Bubble Bobble Neo finally on XBLA! ... In Japan!

by Richard Mitchell { Aug 5th 2009 at 12:45PM }

Were we the kind of bloggers that liberally sprinkled our posts with emoticons, this one would be festooned with sad faces. Taito revealed earlier this month that Bubble Bobble Neo was set to debut on Xbox Live Arcade on August 5 (today). We found it appropriate, considering it would release alongside another retro remake, TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled. Sadly, we are instead subjected to a very rare instance of Japan receiving one title and the rest of the world getting another. That's right, Bubble Bobble Neo is only available in Japan, while Turtles in Time is available everywhere except Japan and Korea.

Microsoft was unable to supply us with the worldwide launch date for Neo, but we're confident it will happen eventually (probably after the Summer of Arcade promotion wraps up). After all, Square Enix saw fit to release its WiiWare cousin, Bubble Bobble Plus, outside of Japan, so it's a safe bet that the same fate will befall Bubble Bobble Neo.

We'd like to know when that will happen, but the truth is that any time other than "right now" just isn't soon enough.

[Thanks, Menno B!]

Tags: bubble-bobble, bubble-bobble-neo, square-enix, taito, xbla

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Hugh Jazz @ Aug 5th 2009 12:57PM

This is a game to buy, but if it is missing 4-players online, I would have to pass sadly. Any info from Japan if it is actually 4-players online?

drunkenironrabbit @ Aug 5th 2009 2:16PM

also another thing to ask is if we have our japanese XBL accounts are we able to DL it to the console here.., because if we can = instant DOWNLOAD~! hands down.., I know a crap load of us will drop the dough too. Joystiq to the rescue [try it with your infinte MS points connection :P] and let us know.

~Q~
DrunknIronRabit

K1LLER HORNET @ Aug 5th 2009 3:23PM

Just tried that - dosen't work - Live says that it can't retrieve the info from the server.

Richard Mitchell @ Aug 5th 2009 1:24PM

Sadly, looks like it's offline only:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A//marketplace.xbox.com/ja-JP/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d802584109b0/%3Fof%3D1&sl=ja&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Dirty @ Aug 5th 2009 1:53PM

IGN didnt care to much for TMNT. Ill probably get it anyway, its one of only a few games my wife will play with me.

cafecito @ Aug 5th 2009 5:51PM

Gosh, I love bubble bobble. Hope it gets to the US marketplace someday... but I guess we have to get past that whole "summer of arcade" thing first.

Lagster @ Aug 5th 2009 9:39PM

usa gets stuff rest of us dont all the time for arcade but when usa left out also suddenly its big news? figures.
in uk here so used to getting shafted so can live with this especially as friday gonna finally be able to try batman arkham demo.
hopefully bubble bobble will bceome available sooner or later