Tumblepop

{{Infobox video game

|title = Tumblepop

|image = Tumblepop arcade flyer.jpg

|developer = Data East

|publisher = {{vgrelease|JP|Namco|NA|Leprechaun Inc.|EU|Mitchell Corporation}}

|designer = Makoto Kikuchi

|programmer = Hidemi Hamada
Kei Ichikawa
Minoru Sano

|artist = Atsushi Takahashi
Chie Kitahara
Hiroshi Tada

|composer = Tatsuya Kiuchi
Tomoyoshi Sato
Mihoko Ando

|platforms = Arcade, Game Boy

|released = {{vgrelease|JP|November 1991|NA|1991|EU|1991}}

|genre = Platform

|modes = {{flatlist|

Single-player
Co-op}}

}}

{{nihongo foot|Tumblepop|タンブルポップ|Tanburupoppu||lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a 1991 platform arcade video game developed by Data East first published in Japan by Namco, then in North America by Leprechaun Inc. and later in Europe by Mitchell Corporation. Starring two ghosthunters, players are tasked with travelling across different countries, capturing enemies and throwing them as bouncing ball, jumping on and off platforms to navigate level obstacles while dodging and defeating monsters in order to save the world.

Designed by Makoto Kikuchi, Tumblepop was developed by most of the same team that worked on several projects at Data East. Although first launched in arcades, the game was later ported across multiple platforms, each one featuring several changes or additions compared with the original version. The title was met with mostly positive reception from critics and players alike, gaining a cult following since its initial release. However, other versions were met with a more mixed response from reviewers.

Gameplay

File:ARC Tumblepop (Tumble Pop).png

Tumblepop is a platform game reminiscent of Bubble Bobble, Pang and Snow Bros., where players assume the role of ghosthunters through ten levels consisting of ten stages set in different parts of the world (Moscow, Egypt, Paris, New York City, Rio de Janeiro, Antarctica, Australia, Japan, Space and Moon), each with a boss at the every tenth stage that must be fought before progressing any further, in an effort to defeat monsters, ghosts, aliens and other oddball characters as the main objective.{{cite magazine|last=Labiner|first=Michael|url=https://archive.org/stream/Amiga_Joker_1991-12_Joker_Verlag_DE#page/n121/mode/1up|title=Coin Op: Tumble Pop|magazine=Amiga Joker|issue=22|publisher=Joker-Verlag|date=December 1991|page=122|lang=de}}Tumblepop instruction booklet (Game Boy, US){{cite web|last=Hawkins|first=Craig|url=https://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games90/tumblepop/|title=Tumblepop|publisher=Retro Gamer|date=21 August 2008|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813145645/http://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games90/tumblepop/|archive-date=13 August 2016|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Tiraboschi|first=Federico|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/tumblepop/|title=Tumblepop|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|date=17 October 2016|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200121070854/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/tumblepop/|archive-date=21 January 2020|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Bouzo|first=Oscar|url=https://www.vidaextra.com/analisis/tumblepop-analisis-review-experiencia-juego|title=Retroanálisis de Tumblepop, un clásico de recreativas que tendría que haber aspirado a mucho más|work=Vida Extra|publisher=Webedia|date=14 August 2019|access-date=2020-08-01|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429233015/https://www.vidaextra.com/analisis/tumblepop-analisis-review-experiencia-juego|archive-date=2020-04-29|url-status=live}} Each player can suck enemies into a vacuum-cleaner-like devices, however enemies will escape from the player's vacuum-cleaner and kill their character if they are kept for too long. Once an enemy has been captured into the vacuum-cleaner, players can spit them back as rolling balls, which will rebound off of walls until eventually shattering against a wall.

Any enemies the tumbling ball rolls into are eliminated and reveal hidden bonus items that are crucial for reaching high-scores such as collectable letters of the alphabet found in randomly appearing bubbles to gradually spell the word "TUMBLEPOP", the progress of which is permanently displayed at the bottom of the screen. The word goes back to default after completion. When completed, players are transported to a bonus level which gives them the opportunity to obtain higher scores and an extra life, although this level is strictly timed. If the player takes too much time to complete a level, an invincible vampire-like beast will come and try to kill the players, even during a boss encounter.

When players bowl an enemy over, it may drop other items like gems, money or power-ups. Players can also stun enemies with the beam emitted from the vacuum-cleaner. The game hosts cameos of characters from other Data East games such as Karnov, Atomic Runner Chelnov and Joe & Mac. If a single player is downed, their character is immediately respawned at the location they start at on every stage. Getting hit by enemy fire will result in losing a life, as well as a penalty of decreasing the characters' firepower and speed to his original state and once all lives are lost, the game is over unless the players insert more credits into the arcade machine to continue playing.

