Coming up with new ideas for games is tough. Having been around for over five decades at this point, video games are quite prolific. That doesn’t mean every good idea, or idea at all, has been done but it is getting hard to think of new ones. Bubble Gum Toad takes the idea of Flappy Bird, maybe even twisting the gameplay elements of Bubble Ghost if you will, to create an interesting new game. Starring a toad, no, no, nothing Rare/Microsoft need to be worried about, this toad doesn’t have what a teen attitude looks like based on some 50-year old’s opinion. No, this toad chews bubble gum, but does not kick butt, in a quest to collect coins in various levels.
Borrow from This, Take from That
You are likely to recognize gameplay elements from a few games in Bubble Gum Toad. That is not necessarily a problem – even Super Mario Bros borrowed elements from other, previously released, games to create the fun we had with it.
How those elements are implemented in new ways is what separates games. Bubble Gum Toad does this by limiting the action to single screens. Both Flappy Bird (physics) and Bubble Ghost (physics with obstacles) involved scrolling to present new challenges. Bubble Gum Toad lets you see the whole level at once and then figure out your preferred path to completion.
Collect the coins, or as many as your skills will allow, then head for the gumball machine to move onto the next level.
Unique Challenges Ahead
Bubble Gum Toad is an interesting title. Your toad cannot jump, literally a trait of the animal, which is off putting at first. When I first learned I was playing a toad that could not jump I thought, why not choose another animal?
After a few rounds you forget, or don’t care, about the character you are playing being a toad. You begin paying more attention to the gameplay mechanics and looking at those challenges you face.
That is the sign of a good design. Just like we didn’t care that we were controlling an overweight Italian plumber in Super Mario Bros, that never tired no matter how far we ran at full speed.
I do not think gamers will remember Bubble Gum Toad in a similar light in 40+ years but they will have fun with it for now. The physics work great, even if some of the level designs don’t really allow “clear” paths (you will get stuck on edges and fall, sometimes to your death).
For the price and ease of play, Bubble Gum Toad is definitely worth checking out. If you enjoy it, make sure the developer over on itch.io knows.