[{"TitleName":"Bubble Bobble","Publisher":"Firebird Software Ltd","Author":"Andrew R. Threlfall, Mike Follin, Tim Follin","YearOfRelease":"1987","ZxDbId":"0000722","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 45, Oct 1987","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1987-09-24","Editor":"Barnaby Page","TotalPages":148,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Managing Editor: Barnaby Page\r\nStaff Writers: Richard Eddy, Lloyd Mangram, Ian Phillipson, Ben Stone\r\nPhotographers: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson\r\nTechnical Writers: Simon N Goodwin, Jon Bates\r\nAdventure Column: Derek Brewster\r\nPBM Column: Brendon Kavanagh\r\nStrategy Column: Philippa Irving\r\nEducation Column: Rosetta McLeod\r\nLondon Correspondent: John Minson\r\nContributors: Robin Candy, Mike Dunn, Paul Evans, Dominic Handy, Nick Roberts, Mark Rothwell, Paul Sumner\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nArt Director: Gordon Druce\r\nIllustrator: Oliver Frey\r\nDesign: Tony Lorton, Markie Kendrick, Wayne Allen\r\nProcess and Planning: Matthew Uffindell, Jonathan Rignall, Nick Orchard\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Andrew Smales\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Production: [redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order and Subscriptions: [redacted]\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting by The Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow\r\n\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset, [redacted] - member of the BPCC Group.\r\n\r\nDistributed by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return any written material sent to CRASH unless accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material which may be used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\n©1987 Newsfield Limited\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Firebird\r\nRetail Price: £7.95\r\nAuthor: Software Creations\r\n\r\nBubble-blowing Brontosauri? Yep, Taito's crazy arcade game featuring the fun-loving Bub and Bob has finally made it onto the Spectrum. The troublesome two are off to rescue their lady friends, who are lost within a string of prehistoric caves.\r\n\r\nEach cave consists of a screen filled with platforms, and Bub and Bob progress from one cave to the next when the entire screen has been cleared of the killer cave-dwellers.\r\n\r\nThough Bubble Bobble can be played by just one person it is ideally for two simultaneous players; when two-player mode is selected Bub and Bob appear onscreen and shortly after that the hostile cave-dwellers emerge and rush around the network of platforms.\r\n\r\nBub and Bob's only defence against the dwellers is the bubbles which the two sauri spit. A bubble travels forward a short distance before floating upward, and any creature caught in its horizontal path becomes trapped for a while...\r\n\r\nNow the fun begins - if the bronto jumps up and pops the bubble with his tough horny head, the creature within bounces around the screen, stunned, and turns into a banana which can be collected for an extra score. However, if a bubble with a creature in isn't burst quickly the prisoner escapes and rushes around the screen in a strop looking for the responsible brontosaurus.\r\n\r\nAnother hazard which appears if a screen isn't cleared quickly enough is the dreaded Baron von Blubba, an indestructible horror who'll track down the heroic dinos and give them his fatal touch if all the other creatures aren't destroyed very rapidly.\r\n\r\nThroughout a level, bubbles float up from the bottom of the screen. Some are water-filled and when they're burst they cause a miniflood which pours down the screen, sweeping away any creature that stands in its path. Other bubbles contain letters, and an extra life is awarded to the lucky pair if they can form the word 'E X T E N D'. Occasionally sauras treats appear, either giving extra points or endowing the prehistoric pair with special powers.\r\n\r\nAs the dinosaurs progress through the levels, all manner of creatures are encounted. Early levels are inhabited by square-headed morons, but as you progress the locals get more vicious and start lobbing things back to counteract the bubbles. On finally reaching Cave 100, the last one, you come face to face with heap big chief cave-dweller who's bigger, nastier and generally more unpleasant than anything encountered before. Bubbles at the ready, boys...\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nJoysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair\r\nGraphics: plain backgrounds but supercute characters\r\nSound: marvellous 128K tune, good spot FX\r\nOptions: two simultaneous players possible - even recommended - and definable keys","ReviewerComments":["Having never actually played the arcade version, though I've seen it, I'm totally intrigued by Bubble Bobble - beautifully simple and well-executed, it plays superbly, looks good and has that one-more-go appeal that'll have you playing till the brontosauri come home. The continuous tune on the 128 version matches the frantic action of the game and certainly keeps the adrenaline rushing. I reckon Bubble Bobble will be one of my all-time favourites, and it's definitely one of the best arcade conversion this year.