Rainbow Islands: Bubble Bobble 2 (Sega Master System) - Let's Play 1001 Games - Episode 30
13Double rainbows all the way across the sky!
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I'm Gaming Jay: Youtube gamer, let's player, retrogaming fan, and determined optimist... Join me in this series while I try out EVERY game in the book 1001 VIDEO GAMES YOU MUST PLAY BEFORE YOU DIE, before I die. The game review for each game will focus on the question of whether you MUST play this game before you die. But to be honest, the game reviews are just for fun, this series is more about the YouTube gamer journey. Let's try out those classic retro games we grew up with, have fond memories of, or heard of but never got a chance to try! And with that said, the game review for today is...
Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2
Released 1987
Developer(s) Taito
Platform(s) Arcade, NES, Sega Master System, etc.
Genre(s) Platformer
Jay's Thoughts
Rainbow Islands is the sequel to Bubble Bobble, which is interesting because Rainbow Islands is nothing like Bubble Bobble. Gone is the one screen arcade game and now it's a vertical scrolling platformer. Not to mention in Bubble Bobble you control a cute set of dragons but in Rainbow Islands you control a magic boy who shoots rainbows. Turns out the boy is the dragon, somehow having been magically transformed. When you think about it, Mario pulled the same scam back in the day. He started as Jumpman in Donkey Kong, followed up by Mario Bros, an arcade game which was similar-ish to Bubble Bobble. But the later sequel, Super Mario Bros., was a relatively big change from the original arcade games. Anyway...
Beyond it's tenuous links to Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Island is actually an interesting platformer. The goal of the game is to continuous climb upwards while using rainbows both to defeat enemies and to create temporary bridges that can be walked upon. Hence, the rainbows in Rainbow Island have to be strategically placed in most circumstances in order to climb effectively. It doesn't sound hard but it's harder than you think.
Rainbow Islands was widely ported. I played the Sega Master System version, to mix things up a bit, but I think the arcade version might be the more refined version to try. Like most Master System platformers, it's a decent game and all, but it's no Super Mario Bros. Ultimately, this is a game that old school gamers may enjoy but the rest of us could probably skip.
➙ Must You Play It?
Rainbow Islands is a decent platformer with an interesting vertical platforming twist and rainbow mechanic. Though strange, it is kind of neat that it's a follow up to Bubble Bobble. It's nice when developers take a chance. This game isn't for everyone but is fun for platformer fans.