The second sequel to Puzzle Bobble, it was released for arcades in September 1996 and later ported to the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy, Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows.

Further ports for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in February 2023 by City Connection alongside Puzzle Bobble 2.

The game completely abandons the idea of previous titles that the playfield is being pushed down by some sort of mechanical device and instead attaches groups of bubbles to nodes that move downwards.

Gameplay is further varied by the implementation of new scrolling playfields that are several times as high as the screen and must be conquered as an endurance event.

[19] The Saturn port received moderately positive reviews, with critics voicing approval for the introduction of multiple playable characters with their own individual abilities,[11][17][7] the vast number of levels included in the collection mode,[11][12][17][7] and the intensity of the multiplayer gameplay.

[11][12][7][20] GamePro found the reuse of the previous installment's soundtrack and the limited changes to the gameplay in particular doused much of the excitement for the game.

[20] Next Generation disagreed, asserting that "it's arguable that the formula Taito and Natsume hit on with the Bust-A-Move series needs no major improvements and is sure to please any puzzle fanatic.