We of the good ship MMS are the first to acknowledge that this whole retro gaming thing has got a bit out of hand. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be, and some old games are definitely best left forgotten (er, the Irem "classics" pack, anyone?). Still, there are some decent titles out there that we would be glad to see receive the 'picked up' and 'dusted down' treatment. And this just happens to be one of them...

a Some of our older readers may remember Taito's brilliant Bubble Bobble or Rainbow Islands coin-ops from the early Eighties. Or possibly the impressive Rainbow Islands conversion on the Megadrive (worth an absolute mint if you've still got a copy!)... No? Well, then take our word for it: they're ace! And now, out of the blue, Acclaim have had the sudden inspiration to release both games on one disk!

Conversion of the ancient Taito coin-ops Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands.

Use your bubbles to pop the monsters or your rainbows to ascend to the top of each stage.

Despite the fact that the label says 'Bubble Bobble', this package actually includes three games: Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands and Rainbow Islands Enhanced. Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands are both carbon copies of the arcade originals, while Rainbow Islands Enhanced is a special 'Saturn enhanced' version of Rainbow Islands with greatly improved grapphics and sound. However, it is not to be confused with the arcade version of Rainbow Islands Enhanced which featured harder gameplay and different bosses. OK?

Join cutesy dinosaurs Bub and Bob as they battle through 100 frames of top platform action, capturing enemies in bubbles and then popping them! You can jump from level to level and fall off the bottom of the screen, but one touch from the hordes of enemies spells instant death for the prehistoric duo. Popping multiple meanies at once yields secret bonuses and power-ups (such as lightning bubbles) and you can even jump on your own bubbles!

A lot of people in the office seem to have a soft spot for Bubble Bobble, and while personally I prefer Rainbow Islands, there's no denying it's an addictive game.

Taito made a name for themselves with The New Zealand Story and Rainbow Islands, the continuing adventures of Bub and Bob. Apparently, at the end of Bubble Bobble, Bub got 'superdrunk' and the power of the rainbow turned him into the dungaree-clad human star of the sequel. Don't ask. Anyway, Rainbow Islands is a vertically scrolling platform game *par excellence*.

Probe, the programmers of Bubble Bobble for the Saturn, have taken advantage of the super console's extra graphical muscle to produce a visually enhanced Saturn-only mode. Rainbow Islands Enhanced features smooth shaded sprites, parallax scrolling backgrounds, and more colours all round. Die hard fans of the coin-op may prefer the 'original' look, but my money's on the enhanced mode.

While I'm the first to admit that ten year old coin-op conversions are the last thing you want to see on your Sega Saturn, some games do deserve to be re-released. And Rainbow Islands is definitely one of them. Bubble Bobble is fun for a while, especially in two player mode, but it's Rainbow Islands that really shines. It is brilliantly designed, entertaining, challenging and, above all, highly original.

How many other games on the shelves today can you say that about? Admittedly by Saturn standards the whole package looks a bit plain (the enhanced Rainbow Islands goes some way towards remedying this!) but it's not the visuals that count here. Both Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands are brilliant fun to play and, after all, isn't that what videogaming is supposed to be about. Roll on New Zealand Story, that's what I say!

Although I'm a bit wary of the current trend for retro gaming, I must agree with Dan when he says that some games really do deserve to be re-released - especially when you consider that the Saturn is one of the first home machines that can do a lot of old arcade games justice.

The graphics and gameplay of both titles in the Bubble Bobble pack are arcade perfect, as you'd expect, and the 'enhanced for Saturn' Rainbow Islands with its parallax scrolling just adds to the value. It's a shame that Parasol Stars wasn't included to complete the trilogy but it was by far the weakest of the three so I supposed it's no great loss. If you're after a classic slice of retro arcade action then Taito's pack is just the ticket.

Graphics 82%
P. Bright, colourful, imaginative...
N. ...but hardly spectacular. Particularly on Bubble Bobble.

Animation 80%
P. Suits the look of the game.
N. But hardly pushes the Saturn.

Music 81%
P. Pleasant enough tinkles for Bubble Bobble and the infamous "over the rainbow" remix for Rainbow Islands.
N. Yuzo Koshiro isn't looking over his shoulders.

Effects 80%
N. Functional for both games really.

Playability 93%
P. Bubble Bobble is ok, but Rainbow Islands is an absolute delight to play.

Lastability 92%
P. It's addictive stuff, and there are plenty of secrets to be discovered in Rainbow Islands. Plus, you'll play to top your best score.

Overall 90%
Looks like a decent 16-bit game but plays like a dream. Fans will love it, while newcomers may be pleasantly surprised.