Those odd bubble-belching dinosaurs from the ’80s, Bub and Bob, are getting a new release over 30 years after the original Bubble Bobble arcade game. Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is heading to Nintendo Switch in early 2020 (Nov. 19 in Europe).
The new Bubble Bobble features a single player mode as well as co-op multiplayer for up to four players through 100 stages and five bosses. In addition to the 100 new levels, the game also includes all 100 stages from the original 1986 arcade game in all their pixelated glory. Note that the original arcade game supports up to two player co-op.
The friendly dragons can unlock and equip new skills that let them traverse increasingly challenging levels, including bomb-bursting bubbles and dashing through enemies.
Players can upgrade skills by collecting letter bubbles throughout each stage that spell out “EXTEND.” By collecting all the letters a player can gain a new skill or upgrade an existing skill.
After its initial arcade release, Bubble Bobble would spawn lots of sequels and spin-offs over the years, including on the NES and GameBoy, the Nintendo DS, and Xbox Live Arcade.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends will launch with a standard and special edition. The special edition includes Bub and Bob keychains, collectible cards, and a poster. It’s launching in the US in early 2020.
