PixlBit

In this delightful platformer, you get to go on a vacation and an adventure at the same time

Platformers are certainly not in short supply on Nintendo's 16 bit console. Mario paved the way for all the imitators, both the good and the bad. One series that actually started on the NES was the Adventure Island series by Hudson, in which you jumped and fought your way through paradise to rescue a princess (of course). Not to be left on the 8-bit system, the series returned on the new console in the form of Super Adventure Island in 1992. This tropical platformer was developed by Produce and published by Hudson.

The story is rather simple: Master Higgins and his girlfriend Tina are enjoying their company on the top of a tree when suddenly the evil wizard shows up and turns Tina into a stone statue! I guess he had nothing better to do. So Higgins runs off to defeat the wizard and transform Tina back to normal. Higgins has a striking resemblance to Mario; he's short, chubby, and even wears a red hat. Coincidence? No, just '90s fashion (except he's wearing a grass skirt).

The controls are simple and easy. Higgins can move, jump, and throw weapons (either hammers or boomerangs). He runs in place when you're not moving him (he's just gotta' go, go, go!). Jumping can actually be a little tricky. Stand in place and jump and Higgins won't jump very high, but move forward and jump and he'll jump much higher. But you can jump higher still if you manage to press forward plus jump at the exact same time. Yeah, it's weird.

Weapons are very important because they're the only way of defeating enemies. The bars on the top left of the screen indicate the amount of weapons you have left. The bad news is, the weapon bar will slowly decrease over time, and if it goes down all the way, you die. Gathering fruit will replenish the bar, and there's plenty of fruit to be found in each level (they're kinda like the coins in Mario games).

The hammers will be thrown in an arc, while the boomerangs will be thrown straight out and then come back, making the boomerangs the superior weapon. Some enemies will descend from above, but lucky for you, you can throw your weapons straight up! Should you get enough fruit, your weapon (whatever it is) will upgrade to a pink fireball, which is very useful and always comes back.

The biggest problem with SAI is the fact that only one hit will kill you. That's right, if you touch that bug, you will die. It always bothered me that bugs can kill you in games just by FREAKIN' TOUCHING YOU! But it's a video game. The one hit kill thing is mostly a problem for the bosses. You see, if you die at a boss, you have to start at the half-way point of the level before.

The levels are broken into sections: 1-1, 1-2, so on (where have we seen that before?). Each section is very short. Usually the first section is just a straight guantlet of enemies, meaning you have to be very careful. Some first levels have a skateboard which you can ride, which is awesome. The second section is usually a little longer, and the third section is different from the first two. Then you face the boss.

The gameplay in SAI is constantly changing, keeping the game fresh. At first, it's all side-scrolling action, but then in 2-3, Higgins gets swallowed by a whale, changing the gameplay to something like a shooter, which is a nice change. The gameplay changes again in stage 3, where you have to climb a giant tree. (The problem here is the fact that you have to move forward and jump in order to jump high, which can be a pain on short branches. It's small, but small pain is still pain.)This change happens throughout the game, giving you side-scrolling levels, vertical levels, and swimming levels. Each level is unique, taking you from tropical islands to caves with mine carts to snowy mountains. What a vacation!

The bosses are big and imposing. You'll face off against a statue that spits out fire, an angry octopus (inside a whale no less), a moving stone dragon, and a very tall skeleton warrior. Each boss fight is unique and fun; they're not hard, but the one hit kill means you could die if you make one simple misstep. And should you make it to a boss without the upgraded weapon, beating it might be a chore.

The music is fantastic, mainly because it was composed by the amazing Yuzo Koshiro. The beaty themes are straight-up hip hop and jazz themes, making it feel like you're in Jamaica. Whoa, man! It's good stuff, so check below for a couple of my faves. They'll make you feel like taking a vacation (seriously).

Final Verdict--4 Stars: Recommended

Super Adventure Island is not a long or difficult game, but it sure is fun. The one hit kill can be a little frustrating, but it also makes the game challenging. Having the right weapon or the upgrade can also be a key to success. The jumping can be a little tricky, but in the end this one is a solid platformer. If you need a vacation from those crazy FPS games or hard-boiled action games, then check out this one. It's available on the Wii Virtual Console, and it's worth it. It's not paradise, but it's pretty close.

Join me every Saturday as we take a look back at all kinds of retro games, good and bad.