It was only a few days ago that we revealed our exclusive interview with Takahashi Meijin about Hudson’s upcoming WiiWare game Adventure Island: The Beginning. He told us we could expect to get our hands on the game in May, but it looks like Japan will get it sooner as the official website has now launched, and it lists their release date as "April".
In the game you can collect special gold melons which are used as currency in the shop to power up Master Higgins. This reinvented platformer also gives Master Higgins the ability to cliff hang and even double-jump like Sir Arthur! In addition to the main game there are also some fun looking mini-games to keep you entertained. All this for just 1000 Wii points.
Check out the Japanese trailer for yourself and let us know what you think of Master Higgins's new look:
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Source: Hudson Soft














1. KeeperBvK
13 Mar 2009, 21:25 GMT
Yay, the style looks really, really(!!) crappy to me, but the gameplay seems to be intact.
How great would it be if this came along Gradius Rebirth?...would make up for the lackluster weeks of the near past...
2. Corbie
13 Mar 2009, 21:28 GMT
I'm not loving the animations of Master Higgins, but as long as it plays like the classic Adventure Island games, it doesn't bother me.
3. Drake
13 Mar 2009, 21:35 GMT
Along with Adventure Island and New Adventure Island you can spot clips of Super Adventure Island at the start, I hope this means something
4. xesbeth
13 Mar 2009, 21:43 GMT
It really looks like the gamecube remake...with wii bonus (a remake of a remake?). Doesn't matter, i'll buy it.
5. anthonyb
13 Mar 2009, 21:44 GMT
Personally I think it looks pretty sweet for a WiiWare title. I like how he flaps his arms and legs to glide. And it would've been nice to see some of the skateboarding footage.
6. Bahamut ZERO
13 Mar 2009, 21:46 GMT
Looks like bad graphics, great gameplay.
@Corbie: Why are you guys advertising Nintendolife at the bottom so much now? I thought you guys pretty much abandoned that place.....
7. Shadx
13 Mar 2009, 21:47 GMT
looks alright. Never been a fan of the AI series, so no for me. Style looks odd. Why is everyone doing that whole 2.5D thing lately?
8. Thomas
13 Mar 2009, 21:59 GMT
My first impressions of this one are good.
Looks like it could be a decent little platformer.
9. Omega
13 Mar 2009, 22:14 GMT
The animation of the man reminds me of Ghouls'n'Ghosts. He runs around as if he had swallowed a stick. And he only wears underpants. Although Arthur wears sometimes a knight's armor, at least if you're lucky.
But despite the stiff animation, I think on the whole it looks pretty good. It's a mix of SNES-like Jump and Run action and modern 3D graphics. Fairly interesting. It seems that Hudson has understood how to produce nice WiiWare games. Except for Snowboard Riot.
10. TwistedVivid
13 Mar 2009, 22:15 GMT
This....... is........... AWEZOME sega should make a Sonic 4 with these graphics
11. Corbie
13 Mar 2009, 22:36 GMT
@ Bahamut ZERO - You'll just have to wait and see.
12. KeeperBvK
13 Mar 2009, 22:37 GMT
@ Omega: There's nothing modern about these 3D graphics...they're 3D, yes...but way outdated and ugly 3D.
13. Chicken Brutus
13 Mar 2009, 22:40 GMT
I'm surprised to hear people disappointed with the graphics. The screenshots we got before looked kind of lame, but now that I see it animated, I'm sold.
Then again I wasn't a huge fan of the original games anyway, so maybe I'm just happy to see that it's now more in line with the kind of platformers I enjoy.
14. Adam
13 Mar 2009, 22:53 GMT
Only Niki Rock Ball Thing Game has looked worse, but I was never a huge fan, just rented the games occasionally.
15. LegendofPasta99
13 Mar 2009, 23:12 GMT
That is one ugly mascot I must say (no disrespect to the Meijin), but other than that I dig this game's style.
16. JJ
13 Mar 2009, 23:40 GMT
I like the style. I would buy this.
17. Bahamut ZERO
13 Mar 2009, 23:42 GMT
@Corbie: I sense that the big surprise you said that will make everybody happy (and bite you in the ass
) will be DSiWare on Nintendolife!
18. Toddr
13 Mar 2009, 23:52 GMT
Or they might combine all the sites into one big super site!
19. Scryble
13 Mar 2009, 23:53 GMT
I'll probably end up buying this just to see what Higgins looks like in a pink leopard skin loin clothe...
20. odd69
14 Mar 2009, 00:03 GMT
remember how the back in the day how original game's screen automatically moved and you had to run? well this turned me off from the series BUT it looks like they dropped that in this game therefore more freedom to explore( like mario or metroid). i will be buying this the second it comes out it looks like one awesome platformer!!!!
21. Link79
14 Mar 2009, 00:17 GMT
Looks pretty good. I'll wait for the final review when it's out but so far It's on my get list.
22. Omega
14 Mar 2009, 00:58 GMT
@KeeperBvK: For once, I have nothing bad to say about the graphics. It looks really good to me. But as always, it is a matter of taste, I suppose.
@odd69: Yes, that was cruel. I think this game has not much in common with the original Adventure Island. Thankfully.