\r\nRichard Eddy\r\n93%","Bloop, bloop, bubble bobble - Bubble Bobble is like overdoing it with the bubble bath! It's just popping with playability and addictiveness. The cute little characters move very well, the platforms are very colourful and there's no clash visible anywhere. The bonuses are fantastic, and two-player mode gives that extra boost of excitement if you're evenly matched. Just one final thing to say - WATCH OUT FOR THE GIANT PEACH!\r\nNick Roberts\r\n86%","Bubble Bobble is so much fun! The graphics are cute, and though it's quite easy to play it's remarkably addictive. Having seen the other versions, I was convinced that the Spectrum game was going to be a letdown - but far from it. Bubble Bobble is excellent, pretty, enjoyable, addictive, simple, exemplary and a strongly-recommended buy.\r\nMike Dunn\r\n93%"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: The most playable arcade conversion this year.","Page":"132,133","Denied":false,"Award":"Crash Smash","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Richard Eddy","Score":"93","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"86","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Mike Dunn","Score":"93","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Bub and Bob: love means never having to say you're sauri."},{"Text":"Bubble Bobble, two-player toil and trouble."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"87%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"91%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"90%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 92, Sep 1991","Price":"£2.2","ReleaseDate":"1991-08-15","Editor":"Richard Eddy","TotalPages":68,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"THIS IS CRASH, THEY ARE:\r\n\r\nEditor: Richard Eddy\r\nSub Editor: Warren Lapworth\r\nStaff Writers: Mark Caswell, Nick Roberts, Lloyd Mangram\r\nArt Editor: Mark Kendrick\r\nDesign Assistant: Paul (Charlie) Chubb\r\nPhotography: Michael Parkinson\r\nDesign Consultant: Robin (Goodbye) Candy\r\nReprographics: Matthew Uffindell (Supervisor), Robert Millichamp, Robb Hamilton, Tim Morris\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executives: Neil Probert, Christine Moore\r\nAdvertisement Production: Jackie Morris (Supervisor), Joanne Lewis\r\nEditorial Director: Oliver Frey\r\nManaging Director: Jonathan Rignall\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\nSubscriptions: Caroline Edwards [redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting Apple Macintosh computers using Quark Express and Bitstream fonts.\r\n\r\nSystems Manager: Ian Chubb\r\n\r\nColour origination Scan Studios [redacted]. Printing in England by BPCC Business Magazines (Carlisle) Ltd, [redacted]. Distribution COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nYearly subscription rates: UK mainland £22, Eire and Europe £28. Outside Europe (Airmail) £42. US/Canada subscriptions and back issues enquiries Barry Hatcher, British Magazine Distributors Ltd [redacted]. Yearly subscription rates US $47.00, Canada $57.00.\r\n\r\nCOMPETITION RULES\r\nThe Editor's decision is final in all matters relating to adjudication and while we offer prizes in good faith, believing them to be available; If something untoward happens we reserve the right to substitute prizes of comparable value. We'll do our very best to despatch prizes as soon as possible after the published closing date. Winners names will appear in a later issue of CRASH. No correspondence can be entered into regarding the competitions (unless we've written to you stating that you have won a prize and it doesn't turn up, in which case drop us a line). No person who is related, no matter how remotely, to anyone who works for either Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions.\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into CRASH - including written and photographic material, software and hardware - unless it is accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material on 35mm transparencies is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates. Copy published in CRASH will be edited as seen fit and payment will be calculated according to the current printed word rate. The views expressed in CRASH are not necessarily those of the publishers.\r\n\r\nISSN 0954-8661\r\n©CRASH Ltd 1991.\r\nCover design by Oliver Frey. Powertape inlay design by Richard Eddy."},"MainText":"The Hit Squad\r\n£3.99\r\n\r\nOne of my all-time favourite coin-op conversions reappears on the Speccy! There can't be many people who don't know the plot for Bubble Bobble, but if you've been down a pothole or on the moon for the last few years, here's a quick explanation...