I beat Adventure Island tonight!

[mbd30]

The first seven worlds... nothing too terrible in terms of difficulty.

 

The difficulty skyrockets in world 8. Basically that's where the real game begins.

 

8-2 without a weapon is pure hell. That one level took me many hours to learn. 8-3 is supposed to be the hardest level, but only the infamous final section with the dropping platforms and the bats is that difficult. 8-4 without a weapon is grueling but I managed to do it.

 

I'm not sure which is tougher, Adventure Island or Battletoads. I feel like I've never beaten a tougher game than this even though I used many continues.

 

This is what Adventure Island 8-2 and 8-4 looks like if you happen to die and lose your weapon. The amount of memorization required is insane.

 

Someday I'd like to 1cc Adventure Island, but I'm not even close to being able to do that now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BillyHW]

Cool. I never played Adventure Island much, but I did finish Wonder Boy on SMS, which is similar.

[mbd30]

Cool. I never played Adventure Island much, but I did finish Wonder Boy on SMS, which is similar.

 

I highly recommend AI if you want a challenge. Never played Wonder Boy, but it's probably more forgiving.

 

Those last few levels in AI will have you shouting a steady stream of profanity at your TV.

[Austin]

Congrats on the completion!

 

Adventure Island is stupid-difficult. I have never come close to finishing it, but haven't put much time into trying.

 

 

I highly recommend AI if you want a challenge. Never played Wonder Boy, but it's probably more forgiving.

 

Wonderboy is way more forgiving. For instance, those snake looking things don't shoot at you. There are lots of small differences like that and it seems like it isn't as cluttered with enemies overall, which makes a big difference in difficulty.

[+GoldenWheels]

Love this series on the NES, though I never beat any of them!

[Neo 64]

Nice job I could never beat it.

[Austin]

Bit of a necro-bump!

 

I watched a 1LC of this game last night and it motivated me to fire up the game today. Two hours later I was near the end of 8-1 but had to stop to go to work. I'll be trying to knock this one out over the weekend.

 

Here's the video:

 

 

There's also a commentary version done by the STG Weekly stream, although that might not be for everyone. There are some really good details given though (link).

 

Some of the biggest takeaways for me include:

 

- If you hit rocks with your hammer, this is what triggers the snake enemies to shoot. You can even test this by standing in front of a rock that has a snake behind it. Every projectile that bounces off the rock, the snake will shoot a projectile out in return. (If you have the fire shot they will never shoot because it eats through rocks instead of bouncing off)

- There are "fake" snakes and fire pits later on in the game (one is necessary to run into for survival).

- You often have a lot more time to take things easy than you would expect so it pays to take many levels at a slower and steady pace instead of rushing through.

- Eggplants aren't always instant death, but it helps to know their locations.

[mbd30]

Bit of a necro-bump!

 

I watched a 1LC of this game last night and it motivated me to fire up the game today. Two hours later I was near the end of 8-1 but had to stop to go to work. I'll be trying to knock this one out over the weekend.

 

Here's the video:

 

 

There's also a commentary version done by the STG Weekly stream, although that might not be for everyone. There are some really good details given though (link).

 

Some of the biggest takeaways for me include:

 

- If you hit rocks with your hammer, this is what triggers the snake enemies to shoot. You can even test this by standing in front of a rock that has a snake behind it. Every projectile that bounces off the rock, the snake will shoot a projectile out in return. (If you have the fire shot they will never shoot because it eats through rocks instead of bouncing off)

- There are "fake" snakes and fire pits later on in the game (one is necessary to run into for survival).

- You often have a lot more time to take things easy than you would expect so it pays to take many levels at a slower and steady pace instead of rushing through.

- Eggplants aren't always instant death, but it helps to know their locations.

 

 

Cool. I'd love to see you do a let's play at some point. Did you manage to keep your weapon on stages 6-4 and 7-4? Otherwise those levels are a real bitch.

 

I knew that the snake reacted to your weapon, but I didn't know that it was directly related to the rocks. Interesting.

 

I've noticed that nobody speed runs this game (other than TAS) which is a sign of how difficult it is. If you watch ADGQ, it's always some other Adventure Island game, never this one.

[Austin]

 

 

Cool. I'd love to see you do a let's play at some point. Did you manage to keep your weapon on stages 6-4 and 7-4? Otherwise those levels are a real bitch.

 

I knew that the snake reacted to your weapon, but I didn't know that it was directly related to the rocks. Interesting.

 

I've noticed that nobody speed runs this game (other than TAS) which is a sign of how difficult it is. If you watch ADGQ, it's always some other Adventure Island game, never this one.

