Rainbow Islands: Story of the Bubble Bobble 2 (1993). Play Free Online

Summary

I’ve spent a lot of time with Rainbow Islands, the sequel that let us trade bubble‑blowing for rainbow‑crafting. The Master System port that hit Europe and Australia is famous for a nasty glitch: after clearing Level 7 the game abruptly crashes back to the title, and even a level‑select hack can trigger the same fail at the end of Level 8, cutting off the ending entirely. Luckily the Brazilian release fixed the issue, so those copies run from start to finish without the surprise reset.

Gameplay revolves around climbing each sinking island before the water engulfs you, using solid rainbows both as temporary steps and as a way to zap enemies. Picking up power‑ups ramps up your speed, how fast rainbows fire, and how many you can unleash at once. The islands are grouped into ten themes, each with four rounds, and the rising water adds a constant sense of urgency.

The title also hides a scoring obsession: destroying foes in the right order drops colored diamonds that can unlock secret rooms and permanent upgrades. Players who master the rainbow physics can rack up massive scores that far outstrip casual runs.

For collectors, the European version mirrors the NES/Famicom edition, even including the whimsical KiKi KaiKai island, making it a nostalgic but sometimes infuriating piece of Bubble Bobble history.

Storyline

After the events of Bubble Bobble, the heroes Bubby and Bobby – the human forms of the original bubble dragons – embark on a new quest in Rainbow Islands: Story of the Bubble Bobble 2.

The Dark Shadow, the same evil force behind the chaos in Bubble Bobble, has turned the island’s inhabitants into Bubble Dragons.

To free them, Bubby and Bobby must travel across ten colorful Rainbow Islands, gathering the large gems and mirrors that lie on each stage.

Once all the treasures are collected, they confront the Boss of Shadow, defeat him, and restore the residents to their normal selves.

Edited by Maya Carter