Bob, known as Bobblun (ボブルン Boburun?) in Japan, is the secondary protagonist of the Bubble Bobble series. He is a blue Bubble Dragon, and the twin brother of Bub. Bob first appeared as the second-player character in the original Bubble Bobble, and has appeared in most of the subsequent games in the series. He lives in Rainbow Village on Rainbow Island with his parents and brother. His human form is named Bobby.
Biography []
Appearance []
Bob is a small blue Bubble Dragon with yellow spines (though they are occasionally portrayed as light blue in color). He has reddish-pink arms and feet, as well as a white stomach area. Like most Bubble Dragons, Bob has a single visible tooth centered on the upper part of his mouth.
Personality []
Bob is portrayed as being quiet and shy, contrasting with his brother's free-spirited and rambunctious personality. His favorite pastime is reading, and can often be found with his nose in a book. He is said to be level-headed and clever, and acts somewhat more maturely compared to his brother.
Due to his interest in literature, Bob will sometimes use more complex words or phrases. However, he's also said to be very considerate, and willing to explain the meaning to Bub if he does not understand. Bob has a close relationship with Bub, and the two have gone on many adventures together, with both being willing to help the other out on things they aren't particularly skilled with.
Bob's favorite foods are sweets and desserts, such as soft-serve ice cream, cakes, and doughnuts, often justifying his sweet tooth by stating that due to using his brain frequently, he needs to eat a lot of sugar. He greatly dislikes spicy food, and is unable to eat foods like curry unless they are sweetened. Apparently, he once brought mayonnaise to school in order to sweeten the curry that was served as school lunch.
Due to his intelligent nature, Bob is skilled at playing video games and solving riddles and puzzles, being especially good at puzzle games. He is also said to be good at deciphering codes, and as such, Bub has said that he often relies on him to solve coded messages he comes across in his adventures, such as those inside of Secret Rooms.
Bob's favorite types of books to read are history and magic books, and due to hailing from a family of magic users, he is currently studying magic in order to become a great wizard someday.
Bob's catchphrase is "Pinpuruh!" (「ぴんぷるー！」 Pinpurū?), a nonsense word that serves as a greeting or exclamation of excitement.
Abilities[]
Bob is able to to shoot bubbles from his mouth, an ability utilized by most Bubble Dragons. If the bubbles make contact with an opponent, they get trapped inside, allowing Bob to pop the bubble with his spines in order to defeat them. Along with utilizing the bubbles to attack foes, Bob is also able to jump on them in order to reach new heights.
Bob's abilities and stats are usually identical to Bub's as he usually serves as the second player character, however, in Bubble Symphony, he is able to move much faster than the rest of the playable cast.
In addition to his normal bubbles, several games have allowed Bob to charge up his bubbles, the effect of which varies from game to game. The first game Bob 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. Bob is able to shoot three bubbles in a spread pattern, trapping any enemies within his range.
Bob retains the ability to charge his bubbles in Bubble Memories, albeit with a new twist. By charging up his bubbles, Bob 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 Bob, 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, Bob gains the ability to create Water Bubbles after obtaining a Crystal Ball.
History[]
Bubble Bobble[]
Bob first appears in Bubble Bobble as the second-player character. Bob, along with his brother, Bub, were turned into Bubble Dragons by Super Drunk after attempting to rescue their girlfriends, Patty and Betty, who were kidnapped after wandering into the Magician's Forest. The duo sets out to travel through the 100 levels of the Cave of Monsters and defeat the girls' captor.
Upon reaching the bottom of the cave and defeating Super Drunk, Bob and Bub manage to rescue their girlfriends, as well as their parents, who were under the control of an unknown figure.
Final Bubble Bobble[]
Bob stars as the Player 2 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.
Bubble Bobble Part 2[]
While Bob himself does not appear in Bubble Bobble Part 2, his brother's descendant, Rubby, appears nearly identical to him in Bubble Dragon form, being nicknamed "Bobblun Jr." due to this.
Bubble Symphony[]
Bob is one of the playable characters in Bubble Symphony, possessing the fastest movement speed. Bob is banished to the Storybook World by Hyper Drunk alongside Bub, Peb, and Pab. If Bob collects three bubbles, each with the letters 'R', 'O', and 'D' on them, can transform into Bobby, 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 later 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 girlfriends.
Puzzle Bobble[]
Bob is playable in the 1P vs. 2P mode of Puzzle Bobble as the second player character.
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.
Puzzle Bobble 2[]
Bob appears as the second player character in the 1P vs. 2P Mode of Puzzle Bobble 2.
Bubble Memories[]
In Bubble Memories, Bob is the Player 2 character once again. He now has the ability charge up this 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 the Rainbow Islands, who have been transformed into Bubble Dragons by the Super Dark Great Dragon. Bub and Bob must climb the Rainbow Tower and defeat the Super Dark Great Dragon, as well as obtain the seven Magic 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 the duo 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 Magic Potions to change everyone back to human form.
