THE SPECTRUM GAME DATABASE

BUBBLER

PUBLISHER
US Gold, under the Ultimate label

AUTHORS
US Gold in house team

YEAR OF RELEASE
June 1987


DESCRIPTION
Bubbler is yet ANOTHER isometric 3D game from Ultimate except
rather than being an arcade adventure it is more action and
blasting than the usual exploration games Utlimate produced. The
game style is very similar to Marble Madness and has you
controlling a type of sphere that can move in any direction, jump
and also fire at enemies.

INSTRUCTIONS
The object of the game is for you to control your sphere like
person and during your time exploring the levels you must collect
corks which are hidden under trapdoors. These corks are then used
to bottle the enemies which emerge from various bottles around
the levels. 

CONTROLS
Rotate Left: Z, C, B and M keys.
Rotate Right: X, V, N and Symbol SHIFT keys.
Move Forward: A, S, D, F, etc.
Fire: W, R, Y, I and P keys.
Pause: Caps SHIFT or SPACE/BREAK keys.

CHEATS

SEQUELS PREQUELS
Bubbler is the the follow up from Martianoids, not in story wise
but in which game was produced after it.

INLAY CARD TEXT
After a hundred years or more you discover that VADRA'S
assistant, a lesser wizard called KINTOR who had helped VADRA to
overthrow IRKON, has now been imprisoned. KINTOR'S power was
increasing and would soon be equal to that of VADRA and VADRA
feared this as KINTOR was becomming sympathetic to the plight of
the IRKON people. Before his powers became too great, VADRA
encapsulated KINTOR in a sphere of energy which slowly drained
his life force, and then condemned him to a dungeon.

Before KINTOR became completely powerless he endowed you with the
ability to move and fire globules of energy which will destroy
and living entity in it's path, so that you can escape from the
prison with vital information on how to destroy VADRA. As VADRA'S
power is gradually diminished, KINTOR'S power is thus
rejuvenated, giving you extra time to complete your mighty task.


The corks have been hidden under trapdoors which you must pass
through, but beware, some of the trapdoors emerge over the black
void of the prison floor which will kill you. VADRA'S spellbound
followers, the guardians of the prison, can also pass through
these trapdoors but only you know how to pick up the magic corks.
Beware of other dangers in VADRA'S prison, as your now formless
body is delicate and is easily pierced by sharp objects.

If you can cork all the BUBBLERS in the prison you will escape
and the knowledge that KINTOR has given you will destroy VADRA.

        CAN YOU CORK THE BUBBLER?

        BUBBLER Features
        ----------------

Bubblers                        Omni-Directional 3D Movement
Corks                           Impaling Spikes
Trapdoors                       Cork Display
Materialisation Pads            Bottle Countdown
Jump Button                     Hi-Score
Poison Bottles                  Multi Angled Slopes
Multi Staged 3D Scenario        Spinning Alien
Continuous Pause                Crabs
On Screen Scoring               Firing Flying Saucer
Automatic Collection Feature    Exit Level Trapdoor
Amazing Animation               Mystery Bubble
Direction Gauge                 Explosions
Revolutionary Scrolling         Timer
Tests                           Scrolling Messages
Extra Lives                     Extra Time
Shadows                         2 PLayer Game
Firing                          Mystery Tunnels
Realistic Materialisation       Extra High Jump


SCORES/REVIEWS
Crash, Issue: 41, Page: 19,  Percentage: 78%


SNAPSHOTS/URLS


FACTS ABOUT THE GAME: 
Bubbler was the last ever game released under the Ultimate Play
The Game label.

NOTES
Bubbler received poor reviews in all Spectrum magazines. Nowhere
did it score higher than the low Crash percentage of 78%.  Your
Sinclair once quoted in their review "Lets hope that Ultimate
return to their old form soon", but alas it was not to be.