o----------------------------------------o | SUPER ADVENTURE ISLAND FAQ/Walkthrough | o----------------------------------------o v1.5+ Packed with solutions to every nook and cranny of the game! Written by Snow Dragon (C) 2001-2002. All rights reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS ================= I. Updates II. Story, Intro, and Notes III. Controls IV. Walkthrough for All Levels V. Credits and Copyrights UPDATES ======= 3-17-02: While most of my older walkthroughs have recently been given total rearrangements, this one is sort of an evolution from my older style to the style I adopt now. There are really no big changes, but there are enough to give this one a sort of semi- update. Therefore, this one isn't being completely upgraded to 2.0. That's the reasoning behind the designation "1.5+". If any other changes come up, I'll keep you in the know. STORY, INTRO, AND NOTES ======================= If you know anything about the plot of most Adventure Island games, I can just tell you that the story behind this one is just like the story to every other Adventure Island game in existence. However, since that will not suffice for someone who has never played a game in this series, here's what actually happens. Master Higgins, the fat islander in a baseball cap, is making out in a tree with his girlfriend (correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe her name is Tina). Anyway, they're petting each other and kissing when this goofy-looking wizard in a purple robe comes and turns Tina to stone. Higgins realizes this at about the time he realizes that he just kissed a hunk of granite. Anyway, Higgins hops down out of his romance tree and is off to kill the sorry [bleep] who turned his main squeeze into a rock. Now that you know exactly why Higgins is off on this inane romp, here are a few things you should know about the FAQ: ** I did a walkthrough for Super Adventure Island because, unlike the ones for NES, this one is sadly very linear. On a happier note, that makes it easier to do a walkthrough for it! Oh, sweet irony. ** If there is anything you need to contact me about, like a mistake in the walkthrough or a request for additional info or something similar in content, e-mail me at . I always answer all my mail, even if it takes a month like it sometimes does. ** Since most of this game's levels are pretty short, the walkthroughs are in paragraph form. Sometimes I do step-by-step walkthroughs, but more often than not it depends on the game. ** That should be all. Have fun playing Super Adventure Island! CONTROLS ======== As far as a Super NES controller goes, these are pretty basic controls. Note that Higgins, true to morbidly-obese-person form, cannot run - instead, he employs a light jog that often feels too slow for the game's action. Left/Right ---------- Jog left or right. You won't be jogging left too much, as everything in this game is basically directly ahead of you waiting to kill you. B or X ------ These both serve as jump buttons. Use B - it's much easier. Y or A ------ Both buttons will launch your current weapon. Y is easier to use than A. Hold Down, jump --------------- A super-jump of sorts. Use it to reach higher items. Hold up, fire weapon -------------------- Fire your weapon in a high narrow arc. Good for reaching enemies above you, like bats or bosses with high-up weak spots. Hold down, fire weapon ---------------------- Fire your weapon in a low wide arc that can take foes far away by surprise. WALKTHROUGHS FOR ALL LEVELS =========================== Round 1-1 --------- Before you start, pause the game and take a look at the status symbols around you. In the upper left-hand corner is your life bar. It peters out pretty fast as you go through a level - that's where tropical fruit comes in. Generally speaking, almost anything that isn't a weapon or a skateboard will restore your health meter. Unfortunately, Higgins is a weak fatty who dies in one hit (unless special conditions are present). In the upper right-hand corner is the score, and in the lower left-hand corner are your reserve lives. Bearing that in mind, let's move on. Just ahead is the quintessential hammer, Higgins' main weapon of choice throughout the game. Grab it. To kill the shell monsters, use the low wide arc technique described just above in the Controls section. It's better than aiming square at the middle, in which case the hammer will probably fly right over them unless you throw it right when you see them. Keep going until you see the skateboard. If you're smart, you'll never get this item when you see it. Having cleared the skateboard, walk on ahead, minding the rocks (if you trip on one, you lose a little health) until you find the boomerang. Use the high narrow arc trick to get the floating reptiles before they hit the ground. This is sometimes difficult because they tend to move around in midair a lot. If they make it to the ground they'll proceed to blow fire at you. After them, jump over the two rocks and kill the shell. The ticket to escaping every level is the red circle with the star inside. Touch it to beat the level. You will receive bonus points for any health you have left at the end - a full health bar nets you 8000 points (you have 16 single units and each is worth 500). Round 1-2 --------- If you were able to hang on to the boomerang from the last level, then today is your lucky day. Get the one up ahead and your boomerang will turn into a dirk-like energy ball weapon! Yeah! Keep it as you go ahead. When you see one of the voodoo guys like the one