No brothers like Snow Brothers.
PLAYERS: 1-2 simultaneous
PUBLISHER: Capcom
DEVELOPER: Sol
GENRE: Arcade
RELEASE DATE: November 1991
Snow Brothers takes the Bubble Bobble formula – trap enemies in bubbles, pop to kill them – and exchanges bubbles for snow. Prince Nick and Prince Tom are the Snow Brothers (small complaint: no princes would ever be named Nick and Tom – ever), two do-gooders who want to smother the world of evil under a blanket of cleansing white. The evil King Scorch has set before them fifty levels of injustice and, natch, a princess to rescue. Caveman Tornadoes, Yetis, Blue Bats, and more await snow’s purifying touch. Cover each enemy until they’re a fully rounded snowball, then unleash them to their demise. As the large snowball careens around the level, it will hopefully destroy other enemies along with it. After every ten levels, a large reptilian boss creature appears. They’ll spit out enemies you can turn into snowballs, or if you prefer the more methodical approach, you can spew snow at them until they die. Once you understand how to unleash a snowball that takes out almost every enemy on the stage, the levels end quickly – too quickly. Snow Brothers is over fast, thanks to nine continues and little difficulty increase in the later levels; playing with a friend only makes the experience end quicker. A shame, perhaps, but Snow Brothers levels lack the creativity and variety of Bubble Bobble, the very game that inspired it (and I’m not even a huge Bubble Bobble fan). By the time the game ends, you’ll be bored with snow and the brothers who release it.
C+
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9 replies on “#585 – Snow Brothers”
So would you say that this game left you…cold? That it wasn’t a very…ice experience?
@Kurdt: Well played.
Snow buts about it! On the flip-side though when I was 7 I thought this was the greatest game in the world and didn’t even know Bubble Bobble existed. I totally agree it’s over too quickly but there’s something ridiculously addicting to this game – maybe it’s the music, or the bright enticing color scheme….maybe it’s the fact the 2nd boss of the game is a giant brain that shoots bombs out of it. Either way I will go to this one over Bubble Bobble but will probably never own it due to it’s $150 price tag. Oh well, at least I have Metal Gear…*insert face-palm*
I could totally see 7-year-old me loving Snow Brothers.
Also, don’t you mean METAL GEEEEEEEEAAAAR?!
I believe the screenshot you have posted above is from Floor 12 of the game; there is a cheat (easter egg?) in this level:
Just below that red enemy on the left side of the screen, you have to stand in the =/ shaped region between the two small horizontal walls, turn your character’s head towards the right side of the screen, and shoot for some time. It will take you to a lottery like the ones that you get after every boss; except that this time, the rewards are in the form of “1F UP”, “2F UP” and “3F UP”s. If your total is 5F UP, for example, then you will skip 5 floors and land directly in the 17th level!
Hello, old me 8 years in the past. I’ve found one more of these shortcuts, and it’s on Floor 32. Jump straight up to the top-most platform. Turn left and keep shooting while jumping. A bag of with $ symbol will appear. Grab it to open the lottery. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1848181c6cdcd01a1494576e8167f957a54aeb452b6a4b60bff3470797de493b.png
@Arindam: Thanks!
I dunno…in a world where the best known princes are named Charles, William, Harry, and George, it seems Nick and Tom would be perfectly acceptable! 😉
I still play this a lot when I’m looking for something mindless. I recall it being pretty polished on Mega Drive too.