Soul Bubbles

Soul Bubbles

We here at Yahoo Games are committed to bringing you information and opinions on all the latest and greatest games as and when they appear. However, just every now and again, a brilliant title will, for one reason or another, slip us by. Soul Bubbles is one such game, a little-known release from last month that has stayed glued to our DS cartridge slot for the last week or so. Bursting with neat ideas it’s the kind of understated and quirky game that the DS is best-suited for and it would be remiss of us not to give you the lowdown on one of this summer’s stand out handheld titles.

The game’s start-up warning (“This game contains no licensed racing cars, post-apocalyptic soliders, elves, orca, magicians or gang fights but don’t panic: everything’s going to be hunky-dory”) sets the light-hearted tone. You are cast as a young trainee shaman (although, to be honest your diminutive character looks a lot more like a cherub) tasked with guiding lost souls into paradise. The only tool at your disposal in this aim is a large bubble used to transport your souls by blowing it around the maze-like levels in search of the exit.

Tapping the stylus will move your shaman instantly to that point of the screen while dragging the stylus will cause him to blow in that direction. In this way it’s possible to quickly maneuver screens, blowing your bubble with neat precision as you navigate the maze.

Bubbles respond in a very bubble-like way, bouncing around the environment and squishing and contracting when squeezed through tight gaps. Additionally you’ve a number of masks that bestow various other abilities on your character, such as being able to split your bubble into smaller bubbles to get them through tiny gaps, to drain bubbles of air, rejoin split bubble groups and even chop away at vines and foliage that your bubbles stick to. Occasionally hungry animals will try to steal or burst your bubbles and these must be dispatched of with a tap or swipe of the stylus.

The game’s 40 mazes increase in complexity and soon enough you’ll need to solve environmental puzzles as well as managing the movement of your bubble. The mazes are well-designed and always just the right length and so finding the exit, collecting all the pick-ups and rescuing your souls is always a compelling task.

Visually the game calls to mind recent WiiWare success, Lost Winds, with pretty, wistful graphics and charming character designs. The subtle details, such as the leaves, pollen and petals that flutter around the environments contribute to make one of the best-looking games on the system.

The game’s gentle difficulty curve is suitable for all ages and has clearly been carefully-balanced to provide a challenge at the top end while still being accessible to all. By choosing a strong core idea and expanding it to create a number of unique and interesting puzzles, Soul Bubbles manages to be one of the most inventive and interesting titles on the handheld, a must-buy for gamers looking for some solid holiday gaming.

4 out of 5