NES Alphanumeric! #005: ADVENTURE ISLAND II™
0I'm working my way through my personal collection in alphanumeric order, from 3-D WORLDRUNNER to ZEN THE INTERGALACTIC NINJA!
THOUGHTS POST-STREAM: This improves on everything good about ADVENTURE ISLAND, plus there are now dino buddies you can ride around on! The graphics are still cartoony and vibrant, but the sprites are a little smaller and more detailed; however, the greatest improvement is the levels are much more interesting and varied than in the previous installment. With the addition of a map screen and the ability to run back to the left and scroll levels vertically as well as horizontally, this game strongly evokes Super Mario World, which came out the year before. It's still as challenging as the first game, but also more fair: The continue feature isn't hidden, and there's even a stage select feature (on the title screen: ►, ◄, ►, ◄, A, B, A, B). I was surprised the dinosaurs weren't more essential to the game play, but they certainly add to the fun. Definitely on my list of games to beat.