Here’s a combination of words you probably didn’t expect to read today: a new four-player Bubble Bobble is in development for Switch, launching in Europe this November and in the US in early 2020.
The plot in Bubble Bobble 4 Friends one of the few things to be detailed fully, involving a room full of children’s toys being brought to life via a magical light. This includes Bub, formally a stuffed toy.
The trailer below suggests we can expect lots of toy-themed stages, complete with a sprinkling of references to other Taito classics. Levels are far wider than before too, giving plenty of all four players to bounce around. It’s all very…blue.
Although developed by Taito, it’s being published by new German company ININ Games. Strictly Limited Games has already signed-on to handle the physical release.
“Bubble Bobble is an extremely popular title in Europe, so we decided to implement a pre-sale in Europe in conjunction with ININ Games and Strictly Limited Games. It is also the first internally developed title since Taito has re-entered the consumer market, and the development team is thrilled to be working on this famous IP. I deeply hope that many people will enjoy it” says Hiroshi Uemura, Executive Officer, Division Manager of Development, TAITO CORPORATION.
It’s understandable as to why it’s launching in Europe first – the single-screen arcade classic was incredibly popular on the 8-bit microcomputers, receiving top-notch conversions pretty much across the board. We’re rather fond of the Master System version ourselves.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends‘ dedicated website is live, although you won’t find much there apart from the above trailer. If you’re hankering to play the original in the meantime, you’re in luck – it’s available on PS4 for a mere £5.79.