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Bub, known as Bubblun (バブルン Baburun?) in Japanese, is the protagonist of the Bubble Bobble series. He is a Bubble Dragon, and the twin brother of Bob. Bub made his debut in the first Bubble Bobble game, and has appeared in nearly every game in the series. He lives in Rainbow Village on Rainbow Island with his parents and twin brother, and his human form is known as Bubby.

Biography[]

Appearance[]

Bub is a green bubble dragon with yellow spines. He has reddish-pink arms and feet, as well as a white stomach area. Like most bubble dragons, Bub has a single visible tooth in the upper middle part of his mouth. In some titles in the series, Bub is shown wearing goggles and a satchel, a trend that started in the mobile title New Bust-A-Move.

Personality[]

Bub is generally portrayed as being rowdy and cheerful, always looking for adventure, as well as being very optimistic. He shares a close relationship with his twin brother, Bob, and the two have gone on many adventures together. Bub's catchphrase is "Payonpah!" (「ぱよんぱー!」 Payonpā?), a nonsense word that he often exclaims happily. This phrase first appeared in the Puzzle Bobble series, but later made its way over to the main series of games.

Bub's favorite food is fruit, while his least favorite food is umeboshi. He once ate one, mistaking it for a cherry, but did not like the sour taste. His hobby is exploring new and unknown places, and dreams of becoming an adventurer.

Abilities[]

Bub's trademark ability involves producing and firing bubbles from his mouth. If the bubbles make contact with an opponent, they get trapped inside, allowing Bub to pop the bubble with his spines in order to defeat them. Along with utilizing the bubbles to attack foes, Bub is also able to jump on them in order to reach new heights.

In several games in the Bubble Bobble series which feature playable characters with different stats, namely Bubble Symphony and Bubble Bobble Revolution, Bub is usually the most rounded character, bearing average jump height, speed, bubble fire rate, and range.

In addition to his normal bubbles, several games have allowed Bub to charge up his bubbles, the effect of which varies from game to game. The first game Bub was shown to be able to use this ability in was Bubble Symphony, though both Bubble Bobble Part 2 and Bubble Bobble Junior featured similar mechanics for their protagonists. In Bubble Symphony, each of the four playable characters has a different formation of bubbles that they can fire. Bub is able to shoot three bubbles straight forward, trapping any enemies directly in front of him.

Bub retains the ability to charge his bubbles in Bubble Memories, albeit with a new twist. By charging up his bubbles, Bub can unleash a Giant Bubble (巨大バブル Kyodai Baburu?) which can trap multiple enemies at once. This ability returns in Bubble Bobble Revolution in the form of the Charge Bubble (チャージバブル Chāji Baburu?), which in addition to trapping multiple enemies, can bounce off of walls. After bouncing off of a wall, if the Charge Bubble collides with Bub, he will enter it and perform the Rolling Bubble (ローリングバブル Rōringu Baburu?) technique, which allows him to charge into enemies and defeat them. In Bubble Bobble Double Shot, Bub gains the ability to blow Thunder Bubbles after obtaining a Crystal Ball.

Bub is also stated to possess magical abilities due to his parents being magic users; this is shown via his human form in the Rainbow Islands series being able to utilize Rainbow Magic.

Aside from his abilities as a Bubble Dragon, Bub is also skilled in sports, particularly those using a ball.

History[]

Bubble Bobble[]

Bub's first appearance is in Bubble Bobble, where he appears as the main character alongside his brother, Bob. In the game's story, Betty and Patty, the brothers' girlfriends, wandered outside of their village and became lost in the Magician's Forest, where they were captured by Super Drunk. As the brothers try to rescue their girlfriends, Super Drunk uses his magic to transform them into Bubble Dragons, leaving them unable to return to human form. The duo set out to traverse the Cave of Monsters in order to rescue the girls.

Upon reaching the bottom of the cave and defeating Super Drunk, Bub and Bob manage to rescue their girlfriends, as well as their parents, who were under the control of an unknown figure, as well as returning to human form.

Final Bubble Bobble[]

Bub stars as the main playable character in Final Bubble Bobble, an expanded port of the original arcade title produced for the SEGA Master System, reprising his role from the original game.

Rainbow Islands[]

Bub serves as the main protagonist of Rainbow Islands, this time in his human form, known as Bubby. Bubby is shown being transformed into Bub by the Boss of Shadow's magic and thrust into a cage along with the transformed villagers of the Rainbow Islands if the player gets a Game Over while fighting the game's final boss.

