Developer & Publisher: Rokaplay
Genre: Simulation
Reviewed For Nintendo Switch
Also Available On: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam
I’m no video game historian, but I spend a lot of time on the internet, and I’ve played my share of games since I first fell asleep with a Nintendo 64 controller in my hand when I was 5 years old. Bubble Ghost Remake is the first I’ve heard of the forgotten ’80s gem Bubble Ghost. This remake revives the classic puzzle-action game with a hand-drawn art style, an expanded story, and brand-new stages. Does it fit in modern gaming?
Players step into the ghostly form of Heinrich Von Schinker, a deceased inventor returning to his now-haunted castle. Heinrich finds a strange bubble, and blowing it around while protecting it is his key to success. He becomes its protector and escorts it around the halls of his former home, now full of death traps and spooky creatures. Everything is presented in a charming, storybook way, and the story isn’t deep, but it is cute to progress through.
Bubble Ghost Remake is a precision puzzle game that feels an awful lot like a platformer. The player must blow a bubble across each stage without letting it pop, using directional puffs of air to avoid hazards like fire, fans, spikes, and roaming enemies. Heinrich can move freely through walls and objects, but the bubble is as fragile as you’d expect bubbles to be. The game builds on the original with expanded stages, environmental puzzles, boss battles, and multiple difficulty modes. Players who want this to be the platformer adventure game that it looks like will be frustrated, as traversing through the stages requires patience and a steady hand. A single mistake means starting over from the beginning, which is painful during the later stages that are long and complicated. Thankfully, the game includes an easier mode with assists and checkpoints, and players who insist on going fast will enjoy the speedrun modes. There are even leaderboards for the competitive types out there.
This is a remake that significantly benefits from the visual overhaul. What was originally an Atari game in 1987 is now a hand-drawn, cartoon-like work of art full of personality. Cutscenes are delivered as illustrated comic panels, and the gameplay’s visuals match. Pixel art is great, but it’s nice to see an arcade remake that doesn’t just rely on making modern pixel visuals like we see everywhere nowadays. Bubble Ghost Remake looks and sounds great.
Bubble Ghost Remake is a creative, lovingly crafted update to a game that most of us have never had the joy to play. Its unique mechanics and artistic presentation are lovely, though its steep difficulty and slow gameplay won’t be for everyone.
