Bubble Bobble
This table is as cute as the arcade game it is based on.
It features artwork from the arcade game with Bub and Bob, the adorable little
dinosaurs. It also has sound effects from the game. While the game
is faithful to its arcade counterpart, how is it as a pinball game?
While the table is colorful, if you look closely it looks a little sparse. But that is deceiving. While there are only a handful of targets to shoot and a handful of places to send the ball, there is actually quite a bit to the game. Unlike many games where you just knock down targets once, here you light up a letter in the dino's name for each time you knock down all three targets. Spell their name and new challenges open up. There are skill shots as well as other little challenges that pop up. This makes it a deeper game than you may think.
Graphically it is cute, maybe too cute for some people. It gives it an appearance of a toy game. But if you know the arcade game at all, you know this is very accurate. About the only thing I would have like to see added was pictures on the targets. A little thing but it would have improved the look some. One thing that can be both cool and annoying is the text that runs along the bottom. It tells you things to do like hit certain targets and other ways to score more points and get bonuses. But it also distracts you from the game. You find yourself looking down to see what it is saying and if you are not careful, you will drain a ball. The ideal situation would be to have speech telling you the same thing, but that would also be a whole lot harder to program and implement. It is always easier to ask for stuff like that when you are not the one programming it.
The sounds are delightful. I would have liked background music or something to keep it from being silent at times, but it would have to be low as not to annoy. The sound effects are taken from the arcade game and keep with the lighthearted feel of the table. The sound definitely enhance the game. I just wish there wasn't the silence that happens fairly frequently.
In closing, I must say that I am impressed with the table. It is fun to play, offers enough challenges to keep you playing and is very faithful to the source material. It is a delightful table and one that will be on your favorites list.