I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

[BurlyHeart]

I also picked up King of the Monsters while it was on sale. Hoo boy. I already bought KotM 2, so I knew what I was in for. But I had heard the first game was slightly better. It is. Slightly. I tried to play deliberately, using strats I'd seen from 1cc vids. But the game still feels so fucking random. I have no idea how you do grab escapes or reversals or anything involving grappling without smashing the buttons relentlessly and praying. When you get knocked down, it takes for-fucking-ever to stand back up. No idea if or how you can stand up faster. You have a running attack, which seems to consistently deal solid damage if it lands. But if you launch the attack with even slightly incorrect timing, the computer will perfectly counterhit you 100% of the time.

The aesthetics of KotM are flawless. I would love to see an excellent game made with this concept and art direction. I love the presentation and the idea behind the game. Giant monster wrassling across Tokyo is too good an idea not to use. But the gameplay is kind of insufferable. It's not as ruthless as KotM 2, but the kid gloves still come off by the third match.

Tempted by Metal Slug 5 and King of the MOnsters.

KotM just isn't as good as you want it to be

Best advice I got about the game

[hamfighterx]

The aesthetics of KotM are flawless. I would love to see an excellent game made with this concept and art direction. I love the presentation and the idea behind the game. Giant monster wrassling across Tokyo is too good an idea not to use. But the gameplay is kind of insufferable. It's not as ruthless as KotM 2, but the kid gloves still come off by the third match.

You might be interested in Godzilla: Domination! on GBA (Japanese title is ゴジラ怪獣大乱闘アドバンス - Gojira: Kaijū Dairantō Adobansu). Developed by Wayforward, and it's basically KotM with the Godzilla license. Arguably inspired SO much by KotM as to be a ripoff, but it plays quite well and cleans up some of the issues of the Neo Geo games - like not having the same brutal AI issues as its inspiration. Some clever stuff too, like 2-on-1 and 3-on-1 battles, free for all fights with 3 or 4 monsters, lower gravity & higher floatier jumps on the moon stage, etc. Sprite work is excellent, as is often the case for Wayforward. It's a pretty good under the radar game!

The US version used the same cover art as the more well-known Godzilla: Destroy all Monsters Melee for Gamecube. Both were published by Infogrames/Atari in the US in 2002, but they were developed by totally different teams and have no real connection other than the shared marketing.

Personally, I've always had a big soft spot for the Neo KoTM games and even played a lot of the 16-bit ports (especially the Genesis KoTM1). I've always been able to look past their shortcomings and enjoy them, so take that for what it's worth If you hate the Neo games, you won't enjoy the GBA facsimile - but for people who like the concept and the overall presentation, adding the Godzilla license and making a more playable (and less hateful/quarter-munching) game may be right up your alley.

[Sima Tuna]

The aesthetics of KotM are flawless. I would love to see an excellent game made with this concept and art direction. I love the presentation and the idea behind the game. Giant monster wrassling across Tokyo is too good an idea not to use. But the gameplay is kind of insufferable. It's not as ruthless as KotM 2, but the kid gloves still come off by the third match.

You might be interested in Godzilla: Domination! on GBA (Japanese title is ゴジラ怪獣大乱闘アドバンス - Gojira: Kaijū Dairantō Adobansu). Developed by Wayforward, and it's basically KotM with the Godzilla license. Arguably inspired SO much by KotM as to be a ripoff, but it plays quite well and cleans up some of the issues of the Neo Geo games - like not having the same brutal AI issues as its inspiration. Some clever stuff too, like 2-on-1 and 3-on-1 battles, free for all fights with 3 or 4 monsters, lower gravity & higher floatier jumps on the moon stage, etc. Sprite work is excellent, as is often the case for Wayforward. It's a pretty good under the radar game!

The US version used the same cover art as the more well-known Godzilla: Destroy all Monsters Melee for Gamecube. Both were published by Infogrames/Atari in the US in 2002, but they were developed by totally different teams and have no real connection other than the shared marketing.

