Let's Play a Game: "Adventure Island" (NES)

In this episode we'll be playing Adventure Island 1 (The Original) for the NES.
This one is a fun game just like the second one.

"Adventure Island" is a side-scrolling platform game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1988 in North America, although it was originally released in Japan in 1986 under the title "Takahashi Meijin no Bouken Jima" 高橋名人の冒険島 for the Famicom. Players control Master Higgins, a character modeled after Hudson Soft's spokesperson Toshiyuki Takahashi, known in Japan as Takahashi Meijin. The objective is to rescue Princess Tina from the Evil Witch Doctor across eight worlds, each containing four stages. Adventure Island's gameplay mechanics include a unique life gauge that constantly decreases, requiring players to collect fruits like strawberries, pineapples, and bananas to replenish it. Eggs scattered throughout the levels can be broken to reveal items such as axes for attacking enemies, skateboards for increased speed, and flowers that double the points earned from fruits. Each world concludes with a boss fight, where the same enemy appears with different heads, increasing in difficulty.

The game's graphics are bright and cartoon-like, featuring varied environments from forests to caves. The soundtrack, particularly the main theme, is memorable and often cited as one of the game's highlights. However, Adventure Island is notorious for its challenging gameplay, especially in the later stages where enemy patterns, level design, and the need to manage the life meter make progression difficult.

Adventure Island is essentially an adaptation of the arcade game "Wonder Boy" developed by Escape (later known as Westone OneBit Entertainment) for Sega. Due to licensing issues, with Sega owning the Wonder Boy trademark, Hudson Soft had to alter the game significantly for its Famicom/NES release. This resulted in character changes from Wonder Boy to Master Higgins, with alterations to the setting and story to fit this new avatar. Gameplay adjustments were also made, while maintaining the core experience.

Adventure Island was the 12th best-selling Famicom game of 1986, with sales reaching about 1.05 million copies. Its success led to a franchise with numerous sequels across various platforms, though later games diverged significantly from the Wonder Boy template, focusing more on pure platforming rather than the life management aspect. In regions outside Japan, Master Higgins became a recognizable character, and the game's design, particularly its unique life gauge system, influenced other platformers.

Post-NES, Adventure Island was re-released on platforms like the Game Boy Advance as part of the Famicom Mini series, and on Virtual Console for the Wii and Wii U. It was also remade for PlayStation 2 and GameCube under the title "Hudson Selection Volume 4: Takahashi Meijin no Bouken Jima" in Japan only. Adventure Island remains remembered for its contribution to the side-scrolling platform genre, its challenging gameplay, and its charming adaptation of the Wonder Boy formula. It's often cited in discussions about classic NES games, especially for those looking for a tough retro challenge. The game has left a lasting legacy, influencing many in the gaming community while standing as a testament to the era's often punishing game design.