Bubble Bobble (1986)

Bubble Bobble is a platform game, with each level being a single screen.

The enemies must be cleared from a level to go to the next one.

With one player controlling Bub and the other controlling Bob, the player can jump and collect items for points (such as fruit).

The real power Bub and Bob have however is the ability to blow bubbles.

These bubbles can be as platforms to leap on, or to trap enemies.

Enemies trapped in a bubble must be popped by jumping into them, wherein they'll turn to fruit.

Additionally, power-ups sometimes float by in bubbles.

They include lightning, which flies out horizontally at enemies, and water, which drags the player and enemies straight down flowing over platforms.

Taking too long to complete any level will summon Baron Von Blubba, who will float around the screen trying to destroy the player.

As one of the first arcade games to have more than one ending, it comes with a "Bad" ending, where a single player finishes the game and gets a message to try again with a friend.

A "Good" ending where two players finish the game, turning back to human form and rescuing their lady friends.

Then there is Super Bubble Bobble mode where the player has to enter a secret code into the game to get access to it.

This is a version of the game where the monsters of the levels are swapped around with other minor differences, finishing that will reveal the "True" ending.

The NES version has a few extra stages bringing the total number of stages to 112.

The Sharp X68000 version contains a hidden minigame called Sybubblun.

It contains a set of 20 original difficult levels with the game being reskinned with a Syvalion theme.

Bubble Bobble (1986) for Game Boy is currently worth €52.38 loose, €159.03 complete in box. Prices are based on real sales and update regularly on Gamevaro.

Bubble Bobble (1986) has only a handful of tracked market sales, suggesting relative scarcity compared to more common Game Boy titles.

Loose means cartridge or disc only, CIB (complete in box) includes the original box and manual, and sealed means factory-sealed and never opened. For Bubble Bobble (1986), loose is €52.38 and CIB is €159.03 — CIB commands a premium because original boxes and manuals are fragile and often don't survive.

The PAL version of Bubble Bobble (1986) is currently worth €52.38 loose, versus €28.41 for NTSC-U. Regional price differences usually come down to print run size and regional collector demand.