Bubble Shooter originally derives from Puzzle Bobble 2, which was created by Taito Corporation back in 1995. Puzzle Bobble 2 was and still is a popular arcade game, and in 2001 the popularity of the game rose to unparalleled heights by becoming available as a game on PC – named Bubble Shooter as we know it as today. The game was back then developed and published by Absolutist. Divergent versions of the game had already been on the market for some time, but Bubble Shooter, the game as we know it today, was now operational for the player to install and play at home.
Bubble Shooter was created as a game for children, but the mechanics of the game also attracted a more mature player pool. The simple concept of shooting a bubble/ball in a certain direction and the name “Bubble Shooter” are not exactly elements that would seemingly attract adults, but it was rapidly acknowledged as a game having rather deep and complex mechanics despite its immediate simplicity. Therefore, the natural development was to design the Bubble Shooter game for not just PC and arcade halls, but also other electronic gaming devices. The simple game design made the game easily accessible and playable on almost any device. No long introductions, high graphic requirements and complex character interaction – just simple, challenging entertainment in its purest form. Nowadays the game can be found in many different shapes, modifications and designs on all possible electronic gaming devices, but the concept remains the same.
Game design and layout
When you play Bubble Shooter for the first time, you will encounter a box in which multiple tiles of differently colored bubbles/balls/balloons are placed. This is the default setting of bubbles, that you will have to play accordingly to, and the outcome of the game of Bubble Shooter depends on how you chose to aim and hit your own colored bubble on these lines. In the bottom of the box, you find your own bubble which you have to aim and click in the direction that seems most appropriate in regards to eliminate as many bubbles as possible. When shooting a bubble, an arrow will occur in the line of your mouse cursor and it should therefore be fairly easy to execute correctly. Next to the bubble, you are about to hit, you will see your upcoming bubble. This way you will always be one step ahead and you can play according to the next bubble waiting for you in a game of Bubble Shooter.
To the right side, you have your game options. In the game options, you can choose to restart the game, search for help on how to play Bubble Shooter, change game settings such as board color, difficulty, saving mechanics and sound volume. It is easy to modify the game into the way you like it without changing the nostalgic Bubble Shooter experience. Here, you are also able to see your personal high scores. Once you get a hang of it, it is very easy to improve and by saving your personal records, you always have something to compare yourself to. Use your former results as a motivator to become a better Bubble Shooter player. Everything naturally becomes more fun the better you are at it – even if it just a simple video game. It is not exactly defined as a classic multiplayer game, but you can make it one by challenging and competing against your friends and family. Even without a material prize, getting a higher score than your friend can sometimes be worth more than money.
