A great collection of the Bust-A-Move/Puzzle Bobble series for both longtime fans and newcomers. The series is a very easy to learn puzzle game, and these ports couldn't be better. There's local versus mode and a MASSIVE amount of single player content between games. It's a little odd that the first game isn't included, but the sequels are so much better that you aren't missing out. Some great quality of life updates too, like save states, infinite credits for game 2, and including both the English and Japanese versions of each game. My only legit criticism is that it would've been nice if leaderboards were included, like the Arcade Archives release of the second game. Still, a great addition to any retro collection.

The S-Tribute releases are weird. My best guess on the matter is that when City Connection were commissioned to release a couple old Cotton games onto the Switch, they inadvertently made a really good Saturn emulator, and started falling over themselves contacting publishers who might have an interest in rereleasing their old Saturn games. The problem is that it only really works for 2D games, and most of those titles were just straight arcade ports. If they can get Sega or Konami on-board, the venture could be worthwhile. I doubt the software's robust enough for Panzer Dragoon Saga or Burning Rangers, and they're never going to turn to Saturn emulation for a hypothetical Policenauts localisation, but Astal and Saturn Bomberman would still be valuable endeavours. For now, we're stuck with the Switch's second port of Puzzle Bobble 2 and a port of Puzzle Bobble 3 - a game whose central theme is an explicit celebration of arcades.

Thankfully, there is good reason for Puzzle Bobble aficionados to turn to the console releases. Puzzle Bobble 2X's level editor and Puzzle Bobble 3's massive list of 1,025 fan-submitted puzzles. You're never going to run out of Puzzle Bobble to play. The Saturn Puzzle Bobble 3 also has a challenge mode, where you attempt to get through a series of themed levels to the best of your abilities, and the game critiques your playstyle at the end, hinting towards how to become a better player. A fine addition, though I question its demands for wall-bounces in order to gain its respect.

For more casual players, this package is a great draw. Puzzle Bobble is one of the main supporting pillars of the puzzle action genre, surrounding Tetris at its core, and it's great to have a fairly robust representation of the series on the Switch to complement the variations of Puyo Puyo and Lumines you can already get there. Puzzle Bobble 2 is likely the version of the game that most are familiar with, due to its constant presence in the PlayStation's £20 Platinum range. It's the game you tell people you played when you're embarrassed to recall how much time you spent on Beehive Bedlam. A versus-based story mode, 2-player competitive play and a huge, branching puzzle mode with multiple endings. A great aesthetic, and bags of charm.

PB3 is subtly different in ways that casual enjoyers might struggle to appreciate, but it's meaningfully distinct. You can now bounce bubbles off the ceiling to either dispose of unwanted colours or prepare more elaborate Arkanoid-style trick shots. You also have a choice of character. I was always resistant to replacing Puzzle Bobble 2's monsters and weirdos with relatively realistically-proportioned human characters, but within the context of the story mode, it's kind of a fun touch - each character represents a different kind of arcade machine, with a blatant Ryu clone representing fighting games, a silly sexy girl for mahjong, and even an appearance from the real Sonic Blast Man. Each of their stages is introduced with a cute little tribute to each genre and cabinet, with the Egret II representing most of the video games. I still don't like Puzzle Bobble 3's vibe as much, though. The presentation feels cheaper and lazier, and I'm not a big fan of Bub's redesign. My head says Puzzle Bobble 3 is worth playing, but my heart says you should just stick with 2.

Basing these on the Saturn releases is a mixed bag. 2X is likely the definitive release of the game, but 3 misses out on content introduced in PlayStation, N64 and PC releases. Like Resident Evil, there doesn't seem to be one definitive release of the game with all the extras, and yet again, they've squandered an opportunity to. It's nothing crucial, but it's a point of principle that dweebs can hold against it. The mid-intro loading screens are a big red flag for those critical of the decision. There's some emulator-level options allowing you to switch characters in 2, and give more easy access to the secret "Another World" set of post-game levels, but once again, the S-Tribute background wallpapers are insisted upon.

How much criticism can you really level at a release this big at this price point, though? It's a natural recommendation for Switch owners who just want to play a bit of Puzzle Bobble, and there's unique points of interest for hardcore fans, too. My main concern is that it's likely going to be a much more sensible choice for most people than the upcoming Everybubble - The Switch-exclusive sequel that Taito are taking a bit of a risk on, and launching in the same month as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - I'm a little concerned for its development team, though I'm more worried that its online versus mode will be filled with nothing but top-tier PazuBobu fanatics, and I want my RAINBOW 1 rank.