Puzzle Bobble 3[]
Bob appears in Puzzle Bobble 3 as a playable character, only being selectable by the second player in place of Bub.
Puzzle Bobble 4[]
Bob is the first opponent fought in Puzzle Bobble 4, encountered on Bubbleluna. He is also selectable by the second player in the game's Vs. Mode in place of Bub.
Super Puzzle Bobble[]
Bob is a playable character in Super Puzzle Bobble. If selected by the player, he travels with Bub and Chack'n to stop the Time Eaters from destroying the Tree of Time.
Classic Bubble Bobble[]
In Classic Bubble Bobble, Bob is not playable. He has fallen ill and Bub must retrieve the Moon Water from Darkness Drunk to cure him, a storyline originally used in the Game Boy version of Bubble Bobble.
Bust-A-Move Millennium[]
Bob is an unlockable playable character and opponent in Bust-A-Move Millennium. He is fought in the Dark Forest in Story Mode.
Super Bust-A-Move[]
Bob is the P2 helper character in Super Bust-A-Move.
Super Bust-A-Move 2[]
Bob reappears in Super Bust-A-Move 2, acting as the P2 helper again.
Bubble Bobble: Old & New[]
Bob 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[]
Bob is a playable character in Puzzle Bobble Pocket.
Puzzle Bobble DS[]
Bob is a playable character in Puzzle Bobble DS.
Bubble Bobble Revolution[]
Bob is one of two playable characters available at the start of Bubble Bobble Revolution. Bob is no longer the fastest character, but can jump much higher than the other three.
Bust-A-Move DS[]
Bob is a playable character in Bust-A-Move DS. His teddy bear, Willy, also appears as a playable character.
Bust-A-Move Deluxe[]
Bob is a playable character in Bust-A-Move Deluxe. he is one of five returning characters from Puzzle Bobble Pocket.
Bubble Bobble Evolution[]
Bob appears as one of the two playable characters in Bubble Bobble Evolution alongside Bub. 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 "Bob" while in the suit in-game. Instead of blowing bubbles via his natural abilities, Bob 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[]
Bob appears alongside Bub and newcomer Bubu in Bubble Bobble Double Shot, setting out to find the treasure from a map the three found in their grandfather's attic. He is the only character who can trap enemies with a blue star around them in a bubble.
Bust-A-Move Bash![]
Bob is a playable character in Bust-A-Move Bash!. He is much taller and slimmer than in this game than he is usually depicted, reminiscent of his design from Bubble Bobble: Old & New.
Space Bust-A-Move[]
In Space Bust-A-Move, Bob is once again a playable character. He and Bub find a meteor that fell onto Rainbow Star, which displays a message from Snown. The duo travel the universe collecting Cosmo Bubbles in order to free Snown from Develon.
Bubble Bobble Plus![]
Bob is the second player character once again in Bubble Bobble Plus! in both of the game’s modes, as well as in the game’s two DLC campaigns.
Bust-A-Move Plus![]
Bob the second player character in Bust-A-Move Plus!.
Bubble Bobble Double[]
Bob appears in Bubble Bobble Double as a non-playable character. He is sent into a strange dimension along with Bub by Mecha Develon, and gets separated from his brother. After Bub destroys Mecha Develon, Bob appears and reveals he has found the exit.
New Bust-A-Move[]
Bob appears alongside Bub in New Bust-A-Move, setting out to obtain the Magic Rainbow Wands in order to restore himself to human form. Bob wears goggles and a satchel in this game.
Bust-A-Move Universe[]
Bob is the first Bubble Dragon that Bub rescues in Bust-A-Move Universe, being held captive by a Zen-chan in the game’s Motherland level.
Bust-A-Move Islands[]
Bob returns in Bust-A-Move Islands, having the same role and design has he did in New Bust-A-Move.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends[]
Bob appears as the second player character in Bubble Bobble 4 Friends. In-game, Bob 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[]
Bob appears as one of the main characters in Puzzle Bobble VR: Vacation Odyssey, alongside Bub. In the game's story mode, they set out to defeat Drunk, who has kidnapped Peb and Pab.
Puzzle Bobble Everybubble![]
Bob appears as one of the main characters in Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! alongside Bub, 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.
Bob 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. Bob 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, Bob 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.
Puzzle Bobble Everybubble's postgame features Bob 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. The brothers' friends come to the colony to retrieve them, but 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. Bob and Bub 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[]
Bob appears a playable character in the console version of Pop'n Pop, serving as the Player 2 character in place of Bub. His helper is a Monsta. In the arcade version of the game, Bob is seen as part of Bobby'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 Bob's proportions being different and his body primarily being colored purple while possessing blue spines.
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 ability is to fire one missile per second over a period of five seconds.
Trivia[]
- Bub and Bob's status as Bubble Dragons has been depicted inconsistently throughout the series. Originally, Bob 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.
- Bob's birthday is on August 26.
