Great video of one of the best arcade games of all time..
I never completed the game after the 7th island on 10p but i used to see someone play it and achieve that feat.. I only managed the 7 worlds when i was a kid on one credit..
I like how some folks knocks down the tg16 version .. no one took the system to seriously and i do not know why. it had a lot of great games and imports. Especially shooters and some great RPGs.
It pioneered CD games to what it is today..
it was that system in japan that actually beat the NES at the time and died out in 1999. Not to mention the SuperGrafx was way ahead of its time..
None of them are as good as the arcade. Only the PCE CD was very good but seriously why did they even bother to release it on that system? And yeah the Saturn [and probaby psx is he same port] ports are good conversions but i really didn`t like that package. Never played or saw the 2 or 3 different nes games and the master system system one. The GBC seems weird but has the cool bubble bobble music. Also the extra game was only released for MD & FM Towns.
Can I point out there's THREE different versions of Rainbow Islands on the NES? The US Taito one (which it the one you used) the Japanese Taito version anf the vastly different (and the mosr accurate of the three) Ocean version.
All these versions look credible. The zx Spectrum version is not bad, considering. NES and Master systems could be better, perhaps but look acceptable. C64 is very good, too considering. ST version I rate. I know the Amiga version is venerated as a good conversion, in reviews I recall but it looked like the others. (I wonder if playability differed in these versions). I have the Mega Drive version and it is too grey and the music does not fit - I know it is an extra version but why bother?
@StrawberryGuy86 The Amstrad port is a lot smoother, that was an emulation issue.
And there was no Genesis version, it was Japanese only ergo, it's a Mega Drive game. He was playing the remixed "extra" version in the video, not the original mode.
@StrawberryGuy86 Genesis: The original light hearted charm game is in there also and it's a pretty good version. DOS and the proper version in the Megadrive version look great and are possibly arcade perfect to me.
It should be noted that the version of "Rainbow Islands" for the 128 model of the ZX Spectrum took advantage of extra abilities it had over the regular "48K" model to give some nice, "bleepy" (in a good way) music.
I own several versions of this game as well as Bubble Bobble (which you covered awhile back), I must say as an owner of the PCE CD and Mega Drive games that they beat the living snot out of the later PSX/Saturn incarnations of this game. They have all 10 worlds (the PSX and Saturn only have 7, seems based on the Amiga port), of course the music is neutered in newer ports due to copyright, though the one Xplosiv/Empire put out awhile back escaped this by including the high notes.
@Bloodreign1 The ones on Taito Memories in Japan on PS 2, Taito redid the soundtrack to where it doesn't sound so hollow, it actually sounds good for a rearranged soundtrack. Of course the other music is still alive and well in Memories, nothing else was copyrighted (the main tune is Over the Rainbow), so Taito had to changed nothing else thankfully. Own the NES port as well, just doesn't seem as good, but has a couple few unique bosses that the arcade version doesn't have. SMS version is good.
@sygo7g There were but the differences were so subtle it wasn't even worth noting. Kind of like the 2 different pac man ports for the NES. One by Tengen & the other by Namco. I compared the two & saw absolutely no difference at all. But the hard core types swear that there is a difference. ohh well.. You can't please everybody but then again .. everybody can't please me. :)
@MattTheSaiyan It was o k .. I never was a big fan of this game. I did it to fill a request. :) I still have projects in the work & a few that I've hit a road block on. Dragon's Lair is a pain in the ass to do. >_<
Cool comparison video! Man I loved the Sega Megadrive import. I remember grabbing it only because it was a cheap import at the time ($29.99) and I had only a small idea of it`s greatness. I still don`t understand why it was never released for the Sega Genesis.
@videogameobsession it was cool. Slightly different twist on the original so I found it to be very interesting. I wondered why Taito decided to go that route with that version when so many other ports were the classic game. Just found it kind of odd when Most people would be expecting the classic game & got this instead.
@ZombieRyushu Some kind of glitch that kept resetting dosbox .. >_< Sad too because it looked so good witch is something you don't see too much of in old DOS games. I downloaded it from 3 sources & got the same issue. in retrospect I should have looked for an older version of DOS box to see if it worked. Ohh well :(
Great video of one of the best arcade games of all time..
I never completed the game after the 7th island on 10p but i used to see someone play it and achieve that feat.. I only managed the 7 worlds when i was a kid on one credit..
losersserver 2 months ago
I like how some folks knocks down the tg16 version .. no one took the system to seriously and i do not know why. it had a lot of great games and imports. Especially shooters and some great RPGs.
It pioneered CD games to what it is today..
it was that system in japan that actually beat the NES at the time and died out in 1999. Not to mention the SuperGrafx was way ahead of its time..
Retrocool74 3 months ago
None of them are as good as the arcade. Only the PCE CD was very good but seriously why did they even bother to release it on that system? And yeah the Saturn [and probaby psx is he same port] ports are good conversions but i really didn`t like that package. Never played or saw the 2 or 3 different nes games and the master system system one. The GBC seems weird but has the cool bubble bobble music. Also the extra game was only released for MD & FM Towns.
htdmc2010 4 months ago
Can I point out there's THREE different versions of Rainbow Islands on the NES? The US Taito one (which it the one you used) the Japanese Taito version anf the vastly different (and the mosr accurate of the three) Ocean version.