Personally, I've always had a big soft spot for the Neo KoTM games and even played a lot of the 16-bit ports (especially the Genesis KoTM1). I've always been able to look past their shortcomings and enjoy them, so take that for what it's worth If you hate the Neo games, you won't enjoy the GBA facsimile - but for people who like the concept and the overall presentation, adding the Godzilla license and making a more playable (and less hateful/quarter-munching) game may be right up your alley.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I don't hate King of the Monsters. I love every part of the game... Except playing it. It's just frustrating when I do a charging attack, get 1-frame jabbed out of it, land on the ground and stay stuck there for 30 seconds while nothing happens.

I'm aware of the godzilla gba game from watching RTA speedrun events featuring it. It seems cool. I'll have to play it sometime. I like the art style and Wayforward has a good reputation.

I think the best way to experience King of the Monsters would be as a multiplayer experience. I imagine it's quite a bit more enjoyable when you and a buddy are mashing buttons together and laughing at all the pixelated chaos. The atmosphere of the game is really excellent. The game even has the musical style of those early godzilla movies.

[MJR]

Some of the observations when playing Bubble Bobble:

-I had forgotten how aggressively monsters pursue you in the arcade version (which is fine)
-I could swear there is some kind of ranking system,meaning, when I was fully powered up, the enemies seemed to burst out the bubble faster. However, this may be a simply a result of the fact that some levels have different timers for bubble bursting.
-Item counter resets with the game every time. This is actually against how the arcade machine is designed; the item counter is supposed to stay from game to game, so that you get further items down the counter in every subsequent game. This however, can be preserved, I believe, simply by saving the game state and then loading it. But for the score attack mode, there is no fighting against it.

On my first attempt last night I got into #18 spot, which is not bad, but was possible as the top score was only roughly around 2,5MIL. Once people start 1CC'ing it, you can expect way higher scores - especially once they find their way to secret rooms.

[Sumez]

Did anyone get both the Switch version and PS4 of Bubble Bobble, and are able to tell if the new release has anything new? I imagine they'd probably have a lot more customization options at this point, but they could have either brought that over to PS4, or just kept the original version as-is for the Switch for all I know.

The first version of Bubble Bobble that actually worked in MAME was one of the bootleg versions .. lol. Not surprising they had difficulty properly emulating it over the years, given how many hidden secrets and tricky behavior it has.

Bubble Bobble wasn't emulated well anywhere until they (very recently!) managed to decap the custom chip that governs some RNG and enemy behavior. It's actually just a rather simple counter IIRC, but without replicating it correctly, the game will always play weird, which is why every bootleg had a ton of dumb issues. The biggest problem isn't even item counters, but enemy AI not chasing the player properly, some enemies being too fast, and others refusing to shoot projectiles. The EXTEND bubbles will also come out wrong.
Nowadays, people have patched the original game ROMs to include that behavior replicated in software, so you can have bootleg PCBs that play the game like it should.

[BIL]

Did anyone get both the Switch version and PS4 of Bubble Bobble, and are able to tell if the new release has anything new? I imagine they'd probably have a lot more customization options at this point, but they could have either brought that over to PS4, or just kept the original version as-is for the Switch for all I know.

I get the impression the Switch version is up-to-spec with new ACA releases; I have the Japanese PS4 version, which doesn't seem to have updated. Not sure if it's any different for NA PS4?

It wouldn't surprise me too much to see the PS4 one update at some point, as happened (IIRC) with the similarly late Switch releases of Thunder Cross, Contra, and Akumajou Dracula. A big tell is if the game's title on your start menu goes from kanji (the mark of an older ACA release) to its EN title (as all 2020-onward ACA titles display).

[MJR]

Bubble Bobble wasn't emulated well anywhere until they (very recently!) managed to decap the custom chip that governs some RNG and enemy behavior. It's actually just a rather simple counter IIRC, but without replicating it correctly, the game will always play weird, which is why every bootleg had a ton of dumb issues. The biggest problem isn't even item counters, but enemy AI not chasing the player properly, some enemies being too fast, and others refusing to shoot projectiles. The EXTEND bubbles will also come out wrong.
Nowadays, people have patched the original game ROMs to include that behavior replicated in software, so you can have bootleg PCBs that play the game like it should.

