At a time when many of the biggest names in retro gaming are often reserved for subscription services – such as Antstream and Switch Online – or used as selling points for dedicated retro collections, it’s refreshing to see a much-requested retro gem gain a multiformat standalone release. Taito could have easily held back Parasol Stars for a future Milestone collection – but no, here it is, as an inexpensive (£9) download with a bunch of features.
In addition to reaching far larger audiences, standalone releases also gain a bigger spot in the limelight – something Parasol Stars is more than deserving of.
Rather than stem from the arcade, Parasol Star’s history can be traced back to the PC Engine. As such, and contrary to some reports, this isn’t an arcade game – it’s a console game; one with a tad more to offer than a typical arcade experience. It also made it to the likes of the Amiga, NES, and Game Boy but only in Europe. The PC Engine original is certainly the best version out there, and for collectors of that system, it’s highly sought after nowadays.
Parasol Stars sees our heroes Bubby and Bobby remain in their human form after the events of Rainbow Islands, but it has more in common with Bubble Bobble than its predecessor. The cheery duo are armed with parasols that bring about a number of fun mechanics. Enemies can be grabbed and thrown, water droplets can be collected and turned into attacks with fire/water/electric abilities, and they also shield from small projectiles when held upright. In two player, Bubby can also throw Bobby around – and vice versa. It’s a very playful experience.
To clear a stage, you’ll need to defeat every enemy – which must be stunned and then thrown, or hit with an elemental water drop attack, with the most useful of all setting entire platforms ablaze. Ignore stunned enemies for too long, and they’ll become red faced and enraged. Take too long to clear a level, and you’ll also feel the wrath of an ominous ghoul – which certainly piles on the pressure.
Each stage – spread across ten themed worlds, varying from music-themed to a gambling world – is different from the last, and either spread across a couple of screens or confined to a single screen. Some can be cleared quickly, feeling quite gimmicky by requiring little more than shrewd use of single power-up, while others will take multiple attempts while you work out how to reach trapped enemies or the best order to tackle foes. Larger enemies can be bothersome, needing multiple hits. Bosses feature too, and battles are a real mixed bag. One early boss can be defeated effortlessly in a matter of seconds, while another has quite unpredictable movement patterns. There’s also a large robot to defeat, armed with a boomerang that doesn’t appear to have any set patterns whatsoever.
Making the jump from arcade to console means there’s no longer the requisite to empty players’ pockets of coins. This is mostly evident by how generous it is with extra lives and power-ups, such as screen-clearing bombs, speed shoes, and invincibility. It also takes the idea of secrets and runs with it, with a lot more to discover. In fact, two of the ten worlds are tucked away behind a locked door. Seeing the ‘good’ ending and beating all ten stages is quite a tricky feat. Again, due to straying from the arcade, it’s also a longer experience than those before it – you’re looking at a good hour of playtime even to reach the ‘bad’ ending. While that may not sound like much, remember that it’s around double the length of a typical arcade game. I put in five hours before penning this review and still didn’t see everything.
It remains appealing visually, sporting bright and vibrant visuals. Animation is a little crude in places – there are no idle animations for our heroes, for instance – but it makes up for this with personality, with each world having its own set of enemies including cutesy vampires, rogue slot machines, helicopters with beaming smiles, and turtle shells on wheels. It falls a bit short when it comes to music. The main theme tune is catchy – there’s no disputing that – but it plays throughout most stages, with the only respite being the boss music… based on the Lambada, which was big around the time of the game’s development. It’s a surprise that it made the cut considering the recent Rainbow Islands re-release had a revised soundtrack.
This re-release features a few modes. One will let you activate cheats (invincibility, infinite lives, etc) and use a rewind tool, while another offers an authentic experience while granting 99 continues and omitting save states. It’s only in the latter mode that achievements/trophies can be unlocked. Both modes also benefit from improved controls allowing you to face different directions while charging the parasol. Then for high score chasers, there’s a Challenge Mode which grants a single credit. There’s the usual assortment of screen size options and filters too, with it presented the same way as previous Ratalakia retro re-releases.
I can’t really spin it any other way – Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III captivates from the moment it starts until it ends. It’s effortlessly enticing with its mixture of colourful visuals and (initially, at least) catchy music and knows how to press player’s buttons by liberally dishing out power-ups and collectables. The mechanics aren’t just fun, but nuanced too, with the ability to discover additional ways to boost high scores. A few shoddy boss battles prevent this from achieving platformer perfection, but this is the only thing to rain on the parade. Never mind the term ‘hidden gem’ – this is an outright classic.
Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III is out now on PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series and Switch. Published by ININ Games.