Adult Swim Games basically captured lightning in a bottle twice. When Rainbow Unicorn Attack 2 dropped, it wasn't just another endless runner designed to eat up five minutes of your life while you waited for a bus. It was an aesthetic. It was a vibe. If you weren't there in 2013, it’s hard to describe how weirdly intense it felt to gallop through a neon-soaked dreamscape while Erasure’s "Always" echoed in your skull. Honestly, the sequel took everything that worked about the original flash game and polished it into a legitimate mobile powerhouse.
Most people remember the rainbows. They remember the dolphins. But there was a surprising amount of depth buried under that sugary, pink exterior.
The Evolution of the Gallop
The first game was simple. You jumped, you dashed, you crashed into a giant star. Game over. Rainbow Unicorn Attack 2 changed the stakes by introducing actual progression. You weren't just running for a high score anymore; you were leveling up.
Adult Swim added a dual-world mechanic that felt massive at the time. You had the Rainbow level, which was your standard, glittery paradise. Then you had the Ice level, which felt colder, sharper, and significantly more dangerous. Switching between them wasn't just a visual change. The physics felt subtly different, and the obstacles required a faster reaction time. It forced you to actually pay attention instead of just zoning out to the music.
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Wait, the music. That’s a whole thing.
In the first game, "Always" by Erasure was the soul of the experience. In the sequel, they made you earn it. Or buy it. You started with a generic (but still pretty good) synth-wave track, and you had to unlock the classic anthem. Some fans hated that move. They felt like the soul of the game was being held hostage by a paywall. But looking back, it gave the game a weird sense of prestige. When that song finally kicked in, you felt like you’d actually achieved something.
Why the Customization Actually Mattered
You could build your unicorn. This sounds like a minor "lifestyle" feature for a mobile game, but it changed the gameplay loop entirely. You weren't just playing as a generic horse with a horn. You were collecting tears and essence to buy different manes, tails, and bodies.
Some parts were purely cosmetic. Others actually gave you buffs.
- Gallop Speed: Essential for clearing those massive gaps in the later stages.
- Jump Height: Helped when the platforms got vertical and claustrophobic.
- Dash Recharge: This was the meta. If you could dash more often, you survived longer. Period.
It’s funny how a game about a mythical creature became a grind-heavy RPG lite. You’d find yourself playing "just one more round" not because you wanted a high score, but because you were 500 tears away from that sweet, fiery mane that made you look like a nightmare instead of a dream.
Community Battles and the Team Aspect
One of the coolest, and often overlooked, features was the daily community goal. You had to pick a side: Team Rainbow or Team Inferno. It was basically a low-stakes turf war. Every day, the game would track which team performed better, and the winners got specific rewards.
It gave the game a pulse. It wasn't just you against a computer; it was you contributing to a global leaderboard of weirdos who also loved robot unicorns. It felt like you belonged to a cult. A very bright, very loud cult.
The Problem with Modern Mobile Games
If you look at the App Store today, everything feels like a clone of a clone. Rainbow Unicorn Attack 2 had a specific identity. It didn't care if it was "too much." The screen was a chaotic mess of giant floating heads, crystal giants, and exploding stars.
Most endless runners try to be clean. They want you to see every obstacle clearly. RUA2 wanted to blind you with style. It was over-the-top, and that’s why it stuck. It didn't follow the rules of "good" UI design. It followed the rules of "what would look cool on a heavy metal album cover made of cotton candy?"
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The Technical Side of the Dream
Let's talk about the engine. The game was built by PikPok, a developer that actually knows how to make movement feel heavy. In many runners, the character feels like they’re sliding on ice. In Rainbow Unicorn Attack 2, the unicorn has weight. When you double jump, there’s a distinct arc. When you dash, there’s a forceful "thud" as you shatter a giant star.
That tactile feedback is why the game felt so addictive. Your brain likes it when things break satisfyingly.
The graphics were also a massive step up. They used a 2.5D style that gave the backgrounds depth. You could see massive creatures moving in the distance—monsters that looked like they belonged in a Shadow of the Colossus spin-off. It made the world feel lived-in, even if you were only seeing it at 60 miles per hour.
Is it Still Playable?
Here’s the heartbreak. If you’re looking for Rainbow Unicorn Attack 2 on certain modern devices, you might run into some walls. The landscape of mobile gaming is a graveyard of "unsupported apps." Adult Swim Games has gone through a lot of corporate shifting, and many of their titles have vanished or stopped receiving updates.
However, if you have an older device or access to certain digital storefronts, it’s still a masterclass in game feel. It reminds us of a time when mobile games could be weird and experimental without needing a battle pass or thirty different currencies.
Honestly, the simplicity is what we miss. You jump. You dash. You follow your dreams.
How to Master the High Score
If you manage to get a copy running, or if you're a long-time player looking to finally crack the top tier of your friend group, there are a few things you need to do.
- Don't over-jump. The biggest mistake rookies make is jumping too high too early. You lose control of your descent. Stay as low as possible to the platforms.
- Save your dash. The dash isn't just for breaking stars. It’s a horizontal correction tool. If you misjudge a jump, the dash can save you by propelling you forward just enough to clip the edge of a platform.
- Watch the background. The giant enemies in the back often signal when the terrain is about to get difficult. If the background gets darker or more chaotic, prepare for faster platforming.
- Prioritize the "Essence" upgrades. Don't waste your early currency on looking cool. Buy the functional upgrades first. You can look like a god once you start playing like one.
Rainbow Unicorn Attack 2 was a rare moment where irony and genuine quality met. It started as a joke—a parody of "girly" games—but it ended up being one of the most mechanically sound runners ever made. It’s a reminder that a game doesn't need a complex plot or realistic graphics to be iconic. It just needs a unicorn, a dash button, and a dream.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Newcomers
- Check your library: If you previously downloaded the game on an iOS or Android account, check your "not on this device" history. You can often re-download it even if it's been delisted from the main store.
- Explore the soundtrack: Even if you can't play the game, search for the official soundtrack. The transition from the original Erasure track to the synth-heavy scores of the sequel is a great study in how to evolve a game's audio identity.
- Support indie runners: If you miss the RUA2 vibe, look into games like Alto's Adventure or Sayonara Wild Hearts. They carry that same "rhythm and flow" DNA that made the unicorn so special.
The era of the "weird" mobile game might be fading, but the impact of Rainbow Unicorn Attack 2 remains. It proved that you could take a meme and turn it into a legitimate piece of art. Or, at the very least, a really fun way to smash some stars.