 1990 I'm pretty excited for Chibi Maruko-Chan!

[@ValkyrieTiara]

All these people like "Huh, you look different than I expected" and I'm like "He's been in videos before and is literally the channel icon? 🤔"

[@JeremyParish]

It's really weird!

[@breno855]

Because it's black and white I thought it was a famous artist he liked or a meme. The majority of profiles I see in KZbin is like that.

[@voidsabre_]

Seeing a single small resolution picture of a person isn't the same as seeing them move and talk

[@MikeChimeri]

Jeremy Parish is iconic.

[@ParmMannREBORN]

Tiny picture, Black & white, wearing a hat

[@diegog1853]

As a new game boy collector I really appreciate the hard work you are putting into reviewing everything with care. I'm really frustrated with the kind of ecco chamber that its youtube reviews. Where you can find tons of in-depth reviews for your marios and sonics, but close to nothing but playthroughs and low quality reviews for anything else

[@TeamRocketHQR]

Chibi Maruko-chan's theme was covered in DDR 5th Mix by Captain Jack of all people. It's actually pretty good. That's how I actually first knew what this anime was way back in the early 2000's.

[@beipiaosaurus]

THAT'S how I know that song.

[@fireflocs]

In real life, if you go to 100 new places with a friend, you're more likely to _become_ Super Drunk than _defeat_ Super Drunk.

[@SameNameDifferentGame]

I appreciate seeing the real life Parish bookending the episode. I say stick with it.

[@ArborDaze]

seconded

[@vitorkk328]

Sure, that was great. But, PLEASE, bring back the "next episode" music :'(

[@emmastarr5242]

I like to think that there was a fellow only child out there who played and preffered this Bubble Bobble all the time BECAUSE they, you know, they were an only child, who lived too far away from town for anyone to reasonably come over at any point. An experience that *I* certainly couldn't sympathize with, nope. Definitely not...

[@TheRealDevtek]

I had this game never having played the previous entries (no arcades in suburbia and no nes). Don't know if my only child self ever finished it but it was enjoyable for a single person IIRC.

[@jersmoonley]

Game Boy Bubble Bobble got a Japan only re-release in 1997 along with Elevator Action, Chase HQ, and Sagaia in the aptly titled Taito Variety Pack. As always, thank you for your wonderful videos.

[@JVeg199X]

The Select button is essential to playing this version of Bubble Bobble. It lets you scroll the screen while paused so you can check out enemies’ locations. It does break up the flow a bit, but it’s better than nothing! Also, incoming hot take: the alternate background music used for this game’s Super Bubble Bobble is better than the traditional Bubble Bobble theme. In fact, it’s so good that they should stop using the old theme and use this one instead.

[@theblocksays]

Gawd, that infinite looping music form BB drilled a damm hole in my brain as a kid!

[@duffman18]

I'm really considering buying the new Bubble Bobble game for switch, the 2.5D one. It's got middling reviews, but it does have online multiplayer as well as local and has 4 players at once. A lot of new versions of arcade games like this seem to get mediocre reviews but then I end up absolutely loving them, like the 2.5D Lode Runner game, the Bomberman 2.5D game, and the 2.5D Boulder Dash game (that one was even simply a port of a mobile game, but even so the gameplay is the same as always and is addictive). This new Bubble Bobble even has the full original arcade game included. But the whole package is £35! I'm waiting for a sale. But then I could just play this gameboy version. I love your videos on the gameboy because nobody really ever talks about gameboy games apart from the usual big names like the mario and zelda and metroid games and so on. But there's all of these "hidden gems" (I hate that phrase but it applies here) that are fun as hell and easy to emulate. There's stuff like the Mega Man gameboy games which are absolutely fantastic, but there's never been a collection of all the Game boy and Game boy color Mega Man games. They've got a collection of the NES games, the Mega Man X games, even the GBA and DS mega man games now have a collection. But not the OG gameboy mega man games, plus that one on the GBC that was an attempt to port Mega Man X, it's a bit janky but still fun as hell Sorry for rambling. My point is that the Game Boy has an enormous wealth of these fantastic lesser known games that nobody except your channel ever talks about and so I thank you for that. I always get excited when a new Game Boy Works pops up because it's a guarantee I'll have a new game to play that day, good or bad. There's so many GB games that are not just worse versions of the console games. Like the Mega Mans I mentioned. Like the Batman game for GB that I love just as much as the NES Batman. It's such a great system, the GB. It's not just a thing to play _"ironically"_ on the bus to be a hipster. It's not a pointless endevour because you can easily play the GBA or DS instead or whatever. There's these fantastic games that nobody has heard of and sold abysmally but are still these fantastic little pieces of art and of history that are worth playing on their own, not just within context like "it's good for a game boy game, considering how little power it has", no they're good just in general Ok, the long pointless ramble from the saddest man in the world ends here, but just again thank you for making these videos and documenting these pieces of history so that they won't disappear into the ether.

