Hudson's platformer with Higgins and his legendary skateboard. Generous in levels, demanding in precision, devilishly addictive. A NES classic that has aged gracefully despite its decades.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player3+
Description
Platformer featuring Master Higgins running across tropical islands collecting fruits. Published by Hudson Soft, released in the USA in 1986. Higgins in side-scrolling view collecting fruits to avoid starvation and prehistoric bosses. First Adventure Island, NES port of the Wonder Boy arcade.
Adventure Island review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The hero in loincloth and cap crosses islands drawn in simple tiles but in very bold colours: beaches, forests, caves, snowy peaks. The fruit collected continuously marks the run with dots of colour, and the axe thrown in an arc is the only notable moving effect in a deliberately pared-back image.
The first Adventure Island, this port of the arcade Wonder Boy marks Hudson Soft's entry into in-house platformers on the NES in 1986. Its desirability rests on its founding role in a long series and its early-NES aura more than on extreme loose scarcity. The box carries the look of early American releases, and complete copies climb toward 72 euros while sealed nears 400, a sign of lasting nostalgia around Master Higgins.
Is Adventure Island still worth playing in 2026?
Hudson's first Adventure Island on NES, this platformer has Master Higgins run across tropical islands strewn with traps, collecting fruit to keep his vitality gauge from draining. The near constant run, the millimetre precise jumps and the tough challenge inherited from Wonder Boy forge a snappy, fearsomely demanding action. The direct handling has aged well. For a retro punishing platforming fan, someone curious about Hudson classics or a collector, the title keeps a direct arcade pleasure and an authentic challenge.
