In an industry still reeling from a major downturn in the early-80s, the prospects of releasing a hit arcade game were slim to say the least. Taito rose to the challenge, however, with wonderful game that consisted of two bubble-blowing dinosaurs and their gallant bravery as they attempted to save their respective damsels in distress. Released in 1986, Bubble Bobble was an overnight success – so popular that versions were soon spawned for practically every home gaming system. With its innovative design, pleasing graphics and a seemingly endless supply of game levels (a hundred, to be precise,) there was much to love about this charming game.

The featured bubble experts were a green dinosaur named Bub, and his blue counterpart, Bob. Together (or separately, depending on the number of players) they entered into the cave of monsters, where an extensive collection of cuddly creatures stood between them and their loved ones. But Bub and Bob were far from defenseless; they could use their formidable bubbles to imprison their enemies. And once an enemy was successfully captured, the two dinosaurs could use their spiny skin to pop the bubble, thereby turning the monsters into delicious pieces of fruit full of rewards. Once all of the monsters were cleared from a particular area, the pair moved on to the next level of adventure.

What made this simple concept so darn appealing was all of the little nuances throughout the game. Power-up objects encased in special bubbles were in abundant supply, granting such temporary powers as the unleashing of bolts of lightning, incendiary rain, and large waves of water. A special set of bubbles each contained a letter that, when combined, spelled E-X-T-E-N-D. Accumulating all of the letters allowed players to skip past their current level and also acquire a bonus life. Numerous other inanimate objects scattered about, such as shoes, candles, clocks and potions all had their own temporary benefits as well, including a burst of speed, the ability to breathe fire or freeze opponents and other nifty tricks.

And then there were the bubbles, which acted and reacted like one much expect from a soapy orb. They floated and glided freely, and occasionally congregated into clusters in various locations. And should one of these burst, the ensuing chain reaction of popping neighbors could lead to a substantial accumulation of bonus points. Furthermore, with a little practice, it was possible for a player to jump atop a bubble, which unleashed even further surprises. There was only one catch – spend too much time on a particular level and a ghostly whale named Baron Von Blubba would emerge and relentlessly pursue a player until they completed the level.

One particularly appealing and unique aspect of Bubble Bobble was the ability for a second player to join into a game already in progress. If the going got tough, help was only a quarter away. These distinctive little features quickly made this one of the most popular games at the time. Sequels were inevitable and Taito quickly responded, first with Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2. On their new exotic island locale, Bub and Bob now found themselves with the additional ability to shoot rainbows at their opponents. And just like its predecessor, there were numerous levels of gameplay and particularly pesky bad guys to defeat. Next came Bubble Bobble 3: Parasol Stars, with the dino duo now armed with unmerciful umbrellas.

And for those that like to blow their bubbles from the comforts of home, the original Bubble Bobble has been released in recent years for both the Playstation 2 and X-Box console, as part of Taito’s Legends collection.  The NES version of the game has also been made available for Wii users to download as part of the Virtual Console service. That’s quite a legacy for good ol’ Bub and Bob, the undisputed kings of bubble warfare.