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''Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2'' is a vertically-oriented platform game by Creator/{{Taito}}, originally released as an UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame in 1987.

Following on from the end of ''VideoGame/BubbleBobble'', Bubby and Bobby have regained their human forms and now have to fight their way through the Rainbow Islands, seven differently themed islands each with different enemies and a huge boss at the end. Complicating this mission is the fact the islands are flooding, and each level must be completed before the water reaches the top, since the water kills instantly when touched.

The main difference between ''Rainbow Islands'' and its predecessor is the increased size of the levels, which are many screens high. It also introduces a new weapon for defeating bad guys; rainbows, which are fired in front of the player and have an arc shape, so that they can trap enemies, be stood or bounced on, and, most importantly, collapsed, which is the best way to destroy enemies.

The game has been praised for being surprisingly complex, largely due to its enormous array of potential collectibles and the various ways of obtaining them.

It has had a few iterations:
* [-Rainbow Islands: Putty's Party (Platform/WonderSwan) (2000)-]
* [-Rainbow Islands Revolution ([[Platform/NintendoDS DS]]) (2005) released in Japan as ''New Rainbow Islands''-]
* [-Rainbow Islands Evolution ([[Platform/PlayStationPortable PSP]]) (2007) released in Japan as ''New Rainbow Island: Hurdy Gurdy Daibouken!!''-]
* [-Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure (Platform/{{Wii}}, Platform/Xbox360) (2009)-]

See also ''VideoGame/TopBanana'', a 'SpiritualSuccessor' of sorts.

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!!This video game provides examples of:

