Bust-A-Move
↗ 15%
😊 7.5/10
(3DO - US, Puzzle)
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Complete
$78.87
Loose $29.99
Developed by:
Taito
Published by:
Panasonic
Released On:
01 Jan 1995
Also available on:
Bust-A-Move is a puzzle game that takes place on a screen divided into squares, filled with colored bubbles. The player controls a catapult at the bottom of the screen that shoots these bubbles, which then bounce around in various directions. When three or more bubbles of the same color touch together, they disappear, and any remaining bubbles fall away from the ceiling, side walls, or other attached bubbles. However, if a bubble touches the bottom edge of the screen, it's game over.
The gameplay involves clearing pre-set patterns on the screen by popping the bubbles in the correct sequence. The game consists of 100 levels, with new and varied challenges each time. Some special features include explosive bubbles that destroy nearby bubbles when hit, lightning bubbles that move horizontally across the screen, water bubbles that burst and recolor everything around them, and even a boss fight at the end. Players can also compete against each other in two-player mode, or test their skills in endless Challenge mode to achieve the highest score.
UPC-A:
037988830367 (United States)
Part #:
FZ-SM0252 (USA)
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Number of Players Supported:
1-2 Players
Multiplayer Game Modes:
Free-for-all / One-on-one (VS)
Prices as of 09 Oct 2026
Typical $76.16–$78.82 (last 90 days)
New
Complete
Loose
Box
Manual
Smoothed
Log · Auto
Medians
Market activity: moderate · about 9 sales a year
Activity is a 12-month sales count. Dashed segments rest on two sales a year or fewer.
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Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
How to Play
Break the Joint
All Bubbles stick to the top bar. If you break a group that is sticking to the top bar, all the ones connected below will fall.
Items
In addition to the eight colored Bubbles, there are four special Bubbles that will come in handy throughout the course of Bust-A-Move. Read on for all the details.
•
Thunder Bubble: This Bubble shoots Thunder horizontally from where it lands and breaks out the Bubbles in its path.
•
Flame Bubble: The Flame Bubble breaks all groups of Bubbles that are the same color as the ones it touches.
•
Water Bubble: When you hit a water bubble, all the bubbles below it will change to whatever colored bubbles are the fewest in number.
•
Wild Card Bubble: The Wild Card Bubble breaks all the Bubbles of a certain color, whether they touch or not.
Introduction
Hey, all you puzzle-playing game gurus-it's time to blast some bubbles in Bust-A-Move! Follow the instructions below to get going on all the bubble-bursting action.
When the title screen appears, you may either watch the Demo Screen, or press the P Button to bring up the Options Screen. Use the directional Control Pad to move the cursor to one of the four options, and press A to select it.
Option Screen
You may select difficulty, 1 or 2 player mode, and controller setting.
Controller Setting
Bust-A-Move makes it as easy as possible for you to bust those bubbles by allowing you to customize the controls any way you'd like. Just choose the Controller Select option.
•
Move Launcher Slow: L
•
Move Launcher Fast: R
•
Move Launcher Vertical
•
Start & Pause
•
Fire
How to Play Bust-A-Move
1. Decide the Direction: Use the directional Control Pad to change the direction you want to shoot. Be sure to line up your sights carefully!
2. Shoot a Bubble: Shoot your colored Bubble so that it touches a group of two or more Bubbles of the same color. This causes that group to break. Move fast or the 'Hurry Up' sign appears, and you'll have five seconds to shoot. The faster you can clear the round, the higher your score.
3. When It's All Over: When the round is over, you'll go to a continue screen where you can choose "Yes" to continue, or "No" to quit. You can also save your game when you play 1P PUZZLE MODE.
Tips
1. Use the Wall: To send a Bubble to hard-to-reach spot, use the wall. Like in billiards, if you hit the right place, the Bubble will bounce right over.
2. Wait for Bubbles: When the Bubble you get isn't the Bubble you need, just wait for the right one. Then, you can get rid of the useless ones all at once.
1P Puzzle Mode
1P PUZZLE MODE is for the bubble shooter who is going solo. There are a total of 100 rounds to shoot your way through. You can either start from the beginning, or a saved game.
2P VS. Mode
2P VS. MODE is the perfect way for one player to try his luck against a challenging computer-controlled opponent, or for two players to get together and test their Bubble busting moves against each other. Either way, it's you against the ever-growing stack of Bubbles!
Select 2P VS. MODE from the Main Menu, then choose to play against a computer-controlled opponent, or against a human player. Next, set the difficulty level for each player to allow for differences in their skill.
Bubble Gauge
Make things difficult for your friend! Fill the Gauge by bursting a group of Bubbles, then break another. The Bubbles in the Gauge will go into Player 2's field.
VS. Computer Battle
The rules of the VS. COMPUTER battle are the same as those in the VS. MODE, except you can only play a series of three matches. This is a tough one, though - there are a total of ten computer controlled opponents to take on, and each is harder than the previous one.
Challenge Record
CHALLENGE RECORD Mode is a one-player mode that challenges you to beat the world's Bubble busting record. If you're up for the challenge, get ready to Bust-A-Move!
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