up ahead a few steps, duck in case he tries to spear you. Advance across the waterfalls. The platforms don't have a lot of room to move back and forth, so this makes jumps from them slightly easier. Some will go left to right, others fall slowly when you touch them. The next noteworthy area is at the first hammer. When you get it, you retain the energy ball thing, but it works like a hammer instead of a boomerang. Still not bad! The waterfalls and platforms become more plentiful but no harder to cross. When you see the circling bugs, kill them, and when you see a voodoo man, duck. At the end of the level, use a super-jump to reach the star. Round 1-3 --------- Get ready for a distinct change of locale from your normal surroundings to a volcanic cave. Don't try to jump over the candles or they'll torch you through some mystic kerosene-like power of theirs. Take them out with whatever weapon you currently possess. When the boulder chases you down the slope, keep on moving - it's just as hilariously slow as you are. When you get to the bottom and clear the lava pit, you should come into possession of the boomerang once again. After the moving platform area, you'll see a hammer. DO NOT GET IT! It's much easier to kill these bouncing black blobs you'll find with your boomerang/energy ball (assuming you still haven't died and lost the energy ball). After they are out of your way, you will find a lot of fruit and the star. Don't get happy just yet, though. You're about to engage in your first boss battle. If you have the boomerang, this battle is hilariously easy. Run up to him and use the high narrow arc as fast as your fingers can crank it out. Should you do this properly, you'll beat him before he even gets a shot off at you. If not, jump over the fire that he releases. It runs like a wave to the edge of the screen. The hammer, while slower, is just as effective in defeating this boss. If you die, you'll start from the middle of 1-3; if you don't, a bird will fly you to... Round 2-1 --------- How the [bleep] are these penguins surviving on a tropical island? Oh well, I'm not one to question this game's illogic. Just know that when you see one, you should fire your boomerang at it immediately, on sight, no questions asked. If you can't manage that, jump over them. This is one of the few times I'm going to recommend picking up the skateboard. With the right jumps and some semi-superhuman reflexes, you can beat this in record time. Unless you feel capable, try to either go for the fruit only or only kill the penguins. Only do both if you feel that Higgins is in the hand of a platforming expert. Once you pass the flying stingrays (???), watch out for that thing that looks like a scooter. It's not. I tried to catch a ride on it once and I died:) If you're not on the scooter, stay low and kill him when he comes out from the shield. If you're on the skateboard, clear him with a professional jump. Soon you'll meet up with some more penguins, then you'll be at the end of the level. Round 2-2 --------- Unless you pull some fancy footwork, you'll have to get the hammer. It won't matter, because before long you'll once again be holding and using your precious boomerang. There's nothing really worth mentioning until you get to the inflated walruses. This game is so darned crazy! Even then, this level doesn't get hard until after the arc of four fruits (pineapple, banana, kiwi, pineapple). Then penguins will fly at you again. When you jump to the ledge that sinks, one will come at you, and believe me, it is the most inopportune time for that to happen. So, when he flies at you, duck and wait for him to pass, then as soon as he's past you, do a super-jump to safe ground. After that, the exit is just ahead. Following this level, Higgins, who is in a boat, will be swallowed whole by a mean-looking whale. Round 2-3 --------- This level is simple. All you're doing is swimming through the rather empty innards of a digestive system-less whale. The only enemies you will face are stingrays, eels, and inflated walruses. Swimming is an easy task. Stay afloat with the jump button (if you go below the bottom it's just like a normal pit and you'll die), and control your altitude with the Up and Down buttons. It is easier if you attack your enemies from below or above as the situation warrants than from directly in front of them. At the end of the level, it is imperative that you pick up the hammer. You'll never get a hit in on the boss with that boomerang of yours. Worm your way around the sea urchins to the boss, a giant sea-floor- dwelling squid. The arm is invulnerable to attacks from your hammer, as are the urchins. You'll have to make the hammers arc over the arm and onto the pale orange weak spot that is his head. On top of that, the squid releases fish that do nothing except float up. If you avoid them and keep flailing at his head, you'll do fine. The bird will transport you to Round 3-1. Round 3-1 --------- By the time you figure out that you're supposed to go up the tree, you'll probably have lost a few health points. Fruit is not hard to get to but it is few and far between. Fortunately, when you do find it, it's cluttered together in little groups. Also try throwing your boomerang at background leaves. It can reveal hidden fruit that can really help you out if you're running out of health (or time?). Really, the way to beat this, obviously, is making your way up the tree. All the boomerangs will be on the right side of the tree. The star is in the upper left-hand corner of the level. Round 3-2 --------- The foggy forest is somewhat intimidating, but not THAT scary in retrospect. A new enemy you'll see here is a ghost lizard with a gaping maw ready to eat you. The skateboard will provide a quick thrill, but odds are you'll lose it sooner or later. If you want to get, you can get through the level just that much faster. The voodoo men are everywhere here, so be sure to duck their death lances. Most of the fruit in this level can't be reached through conventional jumping - good to know. The cave at the end suggests the environment of the next level. Round 3-3 --------- What a fun level! You get to ride in stray mine carts! At some points getting the hammer is unavoidable, but it is shortly replaced by the far superior boomerang. When you jump out of a mine cart, as you will have to when one comes to a pit, you'll make a huge leap that's fun to watch. Kill all enemies from below when possible, because most of your opponents are the ever-annoying black blobs. At the end of this level after getting the star, you'll face a mechanical dragon. Following a long fall, the mechanical dragon will reveal himself. Hit him in the head, which is, like both of the other bosses to this point, his weak spot. His body curves much like the block platform from Super Mario World, if you get that reference. You can pass through most of his body and jump onto it to keep up with him. Watch out for the lava that flows out of the background. It's there as a way to get you farther behind the dragon's head. Once you hit it a few times, he starts to move faster. Mercilessly bash his face in with the boomerang until you win. Round 4-1 --------- Similar to the movie "I'll Be Home For Christmas," you're out in the middle of nowhere and you've got to get home to your loved one. Unlike that movie, however, you're not glued into a Santa suit. With that, proceed to journey through the searing desert. This level almost feels more linear than any other in the game so far. All you have to do is walk forward and kill the usual suspects. It might be interesting to note that your life bar runs out a little faster in this level. Super- jumping plays more into the mix here, making you reach that little extra to replenish your life. Hit all flying enemies from below until you find the skateboard. It's near the very end of the level, so the ride will be short. Round 4-2 --------- Another one where the level's path leads up instead of right. While the skull helmet guys may not look like much, they have unrivaled jumping capabilities. Get rid of them with the hammer or the boomerang before they can pounce on you. Both weapons are stocked in plentiful supply here. Fruit is usually arranged in columns or rows, so if you need to step to the side or take a fall to get some, that's fine. Most falls do not require a long trip back to your original position. Remember to watch your timing as you proceed up the cliffs. Several of the parachuting dinos are here to make your life miserable, and the circularly-flying bugs are a nuisance as well. Once at the top of the mountain, make a stretching jump to the right to get the star. If you need assurance, go down a few rows and make a super-jump. After this level, Master Higgins will make a big belly-flop into a lake below. Round 4-3 --------- Don't you just love how swimming levels are the easiest? All you have to do is swim your butt off and then fight a boss! Actually, it would probably make it easier if you killed everyone in sight here, especially the eels. If you don't get them off your tail, they will start to seriously gain up on you, and you really don't need five or six of them chasing you shooting bolts of electricity. Keep them off your back with either the boomerang or the hammer, which you should try to avoid during the course of this stage. The boss will be a lot easier with the boomerang. Once you've gotten the star and the game has tallied up your bonus points, you'll be taken to a cave where you'll fight a giant skeleton knight with a rinky-dink early-16-bit era lightsaber, which the next- gen games of today more than put to shame. Go up him so that he swings at you, then quickly back away and super-jump, throwing the boomerang so that it hits the top of his head. You'll know you've scored a successful salvo when he crumbles to pieces on the ground. He will quickly regenerate and come back for more. Three hits (three!) will do him in for good. It's sad, really. You'd think somebody like him would be really tough, but what is he? A steaming pile of crap, that's what. Boy, I tell you... Round 5-1 --------- Here's the first level with any actual element of challenge to it. The slippery ice is hard to walk on, and even more so when traversing hills. Finally the penguins are in a place where they belong, and they're not afraid to charge at you if you make eye contact with them. Don't even bother with the skateboard located at the level's midpoint. You'll lose it in a matter of seconds thanks to a well-placed penguin. The voodoo guys are usually located at the top of hills, so if you were forced into obtaining a hammer, take them out with it. The end of this one is located near a glimmering, frozen-over castle. Round 5-2 --------- Forcing you to go slow by making the joint dark was a good move on Hudson Soft's part. This level requires both lots of patience and good vision to see the vague outlines of stuff ahead of you. It's not a bad idea to fire your weapon constantly in case some enemy lies ahead of you. Look all around for faint traces of fruit. There isn't much in this