\r\n\r\nBub and Bob are two cute little dinosaurs who've been trapped by the evil Baron Von Blubba. The task ahead of them is, in theory, a simple one: blow bubbles to trap the various attacking creatures then pop them. When all the opponents have been vanquished, collect the fruit, candy and other assorted goodies for extra points then fly off to the next of the hundred screens.\r\n\r\nIn addition, there are bonus help thingies. For example, bursting a water-filled bubble sends a stream gushing over the platforms, washing away any creatures it picks up in its flow.\r\n\r\nIt's been a few years since I've played Bubble Bobble but it's still as addictive today, if a little slow. The first 50 or so screens are fairly easy to complete if you have a mate to help but the last few are real swines, the final battle with the Baron is a particular example.\r\n\r\nIn short, Bubble Bobble is one of the most playable platform games around!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"60","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mark Caswell","Score":"88","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Forever blowing bubble, that's Bub and Bob."},{"Text":"Okay, I'll take the two on the right, you take the two on the left."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"78%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"74%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"61%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictivity","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"88%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 69, Sep 1991","Price":"£1.95","ReleaseDate":"1991-08-01","Editor":"Andy Ide","TotalPages":68,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Andy Ide\r\nNew Art Editor: Andy Ounsted (plus Sal Meddings!)\r\nGames Editor: James Leach\r\nStaff Writer: Linda Barker\r\nArt Assistant: Maryanne Booth\r\nAdvertising Manager: Cheryl Beasley\r\nProduction Coordinator: Melissa Parkinson\r\nPublisher: Jane Richardson\r\nPromotions Manager: Michele Harris\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg Ingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue Hartley\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair, Future Publishing [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: Computer Posting [redacted]\r\nDistribution: MMC [redacted]\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Glenn Fabry\r\nISSN 0269 6983\r\nABC July-Dec 1990 60,368\r\n\r\nYS comes to you from the same bods who publish Commodore Format, ST Format, Amiga Format, New Computer Express, Amstrad Action, Classic CD, PC Plus, 8000 Plus, Sega Power, Amiga Power, Amiga Shopper, Needlecraft & Mountain Biking UK (Busy little bees, aren't we!)"},"MainText":"BUBBLE BOBBLE\r\nThe Hit Squad\r\n£3.99\r\nReviewer: Jon Pillar\r\n\r\nCute games, eh? What can you say about them, apart from \"Aawww!\" (or possibly \"Bleugh\"). To be fair though, the simpering niceness of the cuties has often hidden a darn playable game - and as if to prove the point, here comes the grandaddy of them all.\r\n\r\nAs Bob or Bub (or both if there's a pal handy) you're out to bash up the slightly evil Baron von Blubba. Your sweet little dinosaurs (aawww!) have to blow bubbles at the nasties, then boot them around the screen until they pop and disgorge score-boosting goodies.\r\n\r\nSprinkled around this (very) basic concept are power-ups, oodles of hidden bonuses and a stonking 100 levels of play. All this adds up to a tasty barg, but (strangely enough) it doesn't work very well in one-player mode.\r\n\r\nThe desire to get to the next level is still there, but to be brutally honest, it gets rather samey. With two players though, it's a completely different game (even though it's still exactly the same, if you see what I mean). The interplay between Bub and Bob is a delight, ranging from planned co-operation to open warfare. Luckily, with extra lives and a continue option, there's plenty of time to make up!\r\n\r\nThe small but detailed monochrome graphics make the action easy on the eyes, and in the best tradition of cute games there are a whole load of surpnses to discover. Yup, if you haven't guessed by now. this is Megagame material. On your own you'll find it playable enough - team up with another Spec-chum and it's a riot!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"56","Denied":false,"Award":"Your Sinclair Megagame","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jon Pillar","Score":"90","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"A hop, skip and a jump and we'll be there (so long as a baddy doesn't come along and kill us or anything)."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"90%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 78, Jun 1992","Price":"£2.5","ReleaseDate":"1992-05-17","Editor":"Andy Hutchinson","TotalPages":84,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"HERE COMES THE SUMMER!\r\n\r\nFor him in vain the envious season rolls, who bears eternal summer in his soul. What are you most looking forward to the summer?