[@Unquestionable]

I was actually thinking about getting that Bubble Bobble on Switch as well as I've been on a big nostalgia binge but instead settled for a ton of Neo Geo titles. And yeah totally follow you about loving the coverage of all the obscure, that's one of the reasons this channel is one of the biggest highlights of my week.

[@JVeg199X]

Bubble Bobble 4 doesn’t have online multiplayer, but it will have online leaderboards after the big update in November. That update has the potential to address most people’s issues with the game (its short length), since it includes a new mode with 100 new levels that can be played consecutively, just like previous Bubble Bobble games. But IMO if you’re looking for something to hold you over until then, the GB version is absolutely worth it.

[@aacob2]

I've been wanting a copy to but its very expensive especially when I'm mostly interested in the arcade game. I'd honestly love it if they sold the arcade game seperatly.

[@FFXI_Addict]

I also enjoyed reading your comment. You shouldn't apologize for writing something so well-worded and cohesive.

[@jwrfb26]

Everyone here is surprised what you look like. It's like they don't even remember that stand-up routine from Paperboy 2.

[@stevemanart]

You look like the good guy scientist nerd from an early 90s near-future scifi action movie. I'm not sure what I was expecting you to look like, but it makes a distressing amount of sense.

[@ArborDaze]

NES Bubble Bobble holds such a special place in my heart. Played it so much one summer I somehow ended up finishing it without dying. Yes, level 57 too. Got the bad ending though. I don't think I could ever pull that off again.

[@ArborDaze]

@Gary Hall 57 can be rough single player, or was for kid me.

[@charleschamp9826]

"This ain't quite it, Chief" "Chief" Hey, remember when Bubble Bobble beat out Halo?

[@FFXI_Addict]

Now I want a Bubble Bobble where your task is to bubble-and-pop the entirety of a Flood vault on a Halo. Thanks.

[@Poever]

In the context of what?

[@RetroBreak]

I Loved the bubble bobble gameboy ports! At the time I'd never played the NES or arcade versions so I didn't know it was ever meant to be multiplayer. Part 2 I loved even more!

[@thecunninlynguist]

forgot how catchy the music was, that main theme is infectious. I like how the GB version is slightly different from the NES version...it has this extra bell sound....yeesh at the GB flicker.

[@absolutezeronow7928]

Solo Bubble Bobble is indeed a bummer. I have fond memories of 2 player Bubble Bobble on the NES. Looking forward to the eventual NES Works episode on Bubble Bobble.

[@Bloodreign1]

I wouldn't call it a bummer, it's still a fantastic game despite the shortcomings it has.

[@d3v1lsummoner]

I somehow missed that Chibi Maruko in the title, so the 8-bit Odoru Ponpokorin rendition threw me for a pleasant loop.

[@hugocortizo6993]

Chibi Maruko-chan might not be a great game, but the small excerpts from it's music in this episode sure do sound great! 🔥

[@ArborDaze]

Having finished this, hearing someone else praise the NES version has really made my day better.

