Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III review

One of the best PC-Engine/ Turbografx-16 titles makes its way onto modern hardware.

The history of Taito’s Bubble Bobble franchise mirrors the trajectory of the game industry. When the inaugural entry debuted in 1986 and sequel Rainbow Islands arrived a year later, the hardware found in arcade machines was unrivaled. But in 1998, the NES version of Bubble Bobble demonstrated that home consoles were destined to dominate.

By 1991, the third game in the franchise, Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III skipped arcades altogether and debuted on the PC-Engine. Thanks to Working Designs, there was a Stateside localization and other developers delivered ports for the various platforms of the era (save for the Commodore 64, but that’s another story). However, Parasol Stars hasn’t been officially available for contemporary consoles. With the release of The Story of Bubble Bobble III on Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft’s hardware, that omission has been rectified.

No Cheat Codes Needed

ININ Game’s frequent porting partner, Ratalaika Games seems to have heard and responded to many of the criticisms of their previous adaptations. This time out, Parasol Stars provides five different cheats that are available from the start, allowing beginners to play the game with unlimited lives, credits, invincibility, or free jumping. Pleasingly, there’s even an option to unlock the secret door in each of the game’s worlds, providing a much easier method for reaching the game’s final boss. And yes, the rewind functionality is here, allowing you to reverse time and cancel any flubs.

And you definitely will make a few mistakes if you don’t adjust your approach. Instead of merely blowing a bubble in front of them, protagonists Bubby and Bobby’s vibrantly colored parasols extend a multitude of different techniques. Sure, you can tap the action button to stun an enemy, with a second tap launching them horizontally. But after a few stages, this method means you are prone to being flanked since opponents freely move between the platforms.

“You Can Stand Under My Umbrella”

Cleverly, holding the button down keeps your parasol open. This technique not only offers defensive protection but allows you to accumulate multiple objects. Here, multiple water bubbles can be converted into one of Bobble Bobble’s signature cascades, overcoming a screenful of opponents if you’ve planned things out. You can also open your parasol upright to protect yourself from overhead enemies as well as use it to float around, which is an essential tactic during the first of ten boss battles. There’s a wealth of different abilities and the run-up toward your first showdown functions as an interactive tutorial revealing the range of your umbrella.

Naturally, many of the delights from previous entries make a reappearance. Play showers players with rewards, with a flung adversary often revealing a row of icons that can be gathered for bonus points. Over thirty years on, the sprite art hasn’t lost any of its charm and remembering the values for everything from parfaits, pumpkins, to a stack of hot buttered pancakes remains tense. Expectedly, enemy types and backdrops vary as you endure, and Parasol Stars even keeps things fresh with freely scrolling stages that are larger than a single screen. Undoubtedly, the game’s bulky bosses proclaimed that coin-ops needed to pass the baton to home consoles.

Lack of History is a Mystery

Sadly, The Story of Bubble Bobble III neglects to tell its own tale and lacks any kind of context or supplemental materials. While the quality of Ratalaika’s emulation is laudable, their habitual lack of curation is disappointing. Ideally, the studio would have included some background information informing of the game’s place in the Bobble Bubble franchise. Certainly, interviews with any of the original developers would have been appreciated. Parasol Stars is a thoroughly enjoyable game that marked a significant shift in the industry. Although revisiting the title’s charming spritework and earworm melodies is delightful, a gem like this should be treated with a bit more respect.

Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III was played
on Switch with review code provided by the publisher.