Gubble

Preview by Al Giovetti
Price: $35
Genre: timed side-view arcade game
Release: October 24, 1996
Developer:
Producer: Franz Lanzinger
Music:
Art:
Publisher: Actual Entertaiment
Phone: 408-654-7950
Website: www.actualentertainment.com
Requirements: Windows 95 capa1.jpg - 18.3 K

History: Three guys used to work for Atari. They worked there for a very long time on a lot of great games. Atari went out of business for the umteenth time and these guys were out of work. The three guys formed their own company, designed a game named Gubble, and lived hapily ever after. Well that is really not it but close.

Three guys played bridge a lot in addition to playing games. They were good at games, of which bridge was one. They formed a company… You know the rest. In any case these guys have a very impressive background and not just in playing bridge, and they have worked on all your favorite games, like Ms. Packman, Shanghai, Championship Pool, and yes Crystal Castles, which this game resembles save that Bently Bear is now replaced by Gubble D. Gleep.

What’s a Gubble, Moma? A gubble is a verb meaning to take apart something, a piece at a time or as a nown to make the sound of a gubbler. What’s a Gubbler? A gubbler is one who gubbles. What is a gubble game? It is a family oriented, action strategy computer game, using 3D technology, and isometric, overhead, oblique perspective.

Plot: You take the role of the terminally cute Gubble D. Gleep, this year’s terminally cute poster boy. Gubble gets sucked into a strange hole (Kids turn off your sets - Ed.) and before your Gubble gleeps, he is standing in front of the planet Rennegar’s revolting robot boss, head honcho and head man, who is sadly without a name. D Gleep must gubble through some structures with creatures and obstacles before he can be glupped back to Gubble land and his Gubble family.

Gubble D. Gleep takes apart the levels with the tools he finds in the mazes. You, as Gubble, do this while trying to avoid the defenders of the level, such as, homing cogs, missile shooting robots, Hovering Saucers, and the diligent walkers. Gubble starts with eight hit points and if he is touched by one of these monsters he screams "ouch" and looses a point. Lose all eight points and you die and start over.

Interface: Movement is by keyboard arrow keys or joystick. The spacebar or joystick button causes Gubble to levitate above the board to avoid pursuers and traps. Tools are dropped by pushing the button or space bar while carrying a tool. When a tool is carried it can be used to disassemble fasteners. Once all the fasteners are removed the level disassembles. Some fasteners are invisible for a greater challenge capa3.jpg - 36.9 K

Game play: Dropping tools which are found and used to disassemble items on the playing field also impede the progress of pursuers. Helicopters move Gubble from one island maze to another. There are also teleporters that jump you from one place to another.

Characterizations: Many new characters

Missions and scenarios: There are over 100 levels

Graphics: Isometric three dimensional (3D) 640x480 pixel resolution renderings. Very attractive with a real solid look and feel of light-sourcing, texture-mapping, true shadows.

Animations: Smoother in game and introductory cut scenes. Items do not change in size as the move closer or farther away giving the illusion of shrinking or expanding in an ever more confusing M. C. Escher world. The animated sprites appear to be resting on the graphics and not just pasted on the page.

Voice actors: Have very high pitched voices, must have used the boys choir.

Musical score: Each level has a single theme so as long as you stay there the perky, bouncy music keeps playing. The music has too much treble and is repetitive something like the old Atari ST music we love to hate.

Sound effects: Similar to the music, sounds like early Pac Man sounds.

Utilities: Multiple save slots achieved by collecting a sign from the crossroads area to save the game. A manual game speed setting in the options may disconcert some who expect this adjustment to be automatic, but the ability to change the speed yourself has to be a plus.

Multi-player

References:
AAG, www.nexi.com/x/9681995158/3475+/objinfo/3679606571, Not rated.
www.happypuppy