[@Resstarr]

Both games have one thing in common: catchy main themes.

[@Level1Sword]

Bubble Bobble is the gateway to get the girlfriend/wife into gaming.

[@timmckernan8135]

Great video like always, One thing i liked about Bubble Bobble was the 2 player co op really had no downside. Unlike Contra or Rescue Rangers, where you can lose someone to the bottom of the screen, or Snow brothers where there was animosity if someone got the power ups first. We only had to compete about high score, and even at 6 years old when i played this on NES, i was old enough to know that didn't mean anything. So yeah it was basically the perfect co op game and i think that has a big part to do with its beloved status. Keep up the good work!!

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

And it doesn't have the "We can kill eachother!" from Mario Bros.

[@FloatingSunfish]

Never thought I'd see a Maruko-chan game on this channel. ♥️

[@tommylakindasorta3068]

I like that you showed your face on this one. It's always great to connect a disembodied voice to the actual human behind it.

[@SpadesNoir]

I've been recently binging your retrospective videos, and I love your work! Keep it up ^^

[@MarcBarkyMarta]

I dig the GB version of Bubble Bobble. How I see it is: People are familiar with the original games, so considering the limitations, all the 8-bit portable versions are redesigned and rearranged so those who are already familiar with the arcade, TV console or computer renditions have a brand new experience. It’s not a direct conversion, or even an enhanced port - it’s an original work, and should be viewed (and judged) as such. Nemesis on GB is another good example. Sure, the first stage KINDA tastes like the first of the original Gradius/Nemesis. Beyond that, it’s a shake’n’bake mix up of NES and particularly MSX flavors, yet different enough to be it’s own dish.

[@johnnygrind77]

Now I can't get that commercial out of my head because of the ending HAHA!

[@rabiroden]

If you want a good portable version of Bubble Bobble, check out Bubble Bobble Old & New for GBA. It has the original game + an enhanced remake. You can scale the screen in and out with the press of a button. And it includes the co-op, even giving the option of a CPU controlled partner. (... and also, the camera setup was totally worth it for the next episode preview at the end lol)

[@antibishonen]

9:40 Aw man.....I thought Maruko-chan would be some kind of obscure RPG that nobody knows about, until I realized it's the same interactive story 'game' similar to Anmitsu Hime (aka Alex Kidd in High Tech World) or Hello! Pac-man (Pac-man 2: The New Adventures). I did like the Game Boy rendition of the theme song though.

[@Pichuscute]

Chibi Maruko-chan's art is pretty cute though, not gonna lie.

[@Levitz9]

My first exposure to Bub and Bob was through the Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move games, so I keep forgetting that the original Bubble Bobble exists. It's a shame they couldn't figure out a more elegant solution for displaying the entire screen. Such was the Gameboy, I guess.

[@rodneylives]

Bubble Bobble is so great! I did a chapter on it in an issue of that weird fanzine I made a couple years ago.

[@jesterssketchbook]

that themesong tho

[@breno855]

Jeremy parish face made me think of hobsbawn. Such a professor face.

[@francochan]

That opening made my week. 👍 Diving in now!!!

[@newvocabulary]

This game stole my soul as a kid.

[@ultramaster2o1studios53]

Actually, from what I remember, Bubble Bobble on Game Gear and Master System is two player.

[@Bloodreign1]

The SMS version is indeed 2 players, I own a copy and have played it enough to know this.

[@DSMTheEditor]

Bubble Bobble's stage theme is vintage, but it's no Dragon Slayer rendition of Dvorak

[@zoloatgai]

Thanks for the quality content.

[@RainePhoenix]

Actually, Bubble Bubble for Game Gear is 2 players. My brother and I used to play it all the time. It's quite fun and faithful to the arcade version as well.

