
                        The Bubble Memories FAQ v0.85
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   written by Carl Chavez (carl@bubandbob.com)
   with help from Anthony Greulich (agreulic@u.washington.edu).
   Major contributions from Victor (vicet80@hotmail.com).
   
   Available at http://www.bubandbob.com/faqs/bmfaq.html.
   
   Last modified 22 January 2000. FAQ started 25 June 1997. 

   This is a text version. A HTML version is available at the web 
   address above.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
                                What's New!
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   22 January 2000: fixed some (not all) broken links and images.
   
   9 Aug 98: "Original game" code added, thanks to Thomas Combeleran.
   More secret room info added. Also added links to the Raine emulator.
   (Raine website is available at http://emustatus.rainemu.com *or*   
    http://www.rainemu.com)

   21 Nov 97: Minor editorial changes.
   
   11 Sept 97: Added Power Up code, submitted by Kim Suk Tae.
   
   30 July 97: Added pictures of some bosses, more information about
   scoring, and lots of new pictures in the Image Gallery. (Image Gallery
   is located at http://www.bubandbob.com).
   
   18 July 97: More various additions. Too numerous to mention.
   
   15 July 97: I've gotten four endings so far. Details of each are in
   the FAQ, as well as descriptions of more bosses and of some more
   items. Thanks to Victor E. (vicet80@hotmail.com) for contributing some
   information.
   
   25 June 97: first draft of FAQ. Nothing on here at all.

     _________________________________________________________________
   
                              Game description
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   Imagine Bubble Bobble. Imagine them going up a tower instead of a
   cave.
   
   Now imagine that every single monster has dozens of animation frames
   and lots of colors. Imagine that some of the monsters have grown to
   huge proportions. Imagine that there's no longer a limit of 17 bubbles
   and 8 monsters on the screen any more; that in fact you can have lots
   of bubbles onscreen as you get a powerful item that causes meteors to
   fall from the sky and take out monsters as the earth shakes and the
   game's speakers roar...!!!!! That's Bubble Memories.
   
   The game is very hard to find in arcades. It is not yet available for
   a home system. However, Bubble Memories emulation become possible with
   v0.12 of the Raine emulator (website at http://emustatus.rainemu.com *or*   
   http://www.rainemu.com)

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                                 The Moves
     _________________________________________________________________

 +----------+-------------------------------------------------------------+  
 |  Action  |   Result                                                    |
 +----------+-------------------------------------------------------------+
 +----------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ 
 |    Up    | nothing                                                     |
 +----------+-------------------------------------------------------------+
 |   Down   | swim down quickly                                           |
 +----------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ 
 |   Left   | move left on ground or while falling                        |
 +----------+-------------------------------------------------------------+
 |  Right   | move right on ground or while falling                       |
 +----------+-------------------------------------------------------------+
 |press Jump|jump - the dragons can jump through platforms and walls.     |
 |          |The dragons are invulnerable within a wall. A good technique |
 |          |to know is to jump into a wall and blow a bubble from inside!|
 +----------+-------------------------------------------------------------+
 | hold Jump| press Jump toward a bubble, hold Jump to bounce on bubble   |
 |          | rather than pop it.                                         | 
 +----------+-------------------------------------------------------------+
 |  press   | blow a bubble or fireball                                   |
 |  Bubble  |                                                             |
 +----------+-------------------------------------------------------------+
 |  hold    |Bub or Bob will start to glow with a halo. When you release  |
 |  Bubble  |Bubble, a bubble large enough to trap several monsters or one| 
 |          |huge monster will come from the dragon's mouth.              |
 +----------+-------------------------------------------------------------+

     _________________________________________________________________
   
                                 The Codes
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   As far as I can tell, the old Bubble Bobble codes do NOT do anything.
   
   Three codes are known right now-
   
   Power Up: up, right, left, down, up, right, left, down
   Doing two clockwise circles causes Bub and Bob to have permanent
   shoes, blue gum, and yellow gum.
   
   Super Game: left, start, bubble, jump, up, down, start, right
   You get the second set of levels when this code is used. It does
   nothing special on a machine with Extra Mode enabled. I recommend
   avoiding this code until you have beaten the game in normal mode, so
   you don't miss part of the story (and the fun!).
   
