Bust-A-Move

In earlier reviews I already proclaimed myself the Bubble Bobble expert of Defunct Games. This delusion of grandeur is only based on the fact that I am a huge fan of the original and that I reviewed four different editions in the series or on different platforms of the game for your ultimate retro game site so far. However, my bubble-megalomania has gone even further, because from now on I proclaim myself the overall bubble expert of Defunct Games, no matter if the game has something to do with the Bubble Bobble series or not. If a game involves bubbles, I'll be your man to turn to. I'll be the bubble king of the retro king community, with an immense knowledge that's bubbling over with information on bubbles. One day you'll find yourself bowing for The Lord of Bubbles, whahaha! [sinister evil laugh].

Within the framework of my new-grown bubble-megalomania I'll be reviewing Bust-A-Move for the Game Gear today. Bust-A-Move is one of those games that has been around for quite a while now and is still being re-released in all kind of different editons (very often under the title of Puzzle Bobble). It's totally unclear to me why, because I have never been a fan of Bust-A-Move. It's a cheap upside-down Tetris rip-off that, like most Tetris rip-offs (with the exception of Puyo Puyo and Tetris Attack), is totally average.

For those of you who don't know yet: the gameplay of Bust-A-Move involves shooting colored puzzles on a ceiling that is coming down. If you stack up four bubbles of the same color they disappear. You must make all of them disappear before the well-know dinosaurs from the Bubble Bobble-franchise (who operate the bubble-shooting-canon) get crushed by the ceiling. For your imminent Lord of Bubbles, this gameplay could never hold his attention span for longer than 10 minutes. Maybe because that he is an impatience ass, but more likely it is just because this is a boring game. But your Lordship admits the presentation and marketing of the game have been done excellent.

Overall, Bust-A-Move suits well on the Game Gear. The graphics are crisp and clear, the sound is decent and the control is good. Even the tiny dinosaurs of everyone's favorite Bubble Bobble adventure are in it. Unfortunately the gameplay doesn't live up to the excellent presentation, which makes this one of those bubbling games that doesn't last for very long.