Rainbow Islands Revolution (Nintendo DS, 2006)

About this game

This is an updated version of Rainbow Islands, the sequel to Bubble Bobble, taking the form of a platform game where the player must ascend through vertical levels that are slowly sinking into the ocean. The objective of the source material is to reach the top of each level, taking out any enemies in the way by firing magical rainbows that can trap or eliminate foes as well as providing bridges for the player to walk on. Rainbows remain onscreen for a short amount of time but can be ?broken? by the player if they jump on them. Once broken, the rainbow will fall off the screen, taking out the first enemy it touches. The game also features a pleasing bonus item system where dispatched enemies leave behind items of food that have varying point values and power-ups that have a range of helpful effects. The major feature of this re-interpretation is shifting the entire game away from traditional controls by implementing a global touchscreen control system which radically alters the way in which the game plays. The game is also displayed across both screens of the DS. Rather than being fired by a button press, rainbows are now drawn directly onto the gameplay area using the stylus and movement is executed by dragging the player?s character around the levels. The objective is still to reach the top of the level, but the time limit has been extended to account for the player being unable to move and use rainbows simultaneously. Rainbows are now broken by pressing the stylus onto them.