Ignition Entertainment announced today that it has entered into a long-term partnership with Japanese publisher Marvelous Entertainment to bring many of its cult classic arcade games to North America. The first releases will be Bubble Bobble Double Shot and New Zealand Story Revolution for the Nintendo DS and Rainbow Island Evolution for the PSP.
Bubble Bobble Double Shot for the DS is based on the original Bubble Bobble arcade game first released in 1986. The two dragons, Bub and Bob, must push bubbles, avoid enemies and collect a variety of power-ups to navigate through the levels. New Zealand Story Revolution for the DS is an accurate re-telling of the 1988 original, starring Tiki, a plucky Kiwi bird. The gameplay revolves around him rescuing his kidnapped friends from the clutches of a villainous leopard seal. The levels remain untouched from the classic game, though the layouts will be remixed to provide fresh new challenges and updated graphics. There is no word whether or not these two offerings will include and touchscreen functionality.
The PSP offering, Rainbow Islands Evolution, is another sequel in the Bubble Bobble franchise. Set in Rainbow Island, Bun and Bob are now under the shadow of a n evil record company who is polluting the ecosystem with a constant mass-produced musical dirge. Sounds like a reflection of the times. The vertical levels of the original have been expanded into a three dimensional environment, with platforms expanding and disappearing into the distance.
All three games are expected to be released in North America in early 2008.