23. Bahamut ZERO
14 Mar 2009, 00:58 GMT
@Toddr: They said they wont because it would cause waaaayyyyyy too much traffic.
24. Drake
14 Mar 2009, 01:02 GMT
@ odd69: The original Adventure Island only scrolled automatically when you were on a skateboard. It never auto-scolled when you weren't.
25. Omega
14 Mar 2009, 01:19 GMT
It seems, in the video, that they have removed the skateboard completely out of the platforming sections and instead added some special levels for skateboarding. I believe this is a wise decision. I always hated the odd controls with the skateboard.
26. KnucklesSonic8
14 Mar 2009, 01:28 GMT
@Chicken Brutus: You're surprised by the reception towards the graphics? I'm not in the least bit. that aside, I'm sold also. Too bad they scrapped BB support but that probably felt tacked on anyway.
27. Toddr
14 Mar 2009, 02:21 GMT
@ Bahamut ZERO
But wouldn't it be easier to have one big site than 4 small sites?
28. pikmin95
14 Mar 2009, 03:21 GMT
Looks really slow.
29. touffeboy
14 Mar 2009, 03:43 GMT
Good! This game like very nice, i'm impressed by the gameplay and the graphics! Nice Job Hudson ^^
I always thinks Hudson Soft make the bests Wiiware Games (Except for World of Goo)....
30. Objection_Blaster
14 Mar 2009, 07:12 GMT
Looks okay. I'm still not as sold as I thought I'd be with a new platformer.
31. JustaGerm
14 Mar 2009, 09:11 GMT
I'm sensing the best stoner game ever. Bungs 4 days.
32. Luigi La Bouncy
14 Mar 2009, 12:41 GMT
I'm definately going to get this. I've been dying for a platformer on WiiWare and this certainly fits the bill. Instant download. Get it to Europe now please!
33. Ren
14 Mar 2009, 14:14 GMT
I'm not surprised by the comments either, but I'm sold myself. What more does anyone expect from a 2D platformer? Looks like fun to me.
It's not Gears of War it's a cartoony platforming game, I don't get what people were expecting. Interesting, creative level design is what makes a game like this not "realistic" graphics. I think some younger folks don't seem to get that there is a vast disconnect between the design approach to a modern 3-d adventure game and a traditional 2-d platforming game. Shadow detail and blooming effects on complex animated fingers aren't part of that approach. Proper pacing and fun, challenging level design are.
I guess there wasn't an auto scroll except for the hard-ass skateboard parts, but there was still a very hurried feel about it that isn't as present here, it seems. I remember loving the old ones so this is a pretty welcome homage, since theres still a little of that weird big head thing and the grass skirt. I'm glad the skateboard stuff is separate, too, it was always fun but way hard and ironically kinda killed the momentum for me a little in the old ones since you'd basically jump on and dive into a hole.
34. Bahamut ZERO
14 Mar 2009, 18:00 GMT
@Toddr: Yeah, but like I said, too much traffic.
35. RadioShadow
15 Mar 2009, 00:56 GMT
A girl gets kidnapped and Higgins (male) has to rescue her! That's not been done a million times before. Why not have Higgins get kidnapped and make the girl be the one to rescue Higgins. I would 100% buy it then!
Still, the graphics look pretty decent, okay not the best but it has nice animation and I like these platform games.
@LegendofPasta99:
What's ugly about him?
36. worrybomb
15 Mar 2009, 02:01 GMT
While the character animations and the background could be a little bit more livelier (heck, I wish this game would have animated FMV a la Waio Land: Shake It), I gotta say it's not that bad looking from what I previously thought. With that said, it's all about the gameplay so I hope Hudson did a great job on capturing the old AI essence. I'll wait for a review on this to see if it's worth purchasing.
37. Doogle
15 Mar 2009, 11:13 GMT
Ooh this looks lovely, I can't wait for it to hit Europe!
38. Sean Aaron
15 Mar 2009, 16:48 GMT
It's a Mario-style platformer with a 3D render look that turns me off, so no thanks; especially if there's also mini-games.
I'm sure the price is justified by the amount of content, but the only non-parody platform game that I have any interest in so far is Cave Story.
39. ALDAWGZ
15 Mar 2009, 18:08 GMT
awesome cant wait 4 this 2 come out
40. odd69
15 Mar 2009, 21:16 GMT
oh i must be thinking of a different game i somehow remember you having to run constantly and get fruit. regardless im buying. solid platformer,good graphics for me is a win win situation im not going to like mini games but i'll just ignore the fact for now...
41. That Guy from Faxanadu
15 Mar 2009, 22:07 GMT
@odd69: Yes, that´s the game! Master Higgins is a constantly starving hero. The health decreases like a timer if you don´t get fruit to eat, so in the end you have to run all the time.
42. Crazed
17 Mar 2009, 19:34 GMT
I'm not sure if I'll get it. Yes, its Hudson, but I'm more intrested in Cave Story and Super Meat Boy. It'll be done well, but its not for me.
43. lockelocke
17 Mar 2009, 22:29 GMT
Sorry, but as a long time fan of the Adventure Island games, I must admit that this looks pretty close to absolute crap.
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