Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron Is Back! The Barons Workshop Review (Steam)

by Jim Smale · October 11, 2021

We are back with our Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron Is Back! The Barons Workshop Review, The popular dragon’s Bub and Bob are back again! Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron Is Back! The Barons Workshop is the latest game in the legendary Bubble Bobble series from Taito.

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron Is Back! The Barons Workshop Review Pros:

Nice cartoon-like graphics.
1.14GB download size.
Steam achievements.
Supports the controller and keyboard.
Graphics – fullscreen and resolution.
Can rebind controls for both keyboard and the controller.
Two control layouts.
Simple controls to learn.
Two game types – Bubble Bobble 4 Friends and The Barons Workshop.
Gameplay-trap enemies in bubbles then pop them to eliminate them.
How to play section for both modes.
Classic soundtrack.
Four-player local support.
Memory album-watch unlocked cutscenes and intros.
Online leaderboards.
Power ups-earn and assign before playing. It can be things like speed bubbles or timed bomb bubbles.
Barons Workshop is a level creator using a simple grid-like system and you can upload and share levels.
Easy to quit to menu and swap game style.
You unlock new items for Barons Workshop by playing Bubble Bobble 4 Friends and getting certain clear conditions met.
Customisation-earn/wear new costumes.
Each area on the map is 10 levels and a boss fight.
Big boss encounters.
Combo “chain” counter.
Unlimited continues/level restarts.
Invincibility-get game over 3 times on the one level to get a choice to turn invincibility on.
Bubbles-bounce on, pop by jumping down.
Puzzle elements throughout.
Easy to learn.
It contains the original Bubble Bobble 8 bit version.
Collect EXTEND across the levels for new powerups and earn 1-3 stars for the levels.
Fun to play.
Solid gameplay.
Levels contain special effect bubbles and interactions.
Can skip cutscenes.
Barons Workshop lets you create a level using background themes, blocks, wind and wind direction, spawn point for each character, enemies, fruit, and clear times.

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron Is Back! The Barons Workshop Review Cons:

One hit deaths.
Uploading levels are very basic with no filters/tags or criteria like being able to finish the level.
Some bad-level designs.
Can’t save progress mid-level.
You have to use the keyboard to quit the game regardless of using a controller or not.
Barons Workshop is clunky to use with a controller.
On bigger levels, the camera pans right out and makes it really hard to see.
Minimal graphic settings.
It’s the same main game as before.

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