Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Released: 10/31/92 Genre: Action
Sometimes I am my own worst enemy. By the time the 16-bit era was in full swing I had begun to develop my own tastes. I knew the genres I was into and that was that. Occasionally I would dabble with games outside my purview and discover hidden gems. But that also meant I dismissed many excellent titles under the guise that I probably would not be interested in them. Capcom’s Super Buster Bros. is a game that I discovered long after its release. Its reviews were generally positive but I was still dismissive. But just like I came around to Snow Bros. Super Buster Bros. surprised me. This is an underrated gem that you should play today.
The object of Super Buster Bros. is simple. Each level or “world” has a number of bubbles that need to be popped. Bubbles come in multiple sizes, from big to small. The largest bubbles split into two medium sized, with those further splintering into bite sized terrors. While it sounds easy each map contains a varying number of bubbles in different sizes. Factor in platforms, ladders, and walls and the affect they have on the speed of the bubbles and you can see how a simple map can quickly become a nightmare.
In comparison your hero might be even simpler. You cannot jump and have a single weapon. You can only fire a single hook to pop bubbles. The hook slowly travels to the top of the screen and unfortunately you can’t release another without power-ups. However any bubbles that touch the wire also take damage. This adds an element of strategy; you can still move after releasing a hook. The best move is to release a hook and move to the side slightly for protection. Once a hook hits something you can immediately shoot another. When assaulted by multiple small bubbles this is a life saver.
There are plenty of power-ups along the way that make things easier. The most common is the double hook which does exactly what it says. Two hooks might not sound like much but later when the screen is consistently full of small bubbles you will thank god for it. I can take or leave the grappling hook. It functions like the regular hook but stays in place when it hits a wall until something touches it. It can be useful but is more of a hindrance in my opinion. The machine gun is overpowered and literally game breaking. You can clear a level in seconds which is why it is so rare. Beware the dynamite as it breaks all balloons into their smallest form which is almost always an instant death sentence. The odd shield and clock to slow time complete the ensemble, enabling you to manage the chaos.
Super Buster Bros. has two modes, Panic and World Tour. Panic has the most in common with Tetris or Bust a Move. You are in an arena with a never ending stream of bubbles that fill a meter. Once the meter is full the “level” changes. In reality it merely slows down time briefly before it resumes again. There are no power-ups but you do have the double hook. It scratches the itch for those that love the gameplay loop of popping bubbles. But it is not as satisfying as a game of Tetris. Without the power-ups the simplicity of the gameplay is revealed.
World Tour mode is the game’s real focus. Here you travel the world in forty stages of focused action. The cleverness of these designed levels allows the gameplay to shine. Something as simple as a few blocks can completely change your approach to a given level. Even the occasional enemy like gators and dinosaurs can be coerced into eating bubbles to help clear levels. The order in which you destroy bubbles becomes important, especially in the game’s second half where the difficulty spikes. Some levels are particularly nasty; World 23 in particular gives you seconds to plan before it goes straight to hell. Despite how vicious it gets toward the end it never feels unfair.
Super Buster Bros. is a great game on its own. The only element missing that would have put it over the top is a cooperative mode. The game is fairly balanced and completely manageable on its own. But busting bubbles with a buddy would have been fantastic. It would also have helped with the nasty difficulty spike toward the end. First Final Fight, then Magic Sword and now this. What was up with Capcom removing the multiplayer from their SNES ports?
In Conclusion
Super Buster Bros. is a great arcade port and game all around. Creative level design and solid mechanics combine to make this a winner. Super Buster Bros. will fill out any puzzle fan’s library.
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