It’s interesting to note that with a few exceptions, the Xbox Live Arcade hasn’t been adding many, you know, arcade games to its catalog lately. Yet Bubble Bobble Neo is a decent port of the original Bubble Bobble, with several new stages added to those you’re already familiar with from the 80s classic. For those who never got to play the original, the idea behind Bubble Bobble is you control a cute, cartoon-style mini-dragon who can blow bubbles and jump from platform to platform. He’s surrounded by enemies, and has to defend himself by catching them within bubbles and then slamming into the bubble (either by jumping or running) to pop it. Some stages add a few more ideas to the mix, but that is the basic premise and it’s a good one.

Your 800 Microsoft Spacebucks (roughly $10 USD) will get you three modes of play: Original, Arrange, and Versus. Original is exactly what it sounds like; all the stages of the original Bubble Bobble, albeit with new graphics. Arrange offers several new stages, while Versus starts you on a random stage and changes it from a co-op game to something more antagonistic; the same idea of players catching monsters in bubbles and popping them still applies, but you can also catch the other players in bubbles (albeit not kill them; trying to do so just releases them from the bubble early).

While the game’s premise is very simple, a few things add depth. There are power-ups on some stages, which range from letting you run faster to replacing your bubbles with fireballs that instantly destroy an enemy; there is no need to pop them after the initial blast. Other stages require you to ’bubble jump’, blowing a bubble near a wall, then jumping onto it and immediately springing off it to a platform you can’t reach with a normal hop. A few other tricks come up as well, and they add some welcome variety to the game.

My most serious complaint about this game would be a lack of online play. There are a few internet-related features, but no actual play over Xbox Live. Given the Xbox 360’s excellent online integration, this is very disappointing. I’m willing to live with it, but I really wish they had added this since it would have made Bubble Bobble Neo that much stronger a game.

The new graphics are one of the major selling points for Bubble Bobble Neo, but they’re a mixed bag. They largely retain the charm and style of the original, but some stages have a nasty contrast between sharp reds, greens, and blues right next to one another and the new graphics make it harsh on the eyes. Thankfully this only happens in a few stages, so it’s not a major problem. It does highlight an odd omission however; you cannot pick the classic graphics at all, and all stages use the new visuals.

But the new graphics aren’t why you should consider Bubble Bobble Neo. The mix of classic game play alongside both original and new stages is the real appeal, and fans of old-school arcade style titles will find that Bubble Bobble Neo is a competent entry in the 800 Microsoft Point range. If you have any interest at all in that sort of thing, I’d suggest checking this one out.