Jeremy Parish

NES Works Gaiden #32: Adventure Island IV (Patreon)

Published:

2022-02-02 13:36:45

Imported:

2024-04

Tags:

famicom hudson nes works nes works gaiden wonder boy

Content

Sometimes, things just fall into place in a way that seems entirely too coincidental for its own good. But, you know, I'll take it. Take this episode, for example. A while back it became clear that I was going to be getting to both Wonder Boy for SG-1000 and Adventure Island for NES at roughly the same time, so I figured it would be sensible to tackle them consecutively. But then! Then They Call Me Sleeper requested Adventure Island IV/Boukenjima IV... and while the fact that a complete copy of the game typically sells for upwards of $1000 these days, I just happened to find a super-clean copy up on a Japanese auction site for a fraction of that, making it an investment I can easily recoup once all of this is over. So here we are, skipping to the very end of NES Works Gaiden with a look at the final Famicom release ever, as well as the culmination of the Adventure Island series, wrapping up a trilogy of episodes about this franchise's legacy. Way too coincidental for its own good. But I'm OK with that.

Next week: No Wonder Boy, no Adventure Island. Honest.

Files

Adventure Island IV retrospective: Famiconclusion | NES Works Gaiden #031

By request of They Call Me Sleeper, here's one last Wonder Boy game until Segaiden gets to the Master System stuff: Adventure Island IV for NES. Or rather, Takahashi Meijin no Boukenjima IV for Famicom, as Hudson has never localized this one in any capacity. That's a shame, because Adventure Island IV belatedly but capably brings Master Higgins' island adventures in line with those of Tom Tom's, transforming the linear Adventure Island series into a free-roaming exploratory adventure. You know. A metroidvania. It's a fine send-off to the Adventure Island series (which would see only one more proper new entry before riding its dino pal off into the sunset), to the Famicom, and to the 8-bit metroidvania format until portable and indie games revitalized the genre a decade later. Production note: NES footage captured from @Analogue Nt Mini Noir. Arcade footage captured from MiSTer (special thanks to @MiSTer Addons). SG-1000 footage in this episode was captured from a combination of Sega SG-1000 II with (with Card Catcher; RGB amp mod by @iFixRetro ) and @Analogue Mega Sg with card adapter module and DAC. Video upscaled to 720 with @Retro Tink 5X. Video Works is funded via Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/gamespite) — support the show and get access to every episode up to two weeks in advance of its YouTube debut! Plus, exclusive podcasts, eBooks, and more! And don't miss the latest Video Works books, freshly published by Limited Run Games: Virtual Boy Works Vol. I (https://limitedrungames.com/collections/books-board-games-and-more/products/virtual-boy-works-book)