..aand that explains why I was surprised with the aggressive enemy behaviour in the Switch version It has been a LONG time since I played the arcade original to it's secret ending, and I havent been playing the arcade machine at my home town that much - mostly only whatever was in Mame, and the PS2 taito memories version, and I doubt that has been emulated correctly.

[Sumez]

and I havent been playing the arcade machine at my home town that much

Unless we're talking a cab put up by a collector, that was probably a bootleg, too.
Back in the days, a vast majority of Bubble Bobbles in arcades west of Japan were boots. I'd wager nearly all the ones in Europe were, and I doubt there's even been an original one in my own country until collectors started importing them.

[MJR]

[EDIT. Weird double post???]

[MJR]

and I havent been playing the arcade machine at my home town that much

Unless we're talking a cab put up by a collector, that was probably a bootleg, too.
Back in the days, a vast majority of Bubble Bobbles in arcades west of Japan were boots. I'd wager nearly all the ones in Europe were, and I doubt there's even been an original one in my own country until collectors started importing them.

I am not doubting you, I could ask the guy who owns it, and check, but at least the cabinet seems to be a custom dedicated cabinet, though I dont know if it is an actual original cabinet. There is actually photo of it online.

As for the one I completed in 1997, that was a PCB board Probe software got directly from Taito, so I find it quite unlikely that it were a bootleg :p I did ask them if I could buy it, after the project was completed, but the director told me that the original board is already a collector's item and they wouldn't be parting it with less than 500£. I wonder who ended up loo.. having it when the Acclaim finally closed the offices.

[BIL]

This reminded me of the previous Switch latecomer, ACA Mutant Night - a Gotch-branded release whose PS4 version did, indeed, update to the Soft/Sharp Standard (™ ) around the NSW release. Will keep an eye on BB.

[MJR]

Just to quickly update; I asked the guy who has the Bubble Bobble arcade machine here, and he said it's all real deal, original cabinet and PCB and artwork and all. The PCB even has the imprinted Bubble Dragon image on it. Was apparently super expensive (he runs a company, Reprocade, which restores and rents old arcade machines) so I have no reason to not believe him. He has been restoring lot of classic arcades with their original cabinets recently, like Tempest and Crystal Castles.

[Udderdude]

The photo shows what looks like the Romstar licensed version. There's a version by Romstar that lets you start right on the Super game mode that normally requires a code .. lol.

[MJR]

The photo shows what looks like the Romstar licensed version. There's a version by Romstar that lets you start right on the Super game mode that normally requires a code .. lol.

I think I've read about that But yeah, this is not Super Bubble Bobble (I still remember what that was like).

[Sumez]

Just to quickly update; I asked the guy who has the Bubble Bobble arcade machine here, and he said it's all real deal, original cabinet and PCB and artwork and all.

Oh yeah, it was unclear from what you wrote if you meant a currently available arcade, or something in your past from the 80s or 90s
Collectors are likely to have the real deal. It's funny, BB used to be one of the most expensive arcade PCBs out there if you wanted an original, but with the way prices have gone nuts nowadays, everything else has taken over, leaving BB's price feeling less intimidating by comparison I paid $300 for my own copy, and that wasn't even that many years ago.

[velo]

Tempted by Metal Slug 5 and King of the MOnsters.

KotM just isn't as good as you want it to be

Best advice I got about the game

Glad to help

I will second the nod to Godzilla Domination. Maybe still the best 2D kaiju action game? Now if only we could get an equivalent "Rampage but playable".

WayForward released another kaiju game called Dawn of the Monsters... no firsthand experience but something to look at.

[MJR]

Oh boy, did I screw up big time. I was having an epic run, got into first secret room already. By lvl30 I was about to hit my first million, which would have been enough for a top 10 already..

Spoiler

..Then phone beeped, I paused the game to check out the message.. and I remembered.. THERE IS NO PAUSE ON HIGH SCORE MODE! IF YOU PAUSE THE GAME; YOUR GAME IS FORFEIT! AAGH

Spoiler

[BIL]

Almost as bad as trying to keep a Hi Score Mode run going with the phone ringing.

Hamster, the OG VixyNyan banishers.

[Udderdude]

Damn, guess I can't use my NES Advantage for this one.

