Rainbow Islands - Why is it a classic?

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

Why is Rainbow Islands so good?

[Timothy Lumsden]

Not sure it's even close to classic. fun. Ok. Adequate - but classic? Doubt there will be any takers for that description....

[dwitefry]

Jesus christ why is everyone so down on Rainbow Islands - whatssamatter, all you manly matcho men scared of catching 'the gay' or something? I've been through the 'it's not for me' thread and it's nearly all 'it's too cute, i like beefy men carrying guns an sweating', someone even said there could be good gameplay but it was 'too well hidden' by cuteness? That's such a pity.

Why is it a classic? Hmph, for the same reason Take On Me or Rio is 'a classic' - because some invisible body of people have decided it is, unlike a-ha or Duran Duran however, Rainbow Islands is clever and well thought out. Pity you're all scared of getting Care Bear stared or something *rolls eyes* lol.

MeX

[WildWillyWilson]

Why's it a classic? Easy to pick up and play, "that" soundtrack, bright colourful graphics and it's just bloody good fun!

[NonShinyGoose]

It's quite possibly the first ever "vertical platformer" with a concept easy to grasp - simply get to the top of the screen. The graphics were bright and colourful, which surely made it stand out in the arcade, and rather than shoot enemies or jump on their heads you had to ingeniously trap them under rainbows which was a novel ideal.

[Greyfox]

why is it a classic?..it just is..period!!!

[woody.cool]

It's a classic for many reasons:

• Instantly recognisable
• Lovely cutesy graphics
• Excellent addictive gameplay
• Catchy music
• Awesome difficulty angle (looks easy at first, but gets difficult as the game progresses)
• Has that "one more go" factor
• I've never seen a bad conversion of this game
• and finally, because it is FULL STOP

[Sir Arthur]

It's a classic because like alot of Taito games from that time, Rainbow Islands is a cracking score attack game.

[mrspud]

IT's great on two levels. You can pick it up and just have fun with it as it so playable. But delve beneath the surface and try to get the gems in the right order and uncover all the secret items takes it to a new level of skill.

[Sir Arthur]

IT's great on two levels. You can pick it up and just have fun with it as it so playable. But delve beneath the surface and try to get the gems in the right order and uncover all the secret items takes it to a new level of skill.

Indeed

[Sepp Salerno]

It’s just beautifully put together. Simple to pick up and play, but pretty solid to master, especially when things start speeding up, and get downright unfair. I’ve stuck up for liking this game when I was a nipper, and I’ll stick up for it now. Like Pac-Man, Paper Boy, Donkey Kong, and Columns, I’ve never stopped playing it in about twenty odd, or however many years, which has to mean the game is deserving of the moniker of ‘Classic’
There’s not massive back-story to Rainbow Island, or real depth of game play, it’s just simple, straightforward, arcade magic.

Also, I totally agree with Woody Cool, I’m still to play a bad port of this game.

[Denny Haynes]

Classic is a word banded about far to easily these days but when you can pick up a game and play from the get go without a mountain of instructions and keep coming back to it time and again then you know you've hit game gold.

[JetSetWilly]

Accessible gameplay, awesome graphics, the controls are perfect and it's a game even a child could pick up and play. Easy to learn, hard to master.

Nuff said.

[khisanth]

its disgustingly cute but oh so FUN! The colourful graphics, interesting gameplay mechanic and the fact its Bub and Bob make it great fun to play, the catchy tune sticking in your head and the cool levels make it a classic for me

[thl]

It's great because it offers that balance within the colourful graphics, straight-forward gameplay and level difficulty. It's just like other platformers that has value and you could easily come back to relive the enjoyment of the game.