| Credits | |
| Published: |
1992, Ocean
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| Copyright: | Taito |
| Coder: | Mick West |
| Graphics: | Don McDermott |
| Musician: | Keith Tinman, Matthew Cannon |
| Box Art: | Bob Wakelin |
| Information | |
| Hardware: | OCS, ECS |
| Disks: | 1 |
| License: | Commercial |
| Language: | English |
| Players: | 1 or 2, Simultaneous |
| Relationship: |  Sequel to Rainbow Islands |
| Categorization | |
| Genre: | Platformer |
| Subgenre: | Scrolling Screen |
| Tags: | basher, platform, sideways, singlescreen |
| Magazine Reviews | |
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Added by Kim Lemon on Aug 1, 2004. Viewed 25719 times.
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PC-Engine Parasol Stars is one of the best installments of the Taito platformer formula but unlike its direct predecessors it did not get a huge amount of conversions, being Amiga and ST the sole 16 bit editions. The Amiga version is slightly improved in the video (I like darker backgrounds better) and audio departments also retaining the very enjoyable gameplay. It plays really well, has aged gracefully and if a flaw had to be found then it would be some repetitiveness in the music area that affected the original as well. Also, 2-button joypad support would have been nice but Ocean did not implement it, even though controls are very fine with a standard 1-button joystick. Easily one one the best games of its genre on the Amiga and in general (8/10).
View all comments (212)
The best in the series for me, this is where it all came together. Even though it looks like a souped-up Bubble Bobble, it more than stands out on its own merits. The simultaneous two player mode is absolutely wonderful; the parasol innovation is key here and improves upon the aforementioned Bubble Bobble's otherwise excellent cooperative game. Furthermore, all the secrets are present and correct this time around which means you'll be playing it for weeks and weeks to see if you can find everything! The difficulty curve is very fair, you'll get a little further on every attempt and only the hidden levels come close to being 'unfair' (well, you'll want a bit of a challenge after putting in all the effort to find them!). Lots of weird and wonderful creatures including some welcome throwbacks to the predecessors, and multiple methods of doing away with them.
Downers? Well, the only quibbles I can think of are a lack of variation in the music and an occasionally strict time limit. However, these are easy to overlook and don't alter the fact that the game is superb and will have you hooked. In fact, upon further reflection I feel it deserves top marks so I'm changing my original score. 10/10 from me! Well done indeed!
View all comments (24)
Very good cooperative game. Nice graphics, cute sounds and music, fluid animation, good controls, etc... It has it all. Lovely little game that's great fun to play even today! I'm pretty sure it would do well on modern portable phones/consoles...
View all comments (211)
I played this game alone for many years and i liked it. But then i discovered the two player mode, where the players, although cooperating, can act AGAINST each other as well and I just fell in love to it. Man, this game is just awesome in 2 players mode!!!!
View all comments (768)
Designers decided to go back from Rainbow Islands scrolled, rather opened levels to claustrophobic, closed ones. In my opinion it was not good idea. Basically the game looks like a remake of Bubble Bobble (not a sequel to Rainbow Islands) and loses a lot of the beauty of the predecesor. I merely find anything interesting in this game. I sense mayhem in the playground, the action is too chaotic, music too iritating and still the same in each world. Thumbs down. A bit of a letdown for me...
View all comments (732)
Another firm favourite in my collection.
I love the Bubble Bobble/Rainbow Islands series of games, although in my honest opinion, I reckon Parasol Stars is the pinnacle of the series and probably the game I play the most out of the series (followed by Rainbow Islands).
I remember playing this first from a CU Amiga Coverdisk containing the first 4 levels, which after completing prompted me to buy this (or more exactly, plague my parents to get it me for crimbo!) - I recommend anybody who likes Bubble Bobble or Rainbow Islands to play this .... Play it NOW!
View all comments (36)
What can i say about this... One of the best amiga games imo...
The comments below are very descriptive about the game, i would like to add some info about the secret level.
it's on the 2nd or 3rd stage of the 3rd world...
it's a stage where all the enemies are some flying things trapped like in a box.
you throw thunders at them from outside.