[@RabbitEarsCh]

Konami put the theme from Maruko-chan in basically everything. It actually is still present to this day in the jubeat mobile game, of all things. I like the pop'n music EX chart, personally.

[@kabutops87]

The Nes and Master system had the best ports of Bubble Bobble, honestly the music in the Game Boy one always grates my ears and turns me off playing it. Tbf i didn't know it had extra boss fights and double the level count, i might have to give it another shot. I love the original Bubble Bobble and its two arcade sequals, that ain't Rainbow Island's, even though i quite like that game too.

[@Bloodreign1]

It has 100 levels for the regular mode, and another 100 for the Super Mode, all versions worth their weight possess the same amount of levels.The SMS version crams all into one playthrough, the second 100 levels are completely in the dar unless you obtain a lantern special item in the first half of the game. That item is in a secret room. So no, the GB version has the same amount of levels as all the other ports of the arcade game. The NES version actually has a few more, late in the game you find a special item that allows you to hit a few more levels before the fight with Super Drunk, it is the way to the last boss and best ending to the game. It can be missed, but you will not get the games best ending.The games best ending also requires you to finish the game with a friend playing the second player slot as well as having the game in Super Mode.

[@JBantha]

Odoru Pompokorin is a karaoke staple and now i want to play this game :P

[@Larry]

Out of curiosity, does Bubble Bobble's genre have a name? There were quite a few similar games at the time like Snow Bros., Rod Land, Parasol Stars Etc. were they ever given a specific genre type?

[@OptimusShr]

I feel "Puzzle platformer" is what would fit them best.

[@Larry]

@@OptimusShr I think I heard the word "Arena" something thrown around before.

[@OptimusShr]

​@@LarryHmm, not sure that word would fit.

[@Hektols]

Non-scroll platformers.

[@DeathCrustPunk]

Old school single screen platformer with a bit of maze chase and puzzle elements

[@NukeOTron]

...I hate to ask, but why do the first few notes of Chibi Maruko-chan's theme song sound like Come and Get Your Love by Redbone? That reminds me, I hope you start talking about games by Epoch Co., a strange little-known Japanese company who did odd yet decent licensed games, like the four Doraemon games on the SNES, Spider-Man: Lethal Foes, Donald Duck no Mahou no Boshi, and Alice's Paint Adventure. I can't say they're great, but I can say they're fascinating. Good work as always!

[@JeremyParish]

I've covered Epoch a few times, most notably with Cyraid, which was later officially ROM-hacked into a licensed game based on a kids-oriented morning variety show.

[@GameplayandTalk]

200 levels?! Sheeeeeeeeesh.

[@Bloodreign1]

Same as all other versions, except the NES version, which has a few more levels, the infamous Star Road, which makes you go through about 13more lebels before the last boss,and key to getting one of the games better endings. Taito pretty much had special requirements for every Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands game (and Parasol Stars) to get the games best endings.

[@bfish89ryuhayabusa]

Oh, dear the Head-On commercials...

[@happydeathman]

I absolutely hear you re the problems with Gameboy Bubble Bobble, but holy CRUD was I ever obsessed with that game back in the day, and none of these issues bothered me at all--which is kind of weird, looking back, since I DID have experience playing and loving NES Bubble Bobble with friends. I guess I just thought of the Gameboy as fundamentally solitary pursuit, link capabilities notwithstanding.

[@WhoIsSirChasm]

The Chibi Maruko-chan theme sounds like a cross between "Come and Get Your Love" and "Gitchie Gitchie Goo" from Phineas and Ferb.

[@captainnintendo]

Damn. I had just gotten that song out of my head from last time. Now I can start all over >:c

[@AzrialAlaria]

Awwwr it's okay! ^.=.^

[@angelriverasantana7755]

I took a double check and the Master System version of Bubble Bobble is actually multiplayer compatible

[@kazaloolovesgames]

I love the NES Bubble Bobble.

