Best Version of Bust-A-Move / Puzzle Bobble (2024)

4 is awesome vs mode with the combo system.

all the others are quarter munchers

Opethian said:

4 is awesome vs mode with the combo system.

all the others are quarter munchers

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See Also

Ultra Bust-A-Move Review

+1

Opethian said:

4 is awesome vs mode with the combo system.

all the others are quarter munchers

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skate323k137 said:

+1

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-1. That's the very reason why I dislike 4. It gives noobs a fighting chance. I didn't practice bank shots for years just to see defeat because of a chain reaction.

madman said:

I like the first one the best, I remember some of the backgrounds on BAMA getting annoying. I had all the carts when I had an F3 and they never got much play for whatever reason. It's a simple game with a simple concept, KISS.

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Some of the backgrounds in BAMA do blend in with the bubbles at times. For vs play, I prefer the first game. For practice, I like BAMA since there is a computer vs mode. Crank it up to level 8.

shadowkn55 said:

For vs play, I prefer the first game. For practice, I like BAMA since there is a computer vs mode. Crank it up to level 8.

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I agree with this.

But I wonder: Are there differences between the F3 release (1995) of BAMA and the Neo Geo release (1999)? To me it sometimes seems like the game (visible mainly in the bubble animations and shot speed) runs slightly too fast for less than a second, anyone else have that? Is the Neo release a port? Why did it take 4 years to bring the sequel to the Neo? Why was it done at all? Why were the changes made for the home console ports (1996-98) not included with the Neo release (we can all be thankful for that, but still)? So many questions...

//EDIT: Ok, I should've keept reading, here's why it took 4 years:

SuperGun said:

SNK & Taito got into a HUGE argument & battle over this little gem of a game [Puzzle Bobble] & the rights of distribution over it. They had a huge falling out, and as a result the Taito Cybercore (aka F-3) system was born. It was the platform used for its sequel, and the reason for the huge gap from 1995 to 1999 regarding the sequel finally getting its version on the neogeo console. Things had finally simmered down.

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Yes and Bust -A-Move Again on Cybercore & Neogeo are very different. The attract music for example is completely missing from the NEO version. I have never understood that & have always been annoyed by it. I always enjoyed hearing it at a local arcade back in the 90's that was close to where I lived. Some backgrounds are different too. I would say that arguably the neo BAM2 is a version of the Cybercore BAM2 rather then a port. But they do have differences & they are 4 years apart.

Just look at those large sprites and animation of the character in the neo's intro and watch in silence and tell me that doesn't feel weird? Something was altered or removed, etc. Same deal with the intro for Strikers 1945 Plus. Really nice visually to look at, but dead silent. WTF?

shadowkn55 said:

-1. That's the very reason why I dislike 4. It gives noobs a fighting chance. I didn't practice bank shots for years just to see defeat because of a chain reaction.

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Not noobs just people who plan thier attack not unlike Puzzle Fighter

yea don't play Quan in any bobble games hes beast

I love the original and consider it to be the best. It's the game that really got me to recognize "Neo-Geo" as a thing when I was a kid, and is one of the few arcade games I can actually beat with one credit.

The second is good, but I find the backgrounds distracting and usually just stick with the original.

shadowkn55 said:

The neo-geo ones are the best. Bust a Move 3 and on are terrible games.

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I won't call them terrible, but I also don't like any of the game past 2. I have tried pretty much every port and continue to play new versions as they come out. They always leave something to be desired. The original is so perfectly polished that it can't be outdone.

Vectorman0 said:

I won't call them terrible, but I also don't like any of the game past 2. I have tried pretty much every port and continue to play new versions as they come out. They always leave something to be desired.

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I'm with ya here. I went on a binge and grabbed them all, but the only ones I kept were 1, 2, and Pocket.

sultan of swing said:

I thought the WiiWare game Bust-A-Move Plus! was really good

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I am not sure I even realized that exists.

I really like the Azumanga Daioh one for the Naomi, if for no other reason than I adore that anime and find an Azumanga themed Puzzle Bobble to be a lot of fun to pick up and play.

The G-NET version... it looks too over produced with all the 3D graphics.

But I will agree that I'm most partial to Bust-A-Movie Again and 2X. (But I do like 4 also.)