Frozen Bubble 32X

Frozen Bubble 32X

**Ported to the Sega 32X by D-Mar the Daytripper (https://dmar3000.itch.io/)**

A Frozen Bubble/Puzzle Bobble-style game built for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive with the 32X add-on.

## Release status

The latest original-hardware-confirmed release is **Frozen Bubble 32X v1.10.0 No-Save / Live Tutorial / Dual Score / Song Skip**:

- 79,296 bytes

- Sega checksum `3282`

- SHA-256 `a0acbd72326f39e176756c9cc3309fd1c729b611dccafec42814bee054aeb125`

- Original-hardware acceptance recorded September 12, 2026

## Features

- 100 solo levels with Rookie and Pro aiming modes

- Session-only Top Score plus current gameplay Score

- Two-player Best-of-3 Race

- Two-player Best-of-3 Attack

- Player vs CPU Best-of-3 Attack with distinct Easy, Normal, and Hard opponents

- Trajectory-aware CPU planning through the ordinary aim, projectile, collision, match, floating-bubble, frost, pressure, and loss rules

- Title attract sequence: live arcade-style how-to tutorial, music-muted demo levels 01–03, then title

- Animated 2.5D penguin operators and referee

- Pause-menu music/SFX mixer and sequential Skip Song selector

- Three Frozen Bubble-inspired songs

Player vs CPU Race is not included.

## Controls

- **D-pad:** Aim and navigate menus

- **Hold B while aiming:** Fine aim; the shooter crank moves at one-third normal speed

- **A/C:** Fire bubbles

- **Start:** Begin play or pause during a match

- **Pause menu:** Continue, choose the next/previous song, toggle music, adjust music/SFX volume, or exit

- **Attract mode:** Any input on either controller returns to the title

B remains the title-screen mode selector and Pause quick-continue button. During live human play it is the held fine-aim modifier and does not fire a bubble.

Either controller can operate shared setup and Pause menus in human two-player modes. Player vs CPU setup is controlled by controller 1.

## Score display

During Solo gameplay, `TOP` appears to the left of `SCORE` in the upper HUD:

- **TOP:** Best Solo score in the current powered session

- **SCORE:** Current Solo run's cumulative score

Top Score begins at 0 after boot, rises when the current score exceeds it, remains across title returns and new runs, and resets on power/reset. There are no initials, leaderboard, clear-data screen, SRAM records, or save transactions. Attract and VS play cannot alter Top Score.

## Live attract tutorial and demos

After more than seven seconds of title inactivity:

1. A 19-second arcade-style tutorial plays on the real Solo field. Narrow side placards change alongside staged gameplay:

   - normal D-pad aiming and the Rookie trajectory guide;

   - held-B one-third-speed fine aiming;

   - A/C firing and a real three-bubble match;

   - a second real shot that disconnects two branches and makes them fall;

   - a visible timer warning and ceiling-pressure move;

   - the meanings of session `TOP` and current `SCORE`.

2. Tutorial points are cleared; music-muted Demo 01 begins at Score 0, and demo levels 01–03 play through the legitimate CPU/gameplay path.

3. The game returns directly to the title.

The tutorial placards are cached once per lesson so their text does not burden each gameplay frame. There is no high-score-table intermission and no demo level 04–06. Either controller cancels the tutorial or demos and restores ordinary title behavior and title music.

## Pause Skip Song

The Pause menu shows `SKIP SONG < n/3 >`:

- **Right or A/C/Start:** next song in the predictable `1 → 2 → 3 → 1` order

- **Left:** previous song

# Hardware

Designed for an original Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and Sega 32X. Exact v1.10.0 checksum `3282` is original-hardware-confirmed. Exact v1.9.0 checksum `C2E1` remains preserved as the preceding confirmed fallback.

## Music and licensing

The soundtrack arrangements draw from Matthias Le Bidan's GPL Frozen Bubble modules. See `MUSIC_CREDITS.md` and `COPYING-GPL-2.0` in the release package for details.