Bubble Bobble (Game Boy)[]

Bub appears once more as the main playable character in Bubble Bobble for the Game Boy. After Super Drunk Jr. kidnaps the four spirits that protect the spring of the Moon Water in Nemonemo Forest, Bobby falls ill. To attempt to save his brother, Bubby transforms into Bub once again to set out and retrieve the Moon Water, hoping its effects will cure him.

After defeating Super Drunk Jr. and freeing the four spirits from captivity, the Spirit of the Water thanks Bub, returning the Moon Water to the spring, which revives the withering forest and cures Bobby of his ailment. Bub returns to his family, transforming back into human form and resuming life in the village.

Bubble Bobble Part 2[]

Bub himself does not feature in Bubble Bobble Part 2, but his descendants from one hundred years in the future, Cubby and Rubby, appear as the main protagonists. Cubby appears visually identical to Bub in Bubble Dragon form, and is nicknamed "Bubblun Jr." due to this.

The English manual for Bubble Bobble Part 2 refers to the main characters of the game as Bubby and Bobby, though the back of the box retains the Japanese story.

Bubble Bobble Junior[]

Like in Bubble Bobbly Part 2, Bub himself does not appear in Bubble Bobble Junior, but the main character, Robby, is implied to be a descendent of his.

Puzzle Bobble[]

Bub is the main playable character in Puzzle Bobble. In this game, he must shoot bubbles out of a Bubble Launcher in order to pop the bubbles of a matching color at the top of the stage. Unlike later games in the Puzzle Bobble series, Bub is the only character available to the player outside of the game's multiplayer mode.

In the console version of the game's story, Bub and Bob turn to their Bubble Dragon forms and set out to retrieve the Book of Bubble, which was stolen from their village by monsters.

Bubble Symphony[]

Bub appears once again in Bubble Symphony, joined by Bob and new playable characters Peb and Pab (referred to by their Japanese names, Kululun and Cororon in-game). The game begins with the four reading a book, when Hyper Drunk emerges from within, transforming the four into Bubble Dragons and banishing them to the Storybook World. The four must find the four keys hidden throughout the Storybook World, and defeat Hyper Drunk to return home. If Bub collects three bubbles, each with the letters 'R', 'O', and 'D' on them, he can transform into Bubby, attacking instead by blowing bubbles through a bubble pipe. After defeating Hyper Drunk, the four become the kings and queens of the Storybook World, and return back home.

Bubble Symphony's intro states that the four characters in the game are the children of Bub and Bob from the original Bubble Bobble, but several sources contradict this, namely the game's promotional flyer, as well as later games featuring Peb and Pab that simply refer to them as Bub and Bob's friends.

Puzzle Bobble 2[]

Bub appears once again as the main character of Puzzle Bobble 2. In the game's Player vs. Computer mode, Bub comes across a Monsta working for Drunk, who is stealing the stars from the night sky. Bub journeys across the world in order to stop Drunk and return the stars, meeting both friends and foes along the way. After reaching Castle Drunk and defeating Drunk and his mech, the Mechanical Prototype Bubblen, Bub returns the stars back into the sky where they belong. Bub is also the playable character in the game's Puzzle Mode, but a different character can be selected in the console version if the player inputs a code.

Bubble Memories[]

In Bubble Memories, Bub and Bob act as the only two playable characters once again. The two now have the ability charge up their bubbles to create a giant bubble in order to capture multiple enemies at once.

In the beginning of the game, Bub and Bob set out to save the inhabitants of Rainbow Island, who have been transformed into Bubble Dragons by the Super Dark Great Dragon, who also broke the Rainbow Potion. Bub and Bob must climb the Rainbow Tower and defeat the Super Dark Great Dragon, as well as obtain the seven Rainbow Potions to return everyone to human form.

After defeating the Dragon for the first time, he raises the Tower of Darkness out of the sea, which Bub and Bob must ascend to defeat him once and for all. After Bub and Bob square off against the Dragon's true form, they use the combined Rainbow Potion to change everyone back to human form.

Puzzle Bobble 3[]

Bub returns as the main character in Puzzle Bobble 3. In the game's Story Mode, he competes against other characters, each of whom has an arcade game representing them. In Bub's ending, he throws a party with the other characters after defeating Drunk, but they end up leaving his house a mess when Bub wakes up the next day. The penultimate boss of the game, Debblun, resembles an overweight verison of Bub.

