Hudson Soft‘s Adventure Island on the NES/Famicom is an adaptation of Sega‘s Wonder Boy arcade game, although subsequent Adventure Island games were original titles and the series went on to become a relatively popular ‘spin-off’ in its own right. Adventure Island was initially released in Japan in 1986, then in North America 1988, and finally in Europe in 1992.

You play as Master Higgins, the cave boy, and must traverse through 32 stages to rescue Princess Tina from the clutches of an evil Witch Doctor.

The game features eight worlds, or “areas”, each divided into four stages, or “rounds”, and there’s a boss battle at the end of the fourth round of each area.

Just like in the Wonder Boy arcade game, you can pick up weapons – and a skateboard – from eggs that are found along the route. Rocks will trip you up and lose you health, which is represented by an eleven-point bar at the top of the screen. You can replenish this by collecting fruit, or a milk bottle, as you progress. You’ll instantly lose a life if you fall into a hole, into water or fire, or touch an enemy, though. Checkpoints are placed at points along the course and you’ll re-start the level from the last one crossed, if you do lose a life.

Adventure Island is a decent port of the Wonder Boy arcade game and features cute, colourful graphics, smooth scrolling and jolly tunes. Subsequent Adventure Island games were much more interesting, though.

More: Adventure Island on Wikipedia