Play Rainbow Islands - The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (Japan) Online

Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 came out on the NES in 1988, developed and published by Taito. It was a sequel to Bubble Bobble, and it arrived at a time when platformers were really starting to define the console. You play as Bubby or Bobby, the little dragons from the first game, now transformed into human boys to rescue their friends from a new threat.

You control one of the boys, moving through each vertically scrolling island screen. Your main tool is the ability to shoot rainbows upward; these rainbows act as temporary platforms you can jump on, and they also trap or defeat enemies on contact. The goal is to climb to the top of each island before a rising flood of water catches you, collecting diamonds along the way for better endings. The pacing is fast and demanding, since you're constantly building your path upward while dodging enemies and managing the screen's layout. It feels frantic but clever, forcing you to think and move quickly under pressure.