Development and release

Tumblepop was developed by most of the same team that worked on several projects at Data East, with Makoto Kikuchi serving as its designer.{{cite video game|title=Tumblepop|developer=Data East|publisher=Data East|date=1991|platform=Arcade|level=Staff}} Hidemi Hamada, Kei Ichikawa and Minoru Sano acted as programmers, while several artists like Atsushi Takahashi, Chie Kitahara, Hiroshi Tada and others were responsible for the pixel art. The soundtrack was handled by Gamadelic members Mihoko Ando, Tatsuya Kiuchi and Tomoyoshi Sato.{{cite web|last=Fuentes|first=Edgar S.|url=https://vandal.elespanol.com/vandalgamemusic/gamadelic-data-east-sound-team|title=Vandal Game Music: 'Gamadelic' Data East Sound Team - Repasamos el legado de Gamadelic, la brillante formación de músicos de Data East|work=Vandal|publisher=El Español|date=21 June 2017|access-date=2020-08-08|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705153751/https://vandal.elespanol.com/vandalgamemusic/gamadelic-data-east-sound-team|archive-date=2020-07-05|url-status=live}}

Tumblepop was first released in November 1991 in Japan by Namco, Leprechaun Inc. in North America and Mitchell Corporation in Europe.{{cite magazine|last=Yamashita|first=Nobuyuki|url=https://archive.org/stream/micomBASIC_1991-12#page/n254/mode/1up|title=Super Soft Hot Information: Video Game! (ビデオゲーム) - タンブルポップ|magazine=Micom BASIC Magazine|issue=114|publisher=The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation|date=December 1991|page=255|lang=ja}}{{cite book|last=Akagi|first=Masumi|url=https://archive.org/stream/ArcadeGameList1971-2005#page/n49/mode/1up|title=データイースト Data East; ナムコ（中村製作所）Namco|work=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編 (1971-2005)|edition=1st|publisher=Amusement News Agency|date=13 October 2006|pages=48, 53|isbn=978-4990251215|language=ja}}{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} In 1992, a Game Boy version by Data East was first released in Japan and later in North America in March 1993.{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/dmg_games.pdf|title=Game Boy (original) Games|publisher=Nintendo|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304111407/https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/dmg_games.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=live}} The Game Boy version incorporates a world map that does not resemble Earth; levels are contained in different cities on that map that the player can walk between. If a city proves too difficult, it is also possible to drop out of it and come back later via a password system. Enemies in a given city approximately correspond to those in an area in the arcade version, though there is not necessarily any link between the real world's cities and the game's cities. In addition, this version also incorporates a shop in which players can spend their points to buy power-ups. It has since been re-released on both the Nintendo 3DS' Virtual Console by G-Mode and the AntStream service.{{cite magazine|last=Brehme|first=Marc|url=https://www.pcgames.de/Streaming-Dienst-Thema-268201/Specials/Antstream-Retro-Spiele-ausprobiert-1273161/|title=Antstream: Wir haben das Netflix für Retro-Spiele ausprobiert|magazine=PC Games|publisher=Computec|date=17 January 2019|access-date=2020-07-16|lang=de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705170625/https://www.pcgames.de/Streaming-Dienst-Thema-268201/Specials/Antstream-Retro-Spiele-ausprobiert-1273161/|archive-date=2020-07-05|url-status=live}}

Reception

{{Video game reviews

|GamePro = (Game Boy) 14/20{{cite magazine|author=Andromeda|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:GamePro_US_051.pdf&page=139|title=Game Boy ProReview: Tumble Pop|magazine=GamePro|issue=51|publisher=IDG|date=October 1993|page=135|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716160306/https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:GamePro_US_051.pdf&page=139|archive-date=2020-07-16|url-status=live}}

|NLife = (Virtual Console) {{Rating|6|10}}{{cite web|last=Mason|first=Mike|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/eshop/tumble_pop_gameboy|title=Tumblepop Review (3DS eShop / GB) - Tumble Pop and lock|work=Nintendo Life|publisher=Nlife Media|date=18 June 2012|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716160301/https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/eshop/tumble_pop_gameboy|archive-date=16 July 2020|url-status=live}}

|rev1 = Game Zone

|rev1Score = (Arcade) {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine|last=Wilson|first=David|url=https://archive.org/stream/game-zone-03#page/74/mode/1up|title=Kill Zone - Tumble Pop|magazine=Game Zone|volume=1|issue=3|publisher=Dennis Publishing|date=January 1992|page=74}}

|rev2 = MeriStation

|rev2Score = (Arcade) 7.5/10{{cite web|last=Fernández|first=Ricardo|url=https://as.com/meristation/2018/09/01/analisis/1535816592_476499.html|title=Tumblepop, Retro Análisis|work=MeriStation|publisher=PRISA|date=2 September 2018|access-date=2020-07-16|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717011637/https://as.com/meristation/2018/09/01/analisis/1535816592_476499.html|archive-date=17 July 2020|url-status=live}}

|rev3 = Nintendo Gamer

|rev3Score = (Virtual Console) 45%{{cite magazine|last=Towell|first=Justin|title=Reviews - Tumble Pop|magazine=Nintendo Gamer|issue=78|publisher=Future plc|date=July 2012|page=103}}

|rev4 = Play Time

|rev4Score = (Game Boy) 69%{{cite magazine|last=M.|first=K.|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3APlayTime_DE_1993-08.pdf&page=82|title=Marios Magic: Tumblepop (Import) - Game Boy|magazine=Play Time|issue=26|publisher=CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG|date=August 1993|page=90|lang=de|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716160303/https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:PlayTime_DE_1993-08.pdf&page=82|archive-date=2020-07-16|url-status=live}}

|rev5 = Total!