[BrianC]

I have never seen Bubble Bobble in arcades, but I have seen New Zealand Story a few times.

[velo]

Oh boy, did I screw up big time. I was having an epic run, got into first secret room already. By lvl30 I was about to hit my first million, which would have been enough for a top 10 already..

Spoiler

..Then phone beeped, I paused the game to check out the message.. and I remembered.. THERE IS NO PAUSE ON HIGH SCORE MODE! IF YOU PAUSE THE GAME; YOUR GAME IS FORFEIT! AAGH

Spoiler

PROTIP: on Switch, you can use the homescreen button to pause and High Score Mode doesn't notice. Your score gets recorded online and everything. Don't know if you can do something similar on PS.

edit: my condolences, nevertheless

[BIL]

PROTIP: on Switch, you can use the homescreen button to pause and High Score Mode doesn't notice. Your score gets recorded online and everything. Don't know if you can do something similar on PS.

edit: my condolences, nevertheless

Yep - you can also open the "save video clip" menu and let it sit, then resume as preferred. Neither being suitable for VixyNyanning your replays, needless to say.

[OldSkoolShmuper]

Any word on what games are coming next?

[hamfighterx]

Two of the (presumably) four January releases have been confirmed:

January 5 - Galaga
January 12 - ???
January 19 - ???
January 26 - The New Zealand Story

Hamster usually reveals the next week's game during the prior week (usually Wednesday US time), though occasionally they'll confirm some games' release dates earlier or mention multiple titles at once. Generally safe to assume they will do a Switch/PS4 release every Thursday, with some occasional differences. For instance, two weeks in December have been unusual: (1) Bubble Bobble released for Switch worldwide this week, but has been available for PS4 since 2016 so PS4 didn't get any new release, (2) Marvel Land released in Japan on December 15 on Switch/PS4, but was not released in North America on either platform (speculation that they're avoiding possible legal conflicts with Marvel comics, maybe something like a trademark issue). When they were releasing Nintendo arcade games, those were also a little different in that they always showed up on Friday instead of the usual Thursday (Nintendo normally releases their own games on Fridays, so this was probably their requirement).

[Sumez]

Just one million is enough for top 10 on BB switch? Damn maybe I should buy it just to dominate the leaderboards

[MJR]

PROTIP: on Switch, you can use the homescreen button to pause and High Score Mode doesn't notice. Your score gets recorded online and everything. Don't know if you can do something similar on PS.

edit: my condolences, nevertheless

Thanks for the tips, guys!

Just one million is enough for top 10 on BB switch? Damn maybe I should buy it just to dominate the leaderboards

Not anymore, I hold the #10 now with 1,174,610

[OldSkoolShmuper]

Two of the (presumably) four January releases have been confirmed:

January 5 - Galaga
January 12 - ???
January 19 - ???
January 26 - The New Zealand Story

Hamster usually reveals the next week's game during the prior week (usually Wednesday US time), though occasionally they'll confirm some games' release dates earlier or mention multiple titles at once. Generally safe to assume they will do a Switch/PS4 release every Thursday, with some occasional differences. For instance, two weeks in December have been unusual: (1) Bubble Bobble released for Switch worldwide this week, but has been available for PS4 since 2016 so PS4 didn't get any new release, (2) Marvel Land released in Japan on December 15 on Switch/PS4, but was not released in North America on either platform (speculation that they're avoiding possible legal conflicts with Marvel comics, maybe something like a trademark issue). When they were releasing Nintendo arcade games, those were also a little different in that they always showed up on Friday instead of the usual Thursday (Nintendo normally releases their own games on Fridays, so this was probably their requirement).

Okay thank you!

[Sumez]

Not anymore, I hold the #10 now with 1,174,610

I should be able to get 3 mil without much trouble. One day I'd like to shoot for the 1CC though, or maybe even counterstop. But it's been quite a while since I've given the game a genuine attempt, and it's been a monkey on my shoulder for ages.

[velo]

I know Bubble Bobble was made with the intention of being a game that guys could play with their girlfriends but I feel like it has the potential to ruin relationships.

[shirorm]

Hello
Is the emulation of the original Bubble Bobble in Bubble Bobble 4 - Friends good?
Thanks