\r\n\r\nEditor: Andy (Dreamy days dangling a leg in the water while drifting down the Avon in a punt & snogging French exchange students. Or both at the same time) Hutchinson\r\nArt Editor: Andy (Going to America, hopefully) Ounsted\r\nDeputy Editor: Linda (Glastonbury festival) Barker\r\nStaff Writer: Jon (Leaving his duck shaped brolly at home) Pillar\r\nArt Assistant: Maryanne (Picnics in Vicky Park) Booth\r\nAdvertising Manager: Alison (Looking sexy & brown) Booth\r\nSenior Sales Exec: Jackie (Drinking ice cool beers at the Crystal Palace) Garford\r\nProduction Coordinator: Lisa (Ice cream sundaes with Martini) Read\r\nPublisher: Jane (Barbies & Pimms) Richardson\r\nPromotions Manager: Michelle (Cycling to Mrs Miggins' bun & tea shop) Harris\r\nPromotions Assistant: Tamara (Riding a horse through a field of long green grass) Ward\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg (Peace, love & understanding) Bingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue (Windsurfing) Hartley\r\nAssistant Publisher: Julie (Cream teas) Stuckes\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair (Champion the Wonder Horse repeats), Future (The Company Weekend) Publishing, [redacted]\r\n\r\nManaging Director: Chris (Strawberries and cream on the front lawn) Anderson\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: Future Publishing Ltd [redacted]\r\n\r\n©Future Publishing 1992. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from Charlie Footstool from Dingley Dell.\r\n\r\nISSN: 0269 69683\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair leaps onto passing cars with it bottom a-waving with notables periodicals like: Commodore Format (The scuba-diving season), Amstrad Acton (Sitting in the beer garden of The Brewers Arms in the evening), Amiga Format (Beetle Bash and the beach), PCW Plus (Wimbledon), PC Answers (Winter), PC Plus (Reptile dayy), Sega Power (Softball in Vicky Park on a Thursday), Amiga Power (Sailing, snogging and softbaallll!), Amiga Shopper (Cold beers by blue seas), Classic CD (Watching us stuff Pakistan in the test matches), Needlecraft (Myxomatosis), Cycling Plus (Going saddle-less), Photo Plus (Hampstead Heath of an evening), Mountain Biking UK (Outdoor rumpy-pumpy), PC Format (See Mountain Biking UK), Public Domain (Sun), ST Format (Fire Walk With Me: The Film), Total! (Driving an MR2 with the top up) and Today's Vegetarian (Two weeks of sun,sea, sand and sex in Greece) and coming soon... Calculator Operator's Chronicle.\r\n\r\nBut what we really want to know why is... who the hell elected Mary Whitehouse as defender of public morals anyway?"},"MainText":"PLATFORM GAMES\r\n\r\n2. Bubble Bobble\r\nHit Squad/Issue 69\r\nReviewer: Jon Pillar\r\n\r\nPlayability overload in this classic arcade conversion. The two-player game of all captures the feel of the original perfectly. With 100 single-screen levels the game harkens back to the straight playability of the ol' days. Nearly unbeatable.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"54","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jon Pillar","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 68, Nov 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-10-18","Editor":"David Kelly","TotalPages":124,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: David Kelly\r\nDeputy Editor: Graham Taylor\r\nStaff Writer: Jim Douglas\r\nStaff Writer: Tamara Howard\r\nArt Editor: Gareth Jones\r\nAdventure Help: Gordo Greatbelly\r\nZapchat: Jon Riglar\r\nHelpline: Andrew Hewson\r\nContributors: Richard Price, Tony Bridge, Chris Jenkins, Tony Dillon, Gary Rook\r\nHardware Correspondent: Rupert Goodwins\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mike Corr\r\nSales Executive: Steve Prescott\r\nClassified Sales/Production: Alison Morton\r\nPublisher's Secretary: Debbie Pearson\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\nPublisher: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\nTelephone [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscription Enquiries [redacted]\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Clive Goodyer\r\n\r\nSinclair User\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted by Nene River Press, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1986 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458\r\n\r\nABC 84,699 July-Dec 1986"},"MainText":"Label: Firebird\r\nAuthor: Software Creations\r\nPrice: £7.95\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nJoystick: various\r\nReviewer: Tamara Howard\r\n\r\nPah! we said. Bah humbug!! we said. We won't like it!!!\r\n\r\nThus we prepared for Bubble Bobble - self styled 'cute' game of the year. We wuz ready to spit all over Bubble Bobble until it was quite soggy.\r\n\r\nSo I was most put out to discover that the wretched thing is, as Firebird has been telling us for simply ages, incredibly addictive.\r\n\r\nNot that it's any excuse for the nauseating cuteness of the whole thing. I mean, the idea of playing a bubble-blowing brontosaurus is enough to make you lose your beef an' onion Crispy Pancakes straight off.