Adventure Island (video game)

Adventure Island is a side-scrolling platform game series originally developed by Hudson Soft. The first game, titled Adventure Island, was released for the Family Computer (Famicom) and Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1986. It is a conversion of the Sega arcade game Wonder Boy, featuring a different protagonist and modified gameplay elements.

The Adventure Island series typically follows the adventures of Master Higgins (known as Takahashi Meijin in Japan, a reference to Toshiyuki Takahashi, a then-famous Hudson Soft employee), a jungle-clad protagonist who must rescue his girlfriend, Tina, from the Evil Witch Doctor.

Gameplay in Adventure Island games involves navigating various stages, jumping over obstacles, defeating enemies with a stone axe (or other weapons acquired throughout the levels), and collecting items. A crucial element is maintaining Higgins' food meter, which constantly depletes. If the meter reaches zero, Higgins loses a life. Food can be found throughout the levels, usually in the form of fruit hidden in breakable rocks or in plain sight.

Subsequent entries in the series include Adventure Island II, Adventure Island 3, Super Adventure Island, and Super Adventure Island II. These games introduced new features such as skateboarding segments, different weapon types, dinosaur companions, and expanded level designs. Later games shifted away from a strict port/conversion model and introduced more original gameplay mechanics.

The Adventure Island series is known for its challenging gameplay, vibrant graphics (particularly on later consoles), catchy music, and lighthearted tone. It remains a fondly remembered franchise from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras of video games.