North American gamers are in for a classic-filled fun this coming Q1 of 2008 after Marvelous and Ignition Entertainment reached an agreement to bring upcoming DS titles Bubble Bobble Revolution and New Zealand Revolution Story as well as PSP game Rainbow Islands Revolution to North America.

The said DS video games are actually remakes of the original with upgraded graphics and a few level additions. Rainbow Islands Revolution for the PSP, furthermore, is a new entry in the Bubble Bobble franchise. Marvelous owns the rights to these titles and the North American versions will be published by Ignition.

"These games have such classic arcade appeal you will be looking for the slot to put your quarter. They are iconic classics that every DS and PSP system owner must have and we are honored to partner with Marvelous to bring them to North America," commented Ignition USA President Ajay Chadha.

  

It's been a while since we've heard anything from Rising Star Games' Bubble Bobble DS title. But after more than a month, the silence is now broken, as the company has finally released the first set of screenshots of Bubble Bobble Double Shot. Recreating the original title's frantic platforming gameplay, there are compact levels spread out across the DS screens. Of course, it isn't only the gameplay that remains loyal to the classic, but the aesthetics as well.

Says Martin Defries of Rising Star Games, "These first images from Bubble Bobble Double Shot show exactly how it pays homage to its forebears whilst taking advantage of the DS. ..Based on what can be seen here, we're confident that [it] will be the best handheld version... there has ever been."

But wait, this rendition will also have new features. As part of gameplay mechanics, you now will be able to switch character during play to take out certain colour-coded enemies. That, among many others.

You can catch this game by the first quarter of 2007.

 

Bubble Bobble Revolution, Codemasters' remake of the arcade classic where you get to control a cute little dinosaur that can jump and spit bubbles to defeat enemies, has been making quite a stir because of all the reported bugs in it. A brave soul by the name of Jumpman64 got himself a copy of the said title and finally took the courage to get in touch with the developer to address the issue. In response, Codemasters admitted that copies of the game to North America are faulty. They said they are already in the process of correcting the faulty version, but a replacement of the copies will take eight to ten weeks due to the re-manufacturing process.

One of the bugs that were reported in the DS version of the game is in level 30, where no enemies are spawned and the boss is nowhere in sight. For some players, they will suddenly be whisked off to the next level, while others remain stuck in it. The latter is particularly frustrating because, obviously, you need to get past the big boss before you can advance to the next level. But then again, the boss is missing in action, so basically, you've got nowhere to go.

Other glitches include popping enemies as if you shot them already, when in fact, you haven't. Since Codemasters has already addressed the buggy remake of this arcade classic, we sure hope to see improvements on Bubble Bobble Revolution in the future.

Here is a video that shows some of the glitches mentioned:

Holiday season is fast approaching and it won't be long before store shelves get flooded with a deluge of game titles for different consoles. Gamespot has posted a list for October and there are a lot of titles for the PC and GBA. Of course, there are some PSP and DS games on the list.

First is a video game from THQ that was based on the 2006 movie Alex Rider: Stormbreakerr. In this game, player will be immersed in the world of spying as its gameplay needs not only sheer fighting ability but also stealth and strategy. The game hit the shelves October 2. EA's football simulator video game FIFA 07 is just about to hit the stores. If you're not into sports, you can grab a copy of Gangs of London, which features new PSP-specific content.

Other game titles that are expected this month:

October 3

• Stacked with Daniel Negreanu (PSP)
• Mercury Meltdown (PSP)
• Bubble Bobble Revolution (DS)
• Rainbow Islands Revolution (DS)
• Uno 52 (DS)
• Star Trek: Tactical Assault (PSP)

October 4

• ProStroke Golf - World Tour 2007 (PSP)

October 5

• Hannah Montana (DS)

In the DS's take on the Bubble Bobble franchise, the New Age mode takes up much of the gameplay in this title. It allows players to replay previous played levels that the story takes part in. Bub and Bob have returned to play through the levels to rescue some friends. The game takes advantage of the dual screens showing the level across both of them. The levels scroll horizontally to provide a wider play area.

The game includes some new features including environmental dangers, a new way to enforce the time limit, microphone-activated fans to alter the flow of bubbles, and a brand new power bubble. The Ghost Bubble, an entirely new power-up that opens up a plethora of new gameplay techniques and possibilities. Bubble Bobble Revolution has a new 4 player multiplayer game where players attempt to rid the most monsters from the game. Also included is a two player Classic Mode, where players can help each other clear the levels.