You can’t always run as fast as you feel like you should, and the platforming just isn’t that fun. AI 2 tries to be both, but neither portion works very well. The other game, though, is a typical action platformer where you take your time, kill enemies, and explore the stage. One is a game where you just run as fast as you can, hitting enemies here and there, but ultimately making it to the end of the stage quickly in other words, like the first Adventure Island. I really feel Adventure Island II wants to be two separate games. The latter point brings me to the game’s other significant flaw: movement. Is Higgins mowing on some chaw? That’s sick, bruh. He feels like he’s swimming with 50-lb weights tied around his ankles. Speaking of underwater, forget about controlling Higgins very well in these stages unless you’re riding your little Nessie friend. Any world that consists of you entering a tree, a cave, or underwater (which is pretty much all of them) is guaranteed to feel like deja vu every time. Every world has its own theme – Ice, Cloud, Volcano, etc – but the levels all feel the same. As you progress, though, the game starts to sag, like Higgins’ paunch. The whole thing initially feels like a more streamlined experience. Gone are the level markers from the first one, and in their place are shorter stages. He has several animal friends he can ride, much like the skateboard of the first game (though the latter makes a return, as well). Your time/life bar is longer than before, and collecting fruit is less imperative.
Higgins’ sprite size is smaller and less bulky, as are the enemies. When you first fire up the game, Hudson Soft’s changes seem like they’re for the best. From the eight themed islands you visit, to the way you progress through each stage, Mario 3 will never be far from the back of your mind. Adventure Island II, much like Adventure Island, tries to capitalize on Mario and specifically, Super Mario Bros. The image of Master Higgins running ridiculously fast, slack-jawed with eyes popping out, is certainly more endearing than any of the mid-to-late 90’s mascot shells (Bubsy? Aero the Acrobat? Soulless furry zombies). Say what you will about the first Adventure Island: it was a well-done Mario clone, even if it lacked some of the charm and imagination of the Mario series.
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