   Original Game: start, left, bubble, jump, bubble, jump, bubble, jump
   You can get to the secret rooms on levels 7 and 37, even if you die.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
                           The Items and Scoring
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                                  Bubbles
                                      
   Most bubbles are 10 points each (red bubbles may be 100 points).
   
   Huge bubbles are 30 points each.
   
   Popping multiple creatures in small bubbles causes the point value to
   double per creature bubble popped simultaneously. If you pop three
   trapped monsters, for example, you get 4000 points (1000 base x 2 x
   2). The maximum score this way is 512,000 points (10 creatures
   simultaneously).
   
   Popping creatures trapped in huge bubbles is worth double, but only if
   all the popped creatures are trapped in big bubbles only. If any
   creature is in a small bubble (including a small bubble inside a big
   bubble), then you only get the normal score. Popping 10 creatures all
   trapped in big bubbles is worth 1,024,000 points!
   
   Popping creatures trapped in small bubbles, then enclosed in big
   bubbles, triples your score. No creature can be in only a small or
   only a large bubble or else you get a normal score. Doing this with
   ten creatures gives you a whopping 1,563,000 points!!!
   
   Popping more than three creatures at once allows EXTEND bubbles to
   appear. The number of EXTEND bubbles that will appear on a later level
   is (creatures popped simultaneously - 3). So popping six creatures at
   once causes 3 EXTEND bubbles to appear on a later level. This is
   cumulative, so popping seven at once on one level and 5 on another
   allows you to get 6 EXTEND bubbles.

=========================================================================
   
   Bubble                     Description

   blue or green..............a normal bubble

   clear......................bubble will pop soon

   red........................bubble is about to pop.

   fire.......................when popped, fire will fall toward the ground. 
                              Enemies which touch the fire become red 
                              diamonds.

   water......................when popped, a stream of water will run in the 
                              opposite direction of the dragon's facing.
                              Enemies caught in the water become blue 
                              diamonds.

   lightning..................when popped, a lightning bolt flies across the 
                              screen in the opposite direction of the  
                              dragon's facing. All enemies hit by the bolt 
                              become yellow diamonds.

   whirlwind..................when popped, a whirlwind flies at a 45 degree 
                              angle away from you. All enemies hit by 
                              whirlwinds become purple diamonds. 
 
   music......................when popped, a music note comes out and flies 
                              upward, swinging left and right. It is not a 
                              homing missile anymore like in Bubble Symphony.

                    -----------------------
                    Bubble Gum and red lamp
                    -----------------------

   Orange   - increase Bubble Shot (blow bubbles faster)
   Blue     - bubbles move faster
   Purple   - bubbles float farther
   Red lamp - gives powers of all three gums

                    -------------------   
                    Rings and blue lamp
                    -------------------

   Purple ring - each jump (excluding jumps on bubbles) = 500 pts
   Blue ring   - each step = 10 pts
   Red ring    - each blown bubble equals 100 points instead of 10. Lots of
                 points when you pop bubbles against the wall!

   Blue lamp   - equal to all three rings.
   
                                  -------   
                                  Crosses
                                  -------

   ??? - a huge whirlwind blows onto the screen, blowing away the
   monsters as lightning crackles around it. Yellow - lightning bolts
   flash around the screen and destroy everything they touch. It looks
   really cool!

   Blue - water trickles, then falls, and finally FLOODS the screen and
   turns enemies into blue diamonds *AFTER* the water fills the screen.
   While the screen fills, your dragon is still vulnerable!!! The falling
   water will not kill the monsters!

   Red - dragon will gain ability to shoot about a dozen fireballs.
   Enemies hit will become red diamonds. Fireballs now cause a heat
   ripple while flying through the air.

   Green - dragon will gain ability to shoot music-note bubbles. Hold and
   release Bubble to fire giant music-note bubbles. These notes travel a
   little in front of you, and then fly upward.

                            -----------
                            Other items
                            -----------

   Shoe - your character moves faster.
   Bomb - When picked up, it detonates.
   Book - All enemies instantly become fruit.

