BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN EX ((THE TRUTH))

Retrogamer · Jul 28, 2002

I think I have the answer PLEASE READ !

After talking about this subject last month I happened to stumble upon another BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN cab at my local arcade this one was different !

The BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN EX cab that I am used to seeing that has the EX marquee on top definately uses a NEO GEO board , proof of this is that the NEO GEO bios logo screen always comes up after the demonstration .

This "other" BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN is definately not NEO GEO , KLOV even lists this game as a NEO GEO title but look here .

Is this a Taito F3 cab ? I have never heard of the "Cybercore System " , This version of BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN is not like the NEO GEO version at all , the cranks on the bottom of the screen that shoot the bubbles are not operated by BUB ,BOB or any of the other silly BAM characters but rather by a set of human hands . Here is a picture .

As all of you know the NEO GEO BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN has BUB and BOB and all of the other silly animeesque characters from the series and it also has a story mode wich this Taito Cybercore version does not have .

If you look here I have even taken pictures of both versions title screens to compare them .

This is the Taito Cybercore BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN title screen as you can see the copyrite date is listed as 1995 and only Taito is listed .

And here is the NEO GEO BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN title screen notice it has 2 copyright dates and both SNK and Taito are listed .

Hypothesis :

Although the title screen NOR the graphics of BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN for the NEO list it as the EX version ,With the exception of the rare Large Marquee
The NEO GEO version is always the EX version .

Thanks for your time hope you enjoyed .

Briggs · Jul 28, 2002

Cybercore = F3. They are the same thing. The Taito F3 system has both Puzzle Bobble 2 and Puzzle Bobble 2x. ( as well as 3 and 4). I don't know if I agree with your hypothesis, but if you want one of the "rare" marquees you mention, let me know.

Retrogamer · Jul 28, 2002

Originally posted by Briggs:
Cybercore = F3. They are the same thing. The Taito F3 system has both Puzzle Bobble 2 and Puzzle Bobble 2x. ( as well as 3 and 4). I don't know if I agree with your hypothesis, but if you want one of the "rare" marquees you mention, let me know.<hr></blockquote>

Why not briggs , its obvious that the NEO GEO BAMA is definately different than the original Taito version , and definately more advanced .

Please let me know if you have more info to cross reference .

Briggs · Jul 28, 2002

I'm not sure why you say it is more advanced.

The Taito F3 versions - Puzzle Bobble 2 and Puzzle Bobble 2x both came out in 1995. There is only one BAMA listed in the master game list, and there is no ROM available for BAMA EX - MVS. So I suppose there is the chance that you are right. I own both the BAMA MVS cart and the F3 Puzzle Bobble 2 cart. I'll check them out side by side and see what they look like, but I expect them to be the same. I don't have the F3 PB2x, so I can't check that.

I'm pretty sure RevQuixo already did that, but I'll look again. If Rev reads this hopefully he will chime in

Just to totally confuse you, take a look at this:

<a href="http://www.klov.com/B/Bust-A-Move_Again.html" target="_blank">KLOV - Bust A Move Again EX</a> I think they have that totally messed up.

[ July 28, 2002: Message edited by: Briggs ]

Retrogamer · Jul 28, 2002

Originally posted by Briggs:
I'm not sure why you say it is more advanced.
<hr></blockquote>

Added :

1) The cast of Puzzle Bobble Characters , instead of just hands

2) Different backgrounds

3) 1 player story mode with Character animations .

ALSO :
I think we need to put the NEO BAMA into a Japanese MOBO to see what the title is ....

perhaps it says Puzzle Bobble 2 EX

[ July 28, 2002: Message edited by: Retrogamer ]

Jackal · Jul 28, 2002

I've got an F3 PB2X cart. PB2X does have a mode with alternate backgrounds, but Bub & Bob as well as all other PB2 chars are in it. No hand jive here.

Retrogamer · Jul 28, 2002

Originally posted by Jackal:
I've got an F3 PB2X cart. PB2X does have a mode with alternate backgrounds, but Bub & Bob as well as all other PB2 chars are in it. No hand jive here.<hr></blockquote>

Well then that would further hold up my Hypothesis and then add another angle , as you said ....its PB2X that added X could be the EX version , if you had regular PB2 for the F3 it would probably have the Hands and Bub and Bob would be absent .

Briggs · Jul 29, 2002

If you put BAMA in Japanese mode on the 4x BIOS, it does not say Puzzle Bobble 2x or Bust A Move Again EX.

Retrogamer · Jul 29, 2002

Originally posted by Briggs:
If you put BAMA in Japanese mode on the 4x BIOS, it does not say Puzzle Bobble 2x or Bust A Move Again EX.<hr></blockquote>

OK then we have a question that still needs to be answered .

What would be the Japanese name for the Taito BAMA that came out in 1995 that I saw at my arcade . Perhaps this version was a American only release ? Because its obviously different than the NEO BAMA ((really different)) in some way this Taito 1995 BAMA is the answer here we just have to figure out how it fits into the equation .

