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Watcha Playing: Soul Bubbles Again

Posted by Amber Ahlborn

I get upset when I play a game that is really good, and really tanked on the market. I hate playing a game that some development team really believed in, to the point of setting it up for a sequel, only to know too few people bought it to keep the budding series alive. It angers me to see a game design that goes off the beaten path, bring to life a fun concept, only to have the consumer public ignore it in favor of the games plodding down the well worn trench of safe design.

Why do good games fail? Poor to nonexistent advertising is one reason, being too original is another. Consumers are timid creatures, easily frightened by things that are different. Being sold exclusively at Toys R Us is also a reason for a good game to fail.

Okay, technically, Soul Bubbles is not sold exclusively at TRU (even though the box says it is). I know this because I bought my copy from a non TRU vendor on Amazon. Regardless of where it's sold, you should buy it because Soul Bubbles really is very fun. It's one of those ingenious little titles born of a simple concept, brought to artistically lovely (and very polished) life. It's a relaxing game that still manages to keep you on your toes as you use the DS stylus to direct your bubble to safety.

Buy this game. Seriously, I hear plenty of people talk the talk of supporting good games and original ideas, but how many of you walk the walk? I understand picking up an unknown is a risk. I've taken chances and ended up with junk a few times, but far more often than not I haven't regretted taking the occasional gamble. Such leaps into the unknown have netted me treasures like Katamari Damacy, Zack and Wiki, World of Goo, and most recently: Soul Bubbles.

Related Links:

Whatcha Playing: Bubbles, Bubbles, Bubbles!!!

Watcha Playing: Lost Winds

Watcha Playing: Secret of Evermore

+ DIGG

+ DEL.ICIO.US

+ REDDIT

Posted Oct 28 2008, 11:00 AM

Filed under: amber ahlborn, ds, watcha playing, soul bubbles

Comments

Roto13 said:

"Seriously, I hear plenty of people talk the talk of supporting good games and original ideas, but how many of you walk the walk?"

I do!

Except I don't have Soul Bubbles. I haven't actually seen it for sale anywhere. I figure it's going to be one of those games I randomly find at EBGames for like ten dollars and end up loving.

October 28, 2008 1:35 PM

Demaar said:

Man, store exclusives for anything are plain irritating, it's like a mini-monopoly for one product.

October 29, 2008 8:05 AM

James Mason said:

First up I'd just like to say I've only recently found this site and now check it every day.

Having read this piece about Soul Bubbles, it jogged a faint memory of the game and so did indeed walk the walk right round the corner to my local video game store.

Luck would have it they had one copy of the game so picked it up and have had a great time playing it over the last day or two :)

Thanks for the tip and great site.

James

November 12, 2008 7:57 PM

About Amber Ahlborn

Artist, writer, gamer and DigiPen survivor, she maintains a day job as a graphic artist. By night Amber moonlights as a professional Metroid Fanatic and keeps a metal suit in the closet just in case. Has lived in the state of Washington and insists that it really doesn't rain as much as everyone says it does.

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Amber Ahlborn - artist, writer, gamer and DigiPen survivor, she maintains a day job as a graphic artist. By night Amber moonlights as a professional Metroid Fanatic and keeps a metal suit in the closet just in case. Has lived in the state of Washington and insists that it really doesn't rain as much as everyone says it does.

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