Overview – originally developed by Taito, with porting and publishing through ININ Games, Parasol Superstars is a vibrant bundle that brings two classic platformers to modern platforms. Take on the challenges of Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III and Spica Adventure, two very different adventures that share one thing in common, Parasols. This bundle is available on all console platforms, with a link to each version at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank PR Hound for providing the copy of Parasol Superstars that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. As this is a bundle release, I will be covering the titles in their own segments, then cover the bundle as a whole. Please note, that I have already covered the standalone release of Parasol Stars, which you will be able to find (HERE), but as this is a bundle, I will be revisiting the game in this review.
Spica Adventure
This adventure features Nico, a little girl on an adventure through space. As she is on her journey, she finds herself crash landing on the planet Spica, which is inhabited by robots. Armed with her trusty parasol, she sets off on an adventure across the planet. This game is a colorful 2D platformer, where the objective is to reach the goal at the end of each stage. To accomplish this task, Nico uses her trusty parasol to traverse these strange blocky environments.
In each of the stages, the player will guide Nico to the goal, while using her parasol to fight off the robots that appear. With her parasol, the player will be able to strike enemies, damaging and defeating them if they are hit enough. The basic inputs for the parasol are a standard strike that can be linked into a combo. But there are more unique skills that players can use, including an upward swing that can launch enemies into the air.
The parasol is more than just a weapon however, as Nico can use it to traverse great heights and cover great distances. This can be done by opening up the parasol and riding fans, lifting her up and carrying her on the air great distances. The parasol can also be used to float after jumping, covering smaller gaps between platforms. It is also possible to stick the parasol into surfaces, hanging from it and using it to launch Nico across the screen.
Nico can also fire the canopy of her parasol from the shaft, using it as a projectile against enemies. It can also be used to zip to a wall if contact is made, allowing for quick platforming and stage clears. While travelling, Nico will be able to use her special parasol as an umbrella boat, letting her cross water and fight enemies by spinning at enemies. The last use of the parasol is to deflect star shots, sending them back to the enemy and damaging them.
In each of the stages, players will have two optional objectives to clear. The first is to cause flowers to bloom by walking on flat surfaces, with each step leaving a floral mark on the robotic planet. Then there are the gems, with three different colors that are scattered throughout each stage. The gems can be used as a guide for players to get through the stages, forming lines and arrows. Players may also find special point items in the stages for a score boost.
All of the stages have a time limit, which will tick down during play and if it expires, a giant robot will chase Nico to stop her. The robot will only go away if Nico loses a life, or if the stage is cleared. Upon clearing a stage, players will be given points based on their performance, with bonuses for blooming flowers and collecting gems. If all of the flowers are bloomed, gems are collected and no damage is taken, a big score bonus can be earned at the end of a stage.
The adventure is split into several zones, consisting of three stages each. After the first two stages of each zone, a boss will appear and engage in battle with the player. The different battles have unique gimmicks to them, making each of them distinct from each other. After defeating a boss, a map will appear, offering branching paths for players to explore. This system adds some replay value to the game, as players will be unable to play all stages in one go.
As this is a home port of an arcade game, there are additions that have been made to the game. The biggest one is the Normal Mode which offers an enhanced version of the arcade game. This enhanced mode features quality of life improvements, with wide screen play, streamlined controls and unlockable content. Then there is the Challenge Mode, where players try to get the best score they can to put on the global leaderboards.
The last mode is the Original Mode, which is as close to the original experience as possible. This mode uses the original aspect ratio, as well as two button inputs for the classic arcade feel. All of the game modes have settings options that can be adjusted, allowing players some level of customisation. And for those who are fans of Taito, there are many references and secrets to discover, covering the history of the company and their games.
Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III
Originally released on the TurboGrafx-16/PC-Engine, Parasol Stars is the third adventure for Bubby and Bobby. They defeated the monsters that terrorized the Rainbow Islands, being rewarded with magic parasols for their bravery. After peace settled in Rainbow Island, they received a distress call from a nearby planet calling for help. The two brave heroes raise their parasols up and soar into the sky, setting off on a new adventure.
This title is a single screen arcade style platformer, where the objective is to clear each screen by stunning enemies and throwing them across the screen. To stun enemies, the player can hit the enemies with the parasol, changing their color and stopping them in their tracks. Once the enemy is stunned, the player can pick up and throw the enemies with the parasol. When an enemy is thrown, they can reveal point items and hit other enemies.
Players will be able to put multiple enemies into a dazed state, which will provide a big score boost if they can be defeated in a chain. Enemies that have been stunned will only stay that way for a limited time, reviving after a few moments and becoming enraged. If this happens, they will get faster and more aggressive towards the player, trying to kill them. luckily, when enemies are daed by the parasol, they don’t pose any risk to the player.
