This is Adventure Island! A Hudson Soft Classic on the NES. It is an adaptation of a SEGA Arcade title known as Wonderboy. You are Takahashi Meijin or Master Higgins in the U.S.. You are the protector of Adventure Island. An Island where “EVERYTHING” wants you DEAD! You’re on a quest to rescue Princess Tina from an Evil Witch Doctor.
Journey through 32 difficult stages of tight maneuvering platforming. A variety of enemies to knockout or avoid. A boss fight on every 4th stage. And with only 3 lives at start and finish the whole game!!
This game is HARD, but fair. You can’t be running full speed, because enemies will pop in and take you out quick. You have a constant depleting energy timer that you must replenish by eating as many fruits as you can throughout your play through. It is a game that rewards speed by punishes recklessness. Be cautious every step you take in every stage.
Get as many points as you can, because points earn you an 1up. There are secret areas to be found by chucking your projectiles. If your projectiles are hitting an invisible wall, stand idle for a magical cloud to whisk you away to a bonus stage for more points. Collect the pots in each stage to get more bonus points. Upgrade your weapons by not losing your lives and collecting hidden power ups hidden inside giant eggs. Even skateboard your way through the stages and try to hang on to it without taking a hit.
This game is fun, but you got to “GIT GUD” to enjoy it. Part of the fun is overcoming its difficulty and completing each round like a pro. It took me a whole hour to get to the 4th stage boss, just to lose at its first attack it chucked at me. Oh, well. Restart and try it again. If you like classic platformers such as Super Mario Bros., then this is a game for you. I highly recommend Adventure Island if you enjoy completing difficult games.