T
he late videogame designer
Fukio Mitsuji liked to get
creative with his games’
weaponry. Instead of guns and
swords, he preferred to arm the player
with everyday objects that were both
interesting to look at, and offered a
satisfying way of pulling the trigger. This
was the inspiration behind the 1986
fixed-screen platformer Bubble Bobble,
where you had to encase your foes in
bubbles and then pop them with spikes
on the cutesy dinosaur heroes’ backs.
But Mitsuji also hated samey
sequels, which is why he made this
follow-up a completely different type
of platformer. Now, Bub and Bob (now
reverted to human form) defeated their
foes first by throwing rainbows in the
air and then jumping on them, sending
them crashing down onto anything
foolishly lurking underneath.
The rainbows also served another
purpose – as makeshift platforms. The
titular islands, you see, were slowly
(or, if you were dawdling long enough
to trigger the ‘Hurry up!’ warning, not
so slowly) sinking into the ocean, so
you had to use your rainbows to reach
higher ground. It was a hook so good,
Rainbow Islands was named Amiga
Power’s all-time top Amiga game in its
inaugural ‘issue zero’.01 If you collected all seven gems while exploring an
island, you’d earn a massive gem after the boss fight.
Gathering all seven of these was the only way to unlock
the final three islands – in the arcade original, at least.
02 By World 6, things get tough. The sentient screws
bounce wildly down the screen, while the homing robo-
heads reassess your position every few seconds or so.02
SPECTRUM | AMIGA | MEGA DRIVE | PLAYSTATION | NINTENDO 64
At the very top of each island, a supersized version
of one of the enemies you previously encountered
awaits. Monster Island’s boss, an enormous Dracula,
is one of the game’s sternest tests. Not only does
he constantly home in on your position, but with a
swish of his cape he sends an arc of bats your way.
CLASSIC BOSS