Review of Parasol Stars: The Tale of Bubble Bobble III

One of the greatest games for the PC-Engine and Turbografx-16 is released on contemporary hardware.

Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III
Platform: Switch, also on PlayStation 4/5 and Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X
Developer: Taito, Ratalaika Games
Publisher: ININ Games
Release date: July 11th, 2024
Availability: Digital
Price: $9.99 via Nintendo eShop, $8.99 launch discount price

The development of the video game industry is reflected in the history of Taito’s Bubble Bobble brand. Arcade hardware was unmatched when the first game came out in 1986 and the follow-up Rainbow Islands emerged a year later. However, the NES version of Bubble Bobble showed that home consoles were going to be the dominant platform in 1998.

In 1991, Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III, the third game in the series, made its PC-Engine debut instead of appearing in any arcades. With the exception of the Commodore 64, which is a different tale, other developers provided ports for the various platforms of the time, while Working Designs was responsible for the Stateside localization. But Parasol Stars hasn’t been made official on modern consoles yet. That omission has been fixed with the release of The Story of Bubble Bobble III on hardware from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft.

No Need for Cheat Codes

Ratalaika Games, ININ Game’s regular porting partner, appears to have taken note of and addressed a number of the issues directed towards their earlier versions. This time, Parasol Stars offers five distinct cheats that are accessible right away, giving new players the ability to play the game with an infinite number of credits, lives, invincibility, or free jumps. Remarkably, there’s also a way to open the hidden door in every game globe, which makes it much simpler to go to the boss at the end of the game. Yes, you can go back in time and undo any mistakes with the rewind feature.

And if you don’t change your strategy, you will undoubtedly make a few errors. The heroes, Bobby and Bubby, use a variety of strategies with their vividly colored parasols instead of just blowing a bubble in front of them. Indeed, you may stun an adversary by tapping the action button, and you can launch them horizontally with a second tap. However, this strategy makes you vulnerable to flanking after a few stages because opponents can freely maneuver across the platforms.

“I’ll let you stand under my umbrella.”

So cleverly, you can keep your parasol open by holding down the button. This method lets you gather several items in addition to providing defensive protection. If you’ve planned things out, you can transform a number of water bubbles into one of Bobble Bobble’s famous cascades, defeating a screen full of opponents. In addition, you can utilize your parasol to float around and defend yourself from opponents above—an vital move during the first of 10 boss bouts. There are many diverse skills available, and the build-up to your first fight serves as an engaging tutorial that demonstrates the breadth of your powers.

Of course, a lot of the goodies from earlier installments are back. Gamers are showered with goodies while they play, as a thrown opponent frequently reveals a row of icons that can be retrieved for added points. Thirty years later, the sprite graphics is still charming, yet it’s still difficult to remember the ideals behind anything from hot buttered pancakes to parfaits. As one might expect, as you persevere, enemy kinds and backgrounds change, and Parasol Stars even adds variety with freely scrolling stages that span more than one screen. The hefty bosses in the game undoubtedly declared that coin-ops had to give up the mantle to home consoles.

Absence of History Is Mysterious

Regretfully, The Story of Bubble Bobble III is devoid of any kind of background information or supplementary resources and fails to explain its own story. Ratalaika’s imitation skills are commendable, but their consistent lack of curation is disheartening. The developer should have ideally provided some backstory about the game’s status within the Bobble Bubble series. It would have been great to include interviews with any of the original developers. The immensely entertaining game Parasol Stars brought about a big change in the gaming business. While it’s fun to rediscover the title’s endearing songs and gorgeous spritework, a gem like this deserves a little more consideration.

They played Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III.
on Switch using a review code that the publisher sent.

Review Overview

Gameplay – 85%

Controls – 75%

Aesthetics – 80%

Content – 80%

Accessibility – 75%

Value – 85%

80%

VERY GOOD

Summary : The third game in Taito’s Bubble Bobble series revolves around a variety of tactics where you can guard, fling, stun, and grab power-ups with your parasol. As a result, there is a little learning curve involved in becoming familiar with the device. However, the choice gives Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III a satisfying lifespan. Even 33 years later, it’s still fun to play the game’s stages alone or with a co-op player.