As an Expanded Game originally released in 1988, Rainbow Islands Extra builds upon the platform-puzzle core of its predecessor, requiring players to rescue islanders by trapping enemies with rainbows to collect Diamonds and Magical Mirrors. Its distinctive feature is the "Extra" mode, which substitutes the standard cute enemies with foes sourced from the Darius shoot-'em-up series, offering a significantly altered challenge over the original content. This version is available on Arcade and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
This title functions as an Expanded Game, building upon the foundation of the original 1988 platform-puzzle classic. Released initially for arcades and later ported to systems like the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, it presents players with a familiar adventure set in a vibrant, colorful world, but with a significant structural alteration available to the player.
The core objective remains centered on rescuing captured friends who have been transformed into Bubble Dragons by the antagonist, Super Skull Monsta. Players must navigate ten distinct Rainbow Islands, utilizing unique environmental mechanics to defeat enemies and progress toward the final confrontation.
The gameplay loop adheres to established platforming and puzzle-solving mechanics. Players primarily interact with the environment by generating rainbows. These rainbows serve dual purposes: they act as temporary platforms to traverse gaps and are the essential tool for trapping and eliminating the minions of the Boss of Shadow. Success requires trapping enemies within these colorful arcs, causing them to burst, which then allows the player to collect valuable items scattered throughout the stage.
The overarching narrative requires the player to collect specific items—Little Diamonds and Magical Mirrors—found across the islands. These items are necessary components required to break the spell placed upon the islanders by the evil entity.
The defining feature of this specific iteration is the inclusion of the "Extra" mode, which is the default option upon starting. While the story structure remains identical to the original game, the challenge is fundamentally altered through a complete roster swap of adversaries.
In this mode, all the standard, colorful enemies are replaced with foes imported directly from Taito's Darius shoot-'em-up series. This substitution introduces a completely different set of enemy behaviors, attack patterns, and visual designs into the established platforming framework, offering a distinct mechanical hurdle for players familiar with the base game.
As an Expanded Game, this release focuses on providing a substantial variation on existing content rather than introducing entirely new levels or a sequel narrative. The value proposition is centered on replayability derived from the enemy modification. By swapping the enemy set, the game demands new strategies for trapping and defeating foes, effectively offering a second, distinct way to experience the original level design.
Players must successfully traverse the ten Rainbow Islands, utilizing rainbow mechanics to eliminate Super Skull Monsta's minions, and gather the required Magical Mirrors to reverse the curse placed upon the island inhabitants.