Bubble Buddies (Victor Widell) Free
Game title: Bubble Buddies
Game description: Bubble Buddies is a new 100-level campaign hack of Bubble Bobble, Utilising the polished engine and high-fidelity assets from the Remastered and Lost Cave editions, the game is a standalone experience focused on fresh level design and technical refinements.
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Production - 83%
83%
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Fun - 90%
90%
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Depth - 94%
94%
Summary
Bubble Buddies is a masterclass in how to refine a classic without losing the soul of what made it great. While the previous Remastered project was an incredible feat of arcade-perfect porting, Bubble Buddies feels like the evolution the C64 library actually needed—a game built specifically with the strengths of the hardware and the patience of modern players in mind.
The most striking change is the presentation. The move to 20×20 trapped monster bubbles provides a level of detail that genuinely makes the original versions look outdated. It’s a subtle bump in resolution that has a massive impact on the visual “pop” of the enemies. When combined with the ingenious color RAM fix that eliminates legacy “trails” and glitches, you are left with arguably the cleanest-looking fixed-screen platformer on the system.
From a design perspective, Widell has successfully trimmed the fat. The 100-level campaign feels significantly more “filled out” than the original, replacing filler stages with levels that demand genuine strategy. The sense of progression is far more rewarding; the difficulty curve is smooth, allowing players to get much further on a single credit without the frustration of “unfair” deaths. It leans into its strategic arcade elements, making the environmental currents and timing feel like a rewarding puzzle.
While Lost Cave and Remastered are technical triumphs, Bubble Buddies is the superior experience. It’s polished, challenging without being frustrating, and looks absolutely sublime on real hardware. For my money, this is now the definitive way to play the “Bubble” formula on the Commodore 64.
Overall
89%User Review
( votes)Pros
Sublime Visuals: The move to 20×20 trapped monster bubbles provides a level of detail that makes previous versions look outdated by comparison.
Superior Level Design: The new 100-level campaign eliminates the “filler” stages of the original, offering a more consistent and engaging experience.
Balanced Difficulty: A smoother difficulty curve makes the game more “completable” and rewarding, allowing for longer sessions on a single credit.
Strategic Depth: New levels and environmental currents lean into the “strategic arcade” elements of the formula rather than relying on trial and error.
Cons
Visual Discrepancy: The new 20×20 bubbles look so good that they can make other legacy assets or previous versions feel significantly lower-res.
Niche Appeal: While the difficulty is balanced for a modern audience, the core “fixed-screen” gameplay may still feel traditional to those seeking a total genre departure.
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