Oopdreams Bubblets 1.0

John Ottini | Handheld PC Reviews
December 27, 2007

Bubblets by Oopdreams Software, Inc is one of those fast moving, colorful arcade type games, which has often been characterized as being a blast to play (pun intended) and highly "addictive". Although it certainly can be all of those things, what I really like about this excellent game is it's pure simplicity and the fact that it does not demand a whole lot of my time or my precious brainpower. Don't get me wrong, I love strategic, mind challenging, drawn out games such as Chess, Backgammon, Monopoly etc but when I'm in the mood for a quick game, none of those fit the bill like Bubblets. I think that is the main reason why many people find the game additive…give it 5 minutes of your time and you've popped your way through 3 games worth of bubbles. Before you know it you are squeezing in a few games during lunchtime or coffee/tea break at work, after dinner, just before bedtime and (heaven forbid) while waiting for the wife to get ready for work in the morning. At this point if you are wondering about how the game is played and where you can get your hands on a copy, you are probably a prime candidate for Bubblet addiction.

The Rules are very easy to follow, no manual or heavy reading required, just match and select two or more adjacent bubbles and burst them from the board. The more bubbles you burst at any one time, the more points you receive and keep in mind that your ultimate goal is to burst all the bubbles from the board. If you manage to leave fewer than 5 unpopped bubbles you are awarded extra bonus points ….. Easier said, than done!

Game Styles and Bubble Sizes?

There are 4 Game Style settings (Standard, Continuous, Shifter, MegaShift) and 3 Bubble Sizes (Small, Medium, Large) to choose from and each variation affects the length of game play and the number of points a player can accumulate. If you need more detailed information on the Game Styles and Point scoring system, then checkout Oopdreams "Bubblet Frequently Asked Questions?" section on their website.

http://www.oopdreams.com/bubblet/bubblet_faq.html

Statistics for the Serious Gamer!

For those who live and die by statistics, you will be happy to know that Bubblets saves individual stats of every single game you play based on both Game Style and Bubble size. This includes, the number of games played, your average score and (of course) your all time highest score in each Game Style. The folks at Oopdreams are so serious about statistics, that they've included a Guest Mode option in Preferences, so that you can let your friends (or better half) play the game without messing up your overall statistics. How considerate!

Statistics screen keeps track of your overall game play.

Along with the previously mentioned preferences, players can toggle bubble bursting sounds on or off, chose whether to show the Startup Demo upon program opening or allow the computer to Confirm when there are no longer any moves available and the game is over.

What Else should you know?

This game is simple to play, the graphics, sound and animation are smooth and colorful and overall I found it to be a very enjoyable experience. Thankfully, Bubblets is sold as Shareware, so you don't have to take my word for it, you can try it for 15 days and see if you agree with my assessment of the game.
You can buy or download your copy of Bubblets directly from OopDreams Software, Inc or from Handango at www.handango.com and purchase it for $15.00 USD.
Compatible with all HPC devices (MIPS, ARM & SH3, Xscale).

System Requirements

Windows CE 2.0 and above
SH3, StrongARM, MIPS, XScale

More information on Oopdreams Bubblets 1.0 can be found at
http://www.oopdreams.com/

Ratings

Cost: Usability: Built-in Help: Customer Service: Overall:

Further Discussion