* HundredPercentCompletion: You need to get each of the seven big diamonds on each of the first seven islands, and you need to collect 7 little diamonds to do that. If you miss one, you can't backtrack to previous islands.
%%* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: Bosses.
* BigBoosHaunt: World 3, Monster Island. Three of the monsters are themed after undead, the Vampire, Skeleton and Ghost.
* BlandNameProduct: [=WcDonald's=] French fries also appear here [[spoiler:in world 10, Bubble Island]].
* BlindIdiotTranslation:
** The final boss is known as "The Boss of Shadow".
** In one boss level, the boss is a spaceship called... Electric Fan?!?!
** Special condition: "Beware of the Skull's blood!! Otherwise, you will lose your all lives!!"
* BossAlteringConsequence: If you collected all nine of the special items in each world, then the final boss will become a ZeroEffortBoss that dies in one hit.
* ColorCodedMultiplayer: Player 1 has to play as Bubby (green shirt) and player 2 has to play as Bobby (blue shirt).
* CompanyCrossReferences: World 5 is a reference to ''VideoGame/{{Arkanoid}}'', and World 9 refers to ''VideoGame/{{Darius}}''.
* DamselInDistress: [[spoiler:There are people jailed atop a hidden island. [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail The player does not know this the first time around, though.]]]]
* DeathThrows: When a player character dies, he is thrown off the platform and falls past the bottom of the screen in the US/Japanese NES version. Otherwise, the player character hits the platform he was shot off of.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The ''Bubble Bobble'' enemies have expanded versions of their attacks that never show up in later games.
* EternalEngine: World 6, Robot Island is the factory of Rainbow Islands.
* EverythingFades: An item that's been left alone disappears, with ambiguous but simple eight out-ward facing lines.
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: Especially if rainbows can be used to kill your enemies!
* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Everything's still trying to walk into you.
* FloatingInABubble: In ''Rainbow Islands Revolution'', Bubby is in a bubble and must be dragged around with the stylus. [[BadExportForYou Japan is lucky to be able to use the D-pad.]]
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Manuke/Rocky from Kiki Kaikai/Pocky and Rocky shows up in the Kiki Kaikai-themed island on the NES and Famicom console versions, disguised as Sayo/Pocky. Thing is, when you beat him he drops the disguise, and his sprite has, let's say, a couple of things {{Tanuki}} are very famous for, even in the American NES version!
* GiantSpider: The first boss. It descends on a thread, then hops towards the player.
* GottaCatchThemAll: All seven giant diamonds from the seven islands must be collected in order to properly advance in the story.
* GreenHillZone: World 1, while there's some castle ruins and inhabit by some caterpillars, bumblebees, spiders, crows, and beetles.
* GuideDangIt: For the best ending, you need to know you have to drop rainbows or use stars on enemies to get the diamonds. And where to make the enemies land.
%%* ImprobableWeaponUser: Rainbows.
* InexplicableTreasureChests: A huge chest containing food items drops down at the end of each level.
* ItsAWonderfulFailure: [[spoiler:If Bubby/Bobby gets trapped in the True Final Boss's bubble (thus getting re-transformed into a bubble dragon by it) on his last life, instead of a blank game over screen, he gets locked in TheAlcatraz with eleven other victims who've also been transformed.]]
%%* KidHero: Bubby and Bobby, naturally.
* KingMook: Some bosses are just huge versions of regular enemies.
* LateArrivalSpoiler: It is a sequel to ''Bubble Bobble'', so the characters are humans.
* TheLawOfConservationOfDetail: No story details are shown until the player gets the first Bad Ending. Maybe those rainbow diamonds [[PermanentlyMissableContent that disappear more quickly]] are important...
* MedievalEuropeanFantasy: World 7, Dragon Island being based on Medieval period, while World 8, Magical Island is based on fairy tales.
* MultipleEndings: Like the [[VideoGame/BubbleBobble previous game]], there are some qualifications needed before you can get the true ending.
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: The enemies from Darius Island are based from their appearance at the arcade game, and they stand-out amongst the enemy groups for not possessing a single cartoony aesthetic to them like their Combat Island counterparts.
* NotQuiteBackToNormal: The OneHitPointWonder factor still occurs even though Bubby and Bobby have turned back into humans.
* OneHitPointWonder: Bubby and Bobby still die if they touch anything.
* OneWingedAngel: The TrueFinalBoss will reveal his true form after being defeated once.
* PlotCoupon: Big diamonds [[spoiler:and mirrors]].
* PointOfNoContinues: Defied. [[spoiler:You can only continue past Island 7 if you go into a secret room with [[http://tjasink.com/games/ri/items2.html a big brown book]] and get it; otherwise, you'll be told "YOU CAN'T CONTINUE FROM THIS WORLD." should you lose all your lives once you reach Island 8 and beyond!]]
* RandomDrop: Though items may seem to appear randomly, there are counters in the background that determine when certain things drop. The rainbow diamonds' colors are dependent on [[http://www.gamefaqs.com/arcade/583612-rainbow-islands/faqs/760 where the enemy that spawns a diamond lands on the screen]], at least in the arcade.
* RemilitarizedZone: Twofold. "World 2 Combat Island" introduces anthromorphosized military vehicles as enemies, while "World 9 Darius Island" feature miniature versions of enemies faced in the ''Darius'' arcade games.
** 2. It's not called "Combat Island" for nothing.
* ReReleaseSoundtrack: In the original arcade version and a handful of early ports, the background music used part of [[Film/TheWizardofOz "Over the Rainbow"]]. Most modern ports use a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute, or in the Game Boy Color version, the Bubble Bobble theme. The emulated arcade version in Taito Legends simply mutes the offending melody. Additionally, the North American NES version uses the original theme, but with a different melody.
* RiseToTheChallenge: Wait too long and the water begins to rise. The water will cover the viewport, thus it cannot be outrun unless the top of the level is reached.
* SecretLevel: [[spoiler: Three secret islands can be reached if the player collects all seven diamonds for each island to get the big diamond. In addition, collecting all seven small diamonds in a specific order unlocks a secret door that leads to a permanent powerup.]] The secret levels are required for the best ending.
* ShoutOut:
** So many that they take up a sizable chunk of the game! The entire fifth world, sound effects, enemies, boss and all, is a homage to ''VideoGame/{{Arkanoid}}'', but the secret levels also are homages to Taito's other games. The last one, Bubble Island, is excusable, as this is the sequel to ''VideoGame/BubbleBobble''; the other two secret islands in the arcade version are based on ''VideoGame/TheFairylandStory'' and ''VideoGame/{{Darius}}''.
** Upon defeating the TrueFinalBoss, he may say, [[VideoGame/StreetFighterI "What strength! But don't forget there are many monsters like me all over the world]]".
* SpaceZone: World 9, ''VideoGame/{{Darius}}'' Island.
* SpellingBonus: The rainbow gems that the player collects are changed to this kind of bonus in the NES version[[note]]That is, although the player still collects the gems themselves, the NES version displays them as letters in the word "rainbow".[[/note]].
* StalkedByTheBell: If you take too long, a flood of water emerges unless you reach the top.
%%* SuperDeformed: Bubby and Bobby, as well as the many baddies in the game.
* SuperDrowningSkills: Bubby or Bobby die if they ''touch'' water.
* TertiarySexualCharacteristics: [[spoiler:Three of the eleven [[TheAlcatraz Alcatraz]] victims in the final secret world are female green bubble dragons, each with a small pink bow on the corner of their head.]]
* ThemeTwinNaming: Bubby and Bobby.
* ToyTime: World 4, Toy Island.
* TreasureIsBiggerInFiction: A large treasure chest awaits at the end of every level.
* VersionExclusiveContent:
** Three islands (Magical, Darius, and Bubble) are exclusive to the arcade version. [[spoiler:Getting all diamonds shows the good ending of everyone returned to normal.]]
** The NES version adjusts the levels and their order. Kiki Kai Kai Island is added as world 6. [[spoiler:Bubble world appears as world 8.]]
* WingdingEyes: In an exaggerated variant, characters die with their eyes getting ''crossed off by a literal black line''. This has been changed in the US/Japanese NES version, though.
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