Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III

The game looks fine. It’s overall very bright and colorful; there’s a decent variety of enemies you’ll encounter throughout the levels. Given it’s an arcade game ported to consoles, it fits the bill. The arcade-y pixels might bring back some nostalgia factor to older gamers. The soundtrack is an enjoyable chiptune, arcade-y soundtrack, however it’s not as classic as the original Bubble Bobble game. Again, annoyingly enough, given it’s a Ratalaika published game, you’ll constantly have to “identify” yourself on your way to reach the game. Once more, Achievements are being restrained behind Arcade Mode; while in all fairness, this isn’t a very difficult game, it’s still annoying and unnecessary. Nothing really wrong with Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III. It’s a cute, simplistic, easy to pick up action platformer and a “by the numbers” arcade game. Also means the gameplay variety is quite limited and unless you like score-based game where you try to beat your personal best each time, there’s not much here. That being said, there are worst ways to spend a few hours and it’s fun little co-op game.

Though some extras would've been beneficial, Parasol Stars is a likable release in many ways. It's straightforward fun yet still offers plenty of excitement as you find secret doors, the "Hurry" message appears, and more. Bubble Bobble fans will want to scoop up this "third" entry, as will fans of quarter munchers, even if this classic skipped the arcades for the home console realm.

Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III is the third and rather sweaty game in TAITO's popular platform game series.

Twirl that parasol!

A fantastic modern port of a criminally overlooked classic.

Parasol Stars is a fantastic, single screen game that challenges while it charms. Easy to learn but hard to put down, this game is what classic gaming is all about.

Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III is a must-play for any fan of arcade-style retro games, especially those who love co-op.

Whether you are a veteran to the Bubble Bobble series or a newcomer, Parasol Stars is a classic title that’s fun for all to enjoy. Grab your parasol and jump in.

Parasol Stars is a hidden gem in both the Bubble Bobble franchise and the PC Engine library. It boasts lovely graphics, high replay value, and a surprisingly deep scoring system. Its only drawbacks: a short running time, two-player multiplayer that can feel clumsy at times, and a nasty bug unique to this modern port. Once the patch is live, definitely consider picking this one up.

There's not much to say about Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III, as it retains its original incarnation despite some modern improvements. Bub and Bob's third adventure remains incredibly enjoyable and fun. While more bonus material would have been nice, the affordable price makes it a satisfying purchase. It's a game to replay if you loved it in the past or discover if you missed it on older hardware.