Previous Next

Look out Mario Brothers, here come the... Aaaargh! Phew, that was a close one. I nearly said the most unbelievably trite thing ever. Not only that, but it's also inaccurate, as if anyone in the platform world is under threat from these two cuddly characters, it's not Mario and Luigi but those old favourites, Bub and Bob.

As nice and playable as Capcom's latest (converted from its own semi-popular coin-op) is, there can be no denying that it's a rather cynical reworking of Bubble Bobble.

This Gameboy version is actually called Snow Brothers Jnr (although you only find this out once you've switched the game on), the reason being, like the handheld version of Bubble Bobble, there's no simultaneous two player mode. Instead the storyline has been tweaked, explaining that your snow bro has been kidnapped and it's up to you to get him back - on your tod.

The resultant platform icecapades aren't quite as much fun as they would be with a pal, but a veritable hoot nonetheless. Like Bobble, the player's objective is to rid each non-scrolling screen of baddies using his special power - in this case, magic snowballs. Hitting a baddy repeatedly encases him in a ball of slush, which can then be rolled down the screen until it hits the bottom, destroying the nasty. Smart players can throw the ball so it picks up more baddies on its way, with special bonuses available for such shrewd tactics.

Extra powers available via the hot sauce (!) bottles include speed shoes and power shots, and at the end of every few levels there's a big baddy to contend with. As derivative as it may sound, it's actually a lot of fun - much more so than the poor Bubble Bobble conversion for the Gameboy.

Definitely one of the more playable Gameboy titles to surface in recent months - it's just a crying shame about the lack of a two-player option really.

1. Super-jolly music.
2. Loads of levels.

1. No two-player. Boo!

The super little theme tune and surprisingly nice graphics draw the player in, and there's a lot of compulsion to keep on playing once the gist has been picked up after the first few levels.

Fifty levels may sound like a lot, but none of them are really that tough if the player puts his mind to it - thankfully, the regular arrival of the big guardians keeps throwing a spanner in the works and makes things tougher.

This is a smart little game, and one you'll be playing long after it's completed.