When did Bubble Bobble release?

Bubble Bobble was first released on July 2, 1988.

Bubble Bobble

Jul 2, 1988PlatformSega Master System/Mark III Nintendo SwitchArcadeFamicom Disk SystemAmiga

Bubble Bobble — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Bubble Bobble on?: Bubble Bobble was released on Sega Master System/Mark III, Nintendo Switch, Arcade, Famicom Disk System, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST/STE, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, MSX 2, Nintendo Entertainment System, Apple II, DOS, Sharp X68000, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, iOS, Android.
When did Bubble Bobble release?: Bubble Bobble was first released on July 2, 1988.

About Bubble Bobble

This is an enhanced port of the original version for the SEGA Master System/Mark III. The game now has 200 levels, new items like the peacock feather, blue book, and a blue crystal chalice have been added, and there are also 2 new mini-boss fights. The game also has hidden rooms which allows players to rack up bonus points and find items that are needed to see the best ending. The endings themselves have been changed to be a bit more cinematic. Super Bubble Bobble is a mode in the original version that happened after the player beat the original set of levels and had to beat them again with the enemies being swapped around. Beating this would allow the player to see the true ending. This version of the game lacks this mode as the 200 levels are considered one playthrough.

Summary via IGDB.

Bubble Bobble on Wikipedia

Bubble Bobble is a 1986 platform video game developed and published by Taito for arcades. It was released in North America by Romstar and in Europe by Electrocoin. Players control Bub and Bob, two dragons who set out to save their girlfriends from a world called the Cave of Monsters. In each level, Bub and Bob must defeat every enemy present by trapping them in bubbles and popping them. The enemies will then turn into bonus items when they hit the ground. There are 100 levels total, each becoming progressively more difficult.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Platforms: Sega Master System/Mark III, Nintendo Switch, Arcade, Famicom Disk System, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST/STE, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, MSX 2, Nintendo Entertainment System, Apple II, DOS, Sharp X68000, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, iOS, Android
Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Game modes: Single player, Multiplayer
Themes: Action, Fantasy
Series: Bubble Bobble

Details via IGDB.

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Fake risk
Sega Master System	1991	$30	$128	$156	7 reviews	Medium (look-alike)

Also released on: Sega Master System/Mark III · Nintendo Switch · Arcade · Famicom Disk System · Amiga · Amstrad CPC · Atari ST/STE · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · MSX 2 · Nintendo Entertainment System · Apple II · DOS · Sharp X68000 · Game Boy · Sega Game Gear · Sega Saturn · PlayStation · Game Boy Color · iOS · Android. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28

Loose

$30

Complete

$128

Sealed

$156

few sales

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Japanese release (Final Bubble Bobble)	$91	$201	—

How often it sells

Loose: about once a month
Complete: about 2 times a month
Sealed: about once a year

Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $27 in Oct 2010, $25 five years ago, and $30 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2011	$30	—
Jan 2012	$39	—
Jan 2013	$25	—
Jan 2014	$50	$25
Jan 2015	$110	$60
Jan 2016	$59	$75
Jan 2017	$27	$60
Jan 2018	$33	$40
Jan 2019	$26	$41
Jan 2020	$27	$50
Jan 2021	$30	$48
Jan 2022	$33	$53
Jan 2023	$34	$53
Jan 2024	$19.03	$57
Jan 2025	$33	$59
Jan 2026	$27	$95
Oct 2026	$30	$128

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date	Product number	Known board
Europe / PAL	November 1991	7077	?? · MPR-14177-F
Japan	2 July 1988	G-1362	—

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Master System software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published only where both agree on the same cartridge dump; Japanese numbers also checked against Sega Japan's software list. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: EU+JP
Released: 1991
Authenticity: Med

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages and Virtual Console, are not tracked hereMedium look-alike risk

Sega Master System prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A tough, bubble-popping arcade conversion with double the arcade's levels, and one of the pricier European carts.

Bubble Bobble was developed by Taito and published by Sega on the Master System. Japan got it first, on July 2, 1988, as Final Bubble Bobble; Europe followed in November 1991. The Master System version has two hundred levels, twice the arcade original's one hundred.

Mean Machines called it a great conversion of one of the best coin-ops ever: every level is there and it is rock hard, though it noted some slow-down and sprite flicker. The magazine had previewed the game earlier as a coming Master System arrival from Taito.

What the press said at the time

Mean Machines Sega Issue 3	December 1992	OVERALL 85%
Sega Pro Issue 23	September 1993	86%
Sega Pro Issue 24	October 1993	86%
Sega Pro Issue 25	November 1993	86%
Sega Pro Issue 26	December 1993	86%
Sega Pro Issue 36	September 1994	86%
Sega Pro Issue 37	October 1994	86%

“A brilliant conversion of a classic coin-op that’s just as horribly addictive as it was five years ago. Go get it!”
— Mean Machines, January 1992

“Acknowledged as one of the best coin-ops ever, Bubble Bobble has at last made it to the Master System. And hooray for us because it's great.”
— Mean Machines, May 1992

“Acknowledged as one of the best coin-ops ever, Bubble Bobble has at last made it to the Master System. And hooray for us because it's great. All the levels are here and it's rock hard - you won't com¬ plete this one overnight that's for sure. There is some slow-down and sprite flicker however, so be warned.”
— Mean Machines Sega, December 1992

“AIthough an ancient piece of software, iťs a reál classic. Essentially repetitive, but very addictive in two-player.”
— Sega Pro, September 1993

Also on other platforms

Arcade · Famicom Disk System · Amiga · Amstrad CPC · Atari ST · Commodore 64 · ZX Spectrum · MSX 2 · NES · Apple II · MS-DOS · X68000 · Game Boy · Game Gear · Sega Saturn · PlayStation · Game Boy Color · iOS · Android

Arcade

Taito

Arcade. The arcade game was built around its two-player co-operative mode.

How the other versions reviewed

NES	AllGame	4.5/5
Arcade	Crash	Positive
ZX Spectrum	Crash	90%
Arcade	Computer and Video Games	Positive
Commodore 64	Computer and Video Games	27/30
Game Gear	Electronic Gaming Monthly	31/40
ZX Spectrum	Sinclair User	8/10
Commodore 64	The Games Machine	93%
ZX Spectrum	Your Sinclair	90%
Commodore 64	Zzap!64	97%

These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.

Before you buy

Buy the European cart for a Western console. The Japanese version, Final Bubble Bobble, costs much more loose and noticeably more complete, and it is a different, smaller shape that does not fit a Western console without an adapter. This is a Med-tier cart priced above the typical European game, so ask for a photo of the board and compare it with the board listed on this page. Check the manual is present on a complete copy.