|rev5Score = (Game Boy) 3+{{cite magazine|last=Eggebrecht|first=Julian|author-link=Julian Eggebrecht|url=https://total.bee-ware.ch/tests/gb/gb_tumbletop.jpg|title=Game Boy - Test: Tumble Pop|magazine=Total!|issue=1|publisher=X-Plain-Verlag|date=June 1993|page=80|lang=de|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726180219/http://total.bee-ware.ch/tests/gb/gb_tumbletop.jpg|archive-date=2015-07-26|url-status=live}}

|rev6 = Zero

|rev6Score = (Arcade) {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine|last=Stokes|first=Doris|url=https://archive.org/stream/zero-magazine-27#page/n70/mode/1up|title=Dosh Eaters: Tumble Pop (Data East)|magazine=Zero|issue=27|publisher=Dennis Publishing|date=January 1992|page=69}}

}}

In Japan, Game Machine listed Tumblepop on their 1 December 1991 issue as being the eighth most-successful table arcade unit of the month.{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)|magazine=Game Machine|issue=416|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 December 1991|page=25|lang=ja}} In the February 1992 issue of Japanese publication Micom BASIC Magazine, the game was ranked on the number eight spot in popularity.{{cite magazine|last=Yamashita|first=Nobuyuki|url=https://archive.org/stream/micomBASIC_1992-02#page/n216/mode/1up|title=Super Soft Hot Information: Video Game (ビデオゲーム) - Hot 20|magazine=Micom BASIC Magazine|issue=116|publisher=The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation|date=February 1992|page=241|lang=ja}} The arcade original has gained a cult following since its release.

Computer and Video Games{{'}}s Julian Rignall gave high praise to the visuals, sound and "addictive" gameplay.{{cite magazine|last=Rignall|first=Julian|author-link=Julian Rignall|url=https://archive.org/stream/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_123_1992-02_EMAP_Publishing_GB#page/n87/mode/2up|title=Arcade Action - Tumble Pop|magazine=Computer and Video Games|issue=123|publisher=EMAP|date=February 1992|pages=88–89}} Both Emmanuel Castro and Bruno Sol of Spanish website Vandal gave it a positive retrospective outlook.{{cite web|last=Castro|first=Emmanuel|url=https://vandal.elespanol.com/retro/tumblepop-los-cazafantasmas-de-los-noventa|title=Retro: Tumblepop ¡Los "cazafantasmas" de los noventa! — Revivimos la magia especial de los arcades con el juego de DataEast|work=Vandal|publisher=El Español|date=4 November 2011|access-date=2020-07-16|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717101754/https://vandal.elespanol.com/retro/tumblepop-los-cazafantasmas-de-los-noventa|archive-date=17 July 2020|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Sol|first=Bruno|url=https://vandal.elespanol.com/retro/tumblepop-con-el-aspirador-en-ristre|title=Retro: TumblePop: con el aspirador en ristre — Recuperamos uno de los grandes clásicos de Data East|work=Vandal|publisher=El Español|date=8 December 2017|access-date=2020-07-16|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716223222/https://vandal.elespanol.com/retro/tumblepop-con-el-aspirador-en-ristre|archive-date=16 July 2020|url-status=live}} Likewise, Juan Garcia of IGN Spain also gave it a positive retrospective outlook.{{cite web|last=García|first=Juan|url=https://es.ign.com/el-hit-de-ayer/106544/feature/el-hit-de-ayer-tumblepop|title=El Hit de Ayer: Tumble Pop - Data East vuelve a las plataformas en un arcade con aspiraciones|work=IGN Spain|publisher=Marca|date=2 August 2016|access-date=2020-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716192715/https://es.ign.com/el-hit-de-ayer/106544/feature/el-hit-de-ayer-tumblepop|archive-date=16 July 2020|url-status=live}}

Notes

References

External links

[https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/arcade/583903-tumble-pop Tumblepop] at GameFAQs
[https://www.giantbomb.com/tumble-pop/3030-11637/ Tumblepop] at Giant Bomb
[https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=10214 Tumblepop] at Killer List of Videogames
[https://www.mobygames.com/game/tumble-pop_ Tumblepop] at MobyGames
[https://www.mobygames.com/game/tumble-pop Tumblepop (Game Boy)] at MobyGames