 

Yeah, the intent is to do one.

 

I lost my weapon on both of those stages you mentioned. 7-4 in particular was tricky because there is a set of spiders where you literally have to do a running jump at a very specific angle to get between them (and I could only get it to work by linking that jump from a previous jump).

 

[mbd30]

 

Yeah, the intent is to do one.

 

I lost my weapon on both of those stages you mentioned. 7-4 in particular was tricky because there is a set of spiders where you literally have to do a running jump at a very specific angle to get between them (and I could only get it to work by linking that jump from a previous jump).

 

asdf.png

 

 

Yeah, that jump is brutal. I remember having to look up on Youtube how it is done.

 

If you lose your weapon in 8-4 then you have to do the same jump after a nearly unavoidable eggplant.

[Austin]

 

 

Yeah, that jump is brutal. I remember having to look up on Youtube how it is done.

 

If you lose your weapon in 8-4 then you have to do the same jump after a nearly unavoidable eggplant.

 

Oooohh, sounds like fun! I'll let you know how that one works out (I'm sure I won't have a weapon by the time I get there).

[mbd30]

 

Oooohh, sounds like fun! I'll let you know how that one works out (I'm sure I won't have a weapon by the time I get there).

 

At least you're guaranteed to have a weapon at the start of 8-4 because 8-3 always gives you one. It's just the matter of keeping it.

 

A lot of people consider 8-3 the hardest level, but 8-2 is even worse, IMO.

[Austin]

 

At least you're guaranteed to have a weapon at the start of 8-4 because 8-3 always gives you one. It's just the matter of keeping it.

 

A lot of people consider 8-3 the hardest level, but 8-2 is even worse, IMO.

 

I tried it again tonight and made it back to World 8. I actually found 8-3 itself to be not that bad and it didn't take me long to learn the first three sections. That said, I still haven't made it past the end and I had to stop playing to leave for work. I feel like I might have to save-state it on the Power Pak in order to practice it because I just can't get the timing right on the falling platforms at the end. I am using the AVS but it's going through the Framemeister so that is likely introducing a couple of frames of lag on top of whatever the delay is on my display. I'll have to try the AVS straight into my capture card, or worst case I might have to attempt it via my stock NES on a CRT and see if that helps.

 

8-2 actually gave me the most trouble tonight because I got to it without a weapon and it does not give you one. I've got it down now but it was a lot to memorize with all the bouncing squids, falling/moving platforms, and the constant jumping fish. This one specific section was the worst for me--there's a falling platform so you are forced to jump to the next one, but a fish falls covering the entire platform you have to land on. I kept dying but figured out that you have to get the angle and momentum right and run right under the fish:

 

[mbd30]

 

I tried it again tonight and made it back to World 8. I actually found 8-3 itself to be not that bad and it didn't take me long to learn the first three sections. That said, I still haven't made it past the end and I had to stop playing to leave for work. I feel like I might have to save-state it on the Power Pak in order to practice it because I just can't get the timing right on the falling platforms at the end. I am using the AVS but it's going through the Framemeister so that is likely introducing a couple of frames of lag on top of whatever the delay is on my display. I'll have to try the AVS straight into my capture card, or worst case I might have to attempt it via my stock NES on a CRT and see if that helps.

 

8-2 actually gave me the most trouble tonight because I got to it without a weapon and it does not give you one. I've got it down now but it was a lot to memorize with all the bouncing squids, falling/moving platforms, and the constant jumping fish. This one specific section was the worst for me--there's a falling platform so you are forced to jump to the next one, but a fish falls covering the entire platform you have to land on. I kept dying but figured out that you have to get the angle and momentum right and run right under the fish:

 

Untitled.png

 

The falling platform was the worst for me too. If I recall, you can do it by spacing your jumps so that you land on the far left of the falling platform and then the far left of the next platform to avoid the fish. It's really tricky to do. Meanwhile you have to time your jumps to avoid the octopi. It's nice to see your rapid progress. I spent hours credit feeding 8-2 before I nailed it.

 

 

AI might be harder than Battletoads. At least you can get more extra lives in Battletoads.

[Austin]

 

AI might be harder than Battletoads. At least you can get more extra lives in Battletoads.

 

I have been thinking about this and I can see AI being harder for some people. I feel Battletoads was much more of a pain to learn though. Adventure Island is basically the same formula repeated for 32 levels, getting progressively more difficult as the game goes on. But tricks and traps are repeated, so once you learn something in the beginning it will be natural when it's repeated at the end with a new gimmick tossed on top (like the bats with those falling platforms on 8-3). And if you have the fire attack, you just tear through everything and even later stages become a non-issue if you play carefully.

