Rainbow Cotton – Review

Everyone’s favorite Willow-loving witch Cotton is back. Rather than a completely new title like Cotton Fantasy, we get the chance to look at the previously Japanese-exclusive Rainbow Cotton. Let’s find out if it’s a horrifically good time or just an utter horror.

The Year was 2000…

Rainbow Cotton, previously released back in 2000 on the Sega Dreamcast, follows the adventures of the titular character. She once again decides to take her broom out for a spin and join up with her fairy friend Silk. Her mission? To stop the demon of the week Tweed from stealing the legendary Willow Sweet from the fairyland.

The story is presented in beautifully animated anime-style cutscenes. These lean into the cute side of Cotton and ooze that charming 80/90s anime style while making the most of the CD hardware the Dreamcast was running. Cotton has never looked more appealing to all of those who have nostalgia glasses running wild on them.

As I say with all my shmups, cute or not, the story is merely window dressing. I don’t tend to take note of it unless it’s exceptionally well done. That said, the translated cutscenes add to the overall quality of the product here. While it has as much depth as the shallow end of a shower, it still put a goofy grin on my face whenever a cutscene would play.

The Era of 3D

So what type of game is Rainbow Cotton? It’s a 3D behind-the-character rail shooter much in the vein of Panzer Dragoon or Star Fox. Yes, it’s technically a “shmup”, but it’s a distinct sub-genre of one. This is the second time Cotton has branched out into rail shooters; the first was the (recently re-released) Sega Mega Drive title Panorama Cotton. 

The game is set across 5 different stages. Each one follows the standard pattern of small enemies leading into a sub-boss, followed by a little more of the stage with smaller foes before finally getting to the giant boss fights. The boss fights are amazing in this title, easily standing out as the best sections of the game.

Cotton fans who’ve played previous titles will recognize the magic system here. You’ll be shooting at gems to change their color, and the more of the same color you pick up, the stronger your magic attack is going to be. Magic attacks act as your typical shmup “bombs”, which are useful to blast bosses or clear the screen. Fairy collection is also back, with the ability to break fairies out of their cage along the way and enlist their help as a “lock-on” attack to help you keep the numbers of the incoming horde of enemies down.

As you careen through the stages, you’ll find plenty of environmental hazards to dodge, set pieces to witness, and even a few alternative paths. It has everything a traditional Cotton title should have, only with a different perspective. While this 3D take on Cotton didn’t quite pay off the first time they tried it, it is done a little better here. However, that’s not to say that it doesn’t still have issues.

When it comes to more traditional shmup titles like Cotton Fantasy or Cotton Reboot, the vertical scrolling makes juggling your power-ups, depth perception, and dodging environmental hazards quite an easy task. In Rainbow Cotton, the Cotton character model is huge and solid, so you can’t see through her to track what’s incoming. This paired with the 3D behind-the-character perspective means you’ll be missing shots, taking damage, and taking forever to adjust. It’s a far cry from the other titles which are easier to just jump in.

It’s not just the perspective, but the feel of the game that has some issues too. Feedback makes or breaks an arcade game like this. Sadly, in Rainbow Cotton, there is little to no feedback to let you know that you’re actually hitting anything. Unless you actually see it explode in front of you, it’s a pure guessing game as to whether your shot landed or not. This really affected my enjoyment of the game, as that instant gratification when done right is exactly why I love the shmup genre.

Bullets for Cash

In terms of extras for this release, as well as the lock-on which is new to this version, there is also the “Retro Mode”. It’s touted as the “Dreamcast experience” but from what I played it just seemed like the main game with a CSRT filter run over it and the Lock-On feature turned off, while I guess it is a “Retro” experience I would have enjoyed it more if the actual Dreamcast version was there to show a direct comparison. 

Rainbow Cotton is rather expensive for a rail shooter with 5 stages and minimal extras. Your mileage is going to vary on how much you enjoy the genre and if you feel it’s worth it. As to my opinion, I prefer the traditional shmup side to rail shooters and enjoy the focus more on high-score chasing instead of the wow factor of set pieces on offer here. You may feel it to be more worth it than I did.

Looks and Sound Cute

As the first true 3D title in the series, the creators of Rainbow Cotton decided to turn everything to 11. It presents gamers with one of the cutest and most psychedelic experiences they can get, not only on the Dreamcast but on all of the current consoles this re-release is hitting. From the initial “Now Loading” screen you are greeted with almost haunting imagery of lions that have a kaleidoscope effect and the game just takes you further down the rabbit hole from there.

The stages look fantastic and really bring the world of Cotton to life. As you navigate the stages, it feels almost like being on a rollercoaster, starting off in the Sleepy Village before you arrive at the Cloud City, Swamps, and so on. The HD clean-up job made the game really pop and the colors have never been so vibrant. When you can see the enemies and the surroundings the game looks amazing…if you move Cotton out of the way. 

As is standard with the Cotton franchise, the music is absolutely intoxicating! That is, at least, when you can hear it. Cotton will scream and shout almost constantly, overpowering it. The standard shot is also a painfully repetitive sound so I would suggest turning down the SFX and turning up the music. Yes, this exacerbates the already existing issue of there being too little feedback, but the music is that damn good, so it’s worth the trade-off.

Verdict

Rainbow Cotton is fortunately a much better product than Panorama Cotton, the closest title I can compare it to. Sadly, beyond that little accolade and the fantastic soundtrack, it just feels rather limp when compared to the more traditional Cotton titles on offer for similar or even lower price points.

I’ll never say no to more Cotton. If you are a fan of the franchise, then the HD graphics, English translation for the cutscenes, and lock-on feature make this an ideal way to play the game. But, if you are new to the franchise and want to know why there is seemingly a re-release every 6 months I would suggest looking at Cotton Reboot and considering picking this curio up on sale down the line.

WAIT FOR SALE ON RAINBOW COTTON

If you would like to see more Shooters, you may be interested in our review of Cotton Reboot.

Many thanks go to ININ Games for a Nintendo Switch review code for this title.