Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back is a fun and colorful puzzle platformer on PlayStation 4. Learn more in our Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back review!
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends; The Baron is Back is a puzzle platformer brought to us by ININ Games and Taito. This is an enhanced version of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, which was previously released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. In this cooperative 2D game, you can play with up to 4 players simultaneously (get it now?). Bubble Bobble is back in all its bubbly glory, but does it have enough to lure in those new to the series?
After some well-deserved time off, Bub and Bob are back! The premise of Bubble Bobble is mostly unchanged from when we first saw them all those years ago. This time around, you’ll be once again taking control of Bub or Bob in their dinosaur form as they blow bubbles all over the place. You jump, shoot bubbles, and pop bubbles with the spikes on your back. You can jump on the bubbles to reach new heights, and the bubbles will follow the air currents that you can clearly see in each level.
There is a chaining mechanic in play here as well. If you pop a bubble that’s touching another one, and they both will be popped. You can imagine how this might play out if there are more bubbles touching each other! This is great for grouping enemies together in bubbles and popping them all at once. It really is a satisfying feeling to leverage the air currents of a level to group all the enemy bubbles together and dispatch them in one fell swoop!
There are a number of different sets of levels in the game, as well as a way to play the original game in all its 8-bit glory, which is a nice touch since you can play the latest sequel and then dive back in time to see how it all started. The visuals have received a big bump for this 2020 release on PlayStation 4, and the soundtrack is a bob. On top of this, there are 200 levels to play in this revamped release!
Each level does a good job of both challenging the player and tweaking the formula just enough to keep things interesting. The core formula does feel the same way as it did back in the day, which can be a positive or a negative depending on how you feel about the whole Bubble Bobble formula. While you do get multiplayer, online ranking, and some really difficult boss battles thrown into the mix, this one is, for all intents and purposes, the same ol’ Bubble Bobble we know and love with a fresh look and a ton of content.
There is a lot to like about Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back. The classic gameplay returns here with a new look, as well as some extra elements that make the whole thing feel fresh. While the core gameplay formula might not be everyone’s cup of tea, those of you who are fans of the series are going to find a lot to like in this revamped and expanded take on Bubble Bobble 4 Friends. The game will be out this Thursday on PlayStation 4, so be ready!
Disclaimer
This Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back review is based on a PlayStation 4 copy provided by ININ Games.