[@elmosexwhistle]

On video you look less like an impossibly cool model in a 1970’s fashion magazine. But that’s ok, we all do ❤️

[@anactualmotherbear]

there's my handsome soft-spoken Nintendo boy.

[@JeremyParish]

Don't get all weird on me

[@brux357]

Wow I haven’t thought about those Head On commercials in years. Day ruined.

[@jasonblalock4429]

And you've got the Bubble Bobble theme stuck in your head too...

[@billcook4768]

Love the Super Game Boy border on the import game.

[@CassidyListon]

Would you rather have two cups of your favorite frozen yogurt or one cup of your favorite ice cream?

[@bio_cat]

WDMB forever, Toasty!!

[@ArcaneAzmadi]

Actually, the Gameboy version of Bubble Bobble is the only one I ever played. I remember I beat all 200 stages one time, although I don't remember if it was in one sitting. Lots of fun, with some really challenging stages and a hectic final boss. But I'm surprised, given that you mentioned the interminably looping Bubble Bobble theme, that you didn't mention the alternate stage music that kicks in from stage 101 on (after your first battle against Super Drunk Jr.).

[@fahriakalin5936]

did we just become Brontosaurus Buddies

[@fenikso]

I'm confused. The Game Gear version of Bubble Bobble has link cable support. Do you not play cooperatively when you link? Is it just double one player?

[@Bloodreign1]

The SMS version is also 2 players, I swear I heard him say it was single player.

[@BoneyGaf]

The problem that 2 player games on Gameboy have is that realistically it was incredibly rare for both players to have a copy of the game to play multiplayer. Unless you’re Tetris or Pokemon, it’s not really happening, so designing with single player in mind is fine for me.

[@clydefrosch]

I remember chibi maruko-chan from TV. Was a pretty ok show

[@DucNguyen0131]

Let's wait for a few NES Works about Ironsword, Solar Jetman, Pin Bot, Cobra Triangle, WWF Wrestlemania and Double Dare. These were the only six of the Rare-developed NES games in the library to contain staff credits, most others are not since Rare at that time are secretive about game credits, in the same fashion as rival Japanese NES developer TOSE.

[@neoku84r.p.g93]

I just got the nintendo switch version of this game that came with the original and the revised version and it's pretty fun

[@willmakesfilms]

Chibi Maruko-chan seems pretty cute.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

I didn't expect you to look like that at all. But anyway, love the Bubble Bobble games, but I've never actually played it on Game Boy.

[@JeremyParish]

My face is literally plastered across this channel as its thumbnail icon, weirdo

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

@@JeremyParish You look really different there though. Maybe that's because it's in Black and White, but I don't know.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

@Gary Hall I deserve it to be fair.

[@jamesmoss3424]

Bubble bobble is a classic arcade game and I will get the game boy version. 😀👍🎮

[@dagossYT]

Is the slowdown around 8:50 real-time or was the video slowed down to better illustrate the flicker? On a normal screen (with its lovely ghosting) is do the bubbles end up looking more transparent than flickery?

[@Tubewings]

Didn't you appear on-screen in the "Paperboy 2" episode?

[@JeremyParish]

Yes, and also in the Fish Dude episode.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

Well, thats weird. I've seen the Fish Dude episode loads of times and I still didn't know he looked like that.

[@RogerPyoko]

My personal thought on if the face should stay or not-- I'm leaning towards "not really" myself. Mostly because the amount of professionalism and quality you put into these many series really shines through, and the shots of you at the desk... just kind of don't have that look?

[@MynameisHukos]

Rainbow Islands > Don't lie to yourself, you know it to be true.

[@WarriorZ676]

that Chibi Maruko-chan theme song sure is catchy. Also, now I really wanna try Bubble Bobble. I wonder if the arcade version is available on Switch?

[@JeremyParish]

It's not, but there's a four-player remake/sequel that's supposed to be decent. If you have a MiSTer, Jotego recently released a Bubble Bobble core, and Numskull is releasing a mini cabinet next spring.

