ININ and Taito have re-released Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III on Xbox, Playstation, and Switch, originally released on PC Engine in 1991. This is a worthy sequel to Bubble Bobble right down to the single screen co-op based kill’em-all gameplay.
Instead of playing as little bubble-spitting dragons, players take control of the dragon’s human form named Bubby and Bobby (and they look a lot like Eric Cartman). Armed with an umbrella, all enemies need to be defeated to allow access to the next stage. The parasol is essentially a Swiss army knife. Pushing the attack button unleashes a melee swipe in which enemies can be batted away. However, holding the button can make it act like a shield and can collect water drops or elemental bubbles to unleash more powerful attacks. With one button to jump and another to attack, gameplay is simple but still has depth. Collecting delicious looking fruit/treats also makes scores swell.
If you played the original Bubble Bobble, it is basically the same game only with a melee weapon instead of a ranged bubble shooting attack. Gameplay is best enjoyed in co-op, just like the original, as the difficulty can grow to steep heights. In fact, there are several stages that are cheaply designed instead of offering a true challenge. However, this was par for the course at the time. Sometimes there are slight puzzle solving elements too. Like needing to shoot waterfalls down tiny creases or using the stage warp to access certain parts of the level design such as falling to reappear at the top.
The overall interface follows the same structure as other recently released Ratalaika Games retro games. Meaning, the same quality of life features are here including multiple visual filters, a most welcomed Cheats menu, and the ability to activate save states. Unfortunately, these extra features come with some caveats. For example, if you want to earn Achievements (or Trophies on the Playstation version), cheats and save states are not available. Further, there is no option to save your game at all. Personally, I was grinding through the campaign and eventually made my way to the boss at World 8 which took me a couple hours. After much trial and error, I finally bested the mecha-Bub Dragon boss and the game soft locked causing much frustration. If there was an option to save, even at the beginning of each world, the pain would have been eased. After this incident, I have zero desire to go back and finish those last few worlds after this dead stop grind.
The original Bubble Bobble had a delightful soundtrack consisting of one unforgettable, light-hearted loop. Parasol Stars continues this one-tune soundtrack but it is not as pleasurable as the original. In fact, it only added to my soft-lock rage quitting experience. Hearing this one tune, on constant repeat, mocks the player and dares them to turn off the volume. The large, chunky sprites also get the job done but are not as charming as the original. Some enemy types are also quite brutal, like the missile launching plane enemies. Bosses can be rather challenging too, especially when playing solo.
While I had some negative experiences with Parasol Stars, I still acknowledge its entertainment factor. Even with its flaws and annoyances, it can be firmly placed in the “good game” category. While I wish there were just a few more options, like having the ability to adjust volume levels, having the ability to save and load in all modes of play, and being able to view box art and instruction scan, it still is worthy of its low asking price. If you enjoy Bubble Bobble, especially when played in co-op, then Parasol Stars should be placed on your wishlist immediately.
Also Play: all the recent Cotton re-releases
Better Than: Rainbow Island DS
Don’t Forget About: the Single-Pak link multiplayer mode in Bubble Bobble Old & New on GBA
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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RATING
OUR RATING - 8
8
SCORE
A fun follow-up to Bubble Bobble, especially in co-op. Only this time with chubby humans and melee umbrella strikes instead of cutesy dinosaurs with ranged bubble puking attacks.
Editor in Chief - been writing for mygamer,com for 20+ years. Gaming enthusiast. Hater of pants. Publisher of obscure gaming content on my YT channel.
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