\r\n\r\nWhat makes BB so addictive and, if we're going to be perfectly honest here chaps, so damned good, is its simplicity. All you gotta do is blow bubbles, burst 'em and eat food. What could be simpler? What could be more dull? But it ain't dull. It's dead good y'see.\r\n\r\nIt's a bit like Pac Man! You play the bottom-waggling bronto of uncertain sex, and, for no apparent reason (I like these games with no plots, don't you?) it's up to you to clear innumerable screeens of enemies. Once you've cleared one level, up pops the next, right on number 80!!\r\n\r\nEach screen has little ledges to jump on. You can jump up through the ledges, and land in the middle, but you've got to jump off the end. So as the screens get more complex, with little boxed in bits, moving round the place gets harder. And there are more enemies to bump off and time starts to run out. There's a lot of frantic bubble blowing going on.\r\n\r\nBecause bubbles are what it's all about. What you have to do is trap each enemy in a bubble, head butt said bubble, and watch the now deceased creature fly about all over the screen like a rapidly deflating balloon. When he lands, he'll turn into a choice piece of grub, such as a cake or burger with dill pickle. Eat the grub and watch the points mount up.\r\n\r\nAnd that's more or less it. There are a few finer things in the game, such as varying villains, bonus points and gigantic apples wot drop on yer 'ead.\r\n\r\nVillains come cleverly disguised as clockwork skull efforts, sort of evil looking birds, and a fishy thing which I gather is the ring leader of the lot. You get a bonus screen of purple onions every now and then, too, and land a gemstone, or the aforementioned giant apple, and your score will take a gentle upward tilt.\r\n\r\nOh, and should you see a bubble with water in it, burst it, and you'll be caught in a fast-flowing ride across the screen. Sort of brontosaurus in a boat job really. Might take you to where you want to go, then again, might not.\r\n\r\nCoupled with this there's a cute (quelle a surprise) soundtrack that you'll enjoy for about two minutes, and then turn off in exasperation. Very clever it is, but also incredibly infuriating.\r\n\r\nThere's not much more to say about Bubble Bobble, except that I still dislike the idea of it, but I do still need to get to level 10 next time around.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Nauseatingly cute conversion that is nonetheless horribly addictive. Definitely has love-hate potential.","Page":"50,51","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Tamara Howard","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"PROGRAMMERS\r\n\r\nMike Follin was responsible for the conversion of Bubble Bobble to the Spectrum. As well as one or two games that he's just not prepared to admit to, so don't bother asking, he worked previously on the excellent The Sentinel.\r\n\r\nSoftography: Subterranean Striker ( Insight, 1984), Vectron (Firebird, 1986). The Sentinel (Firebird, 1987)\r\n\r\nTim Follin (brother of Mike) did the music and asked to have a little plug."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"8/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 118, Sep 1991","Price":"£1.35","ReleaseDate":"1991-08-15","Editor":"Tim Boone","TotalPages":132,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Tim Boone\r\nDeputy Editor: Paul Glancey\r\nArt Editor: Jon Billington\r\nAdditional Layout: Yvette Nichols\r\nStaff Writers: Paul Rand\r\nManaging Editor: Julian Rignall\r\nAdvertising Manager: James Owens\r\nDeputy Advertising Manager: Martha Moloughney\r\nSales Exec: Greg Watson\r\nProduction Assistant: Emma Sadler\r\nContributor: Alan Dykes\r\nLong-gone Ghost Writer: Rob Swan\r\nPublisher: Graham Taylor\r\n\r\nSubscription Enquiries: CVG Subscriptions, [redacted]\r\nEditorial and Advertising Quagmire: [redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted By: Kingfisher Web, [redacted]\r\nColour By: Proprint, [redacted]/Colour Connection [redacted]\r\nTypeset By: Your mumma\r\nWWF pics by kind courtesy of British Sky Broadcasting\r\nDistributed By: BBC Frontline\r\n\r\n©Computer And Video Games 1991\r\nISSN No: 0261-3697\r\n\r\nHello Peter O'Donnell, bet your mates are jealous now!"},"MainText":"Hit Squad\r\nSpectrum £3.99\r\n\r\nBub and Bob have had their girlfriends kidnapped by Baron von Blubba and he's turned the two chums into bubble-blowing dinosaurs! To get out of their predicament, B+B must negotiate the hundred levels of von Blubba's kingdom, blowing bubbles and bursting beasties, all the time racking up the points and collecting bonuses. Bubble Bobble ranks as one of the best Spectrum coin-op conversions of all time, boasting pleasant graphics and extremely addictive gameplay. If you have so much as an ounce of sense in your body you'll rush out and buy this now!