                     -------------------
                     Miscellaneous items
                     -------------------

   Silver Axe (Rod?) - turns all bubbles into fruit; pops bubbles
                       containing magic. This is important to remember on
                       level ???.

   Purple Axe (Rod?) - ???

   Candy Cane        - when level ends, all bubbles will turn into 700 pt.
                       fruit. All big bubbles become 7000 pt. fruit. In
                       addition, a giant item will fall from the top.

   Goldfish cracker  - ? pts.

   Purple ???        - 30 pts.

   Crystal Ball      - ???

   Necklace          - a bright ball of energy starts bouncing around the
                       level and killing monsters.

   Gold tiara        - a shower of stars will fall from the sky and kill
                       enemies. Enemies in the top far left and top far right 
                       corners will not be hit!

   Silver tiara      - an energy wave will wash across the screen, killing
                       all monsters.

     _________________________________________________________________
   
                                   BOSSES
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Koornt Level 10 - Koornt

   Koornt is a gumball machine with helicopter rotors. It drops deadly
   gumballs.

   NORMAL MODE Weapon: Lightning
   SUPER MODE Weapon: Music
   
   NORMAL MODE Tactics: Koornt never moves up or down. It just moves left
   and right. Koornt never drops his gumballs in the corners, so just
   face a wall, form a line of bubbles along the wall, and pop the
   bubbles when some are on the same plane as Koornt.
   SUPER MODE Tactics: Since the music won't hit Koornt often, if at all,
   when you pop bubbles against the wall, go ahead and shoot music
   bubbles toward the center of the screen and pop them there so they hit
   Koornt more often. It's unlikely that you'll ever be hit by his
   gumballs unless you really suck... :)


Level 20 - Kligan

   Kligan is a rock head with gems for hair. When you hit it enough,
   Kligan loses a gem. When it's completely bald, it dies. Kligan shoots
   rocks out of its mouth.

   NORMAL MODE Weapon: Whirlwind
   SUPER MODE Weapon: ???

   NORMAL MODE Tactics: Blow bubbles into the wall so the whirlwinds fly
   right into Kligan. If your first whirlwind is a big one and you keep
   sending small ones at it, it'll be at less than half power before it
   shoots his first salvo of rocks. Once you see the rocks coming, run
   right at them. You'll pass under them. Head toward the other wall and
   pop bubbles against it. Kligan can be beaten in less than 10 seconds.


Level 30 - Gacchan

   NORMAL MODE Weapon: Music
   SUPER MODE Weapon: ???

   NORMAL MODE Tactics: When you start, stand near the right-side wall
   and store up some large bubbles. When Gacchan passes over you, pop
   'em, blast a few more music notes Gacchan's way and run to the center.
   Blow some bubbles to the right; this is your escape route. Jump up to
   the top platform in the center, bounce on the bubbles over Gacchan to
   the next platform on the right. After Gacchan touches the left-side
   wall, he'll fire a salvo of eight notes toward you. Drop from the
   platform toward the floor. The notes will all pass over, and you
   should be next to the wall so you can shoot a lot more music bubbles
   against Gacchan. Repeat until Gacchan dies.


Level 40 - Wafflful

   HORROR OF HORRORS, IT'S A GIANT WAFFLE CONE! And it's coming to get
   you...

   NORMAL MODE Weapon: Whirlwind
   SUPER MODE Weapon: ???

   NORMAL MODE Tactics: Like Kligan, Wafflful is a pushover when facing
   whirlwinds. No tactics necessary.

Level 50 - Maita P

   This boss has a strong resemblance to a mighta, except it's dressed in
   blue and purple. It enters the screen amid cheers and whistles from
   its fan club.

   NORMAL MODE Weapon: ???
   SUPER MODE Weapon: ???
   Tactics: ???


Level 60 - Taru P

   A REALLY drunk Drunk, Taru P swaggers onto the screen. As he sways
   around the screen, he can't help but bump into things.. like the walls
   and ceiling. Hilarious to watch, but difficult to beat.

   NORMAL MODE Weapon: Water
   SUPER MODE Weapon: Fire
   Tactics: ???