Puzzle Bobble 4[]

Bub journeys across the cosmos in Puzzle Bobble 4 to recover the Rainbow Bubbles, which were stolen by Cleon, who is working for the evil Madame Luna. Bub travels to various planets, collecting the Rainbow Bubbles, eventually heading deep into space and fighting Madame Luna. After Madame Luna is defeated, it is revealed that Drunk was controlling her. Bub defeats Drunk and returns the Rainbow Bubbles to their rightful place in the cosmos.

Super Puzzle Bobble[]

Bub is the primary playable character in Super Puzzle Bobble. He is visited by Chack'n, who tells him that the Tree of Time is about to be eaten by monsters called Time Eaters. Bub and a partner journey with Chack'n to help defeat the Time Eaters. Bub is always one of the characters that is used, the other is selected by the player. In the end, it is revealed that Drunk is behind the Time Eater invasion. After being defeated by Bub and his friends, Drunk flies outside of the dimension, swearing vengeance upon Bub.

Classic Bubble Bobble[]

In Classic Bubble Bobble, Bob has fallen ill and Bub must retrieve the Moon Water to heal him. Bub must defeat Darkness Drunk's minions and retrieve the Moon Water from Darkness Drunk himself.

Bust-A-Move Millennium[]

Bub is the main character in Bust-A-Move Millennium. In Story Mode, he sets out to retrieve the Gold Bubble from Drunk.

Super Bust-A-Move[]

Bub appears in Super Bust-A-Move, this time in a secondary role. He appears alongside the player's character, producing the bubbles used in the Bubble Launcher.

Super Bust-A-Move 2[]

Bub appears in Super-Bust-A-Move 2, serving the same role as his appearance in Super Bust-A-Move.

Bubble Bobble: Old & New[]

Bub appears once again in Bubble Bobble: Old & New, playing an identical role as in the original Bubble Bobble. His design in the "New" mode is significantly taller and slimmer than he is usually depicted.

Puzzle Bobble Pocket[]

Bub is a playable character in Puzzle Bobble Pocket. He appears alongside Bob and several enemies from the original Bubble Bobble.

Puzzle Bobble DS[]

Bub is a playable character in Puzzle Bobble DS, alongside Bob, Chack'n, and several enemies from the original Bubble Bobble.

Bubble Bobble Revolution[]

Bub and Bob are joined by newcomers Robolun and Lovelun in Bubble Bobble Revolution to defeat the monsters and rescue their friends. The four must collect the nine Revolution Bubbles to unlock the gate to Drunk's Castle, which is where their friends are being kept. In this game, he is able to charge up his bubbles and ricochet them at the wall to enter them and charge into enemies, a technique known as the Rolling Bubble.

Bust-A-Move DS[]

Bub appears once again as the main character in Bust-A-Move DS.

Bust-A-Move Deluxe[]

Bub returns in Bust-A-Move Deluxe. He is one of five characters returning from Puzzle Bobble Pocket.

Bubble Bobble Evolution[]

Bub appears as one of the two playable characters in Bubble Bobble Evolution alongside Bob. In this game, he is not turned from a human into a Bubble Dragon, but simply cursed to remain trapped inside of a suit resembling his Bubble Dragon form. Despite this, he is still referred to as "Bub" while in the suit in-game. Instead of blowing bubbles via his natural abilities, Bub now uses a bubble trumpet to attack instead.

Bubble Bobble Evolution reimagines Bubby and Bobby as twin boys living in London, England during the 18th century. As they were playing by the River Thames, the two grew tired and planned to head home, but are suddenly kidnapped by a mysterious force and trapped inside Bubble Dragon suits. They are kidnapped and lifted high into the sky, becoming trapped in the Maniac Pleasure Palace. Eventually the duo manage to make their way to the top of the Pleasure Palace's two towers, conquering the monsters that lie within and reunite, and are subsequently congratulated by the towers' owner before being thrown back out to the outside world, returning to their original forms.

Bubble Bobble Double Shot[]

BBDS MapScene

Bub, Bob, and Bubu discovering their grandfather's treasure map

Bub and Bob go to visit their cousin Bubu and their grandfather in Bubble Bobble Double Shot. While looking around in the attic, the trio find a treasure map. Setting out to find the treasure, they journey across the island Bubu lives on, traversing its many hazards and fighting enemies along the way.

After reaching the end of the directions on the map, the trio come upon a treasure chest which their grandfather pops out of. He reveals that the map was fake, and that the journey was his present to them. He awards the trio the Heart of Courage and tells them to remember that courage will always be with them.

