Bubble Bobble Neo!, like Bubble Bobble Plus, is a modernized version of the famous 1986 arcade game Bubble Bobble. The primary gameplay remains the same. The twin dragons Bub and Bob (now 3D character models) must vanquish all adversaries to clear over 100 single-screen 2D platform levels. This game adds two more dragons, a magenta and a purple one (Pub and Beb), allowing cooperative or competitive four-player local games. These four-player games are available in two modes: Arrange (co-op), which introduces slanted platforms, and VS (competition). Classic is the name given to the default mode.
Levels are made up of screens with platforms on them. The dragon must use bubbles to trap adversaries and then jump into them when caught to make them disappear. Defeated foes drop veggies, fruit, candy, and cake, which can be gathered for bonus points. Special candy (extends bubble travel, increases speed, or allows bubbles to be fired consecutively), shoes (increases movement speed), dynamite (kills all enemies with a large explosion), orange parasol (warps three stages), Chakkun’s heart (temporary invincibility), and crosses (creates lightning, floods the stage, or allows the dragon to breathe fire) are also valuable items. All goods acquired are kept in an Item & Food collection. There are more than 150 objects to explore.
Bubbles can also be utilized as temporary platforms by hopping on them while holding down the jump button. This is known as a Bubble Jump. The Spin Burst and Chain Burst are two additional tactics. It would be best if you let multiple bubbles drift your way and prevent their passage in the Spin Burst. Once they’ve clumped together, the dragon can spin back and burst them with spikes, causing a chain reaction. A burst bubble in a Chain Burst also explodes any touching bubbles.
Players in the VS mode can trap each other in their bubbles. Points are earned when a player is trapped. The left stick must be moved fast to release oneself. In Classic mode, advanced players can also hunt Extend Bubbles. These are the letters of the word “extend” in bubble form. An extra life is granted when the word is formed. This is increased to four terms in Arrange mode: “hero,” “extend,” “never,” and “winner” for one, two, three, and four extra lives, respectively.