You have first to take the purple heart bonus, and when the stage is clear you have to collect all the green peppers! Quite easy if 2 players are playing, almost impossible by 1 person alone.
View all comments (11)
This was best on the Turbo Grafx....
my favorite of the bubble bobble trilogy
View all comments (12)
It looks nice and sounds great, but Parasol Stars was designed around a two-button interface. The wonky method in this version for holding the umbrella straight up is very obnoxious. You're better off playing any version that actually uses two buttons. Even the Gameboy port.
6/10 (because the bad control can't quite ruin this amazing game)
View all comments (20)
It's not as good as "Rainbow Islands" or "Bubble Bobble" but this is still a terrific game and a worthy sequel.
View all comments (145)
Great 2 player game! Graphics and sound are also very nice! (88%)
View all comments (809)
Excellent game! Nice tunes, cute graphics & incredibly two player action!
View all comments (26)
It's hard to pick which version of Rainbow Islands and Bubble Bobble games are great, but I love all of them, including this one, Parasol Stars: Rainbow Islands II. Awesome graphics, nice sounds and tunes as well.
View all comments (116)
Reminds me an arcade game...but since I like Bubble Bobble game and Rainbow Islands sequel....this 3rd series is awasome
8 out of 10
View all comments (166)
I like RI1 so I like this too...
View all comments (86)
Excellent game from Bubble Bobble series! Very good for one player, AWESOME in two players mode. A new dimension.
View all comments (768)
Off topic....hmmmmmm surprises me, none of you had made a mention to what happened to the c64 version. For those who didn't know, programmer had virtually completed the 64 version, and was ready to pass it in for duplication... (demo i recall was on a zzap or or cu mag at one stage...)
when he was robbed, his pc was stolen... With the entire game stored on it and....no backup....parasol stars ... Never came out on the 64, although kim's poster on this page advertised that it did....
okay so now for my review.... Very attractive looking, extremely playable, and as a lot have said much more bubble bobble than rainbow islands, excellent conversion ... Of the last in a classic trilogy... 86/100 for mine...
View all comments (34)
Graphically much better than its original but its the same game only re-touched, still a classic amongst others though
View all comments (522)
I was never big on this one, wasn't a patch on the wonderful Rainbow Islands or Bubble Bobble. Was playable enough but didn't hit the mark for me. A score of 8.03 is a bit OTT but its up to personal taste I suppose.
View all comments (524)
I had totally forgotten about this game - was simple but cool.
View all comments (61)
The last and the best game in the Bubble Bobble series arrives on AMIGA with an excellent conversion from the original NEC PC-Engine installment.
Great graphics (although is very, very dark, and I can't imagine why), hypnotic sound and, over all, great gameplay. Perfect controls, gorgeous level design, a very, very, very deep mechanic, which exemplificate perfectly the say: "simple to learn, difficult to master".
The results is that Parasol Stars is one of the funniest games ever.
View all comments (16)
Far superior to Rodland and Bubble Bobble and its less similar predecessor Rainbow Islands. This game even encouraged some great back stabbing 2 player gameplay when ya picked up the other player and threw him across screen collecting points for you. In my opinion only Qwak beats this.
View all comments (65)
Never as brilliant as it's illustrious predecessors, but a fine game and a fine conversion nonetheless.
(8/10)
View all comments (116)
Another great Taito arcade game, and a great Ocean conversion. Personally I prefer the previous 2 in the series, but this is great in its own right - this series has 3 games which don't just reuse the same ideas 3 times, and are all the better for it.
View all comments (41)
A solid effort all round - gameplay (esp. 2 player), sound and graphics - loading times nice too - much better than Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Island.. Definately one to have in your collection - 8/10.
View all comments (84)
Not as slick and fun as Rodland, but still a very playable and enjoyable game.8/10
View all comments (27)
Great conversion, great original game, great fun - a perfect console-like experience on the Amiga, at a time when consoles themselves were starting to make the ol' good Amy look obsolete. A little gem.
View all comments (233)
A right laugh with two players simultaneously.
View all comments (97)