Ever have one of those days where you wake up and discover that you're a bubble? And the world you lived in and loved so much has become a sink that needs to be cleaned? And there are bugs everywhere? And no matter how hard you try, you just can't get things clean?
No? Well in 1982, someone at Williams, clearly not under the influence of anything other than good Christian love and cheer, did. When he came down from his, uh, "mountaintop conversation with Jesus," Bubbles was born.
Gameplay: This is the filthiest sink in history. Razor blades are everywhere. Crumbs and greasy blobs of yuck float all over the surface, while ants and giant roaches crawl out of the drain. Some sponges and brushes are scrubbing away, but for some reason, they don't like you and don't want your help. Nobody knows why. Maybe they're in a union. Approach them with a big smile on your face, or they'll pop you without a second thought. There's a miniature cleaning lady stuck in this sink, and she'll share her broom with you if you ask politely. Once you have it, you can easily brush the roaches down the drain. A word to the wise: Use a light touch on the joystick. Once you get moving, it's hard to slow down… and precipitous movement can have tragic results.
Could be mistaken for: A Scrubbing Bubbles recruitment film from the Dow Corporation, or a bad trip in the programming offices of Williams Electronics circa 1982.
Kids today might not like it because: As the bubble grows larger, it starts to smile, which suggests that cleaning things up could be fun.
Kids today might like it because: The razors, grease-blobs, and bugs are so punk rock, man. Especially when you see them on a 65-inch HDTV.
Enduring contribution to gaming history: Bubbles' underrepresented cleaning theme was taken to bizarre new levels in 1991's Tumblepop, which cheerfully announces "Let's clean up!" when the game begins. —Wil Wheaton
Images courtey of the International Arcade Museum and the Killer List Of Video Games.
Wil Wheaton's kitchen sink is fairly clean, but the bathroom floor is an entirely different story. Please don't tell his wife, who thinks he's cleaning today instead of playing video games.