Bubble Bobble: Lost Cave C64

A true spiritual sequel to Bubble Bobble!

For the first time in 39 years, Bubble Bobble on Commodore 64 receives a true spiritual sequel.

Bubble Bobble: Lost Cave brings the legendary fan-made arcade hack Lost Cave from 2012 to the C64, featuring 100 brand-new levels originally designed by TAITO as extra content for the console versions — now carefully adapted for Commodore’s beloved 8-bit machine.

Built upon the technical foundations of Bubble Bobble Remastered, this project represents its natural evolution and completion. Thanks to extensive reverse engineering and custom tools developed internally, it finally became possible to recreate Lost Cave on C64 with a level of accuracy and respect that was previously unattainable.

What to expect

• 100 new levels from TAITO's console ports of Bubble Bobble, faithfully adapted to the C64 engine
• Level layouts recreated with arcade accuracy in mind
• Carefully reproduced bubble airflows within C64 memory limits
• Gameplay adjustments to better fit the C64 game engine
• Selected new bonus items straight from the original console versions
• Optional Two-Button Controls (jump on Button 2), just like the arcade
• Remastered visuals, fully consistent with Bubble Bobble C64 Remastered
• A slightly tougher challenge that rewards strategy, skill and experience
• A pay-what-you-want fan-made project, created by fans, for fans

A faithful adaptation

Due to the original C64 engine’s hardcoded limits, some elements — such as certain hole shapes or airflow granularity — could not be reproduced exactly. Where needed, levels were carefully adapted to preserve gameplay and challenge, without altering the spirit of the original design.

The result is the closest experience C64 players have ever had to a true Bubble Bobble sequel.

A collaborative effort

The adaptation was made possible thanks to the invaluable collaboration of Andrea “Bisboch” Babich, co-creator of the original Lost Cave project, who provided complete level data and personally verified the accuracy of the C64 conversion.

Technically speaking

Bubble Bobble: Lost Cave is a hack of the original C64 version of Bubble Bobble, not a from-scratch rewrite of the game, featuring fully redesigned sprites and backgrounds. The new graphics, directly converted from the arcade version, offer greater detail and fidelity to the original look and feel, while being optimized for both CRT and modern monitors, to offer the best possible experience on real hardware end emulators alike.

Development Status

v1.0a

Fixed a two-button control issue when playing on real hardware with two players simultaneously. 

Important Notes

⚠️ Avoid unofficial / trainer versions

Please be aware that trainer or cracked versions of the game available on CSDB contain known issues and may exhibit incorrect behavior that is not present in the official release.

For accurate gameplay, proper behavior, and support, please use the official version published here, which is a free, respectful update to the original 1987 conversion, and tested on real hardware.

Unofficial versions are not supported and any reports or complaints related to unofficial versions cannot be taken into consideration. Thank you for your understanding.

⚠️ Two-Button Control & SID Compatibility on Real Hardware

The Commodore 64 relies on the SID chip to read the paddle inputs. The second joystick button is wired to pin 9 and is detected via the POT X signal.

If you experience issues with the second button, your system is likely using a SID replacement (such as SwinSID or similar) that is not fully compatible with the original SID’s handling of paddle inputs.

This is not a bug in the game. Any C64 software that reads the second joystick button through POT inputs will exhibit the same behavior on such hardware.

For proper control functionality, an original SID or a fully compatible replacement is recommended.

⚠️ PAL System Required

This game is a hack of the PAL version of Bubble Bobble for Commodore 64 and is designed to be played on PAL systems only. 

Running the game on NTSC machines or NTSC emulation may cause issues such as inconsistent or incorrect game speed and audiovisual glitches.

For the intended and optimal experience, please play the game on PAL hardware or use a PAL-configured emulator.

Credits

Lost Cave C64 Team (2026)

• Graphics, Levels & Coordination: Davide Bottino 
• Reverse Engineering, Coding & Editor: Victor Widell

• Intro Music: Aldo Chiummo
• Intro code: Antonio Savona

• 2-Button Control Mod: Salvo Cristaldi

Lost Cave Arcade Team (2012)

• Bisboch & Aladar

Original Bubble Bobble C64 Team (1987)

• Coding: Stephen Ruddy
• Graphics: Andrew R. Threlfall
• Music: Peter Clarke

Disclaimer

This project has been created in good faith and with the utmost respect for Taito and their work. It is an unofficial hack of the existing official Commodore 64 port from 1987, with the goal of enhancing and celebrating a video game classic while preserving the spirit of the original game. The project is entirely free of charge and is not for profit. It has not been created or authorized by Taito and does not intend to infringe upon any intellectual property rights. It is a tribute to the game and its cultural legacy.