Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! review for Nintendo Switch

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Publisher: ININ Games
Developer: Taito
Medium: Digital
Players: 1-4
Online: Yes
ESRB: E

Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! is a brand new game in the Puzzle Bobble / Bust-A-Move series of games, featuring your favorite bubble blowing Dinos Bub and Bob and all their friends. The premise of every Puzzle Bobble Game is very simple, match 3 or more bubbles of the same color to remove them from the playfield while the ceiling is pushing the bubbles to the ground. You move on to the next round once you clear all the bubbles, and are awarded bonus points depending on how fast did it. EveryBubble has changed things up slightly by integrating a cute story into the gameplay and adding some special bubbles that can either help or hinder your performance.

The story begins when the mini Dinos all over Rainbow Islands desperately want to blow bubbles like their Friends. An evil wizard gives the Minis a potion that give them the bubble blowing ability but never teaches them how to control it, so now the islands are covered in bubbles and begin to interfere with daily life. Bub, Bob, Chack’n and the rest of the crew set out to pop every bubble and seek out the evil wizard and break the Minis curse.

Up to 4 players can work together to clear each stage across the Rainbow Islands. The more players that are involved, the larger the playfields get. As you progress through the levels, you unlock more playable characters and discover new special bubbles and items that can change the flow of a level. The Star Bubble, for example, makes all of the same color bubble that hits it pop at once. While the Bomb Bubble can blow up a small section of the bubbles or objects to remove them. There are also Blank Bubbles that change to whatever color hits it, if at least 3 blanks are touching, all three will vanish. These special bubbles can be dropped and saved for later use (which is necessary to do in some stages) but you can only hold one special at a time and they do not carry over to the next level.

There is also a VS Mode to challenge your friends or players online. VS mode can feature 1 on 1 matches or 2 on 2 matches where to object is to not let your bubbles touch the ground.

Also included is a brand new mode called “Puzzle Bobble vs Space Invaders” where up to 4 players can team up to pop descending bubbles that behave exactly like Space Invaders. The same match 3 or more colors apply with this mode and you only have the ability to shoot straight up. The invading Bubbles can also shoot your Dinos, paralyzing them for a short time. This mode is super fun and is a welcome addition to the franchise. Great for single player or with friends. This mode is also included free.

Graphics are bright and colorful as you would expect. The characters are all overly cute and charming, sometimes a little too much. The small amount of animations are all done well, but sometimes resemble a game you would play on a mobile device. Sound and music are perfectly fitting, but some of the characters “voices” are a bit annoying, especially the announcer before a game begins. The remixed tunes are nice, but can get a little tiresome the more you hear them. Trust me when I say, you aren’t playing this for the aesthetics, as this is one game where the gameplay is the main focus.

Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! is a fun little game that can bring some serious challenge the longer you play. The extra Space Invaders mode is a super cool addition that can challenge even the biggest Puzzle Bobble pro. The super cute presentation may turn off some players, but fans of the series will feel right at home here. A nice and cheerful puzzle game that can be enjoyed by anyone of any age and a very good addition to the Puzzle Bobble franchise!

Note: ININ Games provided us with a Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble! Switch code for review purposes.

Grade: A