Gaming Anniversaries September 12- Adventure Island

Adventure Island

Released September 12, 1986- Adventure Island

Adventure Island slid into the Japanese market on this date in 86′. For the Nintendo Famicom!

Adventure IslandIn a peaceful land, a man known as Master Higgins lived peacefully with his wife Tina. That is until an evil Witch Doctor decides to take her as his own!

It’s up to the player to get through all the levels, using a wide array of items, including skateboards, throwing axes and even fireballs to defeat all of the enemies and rescue his beloved!

Adventure Island is a side scrolling platformer game with the distinction of being very very difficult. The game ramps up extremely fast, challenging even the most veteran of classic game players. The different items in the game allow a new element to gameplay. The Skateboard, for example, will increase the speed of each level while also allowing one extra hit to the player. Not having a skateboard will result in instant death when hit. The fireballs will allow the player to make quick work of enemies and obstacles. And the Throwing Axes allow Master Higgins to reach enemies a little further away.

The game also utilizes a starvation mechanic. The player must collect fruit that appears throughout the level, otherwise, Master Higgins will starve to death. In some cases, missing just one piece of fruit can be the difference between life and death for the player. There are 32 grueling stages in the game. Making for a long, one shot go and a lot of frustration.

Adventure Island began its life as a direct port of the game Wonder Boy on the Sega Master system, however, that all changed mid way through and the developers overhauled the system and the character, modelling Master Higgins after the Japanese spokesman for Hudson Soft, known as Takahashi Meijin. The similarities between the two games are still great and very easy to notice. However, Adventure Island is definitely more difficult.

What do you think of the game? Drop us a line in the comments below!

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