 

Battletoads on the other hand has a lot more to commit to memory. Every stage is totally unique and the play styles vary. It has a lot of the same kind of BS as Adventure Island as well, minus the infinite continues of AI. It also has many more randomized elements (come to think of it, nothing in AI is random).

 

This is just hindsight talking anyway. I beat Battletoads for the first time two and a half years ago, and I think I have improved as a player quite a bit since then. The better you get, the quicker new challenges are overcome. But I do remember Battletoads tearing me a new one for a while with all of its unique stages and gimmicks. I think in the end I will see Battletoads as being the harder game to learn, but the easier game to repeatedly finish once familiar with it. I think AI will be the opposite--easier to learn, but harder to execute a great run consistently (something like a 1cc).

[digdugnate]

congrats! the first AI was a pretty tough game, as I recall. i have played Super Adventure Island more recently.

[mbd30]

 

I have been thinking about this and I can see AI being harder for some people. I feel Battletoads was much more of a pain to learn though. Adventure Island is basically the same formula repeated for 32 levels, getting progressively more difficult as the game goes on. But tricks and traps are repeated, so once you learn something in the beginning it will be natural when it's repeated at the end with a new gimmick tossed on top (like the bats with those falling platforms on 8-3). And if you have the fire attack, you just tear through everything and even later stages become a non-issue if you play carefully.

 

Battletoads on the other hand has a lot more to commit to memory. Every stage is totally unique and the play styles vary. It has a lot of the same kind of BS as Adventure Island as well, minus the infinite continues of AI. It also has many more randomized elements (come to think of it, nothing in AI is random).

 

This is just hindsight talking anyway. I beat Battletoads for the first time two and a half years ago, and I think I have improved as a player quite a bit since then. The better you get, the quicker new challenges are overcome. But I do remember Battletoads tearing me a new one for a while with all of its unique stages and gimmicks. I think in the end I will see Battletoads as being the harder game to learn, but the easier game to repeatedly finish once familiar with it. I think AI will be the opposite--easier to learn, but harder to execute a great run consistently (something like a 1cc).

 

AI has that Gradius syndrome so that later levels become ten times harder if you die and lose your weapon. At least Battletoads doesn't have that. And the generosity with 1ups kind of makes up for limited continues. It even has sections where they keep giving you a 1up if you die, until you can get past it. So Battletoads is more forgiving in some respects.

[Austin]

Well, I managed to finish it tonight. Honestly 8-4 wasn't nearly as bad as I expected without a weapon. I guess 7-4 prepped me pretty well for that one. Overall I'd say 8-2 probably had the most for me to learn. No weapon at all in that stage and there are so many damn squids, jumping fish and falling platforms.

 

That final platforming section on 8-3 is evil. You have to make that first jump halfway off the edge Mega Man style, then the second jump (first falling platform) also has to be from halfway off the edge. The first two bats you can attack normally, but the third bat you have to attack on your way up. I just couldn't do this on the AVS on my LCD display (granted, it was going through the Framemeister, so added lag). This run I did on a standard CRT straight from my NES.

[Video]

Wow, good job. I suck at that game. Someone mentioned battle toads? I loved that game, but the speeder bike level, you literally get through that based on luck. I mean, the game doesn't react fast enough to avoid the obstacles. You actually pass through quiet a few and just hope the game counts it as a pass.

[mbd30]

Wow, good job. I suck at that game. Someone mentioned battle toads? I loved that game, but the speeder bike level, you literally get through that based on luck. I mean, the game doesn't react fast enough to avoid the obstacles. You actually pass through quiet a few and just hope the game counts it as a pass.

 

The speeder bike level is all memorization and decent reflexes. It has nothing to do with luck. With sufficient practice you can get through every time.

 

Skip to around the 33 minute mark to see the Mexican Runner beat the turbo tunnel blindfolded.

 

[chuckwalla]

Cool.

I still haven't beat Super Adventure Island on the SNES!

[Lord Innit]

I'm a massive fan of Wonder Boy, it's my all time favourite game. So, why do I find that I just can't get into Adventure Island? I mean, there's nothing wrong with the game at all, but I find it hard to like in the way I like Wonder Boy.

[Austin]

 

The speeder bike level is all memorization and decent reflexes. It has nothing to do with luck. With sufficient practice you can get through every time.

 

Yeah, most of Battletoads is strictly memorization. It's all about practice and execution, like a lot of hard NES games. Very few areas with RNG (the mines floating in the water on the surfing sections is one spot that comes to mind).