Bust-A-Move Bash![]

Bub is a playable character in Bust-A-Move Bash!. He sports a taller look in this game, similar to his appearance from Bubble Bobble: Old & New.

Space Bust-A-Move[]

Bub Bob SBAM Intro

Bub and Bob setting off into space in Space Bust-A-Move

In Space Bust-A-Move, Bub and Bob find a meteor that fell onto Rainbow Star. The meteor is actually a device that shows a message from an alien named Snown. Snown has been captured by Develon, who is attempting to collect all the Cosmo Bubbles and rule the universe. Bub and Bob set off to collect the Cosmo Bubbles and free Snown, traveling through space.

Eventually, Bub and Bob make their way to Cosmo Castle, where Develon is holding Snown. After the two almost manage to defeat Develon, he attempts to launch a final attack to finish the two off, stating he wishes to remove everyone's hopes and dreams with the Cosmo Bubbles, but Snown sacrifices himself to stop Develon, defeating him. As Snown's body begins to fade, Bub and Bob use the Cosmo Bubbles to revive Snown, and the two return home, having saved the universe from Develon's ambitions.

Bubble Bobble Plus![]

Bub appears as the first player character in Bubble Bobble Plus!, appearing in both the game's Classic Mode, a remake of the original Bubble Bobble, and Arrange Mode, a set of brand-new levels made specifically for the game.

In the game's story, Bub, Bob, Peb, and Pab set out to defeat the evil Dark Dragon who is using Super Drunk's heart to power himself. The four must destroy the altar that holds Super Drunk's heart, and smash the mirror on Round 80 in order to defeat the Dark Dragon and bring peace back to the world.

Bust-A-Move Plus![]

Bub is the main character in Bust-A-Move Plus!, reprising his role from many other games in the Bust-A-Move series.

Bust-A-Move (iOS)[]

Bub is the main character in Bust-A-Move for iOS. He sets out with Chack'n to rescue Chack'n's family from the Magic Domes.

New Bust-A-Move[]

Bub and Bob set out to get the seven Magic Rainbow Wands in New Bust-A-Move to return themselves to human form. In the end, they use their wish to defeat Super Drunk, and not to turn themselves back to human. Bub wears goggles and a satchel in this game.

Bubble Bobble Double[]

Bub Bob BBD Intro

Bub and Bob in the intro to Bubble Bobble Double

Bub is the main character in Bubble Bobble Double. In the game's story, Bub and Bob are relaxing on a peaceful, sunny day, enjoying the tranquility, when a mysterious being appears over Rainbow Star, declaring that it intends to conquer the planet. The being sends the brothers through a vortex into a mysterious dimension so the two cannot oppose its conquest, Bub and Bob helpless to stop him. Separated from Bob, Bub sets off to find his way out, fighting numerous foes along the way and navigating through the dimension's various zones.

Bub Bob 2 BBD Intro

Bub and Bob being sucked into the mysterious dimension

Eventually, Bub makes his way through the strange realm and encounters Mecha Develon, the one who trapped the brothers in there in the first place. Bub faces off with Mecha Develon, fighting and defeating him, and emerging victorious after an arduous battle. He then reunites with Bob, and the duo rejoice, happy that they are both unharmed. While Bub was fighting his way through the horde of enemies, Bob had been searching for a way home, and had managed to locate the exit from the strange realm. The two head back home to Rainbow Star, having saved the world from evil once again.

In-game, Bub sits in place, and the player must tap the area around him to trap enemies in bubbles to prevent them from hitting him. He reuses his sprites from Bubble Bobble, but has several new animations that were not present in the original.

Bust-A-Move Universe[]

Bub is the main character in Bust-A-Move Universe. He must rescue the Bubble Dragons who have been captured and imprisoned throughout the solar system.

Bust-A-Move Islands[]

Bub appears once again in Bust-A-Move Islands, sharing the same role and appearance as in New Bust-A-Move.

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends[]

Bub serves as the main character in Bubble Bobble 4 Friends. In this game, Bub is a toy who comes to life under the influence of a mysterious light that appears in the room of the child who owns him one night. Jealous of Bub, who is the child's favorite toy, Drunk challenges him to a battle, kickstarting the events of the game.

In-game, Bub appears in his more traditional appearance by default, but can don his goggles and satchel from previous mobile titles as part of the game's skill upgrade system.

Puzzle Bobble VR: Vacation Odyssey[]

Bub appears as the main character in Puzzle Bobble VR: Vacation Odyssey, alongside Bob. In the game's story mode, they set out to defeat Drunk, who has kidnapped Peb and Pab.

