Rainbow Islands

Rainbow Islands is the sequel to Bubble Bobble and was developed and published by Taito in 1987 for arcades only. It would remain a coin-op until 1990 when it was ported to the Amiga, Commodore 64, and other home platforms. It would be converted multiple times in the subsequent years.

The gameplay is different, but in terms of graphics, the game looks remarkably similar to Mario.

This time, Bub and Bob have shed their reptilian skin and are now human again. After successfully rescuing their love interests in the first game, the brothers now set out to rid the Rainbow Islands of evil. Along with their new forms, the boys now use rainbows instead of bubbles. The rainbow has 3 purposes: first, to kill enemies; second, to contain them; and third, they can be used as a platform. You must reach the island's top at each level before the sea level reaches you. Power-ups can be gathered around the levels to increase your speed or the number of rainbows. Like its predecessor, Rainbow Islands features multiple endings depending on whether or not you unlock the secret islands.

The game got a positive reception, with many fans claiming it to be better than the original Bubble Bobble. I’ve always been a fan of the series myself, and I say any platform fan should take it for a spin.