Bubble Ghost

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1987 video game
  • EU: Infogrames
  • NA: Accolade
Game Boy
  • EU: FCI
  • NA: FCI
  • JP: Pony Canyon
Director(s)Christophe AndréaniComposer(s)Hitoshi SakimotoPlatform(s)Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Game Boy, SAM Coupé, WindowsRelease
1987
  • Atari ST
    Amiga, C64
    DOS, Apple IIGS
    Amstrad CPC
    Game Boy
    • NA: November 1990
    • JP: December 21, 1990
    • EU: 1992
    Windows
    • WW: February 8, 2018
Genre(s)ActionMode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Bubble Ghost is an action video game created by Christophe Andréani for the Atari ST in 1987. The player controls a ghost who by blowing guides a floating bubble throughout a number of halls in a haunted house, while avoiding obstacles that can make the bubble pop.

Gameplay

The objective is to guide a bubble throughout a number of halls in a haunted house. If the bubble hits any walls or obstacles, then it will pop and the player loses a life. Obstacles include lit candles, electricity and fans. These can be all controlled by the ghost, who can wander around the level freely and blow at things - such as the bubble to add speed, the candle to put out the flame, or switches to turn them on or off.

The ghost is controlled using the mouse. A press on the left button of the mouse makes the ghost rotate to the left. A press on the right button of the mouse makes the ghost rotate to the right. A press on a keyboard key (Shift) makes the ghost blow.

The game is made of 35 halls (levels). Each time the player makes the bubble exit a hall, he wins 1000 points + left bonus. Action on animation may add 5000 points to the player. The bonus is re-initialized at every new hall. A new bubble is added to the player account each time the bubble exits towards the top of the hall.

Ports

The original Bubble Ghost was created by Christophe Andréani (design, programming) on an Atari ST computer. The game has been adapted for other computers throughout the world.

Some years later, ERE Informatique was bought by Infogrames. Infogrames published a new version of Bubble Ghost with updated graphics, Bubble + (Bubble Plus).

A Game Boy version was published in 1990. It was the first French game adapted for the Game Boy,[citation needed] and one of the earliest games whose music was written by Hitoshi Sakimoto.

Development

The game was programmed in C (editor and compiler: Megamax C) and 68000 assembly language on an Atari 1040 ST computer. The graphics were made with the Degas Elite drawing software. The digital sound of the introductory page of the game ("Welcome to Bubble Ghost") was built using ST Replay. This is the author's voice. The other sound effects use the synthesizer inside the Atari ST.

Here are some notes from the author when creating the game:

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
GameProGB: 15/25[1]
Jeuxvideo.com14/20[2]

The following French magazines have published Bubble Ghost reviews:

The following US magazines has published Bubble Ghost reviews:

The following French magazines have published Bubble + (Bubble Plus) reviews:

Posterity

References

  1. ^ Andromeda (December 1990). "Game Boy ProView: Bubble Ghost" (PDF). GamePro. p. 144.
  2. ^ "Test du jeu Bubble Ghost sur GB". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  3. ^ "Jeux & stratégie 48". December 1987.
  4. ^ #50 DES TENDANCES DES JEUX VIDÉO Bubble Ghost - Rétro Découverte, Youtube : "Retour sur une pépite oubliée de la GameBoy : Bubble Ghost !"

External links