Rainbow Islands: Putty's Party

Released in 2000 for the WonderSwan, Rainbow Islands: Putty's Party is an expanded action platformer where you control Putty, utilizing rainbows as your primary tool to walk on, bridge gaps, trap enemies, or break into shards for combat. Progression involves navigating vertically oriented levels across themed islands—like Insect and Monster Islands—while collecting specific gems to clear stages. This title builds upon the established mechanics of its series, focusing on precise platforming and strategic use of the rainbow weapon system.

This title, released in 2000 for the WonderSwan, is an Expanded Game within the established platforming universe of the *Rainbow Islands* series. It shifts the focus from the traditional protagonists to feature the character Putty as the central figure navigating a series of distinct islands. As an expanded entry, it builds upon the core mechanics established in its predecessors while introducing new thematic elements and level structures. The game maintains a vertical orientation for its level design, presenting players with unique challenges based on height and trajectory.

Core Gameplay Mechanics: The Power of Rainbows

The fundamental tool for progression and combat remains the rainbow. Players utilize these arcs in multiple ways to interact with the environment and enemies in this Action/Platform genre experience. Rainbows can be walked upon, allowing the player to scale vertical distances or bridge gaps between platforms.

Offensively, the rainbow serves as a dynamic weapon. Enemies can be struck directly by the arc as it is formed, or they can be defeated by jumping onto a fully formed rainbow, causing it to break into deadly shards that rain down upon targets below.

Furthermore, rainbows can be strategically deployed to trap adversaries, adding a layer of puzzle-solving to the action platforming. Successful elimination of enemies via rainbow shards often results in the dropping of special items or collectible gems, which are necessary components for clearing each stage.

Island Themes and Progression Structure

The game world is segmented into several themed islands, each presenting a unique visual style and set of challenges based on the enemies encountered there. This structure provides distinct gameplay segments throughout the experience.

The distinct island themes include:

Insect Island: Focused on nature and insect-based adversaries.
Monster Island: Featuring classic horror-themed enemies.
Doh Island: Characterized by geometric structures and designs.
Darius Island: Centered around mechanical or machine-based obstacles.

What is the core objective in this platformer?

The primary objective across these varied environments involves collecting a specific series of gems within each level to ensure successful completion before moving on. This collection requirement integrates resource management and combat efficiency into the standard platforming loop.

Platform Availability and Content Status

This game was made available exclusively on the WonderSwan handheld console upon its release in Japan in 2000. As an established title, there are currently no associated downloadable content (DLC) or expansions available for this specific version.