J2ME

Adventure Island

Hudson Entertainment's mobile division is playing it safe, porting proven franchises from its days as a third-party NES developer. The latest of these wireless conversions is Adventure Island, in which you reprise the role of Master Higgins, a portly safari enthusiast who's no stranger to danger. Whether on foot or riding his signature skateboard, Higgins must navigate the unforgiving jungle, dodging or dispatching predatory pests in the process. The resulting game is a simple platformer, periodically punctuated by some perfunctory boss fights (which are all essentially the same). This is a strong port, with superior graphics to the NES original. Gameplay problems result from the autofire implemented to compensate for mobile's inferior control, but Adventure Island still remains a fun game that has been effectively adapted for the platform.