This article is about the game. For the island chain in which the game takes place, see Rainbow Islands (location).
Rainbow Islands (レインボーアイランド Reinbō Airando?), subtitled The Story of Bubble Bobble 2, is a sequel to Bubble Bobble starring Bubby and Bobby, the human forms of the first game's protagonists, Bub and Bob. Bubby and Bobby must rescue the denizens of Rainbow Islands, who have been imprisoned and turned into Bubble Dragons by an evil villain. As opposed to Bubble Bobble, where enemies were trapped in bubbles, to defeat enemies in Rainbow Islands the player must shoot rainbows at them.
Gameplay
The player controls Bubby or Bobby, who must make it to the top of the stage. Bubby and Bobby have the ability to shoot rainbows, which can defeat enemies, collect items, and act as platforms. Bubby and Bobby can collect power ups that allow them to shoot rainbows faster, increase their speed, or to increase the number of rainbows they shoot. If the player takes too long to clear the stage, the sea level begins to rise. If Bubby or Bobby touch the water, they will lose a life. After reaching the top of the stage, Bubby and Bobby move on to the next one.
There are 10 islands in total, each with their own different theme. Each island features four levels with a boss at the end of the fourth one. The last three islands are not available at the start, they must be unlocked by collecting the seven big diamonds which are only obtained by collecting the seven small diamonds which are dropped by enemies. Enemies will drop diamonds if a rainbow is dropped upon them, or if they are defeated by using certain items.
After collecting the seven big diamonds, Bubby and Bobby may continue on to the secret islands, all of which are themed after other Taito games. To achieve the best ending possible, Bubby and Bobby must collect seven more diamonds on each island, which will make the boss drop one of three mirrors. After clearing the remaining islands, Bubby and Bobby will face off against the Boss of Shadow, who is a giant armored Bubble Dragon. After being hit enough times, the Boss of Shadow reveals his true form: a giant Skel-Monsta. After destroying the Baron, Bubby and Bobby use the gems and the mirrors to transform the villagers of the Rainbow Islands back to their human forms.
Story
Bubby and Bobby set off to rescue the inhabitants of the Rainbow Islands, who have been turned into Bubble Dragons by the evil Boss of Shadow. They must collect the big gems and mirrors on the ten Rainbow Islands and defeat the Boss of Shadow to return the islanders to normal.
Endings
Like Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands features multiple endings depending on how the player completes the game. To get the true ending, the player must collect all seven big diamonds and all three mirrors.
Bad Ending
- If Bubby does not collect all seven big diamonds, he discovers a large treasure pile after defeating Super Gargoyle. The game then displays this message:
CONGRATULATIONS!
THE ADVENTURE ON THE RAINBOW ISLANDS
IS OVER! AND YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED IN
GETTING A LOT OF TREASURES!
THE PURPOSE HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.....
BUT JUST THEN, THE HEAP OF TREASURES
BEGINS TO BREAK DOWN! "WHAT'S THIS?"
IT IS A LETTER FROM THE PEOPLE IN
THE RAINBOW ISLANDS ASKING FOR HELP!
WE WERE CAPTURED BY
"THE BOSS OF SHADOW"
WHO TURNED MANY PEOPLE
INTO THE BUBBLE DRAGONS!
IF YOU GET THE 7 BIG DIAMONDS
OF THE 7 ISLANDS,
THE SECRET ISLANDS WILL
COME UP TO THE SURFACE!!
HE LIVES IN THERE!!
PLEASE! PLEASE! HELP!!
Good Ending
- If Bubby collects the seven big diamonds but does not collect the mirrors, the Boss of Shadow is destroyed. If the player manages to defeat the Boss of Shadow in one hit by collecting each of items in the game's secret rooms, the Super Skel-Monsta says this:
WHAT STRENGTH!!
BUT DON'T FORGET THERE ARE MANY MONSTERS
LIKE ME ALL OVER THE WORLD.
Bubby opens the chest dropped by the Boss of Shadow, and obtains the crystal rod inside. The room floods with blood, and Bubby must jump up to the villagers' cells. Bubby is shown using the diamonds to unlock the captured villagers. They exit their cages, and a message plays:
THE JAILS HAVE BEEN OPENED!
"THANK YOU VERY MUCH! BUT...
WE ARE STILL BUBBLE DRAGONS YET."
"TO RETURN US TO HUMAN FORM,
IT IS NECESSARY TO GET 3 MAGICAL
MIRRORS... SO WE HEARD!
"PLEASE FIND THE 7 LITTLE
DIAMONDS TO GET THE MIRRORS OF THE
SECRET ISLANDS!............"
True Ending
- If Bubby collects all seven diamonds and the first two mirrors, the Boss of Shadow is destroyed and displays the same message as in the good ending, but he drops a golden mirror as well as the crystal rod. Bubby uses the diamonds to unlock the villagers' cells, like before, but a beam of light comes down from the sky and reflects off of the three mirrors to create seven rainbow colored beams. The villagers turn back to human, and a message congratulates Bubby:
THE BOSS OF SHADOW, "SUPER SKULL
MONSTA" WAS RUINED!
SO, THE FINAL WAR WAS OVER!
IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT HE
INTENDED TO TURN THEM INTO HIS
FOLLOWERS TAKING A LONG TIME.
BUT, THE BLACK MAGIC OF "BUBBLE
DRAGON" HAS PERISHED NOW!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BUBBY!!
AT LAST, THE PEACE CAME BACK TO
THIS WORLD THANKS TO YOUR BRAVE
ACT!! WE SHALL NEVER FORGET
YOUR ACHIEVEMENT FOREVER,
THANK YOU!!!...
Worlds
Insect Island
Enemies:
Boss:
Combat Island
Enemies:
Boss:
Monster Island
Enemies:
Boss:
Toy Island
Enemies:
Boss:
- Super Pierrot
Doh's Island
Enemies:
Boss:
Robot Island
Enemies:
Boss:
Dragon Island
Enemies:
Enemies:
Magical Island
Enemies:
Boss:
Darius Island
Enemies:
Boss:
- Electric Fan
- King Fossil (NES version only)
KiKi KaiKai Island (NES, Game Boy, and SMS versions only)
Enemies:
- Puka Puka
- Kasabe
- Bake Chouchin
- Rin Rin
- Tousenbou
- Bake Uri
- Ogei-chan
- Onibi
- Minojii
- Hashiritai (Game Boy version only)
Boss:
Bubble Island
Enemies:
Boss:
Characters
Special Items
- Magic Pot (Yellow)
- Magic Pot (Red)
- Shoes
- Crystal Ball
- Star Tiara
- Lamp
- Magic Cane
- Potion
- Sceptre
- Rainbow Star
- Peacock Feather
- Holy Cup
- Magic Mantle
- Balloon
- Bell
- Star Rod
- Cross of Thunder
- Cross of Rainbow
- Rainbow Potion
- Water Potion
- Clock
- Book of Wings
- Rainbow Necklace
- Special Bubble
- Comet
Trivia
- The game forbids the initials 'SEX' on the high score table. If you try, it gets changed to 'XXX'.
- The Gameboy Color version of the game uses the Bubble Bobble Theme as the Level Theme, rather than the Rainbow Islands one you would hear on other versions of the game.