Puzzle Bobble 2

The North American version of the original arcade release is much different than the other versions. Bub and Bob were removed from the game and replaced with a pair of disembodied hands. Also, the characters that were in the Vs. CPU mode were replaced with a generic computer. The backgrounds are different. The audio was also changed, and the voices in the game were removed. These changes were only made for the Taito F3 System version, since the Neo Geo and console releases are based on the original Japanese version. If this version was played in an emulator, it would have the Japanese audio, although the music would cut out on some levels. This emulation error was fixed in 2006, after it appeared in Taito Legends 2. ==Puzzle Bobble 2X==

Taito later repacked the game with an optional alternative set of levels and some new attract mode animations (including holiday-themed ones), under the titles Puzzle Bobble 2X and Bust-A-Move Again EX. Ports of Bust-A-Move 2 to MS-DOS and Sega Saturn are of Bust-A-Move 2X and additionally include a level editor/designer. ==Release==

Promotion The game was showcased at JAMMA 95 along with Dangerous Curves and Gekirindan. North American cover art and Saturn editions was considered wildly inappropriate for a cheerful game that could be played by young children. In North America, print advertisements for the Saturn and PlayStation editions featured a picture of several large blue balls with human faces trapped inside, moaning in apparent agony, with white sticks forcing their eyes open. The shots of the game packaging in the lower right corner of the ad show that the North American release of the game was to use the same cover art as the PAL release. Instead, the North American release of both Saturn and PlayStation editions uses the main art from the advertisement as their cover art. This cover (jointly with the cover art to Super Bust-A-Move) was included on GameSpy's "Top Ten Worst Covers" list, with journalist Kevin Bowen writing that the disturbing imagery was likely to frighten away the game's young target audience. The later MS-DOS and Nintendo 64 releases from Acclaim use the cover art used on the PAL releases. Nintendo 64 version By the time Puzzle Bobble 2 was released for the Nintendo 64, the PlayStation and Saturn versions of the game had been out for nearly two years, and even Puzzle Bobble 3 had already been released for those systems. Because of this, Acclaim sold the Nintendo 64 version at a budget price of $50. ==Reception==

Commercial In Japan, Game Machine listed Puzzle Bobble 2 as the fourth most successful arcade game of October 1995. The magazine later listed Puzzle Bobble 2X as the ninth most successful arcade game of January 1996. In the United Kingdom, it was among the nineteen best-selling PlayStation games of 1996, according to HMV. Critical A Next Generation critic gave the game a rave review, calling it "One of the most addictive puzzle games in the arcades right now". He praised the challenging gameplay and the "fascinating" trick of bouncing bubbles off the walls to ricochet into the right spot, and concluded, "It's fast, fun, and because of the title's bright, innocent looks and unpretentious simplicity, it's almost unfair." The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly applauded the game for its addictive puzzle play, its large amount of content, the usage of tricky bank shots in addition to the color-matching traditional to action puzzlers, and the fierce competitiveness of the two-player mode. It was also a finalist for the Computer Game Developers Conference's 1996 "Best Trivia or Puzzle Game" Spotlight Award, but lost the prize to ''You Don't Know Jack XL. In 1996, GamesMaster'' ranked the game 20th on their list of the "Top 100 Games of All Time". In PC Zone, Charlie Brooker called the Windows version a bad conversion with slowdowns, clunky animation, jerky aiming and blurry high resolution. He recommended buying the Game Boy version instead. ==Notes==