Play Rainbow Islands Extra Online

Summary

Rainbow Islands Extra feels like a quirky remix of the original platformer. While the island layouts stay true to the 1988 arcade classic, the default "extra" mode swaps the bright, cartoonish foes for the sleek, mechanical adversaries of Taito’s Darius shoot‑'em‑up series, giving each level a surprisingly sci‑fi edge. The familiar rainbow‑shooting mechanic remains, but the bosses arrive in a new order and sport more varied attack patterns, making them noticeably tougher than their predecessors.

Even though the arcade run was limited, the game survived by being bundled as a selectable mode in the Mega Drive (Sega Genesis) port of Rainbow Islands. That inclusion let console players experience the Darius‑inspired enemy roster without hunting down a rare cabinet. It’s a neat example of how Taito repurposed its own assets to freshen a beloved sequel while keeping the core platforming charm intact.

Storyline

In Rainbow Islands Extra, brothers Bubby and Bobby embark on a quest to rescue the island’s residents. The evil Boss of Shadow has transformed the inhabitants into Bubble Dragons. To free them, the duo must travel across ten Rainbow Islands, gathering the large gems and mirrors scattered throughout each level. Collecting these items weakens the boss’s power and ultimately allows the brothers to confront and defeat the Boss of Shadow. Once the boss is vanquished, the Bubble Dragons revert to their normal forms, restoring peace to the Rainbow Islands.