Originating as one of the most well known arcade games to date, Bubble Bobble has seen many different iterations since the almost two and a half decades that have passed since it's initial release. The last venture on the DS attempted to do something different but in the wrong way and it was this deviation that proved to be its downfall; this latest offering however uses the content of the original arcade game as a solid platform upon which to build upon.

So essentially it's a remake but only in part as the game has a variety of modes available; first up is standard mode which contains all one hundred original arcade levels playable by either one or two players with no changes to how the game plays. For the uninitiated the basic mechanics in this mode work like this; taking on the role of either Bub or Bob – two coloured Chibi-Dragons – you must jump around the stage while blowing bubbles at your enemies, once they are encapsulated you must then pop the bubble to defeat them, collect the fruit they leave behind and move onto the next stage once all of them are vanquished.

It's not quite that simple though of course as if you take too long then the evil Baron Von Blubba will appear who will slowly work his way through the level until he defeats you, not to mention all of the enemies will become super-fast by this time. These faster enemies will also appear if you allow one that's been captured to escape; another ability that you have is being able to bounce on top of bubbles by holding the jump button, this can prove especially useful in subsequent stages.

Everything in the standard mode is as it was in the original arcade release including the pick-up items such as umbrellas with allow you to skip stages, exploding lanterns and crosses that can destroy all enemies or even give you the ability to breathe fire. Keeping everything exactly the same as the original seems to have worked well for this mode though the visual update and remixed classic music that plays for the whole one hundred levels only serves to enhance the experience.

Arrange mode is where the changes start to come in but in this instance they are all for the better as the most notable addition is the inclusion of support for up to four player simultaneous play! This proves to be a lot of fun, especially when coupled with some of the other alterations which include sloping surfaces enabling diagonal fire, new items and even alternative music themes every twenty levels all of which helps to deliver a much more varied experience.

The 'super' modes that are also available basically do the same thing as their non-super counterparts except with the addition of having more challenging enemies thrown at you from the start. As with most arcade games though its strength is based on it's replay value and this gives as much as you are prepared to put into it; the addition of online leader-boards is most welcome here as it will provide ample motivation for those who enjoy competing for the highest score.

Downloadable content is available in the form of two expert level packs, each of which contains an additional fifty levels and a boss battle; both are priced at a fairly reasonable two hundred points each and rest assured will offer more than enough of a challenge as they are significantly more difficult than the standard set of levels from arrange mode.

In addition to all of this the developers have included an item catalogue which records every different pickup that you collect over the course of all the modes, with certain items only appearing when certain conditions are met; having them appear in some sort of collection - in a similar manner to achievements - provides a source of motivation and helps to add to the replay value for those who choose to collect them all.

Of course not everyone will want to play the game to that extent, indeed for many it may be a case of beating the main modes and then maybe going back to it every now and then for the excellent multiplayer but whichever way you choose to play, it still entertains on every level and because of this is still well worth its points.

You will get the most out of this title if you have never experienced a Bubble Bobble game before and if that is the case then this is definitely the best starting point seeing as you get the original arcade game - one of the best in the series - in its entirety with redone aesthetics and a whole batch of new levels to boot. When you factor in the fantastic four player mode this is truly one of the most well balanced efforts in the series to date, offering something for both long term fans and newcomers alike.