Rainbow Islands is a 1987 platformer by Taito and the direct sequel to Bubble Bobble. The protagonist Bub, having returned to his human form, must climb through seven colourful themed islands using his ability to conjure rainbows. Each island scrolls vertically across several floors, and toppling the boss at the top earns passage to the next.
How to Play
Press Z to throw a rainbow horizontally, creating an arc in front of you. Any enemy the arc strikes takes damage; once the rainbow is fully drawn it becomes a solid bridge that you — and any surviving enemies — can walk across. Use rainbows to reach higher platforms, to pin enemies against a wall, or to drop the bridge onto foes below just before it fades. Gems fall when enemies die; collecting them builds your score and, in groups of seven matching colours, triggers large bonus pickups.
Controls
| Arrow keys | Move left / right, look up or down |
| Z | Throw rainbow (B button) |
| X | Jump (A button) |
| Enter | Start |
| Shift | Select |
Tips
- A rainbow bridge disappears after a few seconds — throw it, use it immediately, and keep moving rather than waiting for an enemy to step into it.
- Throw seven rainbows in rapid succession without interruption and a large diamond appears, one of the highest-scoring pickups in the game.
- Each island introduces a new enemy set; study how each type moves on its first appearance, because the same enemies fill every floor above it.
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