[@user-a5Bw9de]

One more inherent issue about Bubble Bobble on Game Boy: it is not colorful. I'm not sure why they went with near faithful adaptation of original entry, but oh well. At least it is bit easier to get good ending. A game about slice-of-life girl comic actually playing out like something out of Kaiji series.

[@mcgillaz3672]

The Man, the Myth, the Legend

[@PersonaSama]

Ughhh the ending ughhhh

[@JomasterTheSecond]

...Master System Bubble Bobble _was_ 2 player, though... right?

[@Bloodreign1]

Yes it is indeed 2 players, Jeremy goofed up here.

[@JomasterTheSecond]

@@Bloodreign1 I feel like he's been slipping up a lot recently.

[@Bubblun1]

Obviously I'm biased to the series, but this one was such a letdown the first time I played it. I hoped that Bubble Bobble Part 2 GB would fix things but honestly felt like a reskin of the same game. It came a few years later but Bubble Bobble Game Gear felt so much stronger, single screen presentation and link-up play for 2P support. And don't get me started on Classic Bubble Bobble GBC....ugh.

[@ragingslowbro97]

I thought Bubble Bobble GBC was just a colorized port of this game. Are there other things that distinguish the two games?

[@hikaruk.981]

Next time, I get depressed when everyone talks about how bad Power Racer (Head-On) is even though I sort of like it. Mostly for its music, though. We've been here before, way back in Volley Fire.

[@JeremyParish]

I will be looking at Power Racer with the understanding that it was a decade old by the time it showed up Game Boy.

[@RyumaXtheXKing]

Bubble Ghost this ain't. But I do like the version of the theme. Nice bass line!

[@AlexArtsHere]

You sound so much younger than you look/are.

[@DeathCrustPunk]

Lolol , that ain't quite it chief, learning the cool kids lingo from your chrongaming homie Dr sparkle

[@JeremyParish]

Your idea of hip, contemporary slang is someone literally just quoting the 2002 Spider-man movie? Might wanna keep that to yourself...

[@DeathCrustPunk]

@@JeremyParish lol I've never seen any of the spiderman movies

[@BenCol]

Wait, no Evangelion music over the ‘Next Time’ segment?

[@JeremyParish]

Yeah, I'm dropping that... that outro was really meant to be a one-time joke. And 40 seconds is a LONG time to ask people to sit through an outro for a 10-minute video. Short and punchy works better.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

@@JeremyParish Wait, a one-time-joke? What was the joke...?

[@vitorkk328]

@@JeremyParish Oooh I'm gonna miss that

[@amwofford]

Head-On, apply directly to the forehead. Head-On, apply directly to the forehead. Head-On, apply directly to the forehead. Head-On, apply directly to the forehead. Head-On, apply directly to the forehead. Head-On, apply directly to the forehead. Head-On, apply directly to the forehead. Head-On, apply directly to the forehead. .........................................

[@bjornh1527]

I’m disappointed in GB Bubble Bobble mainly because you don’t get rewarded with different fruits when defeating many enemies at the same time. Regardless how many baddies you trap, you always get the standard grapes. Trying to trap as many baddies as possible is one of my favourite elements in BB, and this game lacks an incentive for doing it. Curiously even Bubble Bobble 2 for NES skipped the multiple bonus fruits for predetermined ones. What a pity.

[@remvaizor3522]

What are you talking about, GB Bubble Bobble does have different fruits depending on how many enemies you pop at the same time. And the points get higher with different fruits: 500, 1000, 2000, 3000...

[@bjornh1527]

I could be mistaken, I’ve been playing the Game Boy Color port, and they may have screwed up when reprogramming the game. Thanks for correcting, I may have to seek out the original GB version.

[@PeaceArt1]

You look like that. I imagined someone more round.

[@JeremyParish]

Was it the fact that my portrait has been the omnipresent channel icon for the past couple of years that gave you that idea?