Survios, one of the leading - if not the top - developer of VR games, and TAITO, the legendary Japanese video game and arcade company, are teaming up to bring the long-time Puzzle Bobble franchise to VR.
Puzzle Bobble VR: Vacation Odyssey is scheduled to release on May 20, 2021 on Oculus Quest, bringing all of the addictive bubble-popping gameplay that the franchise is known for to 3D animated worlds. With 100 new puzzles to ponder and pop, Puzzle Bobble seems like a perfect VR title, able to be played in bite-sized chunks.
Puzzle Bobble VR will include several modes of play. The traditional Story Mode will allow players to solve puzzles in order, with the usual three-star rating system in place. Infinite Mode will let players play Tetris-style, with an ever-encroaching pile of bubbles bearing down on players while they blast away, trying to keep things from getting out of hand. And an Online Duel Mode will pit players against each other, as they try to solve the puzzle and drop jammer bubbles onto the other player's field.
Last time I engaged with Puzzle Bobble, it was still known as Bust-A-Move, but I went in on it hard. It was one of those games that would occasionally make me late for work with its one-more-try mechanics. At that point, you could only shoot upward at a 2D field of bubbles. This new approach, with players able to manipulate and rotate the puzzles looks fascinating. Survios is one of my most trusted developers, so I'm definitely excited to check this one out.