In the stages, there will be droplets that will appear. These items consist of four elements, Fire, Water, Lightning and Star, which can be used as weapons against enemies. Players can pick up and use these one at a time to quickly defeat enemies. However, if a little caution is taken, it is possible to pick up multiple drops at once. By collecting up enough droplets, a super attack can be used to wipe out several enemies at once.
As enemies are defeated, they will drop point items that disappear after a little time passes. These items can significantly boost the score for the player, allowing them to get extra lives. It is also possible for special items to appear in stages, with items like speed up boosts and screen clearing attacks. There are many secrets to discover, but there is also the pressure of time, as Death will appear to kill the player if they take too long.
The adventure itself is split into worlds, with several stages and a boss at the end. The boss battles are unique compared to the regular stages, as they can only be cleared with element attacks. To be able to attack the boss, the player will need to use bottles to create element drops to throw at the boss. But the element drops will be lost if the player is hit. Once enough damage is done, the boss will drop a big score bonus after being defeated.
As an arcade style game, there are limited lives to make it through the adventure. If the player runs out of lives during a round, a continue screen or the score board will appear if a high score is earned. Players can continue the game using a credit, resuming the action immediately. In the event all credits have been used, the game will end. This applies to the Standard mode, whereas the Arcade mode has 99 credits for players to get through the full game.
In standard mode, there are adjustments to the game, updating the gameplay to be more accessible. There are additional features for players to make use of, like cheats, rewind and save states that can make the game a breeze. There is also an additional challenge mode, where players must get the best score they can with a single credit, alongside global leaderboards. Then there is the arcade mode, which is a straight forward arcade style experience.
This release can be played either solo or with another player, allowing for a lot of fun to be had. There is also the option of English and Japanese language, with their own challenge rankings, settings and options. As it is an emulated port, there are also options for visual effects, filters and color adjustments. This allows players to customise the look of the game, offering a highly customisable experience for players to tinker with.
Now with the games covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this bundle, starting with the controls.
Controls – The controls for both games are implemented well, giving players responsive and reactive inputs that are comfortable to use. Then there are the enhancements, with Spica Adventure having adjustable hybrid inputs, as well as special updates that allow players more flexibility. Parasol Stars can allow the inputs to be remapped, while also offering updates to the behaviour of inputs. The best way to experience the games are with a controller with a good D-Pad.
Difficulty – the core challenge of Spica Adventure is rather low, with players able to make their way through the game with little issue. This makes for a fun and accessible adventure, especially with the infinite credits. Parasol Stars on the other hand is much more challenging, as there are difficulty spikes after the early parts of the game. The limited credits in standard mode add to the challenge, but the cheats and the 99 credits of Arcade mode make the game beatable.
Presentation – both games are visually stunning, with the colors popping off the screen. There is a contrast between the pixel sprites of Parasol Stars, and the flat smooth sprites of Spica Adventure. These two games have distinct looks, which allow them to stand apart, while maintaining that distinct Taito charm. The visual enhancements and updates for both games are a nice touch, with Wide screen display for Spica Adventure and CRT filters for Parasol Stars.
Then there is the sound, with excellent music from Noriyuki Iwadare for Parasol Stars, who has composed music for Langrisser, Lunar and Ace Attorney. The soundtrack for Spica Adventure is performed by Zuntata, the band that is responsible for the music of Darius and The Ninja Warriors. The music in both games is emulated well, with crisp and clean audio, with a good balance between effects and music that feels good during play.
Final Thoughts – I am an unabashed fan of Taito, having covered and enjoyed many of the games, including Parasol Stars. So when I was given the opportunity to play Spica Adventure, a once Japanese release, I jumped at the opportunity. Spica Adventure is a fun and entertaining adventure, with that distinct Taito feel to it. The adventure may be short, but it does have a lot of replay value, as there are many unlockbles to discover.
I also revisited Parasol Stars for this review, and my thoughts on it have not changed. It is a solid challenge that feels like a natural evolution of the Bubble Bobble gameplay. Both of the games in this bundle have that special quality, which makes you want to return to it time and time again. There is that pick up and play feel, which makes it rather accessible for players. I am happy to recommend this bundle, as it offers two great games in an inexpensive package.
In the end, I give Parasol Superstars a final score of 4.75/5. This is an excellent double pack of arcade action, showcasing two games that offer wildly different experiences, yet share the common thread of the Parasol, with quality of life improvements and lots of replay value. If you want to check this game out for yourself, links to the digital and physical releases will be below. Please note, the physical release doesn’t have a solid release date yet.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
Link to Physical version (HERE)
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