Rainbow Islands is that weird, colorful follow-up to Bubble Bobble where you're not blowing bubbles anymore—you're shooting rainbows. And yeah, it sounds ridiculous, but it works. You play as one of those little dragon kids (now human-ish?) climbing towers by creating rainbow bridges under your feet while also using them to squash enemies. Miss a jump, and you’re falling through your own rainbows like an idiot.

The first few levels trick you into thinking it’s cute and easy, but then the screen starts scrolling upward, enemies get faster, and suddenly you’re panic-shooting rainbows just to survive. The music’s stupidly cheerful for how stressful it gets. Still, there’s something satisfying about trapping a bunch of baddies under a rainbow and watching them pop.

It’s not as straightforward as Bubble Bobble, but once you get the hang of chaining rainbows, it clicks. Just don’t expect to beat it in one sitting—those later islands get brutal.