level, and what you do find you need to grab, because if you proceed too cautiously and your health meter starts to get low, you're going to panic, and that will cause you to die. Take your time over the spike pits. Make each jump thorough, and know where you're going to land. Be confident, even if your confidence lands you in a bed of spikes. Each one is only four spikes in length and can be seen in the dim light ahead of you, so try to look ahead. If your vision is bad, this level may give you heartache for hours to come. Round 5-3 --------- To get your worry glands going for this level, those freakin' annoying black blob guys are EVERYWHERE. Don't get the hammer at the start, because the control that the boomerang provides makes it a much more capable companion at this point. Proceed to the right. You'll meet familiar enemies like the walking candles and the freaky ghost lizards. When you get to the wall and have to super-jump up to the brown ledges, get on the left side of the second one and jump. A star should appear that will lead you to a bonus level. Let's take a time-out, shall we? In the bonus level, you will bounce on springs to collect stars for points. These lead to 1-ups, as the stars are worth massive points. Each spring can only be used once, so the little break from reality (so to speak) keeps you on your toes. If you get all the items, you'll collect a 1-up for that as well. When you get back, go to the wall to the right and fire the boomerang up to locate some hidden fruit. When you proceed to the left, almost all of the ledges move up and down or left and right. Several hidden fruits lie in this one-way path to the boss, so keep firing whatever you have to reveal them. Your problems should be few as long as you're super-jumping to ledges instead of making a normal leap to each one. Most enemies will attack you from above, so fire in that direction if you're looking for safety from the unfamiliar. The boss is ... wait a second! It's none other than the little scamp who turned your sweetheart into a statue! All he does is dash around like a loser. Just fire your weapon at him a lot and jump when he comes at you. To all outward appearances, it seems you're not doing a blessed thing to him, but this will be evidenced once he floats up to heaven. Wait a minute though ... is he ... is he ... he is! He just turned into this fat floating thing - that you can't hit! Mwa ha ha! The secret here is to let Mr. Fattypants Pink Thing crush the bridge under his own weight, since he's obviously using his butt to try and make you die of shock, apparently. Take note of the color change when he hits certain bricks. After one hit, they turn yellow. After two, red. Finally, on the third hit, they will cease to be. What you don't want to do is get yourself cornered. That will only lead to death by butt. You want to find a little special area that you want him to land on and eventually crash through a la Bowser from SMB3 for NES. Walk around in a small six-block space so that he's aware of your presence there, but stay to the left or right of it, depending on which direction provides a quick escape from the corner. When it looks like he's about to squish you, move. It can be very hard to get him to land where you want him to. Have two or three potential spots for him to crash through. Each time he hits one, go to another. When you have six red blocks lined up, lead him to that one area and no other. Once he crashes on it, he will realize his folly and go up in flames. That was the hardest part of the game right there, and you just beat it. Go, you! Afterward, Higgins gets treated to more than a little lovin' on the beach. Just goes to show you, the fat guy gets the girl in the end. Always. Where would Mario be if that weren't true? Congratulations on beating Super Adventure Island! CREDITS AND COPYRIGHTS ====================== First of all, this is probably the fastest I've ever beaten a game I did for a walkthrough. No wait, that was Addams Family for Game Boy. My bad. Okay, back to what's really important: the people who made this possible. ** My cousin Chris. His computer rocks! ** ZSNES. Without emulators, writing these would actually be work! ** Pizza rolls and Dr Pepper, my sustenance that I ate and drank while writing this. ** Anyone who has helped develop/encourage my writing talent. ** Any sites that post. ** Hudson Soft for making the game, however easy it is. This version of this walkthrough (1.5+) is (C) March 17, 2002 by Snow Dragon. Now: the real legal talk: I don't want this sold for profit. It can be distributed freely, I have no beef with that, but please don't make money by selling this to all your friends. That's wrong because I said it is. Also, if you are going to put this on your website, you must do so without changing the text at all. Leave it in its original form. I do understand, however, if you wish to modify the STRUCTURE of this guide (i.e. adding your own screenshots for display on your site). You will have to ask me first, though I usually allow this. Don't link directly to this FAQ. Only link to the site that it is on. Above all, do not plagiarize this walkthrough. I spent my time on it and it is a completely original product of my own doing. If you take this from me, I will not like you at all. Do remember that the latest version of this walkthrough is always to be found at the ever-helpful GameFAQs. Contact me at if you have any questions regarding this or any of my other guides. Other than that, have a nice day, and have fun playing Super Adventure Island!