Puzzle Bobble Everybubble![]

Bub appears as the main character in Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! alongside Bob, Peb, and Pab. In the game's story mode, the four set out to rescue Rainbow Island after the Miniroons begin uncontrollably blowing bubbles, flooding the island with them. They traverse the island and help its people with their problems while clearing the bubbles, eventually discovering that Drunk is responsible for giving the Miniroons a potion that caused their bubble-blowing.

Bub and friends eventually manage to defeat Drunk, who surrenders and gives the Miniroons a cure for the potion. However, this only exacerbates the rate at which they begin to blow bubbles, and Drunk panics, insisting it isn't his fault. Bub and friends eventually figure out that Katze had used his psychic powers to meddle with the remedy in an attempt to conquer the world. Bub and the other dragons make their way to Katze's Secret Lab, with their other friends they helped along the journey as well as Drunk in tow. They manage to make it past Katze's traps and confront him, where he reveals that he Develon was the true mastermind behind the situation, having strong-armed Katze into working for him and using Drunk's prank as an opportunity to conquer Rainbow Star in the intermittent chaos. Determined to stop him, Bub and the other three dragons use a rocket provided by Packy head to his fortress on Rainbow Moon. Eventually, the four make it past Develon's base's weapons and traps, confronting him. Bub and Bob get sidetracked after Develon asks for feedback on his traps, beginning to strike up a friendship with him, though Peb and Pab remind the duo about the situation with the Miniroons, causing Develon to summon Katze to the moon and giving him a moon rock in order to create a cure.

All the characters work together to create a cure, using Katze's lab to spread it across the island and allowing the Miniroons to finally stop their uncontrollable bubble-blowing. One of the Miniroons feels sad that he is no longer able to blow bubbles, but Bub and the others cheer him up by blowing bubbles that fly into the air and burst, creating a rainbow over the horizon that the four dragons, the Miniroon, and Develon all admire before the credits roll.

Puzzle Bobble Everybubble's postgame features Bub and friends coming upon the Rainbow Colony, an abandoned space colony of unknown origin. Several months after the events of the main story, Bub, Bob, and Develon spend their time creating new levels to clear in the empty colony, drinking a potion to make them forget the solution to the puzzles before falling asleep. Bub and Bob's friends all come to the colony to retrieve them, waking them up, but Bub insists on clearing the levels first. Unfortunately, the potion's effects worked too well on Develon, and he begins to antagonize the two dragons again, forgetting they had worked together to build the levels. The brothers manage to clear all the levels with the help of their friends, and finally manage to once again make peace with Develon, and the group all boards the spaceship and return home together.

Other appearances[]

Pop'n Pop[]

Bub is a playable character in the console version of Pop'n Pop. His helper is a Monsta, much like Bubby's. In the arcade version of the game, Bub is seen as part of Bubby's intro animation, transforming into his human form after emerging from a bubble. The sprite used in the arcade version of Pop'n Pop looks significantly different from the one used in the console version, with Bub's proportions being different and his appendages colored green instead of pink.

In Pop'n Pop's story mode, Bub and Bob are playing in a park near their house, when they encounter a strange balloon. Upon going to look at it, the balloon pops and reveals a message from Princess Lena of Pop'n World, asking them for help to save the world from the Super Dark Great Dragon.

After defeating the Super Dark Great Dragon, Princess Lena thanks Bub and Bob, asking how she can repay them. She ends up giving the duo a ride home on a thunder cloud, much to Bob's chagrin, and the two head back to their house, resting up for their next big adventure.

Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders[]

Bub appears in the crossover game Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders as a co-pilot for the Vaus. His special skill is to double the amount of Attack Mode energy that the Vaus gathers from deflecting bullets for seven seconds.

Bub's Puzzle Blast![]

Bub appears as the main playable character in Bub's Puzzle Blast!, in a similar role to his appearances in the Bust-A-Move series.

Trivia[]

  • Bub and Bob's status as Bubble Dragons has been depicted inconsistently throughout the series. Originally, Bub was only a Bubble Dragon when under a curse, usually being turned back to human form by the end of the game, but later games either depict him as able to switch between forms at will, or having been indefinitely transformed into a Bubble Dragon for a period of time without the ability to return to human form.
  • In a video on Bub's Broadcast, Bub states that does not mind being transformed into a Bubble Dragon because people say he is cute.
  • Bub's birthday is on August 26.

Gallery[]

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