1984

Founded in Gütersloh

Armin Gessert and Thomas Hertzler co-found Rainbow Arts in Gütersloh, Westphalia, Germany. The studio targets the Commodore 64 market, initially developing software for the German domestic audience. Distribution is handled through Rushware, a prominent German software distributor.

1986

Rushware Acquisition

Rushware acquires Rainbow Arts, integrating the development studio into its broader German publishing operation. The arrangement gives Rainbow Arts access to wider European distribution while maintaining its Gütersloh development base. Output expands across the C64 catalogue.

1987

The Great Giana Sisters — International Breakthrough and Controversy

Rainbow Arts releases The Great Giana Sisters for the Commodore 64, programmed by Armin Gessert with music by Chris Hülsbeck. The game draws immediate attention for its quality — and immediate controversy, as Nintendo applies legal pressure over the game’s structural similarities to Super Mario Bros. Rainbow Arts withdraws the game from sale shortly after release. Despite its brief commercial life, Giana Sisters becomes one of the most sought-after and celebrated C64 titles of the era. Chris Hülsbeck’s soundtrack is immediately recognised as exceptional.

1988

Katakis — Manfred Trenz Arrives

Programmer Manfred Trenz makes his debut as lead programmer with Katakis, a horizontal scrolling shoot-’em-up for the Commodore 64. Musically, Chris Hülsbeck again delivers an outstanding SID score. Katakis is praised by Zzap!64 and Commodore User as technically stunning — one of the finest shoot-’em-ups on the platform. The title is later published in some territories as Denaris.

1989

R-Type, Spherical, and Growing Ambition

Rainbow Arts develops the Commodore 64 conversion of Irem’s R-Type, widely regarded as one of the most technically accomplished C64 arcade conversions ever produced. Spherical, a breakout/puzzle hybrid, extends the studio’s catalogue breadth. The studio is now operating across multiple genres and growing in European profile.

1990

Turrican — The Flagship is Born

Manfred Trenz delivers Turrican — a run-and-gun platformer of breathtaking scope and technical achievement on the Commodore 64 and Amiga. Chris Hülsbeck’s soundtrack for both the C64 SID and Amiga OCS versions is regarded as career-defining work. Turrican is released for C64, Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, and multiple console platforms. The same year sees X-Out, a vertical shoot-’em-up with music by Matt Furniss, released to strong commercial and critical reception across multiple formats.

1991

Turrican II — The Peak

Turrican II: The Final Fight arrives and exceeds even its predecessor. Larger worlds, a more cinematic score by Chris Hülsbeck, and technical achievement across C64, Amiga, and Atari ST that still impresses. It is Manfred Trenz’s final Rainbow Arts game — he departs after its completion. Z-Out and Logical also release this year, demonstrating the studio’s continued output breadth.

1991–1993

Talent Exodus

Following Turrican II, the two key creative forces behind Rainbow Arts’s greatest work depart. Manfred Trenz leaves to pursue other projects (ultimately developing Rendering Ranger R² for the SNES). Chris Hülsbeck departs to pursue freelance composition and commercial work, including orchestral game scores. The studio continues operating, but the creative peak has passed.

Mid-1990s

Funsoft Acquisition

As the German games industry consolidates through the mid-1990s, Rainbow Arts is acquired by Funsoft. The studio continues development work but is increasingly absorbed into a larger corporate structure. The Rainbow Arts brand name fades from its former prominence in the market.

1999

THQ — Brand Dissolution

Funsoft and its subsidiaries are absorbed into the THQ chain. The Rainbow Arts brand effectively ceases to exist as an independent identity. The intellectual property rights to the studio’s catalogue pass into the broader THQ estate.

2021

Turrican Flashback — Official Revival

ININ Games releases Turrican Flashback for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 — a four-game collection including Turrican, Turrican II, Super Turrican, and Mega Turrican. The release marks the first official console availability of the series in decades. Simultaneously, Blaze Entertainment publishes the Evercade Turrican Collection on cartridge for six games, broadening access to the catalogue for retro collectors.

2021–Present

Ziggurat Interactive — Catalogue Acquisition

Ziggurat Interactive acquires more than 80 classic Rainbow Arts and related titles as part of a broader catalogue acquisition programme. This includes making select titles available digitally on PC, and facilitating the re-release of Rendering Ranger R² through a partnership with Limited Run Games. The Rainbow Arts legacy — decades after the studio’s dissolution — reaches a new generation of players.