Lets say that the Taito Cybercore BAMA is a US only title and was never released in Japan ((HARD TO BELIVE)) then perhaps they just called the NEO BAMA "EX" here in America because it was released after the fact and they had to have a seperate US name for it since it was obviously different .

[ July 29, 2002: Message edited by: Retrogamer ]

Retrogamer · Jul 29, 2002

OK let me lay it out .

Lets forget for a second that Japanese versions of these games exist .

1)The Taito BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN came out in 1995 for ths Cybercore system ((F3))
this version did not have any of the characters that are usually in the BUST-A-MOVE series

2)The NEO MVS BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN came out in 1999 ((4 years later)) this version has added features graphics and backgrounds , including BUB , BOB and the rest of the cast of characters form the BAM series and also a story mode with cut scenes and character animations , obviously making it a better version .

Thusly...... the the NEO BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN is actually BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN EX they just did not put the EX in the title as they should have .

Remember think only of the US market if you start thinking about the Japanese titles you will certainly get lost .

Briggs · Jul 29, 2002

<a href="http://taito.overclocked.org/pbobble2.html" target="_blank">http://taito.overclocked.org/pbobble2.html</a>

Puzzle Bobble 2 does have Bub and Bob.

Briggs · Jul 29, 2002

Just to mix things up a bit more:

[ July 29, 2002: Message edited by: Briggs ]

Briggs · Jul 29, 2002

forgot to add this for contrast:

Briggs · Jul 29, 2002

Here is my Hypothesis:

SNK just printed up new artwork for BAMA when the Taito 2X came out just to keep people playing.

There is no BAMA "EX" for the Neo Geo. It is all just the regular BAMA with two sets of artwork.

Retrogamer · Jul 29, 2002

Briggs ,

If you consider the NEO BAMA the "original" BAMA what would you consider the Taito Cybercore BAMA to be ?

the one that came 4 years before the NEO version
and had hands instead of BUB and BOB

the one that has HANDS like in these pictures :

I would tend to think that this 1995 version is the ORIGINAL BAMA

especially since the NEO BAMA came out in 1999 and is totally different .

[ July 29, 2002: Message edited by: Retrogamer ]

RevQuixo · Jul 29, 2002

Okay let's try to settle this:

BAMA/Puzzbob2 came out for the F3 in 95

In English mode it has the hands...In Jap mode it has Bub & Bob

BAMA 2x F3 was later released only in the Japanese markets and its "feature" was the another world levels unlocked without the need of a code...it really was a minor update.

Fast forward to 1999 and SNK contracts with Taito for a sequel to Puzzle Bobble MVS because it was so popular. What they get is a downgraded version of 2X (Say what you will, but the F3 version is superior graphically) So SNK in one of their continually brilliant continuity schemes calls the sme game two seperate things.

BAMA MVS is probably based off the pb2x f3 cart. Ultimately though only ONE version of BAMA exists for the MVS and the naming convention should follow what is on the cart and on the title screen which is Bust a Move Again. There is no "EX" in a seperate cart form.

[ July 29, 2002: Message edited by: RevQuixo ]

Retrogamer · Jul 29, 2002

Originally posted by RevQuixo:
There is no "EX" in a seperate cart form.
<hr></blockquote>

Thanks REV :

This is more like it , I said in the initial post that the NEO BAMA is always the EX edition , but this is the answer I was looking for .

Thanks Briggs for showing interest in my topic .
and also please continue adding info to HARD MVS . I am waiting for that next step in the MVS cab building process .

[ July 29, 2002: Message edited by: Retrogamer ]

Retrogamer · Jul 29, 2002

ALSO :

Rev , in your opinion do you think that the reason that "some" of the graphics have EX is because that they wanted to have a way to differenciate the NEO version with the 1995 Taito version ?

RevQuixo · Jul 29, 2002

Well it is only the 2x version if the another World or "X" levels are unloacked from the very beginning of the game. That is after all what seperated the two titles.

RevQuixo · Jul 29, 2002

Originally posted by Retrogamer:
ALSO :

Rev , in your opinion do you think that the reason that "some" of the graphics have EX is because that they wanted to have a way to differenciate the NEO version with the 1995 Taito version ?<hr></blockquote>

That would make sense. Since no BAMA EX was ever released in the US to arcade operators it might seem like an appealing new title as opposed to a rehash of the f3 game they already had.

Retrogamer · Jul 29, 2002

Well then you are saying the Japanese F3 Taito BAMA had the story mode also ?

RevQuixo · Jul 29, 2002

Retrogamer · Jul 29, 2002

Well that just shows how much American gamers miss out on .

Thanks again REV ,

-George

Setsuna1982 · Jul 30, 2002

[ July 30, 2002: Message edited by: Setsuna1982 ]

[ July 30, 2002: Message edited by: Setsuna1982 ]

Setsuna1982 · Jul 30, 2002

Look at this:

Check out the coyright date in the second pic. As I said PB2EX is a special version of PB2. The MVS version is NOT the PB2EX. It have the EX levels hidden but it's not PB2EX. MVS do not have the Happy new year and christmas intros.

The MVS version is a middle version between PB2 and PB2EX

BUST-A-MOVE AGAIN EX ((THE TRUTH))

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