Games Asylum: "At a time when many of the biggest names in retro gaming are often reserved for subscription services – such as Antstream and Switch Online – or used as selling points for dedicated retro collections, it’s refreshing to see a much-requested retro gem gain a multiformat standalone release. Taito could have easily held back Parasol Stars for a future Milestone collection – but no, here it is, as an inexpensive (£9) download with a bunch of features."
"The Bubble Bobble series wasn’t always just dragons blowing bubbles. Before Bubble Symphony and Bubble Memories came along, Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars were the official Bubble Bobble sequels, and they starred Bub and Bob as humans instead of dragons. Parasol Stars was originally released on Turbografx-16/PC Engine rather than to arcades, but it’s every bit as well-made as its forebears. More than 30 years later, Parasol Stars has finally returned to consoles thanks to ININ Games. While the new release is low on frills, it’s great that modern audiences have a chance to play it," says Co-Optimus.
VGChartz's Evan Norris: "Parasol Stars is a hidden gem in both the Bubble Bobble franchise and the PC Engine library. Thanks to ININ and Ratalaika, a new generation of players can now enjoy it, without purchasing the original hardware or tracking down a TurboGrafx-16 Mini. It boasts lovely graphics, high replay value, and a surprisingly deep scoring system. Its only drawbacks: a short running time, two-player multiplayer that can feel clumsy at times, and a nasty bug unique to this modern port. Once the patch is live, definitely consider picking this one up."
Now available on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch, Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III (to give it its full name) sees dragons Bubby and Bobby set off on a mission to save multiple worlds from invading forces.