Level 70 - Swimming Queen Monsta

   Swimming Queen Monsta is a big monsta wearing a cape. She can open her
   mouth and fire homing torpedoes. You have to fight her in the water.

   NORMAL MODE Weapon: Lightning
   SUPER MODE Weapon: Rainbow
   Tactics: ???

Level 80 - Super Dark Great Dragon

   NORMAL MODE Weapon: lightning
   SUPER MODE Weapon: ???
   Tactics: ???


Level 80 - Super Dark Great Skel Monsta

   Just when you thought you've defeated the Super Dark Great Dragon
   again, he becomes the Super Dark Great Skel Monsta! Ever seen Star
   Blazers? Remember the Wave Motion Gun that can destroy whole fleets?
   SDGSM has one... prepare to die.
   NORMAL MODE Weapon: none
   SUPER MODE Weapon: ???

   SUPER MODE Tactics: ???

     _________________________________________________________________
   
                                The Endings
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   Your worst ending (besides death...) occurs when you have not obtained
   the seven colored potions in normal mode. If you don't have all the
   potions, you presumably drink what you've got. Instead of becoming
   human again, you become a random monster. You descend the outside of
   the tower as the credits roll, and when you land you discover
   everybody on the island is now a bubble dragon! The game ends at level
   70.
   
   If you get all seven potions, a door will open to levels 71-80. On
   level 80, you fight Super Dark Great Dragon. When you beat him, he
   laughs and flies away from the Rainbow Tower. He lands on his Dark
   Tower, taking the potions with him. You're stuck as dragons, and you
   discover everybody on the island has also become a bubble dragon!!!
   You get a nice portrait of every dragon in shock. You also get the
   motions for the Super Game.
   
   If you enter the Super Game code and do not get the seven potions, the
   Super Dark Great Dragon stops you on level 70 and turns you into
   small, ghostly lantern carriers (small versions of the end boss from
   NES Bubble Bobble 2). You float down the tower and everybody is stuck
   in dragon form forever. You suck.
   
   If you get all seven potions in Super Game mode, you fight Super Dark
   Great Dragon on level 80. He becomes Super Dark Great Skel Monsta if
   you beat him up enough. If you win, you get transformed back into
   human form, descend the tower by floating with your parasols, and when
   you land everybody is human again! YAY! Then a message comes up:
   "History repeats itself..." I wonder what that means in the game? Do
   you have to beat it twice in a row to get a fifth, even better ending?

     _________________________________________________________________
   
                           Secret Rooms and Hints
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   You can get into secret rooms either by not dying up to the level the
   secret room is in, or by using the Original Game code and playing up
   the that level. The latter option is much easier!
   
   Unlike Bubble Bobble or Bubble Symphony, the secret rooms in Bubble
   Memories are in the Latin alphabet instead of the usual Bubble Bobble
   alphabet. They are also in English, even on the Japanese version.
   
   There are two secret rooms. The first one is on level 7, and you can
   get lots of points there. The second is on level 37, and you can get
   points PLUS a random hint.
   
   The known random hints are:
   
     * The key of Original Game: Start Left Bubble Jump Bubble Jump
       Bubble Jump
     * The 7 potions won't become complete unless you play up to the 70th
       round with 1 credit. NOTE-: this is virtually impossible to do
       without aid of the save-game function in Raine, so I think
       something got lost in the translation. The potions do become
       complete even if you continue.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
                                 Emulation
     _________________________________________________________________
   
      Bubble Memories is now emulated on the Raine emulator.
      (The website for the Raine emulator is at the address above).
     _________________________________________________________________
   
                                  Credits
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   Thanks to Bondeal HK for selling me the PCB. Thanks to Music-Vend for
   providing the cabinet.
   
   Thanks to Anthony Greulich for being my playing partner and driving
   the U-Haul to get the game into my apartment.
   
   Thanks to Victor E. (vicet80@hotmail.com) for adding more info. 
   
   Thanks to Kim Suk Tae for submitting the Power Up code, and to Thomas
   Combeleran for the Original Game code.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
                              Copyright Notice
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   Copyright  1997-2000 Carl Chavez.
   This article may not appear in any for-profit organization (especially
   EGM or COP-DN) without permission.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
