Bubble Fins Review

Popping bubbles with only a set number of moves and colors before it's game over. It's an immensely familiar concept yet Bubble Fins is still enjoyable enough that it doesn't really matter that it's been done before.

Initially, the 40 levels that are offered here feels a little minimalistic. At first, it's easy to coast through the first 10-15 levels without any problems. Each stage can be three starred depending on the number of moves it takes to complete, with satisfaction being the main reason to perfect things. Unlike other bubble popping games, players need to pop the bubble trapping a mermaid rather than clear all the bubbles on screen, although it's possible to do both.

A mixture of three currencies are used here to provide extra elements to the gameplay, with coins available to buy special powers for a level, pearls providing the basis of a continue move, and energy dictating how many times the player can replay a section they're stuck on. Only really the coins prove particularly obtrusive, given that energy is restored after completion of a level. However, some stages feel like it's essential to use certain power-ups, making coins extremely useful. Fortunately, for a brief time a newly introduced bonus tends to be free to use.

These bonuses offer advantages such as a longer line to demonstrate trajectory, or a move that can wipe out a set number of bubbles in one throw. They prove to be very useful in later stages which require pinpoint accurate precision. Such levels can be quite long, too, with action moving across multiple screen lengths. It's good natured fun, though, and the gradual trickle of new bubble types and power-ups keep things interesting.

More levels certainly need to come to maintain longterm interest and possibly something such as daily rewards for playing often. For now though, Bubble Fins is an attractive package of a tried and tested formula, that's still fun to play through.