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"85","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Paul Rand","Score":"92","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"92%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"The Games Machine Issue 3, Feb 1988","Price":"£1.25","ReleaseDate":"1988-01-21","Editor":"Oliver Frey","TotalPages":117,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nAssistant Editor: Nik Wild\r\nSoftware Co-ordinator: Richard Eddy\r\nStaff Writer: Robin Hogg\r\nEditorial Assistant: Frances Mable\r\nPhotography: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson (Assistant)\r\nContributors: Jon Bates, Robin Evans, John Gilbert, Robin Candy, Martin Coxhead, Mel Croucher, Martyn Lester, Mark Rothwell, Rob Steel, John Woods\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nDesign/Layout: Wayne Allen\r\nProcess/Film Planning: Jonathan Rignall (Supervisor), Matthew Uffindell, Nick Orchard\r\n\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nSales Executive: Andrew Smales\r\nAssistant: Jackie Morris\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order\r\nCarol Kinsey\r\n\r\nSubscriptions\r\nDenise Roberts\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypeset by the Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow with colour origination taken care of by Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by Carlisle Web Offset [redacted] - a member of the BPCC Group. Distribution effected by COMAG, [redacted].\r\n\r\nCompetition Rules\r\nQThe Editor's decision is final in all matters relating to adjudication and while we offer prizes in good faith, believing them to be available, if something untoward happens (like a game that has been offered as a prize being scrapped) we reserve the right to substitute prizes of comparable value. We'll do our very best to despatch prizes as soon as possible after the published closing date. Winners names will appear in a later issue of THE GAMES MACHINE. No correspondence can be entered into regarding the competitions (unless we've written to you stating that you have won a prize and it doesn't turn up, in which case drop Fran Mable a line at the PO Box 10 address). No person who has any relationship, no matter how remote, to anyone who works for Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions.\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into THE GAMES MACHINE - including written and photographic material, hardware or software - unless it's accompanied by a suitably stamped, addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photographic material is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\n©Newsfield Ltd, 1988\r\n\r\nCover Illustration by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Atari ST £19.95\r\nSpectrum £7.95 Cassette\r\n\r\nBEARING THE BRUNT OF SORENESS\r\n\r\nREVIEWED on the Commodore 64 in THE GAMES MACHINE Issue One to the tune of 93%, Software Creations continue their conversions of the hit arcade coin-op with the release of the ST and Spectrum games. Bubble Bobble is one of those games which uses basic graphics and a simplistic idea, but yet contains an unsurpassable amount of addictiveness mixed with immense playability.\r\n\r\nBub and Bob, two bubble-blowing brontosaurs, bounce around platforms through 100 screens, trapping nasty cave dwellers inside bubbles which they burst to kill them, whilst collecting fruit and special objects in a quest to rescue their brontosauri girlfriends. Packed to the brim with entertainment, Bubble Bobble is a classic just-one-more-go game with its irresistible appeal and extremely cute characters.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Firebird could hardly fail - Bubble Bobble is probably one of the easiest coin-ops to convert to the Spectrum with its definite platform shapes and restricted use of colour, and is ideally suited to the machine's capabilities. The limited colour scheme does make some screens look rather dull, but the majority are pleasing to the eye and professionally put together, keeping attribute clash to a minimum. Bub and Bob and the cave creatures have lost very little of their detail in the transition, and the overall effect works very well indeed. On the 128 the arcade tune plays continuously, suiting the game perfectly. One of the better coin-op conversions for the Spectrum.","Page":"62,63","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Blow me it's a Brontosaurus."},{"Text":"Bub and Bob on the ST job."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"ATARI ST\r\n\r\nOverall: 94%\r\n\r\nBubble Bobble is fantastically playable and this is graphically better than the coin-op arcade game itself! The only comparative criticism that can be levelled against it concerns the music, it's very much the basic, tinny ST sound, although it's a remarkably faithful rendition playing away merrily throughout. ST Bubble Bobble is amazingly close to the arcade original, everything from the introductory screen to the extended jingle is there, and the two player Bub/Bob partnership captures all the fun of the cute coin-op. Cliche or not, Bubble Bobble is easily one the best coin-op conversion on the ST so far."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"88%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]