A lucky shot on one of these bubbles can make very short work of the rest. Some levels sport special wild bubbles that, when hit, explode, wipe out a whole line of bubbles, or change all nearby bubbles to a single color. It's also in your best interest to work fast because you're scored on how long it takes to complete each level. Therefore, it's usually in your best interest to aim for the bubbles at the top, and work your way down. You earn a modest number of point for simply popping bubbles, but you can earn huge point multipliers by knocking large numbers of bubbles loose at once. The left & right shoulder buttons let you fine-tune your aim, making it easier to pull off those bank shots. Left & right on the D-pad aims the catapult, while up centers it, and any of the face buttons fire the bubbles.

The SNES version of Bust-A-Move is super-simple to pick up and play. It takes some of the challenge away from the game, but it only lasts until you finish the level that's giving you grief. To assist with levels you continually whiff, Bust-A-Move gives you a helpful guide that shows exactly where the next bubble you're aiming will land.

Fortunately, you can continue up to seven times, and a password system lets you pick up where you left off later. If at any point a bubble gets as low as the catapult, the game ends in humiliating, pastel defeat. At regular intervals, the play field begins to shake, and then slides down, pushing the bubbles down with it. The bubbles can be shot straight at their targets or bounced off the sides of the play field to pull off tricky bank shots. Matching three or more like-colored bubbles causes them to burst, and any bubbles stuck underneath to fall off the screen. Your goal is to eliminate all of the bubbles on the play field by firing bubbles out of a catapult at the bottom of the screen. Bust-A-Move, as it's known in the US and Puzzle Bobble everywhere else, is an arcade puzzle game in the style of Puyo Pop or Tetris.

Snes bubble bobble