LarryBundyJr 4 months ago
All these versions look credible. The zx Spectrum version is not bad, considering. NES and Master systems could be better, perhaps but look acceptable. C64 is very good, too considering. ST version I rate. I know the Amiga version is venerated as a good conversion, in reviews I recall but it looked like the others. (I wonder if playability differed in these versions). I have the Mega Drive version and it is too grey and the music does not fit - I know it is an extra version but why bother?
dreamcastII 5 months ago in playlist More videos from GamingHistorySource
An arcade game with consistently good home ports? Color me impressed.
poopskinTheLiar 6 months ago
Atari ST: Looks pretty darn close to the arcade original.
TG16 CD: It is the arcade original!
Amiga: The music sounds kinda weak.
Sega Saturn Version 1: One of the better home console ports.
Sega Saturn Version 2: Rainbow Islands has gone digital!
StrawberryGuy86 6 months ago 2
ZX Spectrum: Just not the same without the cutesy sounds.
Amstrad: Looks alright. Not very good frame rate though.
GBC: Why is there Bubble Bobble music?
C64: Just goes to show how awesome the Commodore really is!
NES: It feels like they've could of done better with this.
SMS: Looks like the NES version with different colors and softer sounds.
GBA: A hack? Surely the GBA couldn't of missed out!
DOS: MIDI music aside, it looks real nice.
Genesis: Where's the light hearted charm?
StrawberryGuy86 6 months ago 2
@StrawberryGuy86 The Amstrad port is a lot smoother, that was an emulation issue.
And there was no Genesis version, it was Japanese only ergo, it's a Mega Drive game. He was playing the remixed "extra" version in the video, not the original mode.
LarryBundyJr 4 months ago
@StrawberryGuy86 Genesis: The original light hearted charm game is in there also and it's a pretty good version. DOS and the proper version in the Megadrive version look great and are possibly arcade perfect to me.
wrestletube1 4 months ago
@wrestletube1 WOW after the Megadrive version when I typed this there was a lot more arcade perfect ones.
This may be the game with the most arcade perfect looking versions ever.
wrestletube1 4 months ago
why GBA ver got music from bubble bobble? :P
SoloKazama 6 months ago
@SoloKazama I think you mean the Game Boy Color version. The GBA version in this video is a hack of the arcade game.
StrawberryGuy86 6 months ago
@StrawberryGuy86 yea I meant GBC ver;)
SoloKazama 6 months ago
That was the original South Park kid. Also the GBC version needed to get with the times, using Bubble Bobble 1 music.
Commodore 64 music kicked ass, they actually tried for the original sound with the given hardware. (Seriously, the Amiga could've been amazing)
frigginjoe 6 months ago
It should be noted that the version of "Rainbow Islands" for the 128 model of the ZX Spectrum took advantage of extra abilities it had over the regular "48K" model to give some nice, "bleepy" (in a good way) music.
MattTheSaiyan 7 months ago
I own several versions of this game as well as Bubble Bobble (which you covered awhile back), I must say as an owner of the PCE CD and Mega Drive games that they beat the living snot out of the later PSX/Saturn incarnations of this game. They have all 10 worlds (the PSX and Saturn only have 7, seems based on the Amiga port), of course the music is neutered in newer ports due to copyright, though the one Xplosiv/Empire put out awhile back escaped this by including the high notes.
Bloodreign1 7 months ago
@Bloodreign1 The ones on Taito Memories in Japan on PS 2, Taito redid the soundtrack to where it doesn't sound so hollow, it actually sounds good for a rearranged soundtrack. Of course the other music is still alive and well in Memories, nothing else was copyrighted (the main tune is Over the Rainbow), so Taito had to changed nothing else thankfully. Own the NES port as well, just doesn't seem as good, but has a couple few unique bosses that the arcade version doesn't have. SMS version is good.
Bloodreign1 7 months ago
@sygo7g There were but the differences were so subtle it wasn't even worth noting. Kind of like the 2 different pac man ports for the NES. One by Tengen & the other by Namco. I compared the two & saw absolutely no difference at all. But the hard core types swear that there is a difference. ohh well.. You can't please everybody but then again .. everybody can't please me. :)
wingnut4427 7 months ago
@wingnut4427 But the Ocean port for the NES has much nicer music!
MattTheSaiyan 7 months ago
@MattTheSaiyan It was o k .. I never was a big fan of this game. I did it to fill a request. :) I still have projects in the work & a few that I've hit a road block on. Dragon's Lair is a pain in the ass to do. >_<
wingnut4427 7 months ago
Cool comparison video! Man I loved the Sega Megadrive import. I remember grabbing it only because it was a cheap import at the time ($29.99) and I had only a small idea of it`s greatness. I still don`t understand why it was never released for the Sega Genesis.
videogameobsession 7 months ago
@videogameobsession it was cool. Slightly different twist on the original so I found it to be very interesting. I wondered why Taito decided to go that route with that version when so many other ports were the classic game. Just found it kind of odd when Most people would be expecting the classic game & got this instead.
wingnut4427 7 months ago
Why does the Game Boy Color version have the wrong music?
ZombieRyushu 7 months ago
@ZombieRyushu Not sure. But I checked 6 separate roms & they all had the exact same thing.
wingnut4427 7 months ago
@wingnut4427 What prevented you from playing the DOS Version?
ZombieRyushu 7 months ago
@ZombieRyushu Some kind of glitch that kept resetting dosbox .. >_< Sad too because it looked so good witch is something you don't see too much of in old DOS games. I downloaded it from 3 sources & got the same issue. in retrospect I should have looked for an older version of DOS box to see if it worked. Ohh well :(
wingnut4427 7 months ago
@ZombieRyushu Copyright issues with Somewhere over the Rainbow. Love this game to death, has a great FM Towns port as well.
Bloodreign1 7 months ago
GamingHistorySource 7 months ago 3