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Overview
Ultra cute sequel to Bubble Bobble. Work your way up each level by jumping platforms and throwing out rainbows. You can collapse your rainbows by jumping on them from above, allowing you to destroy any enemies trapped underneath, or you can shoot them directly at anything heading your way. The rainbows can be powered up to shoot three at a time and are essential to use as temporary platforms to progress up the level.
You say...
Rainbow Islands was the sequel to Taito's excellent Bubble Bobble, and it's strange to think that this was originally an arcade release. It's a very unique platformer, where you must race upwards to escape the rising water below. You have a special star that can shoot rainbows at enemies, but rainbows also create temporary platforms for you to walk on and get to otherwise unreachable areas. Power ups come in the shape of double or even triple rainbows (wooow), speed shoes, jumping shoes, fast rainbows and the like.
And that would be it, but this is the sequel to Bubble Bobble, and therefore, this game is absolutely rammed with secrets. You see, there are multiple endings to the game. If you crush a rainbow over an enemy, a gem will be thrown out on the screen, in a different colour depending on where it lands (I think). If you collect 7 different coloured gems on the same island, a giant gem will appear, and collecting all seven of these will cause three more islands to ride from the sea, and enable you to obtain the true ending. The PC Engine is rare, in that it was the only release until I think PS2 that even had these extra three islands. Moreover, if you collected the coloured gems in the correct (rainbow) order on each island, a door will appear giving you access to a permanent, death-proof power up.
Gameplay is fast paced, and often hectic, but never unfair, and always tremendously enjoyable. It's definitely got that "one more try" vibe to it.
On the surface, this game is a cute, enjoyable platformer, but the more you scratch away at its surface, the deeper you realise the gameplay is. One for the ages.
soop |
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