Penguin Adventure
Penguin Adventure (夢大陸アドベンチャー, Yume Tairiku Adobenchā, lit. "Dream Continent Adventure") is an action-adventure platform video game released by Konami in 1986. It is a sequel to Antarctic Adventure and has the distinction of being the first game that game designer Hideo Kojima worked on;[2] he was an assistant designer. It has been acclaimed as one of the best MSX action games for its gameplay, depth, variety and rich pseudo-3D tile-based graphics with sprites. The story follows Penta, a penguin who has to bring home a golden apple in order to cure Penguette, the Penguin Princess.
| Penguin Adventure | |
|---|---|
 European box art | |
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Designer(s) | Ryouhei Shogaki Hideo Kojima (assistant) |
| Composer(s) | Yoshinori Sasaki Kenichi Matsubara |
| Platform(s) | MSX, Mobile phones, Microsoft Windows |
| Release | MSX Mobile phones
|
| Genre(s) | Platform game, action-adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
Gameplay
This title significantly expanded upon the gameplay of Antarctic Adventure by most notably adding a greater variety of stages and enemies and RPG elements: boss fights, purchasable items, and several mini-games. Items can be purchased through three different fisherman, in exchange for fish, that give Penta new abilities. One of the items that can be bought is a gun, originating as a reference to Konami's Vietnam War-themed animated feature Penguin Memories. The usage of this gun would also be reflected in Penta's son "Pentarou" during his appearances in the Parodius series.
Level design and variety have increased from Antarctic Adventure; there are forest levels, ice levels, water-based levels, caves, and even some outer-space bonus levels.[3] There are several shortcuts, usually hidden underneath holes (which are typically harmful hazards) in the game, that allow the player to go on almost completely different paths. The game also featured multiple endings, with the hidden good ending available when the player pauses the game a certain number of times.[4] In the bad ending, the princess dies, while in the good ending, she lives, an idea that Kojima would later use again in Metal Gear Solid and, to an extent, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.[5]
Ports
- Zemina, a South Korean video game company, made an unauthorized Sega Master System port with the same title, credited as Kkum-Uidaelyug (Korean: 꿈의대륙, romanized: Dreamland) on the cartridge, which was published towards the end of the 1980s.
- The MSX version was re-released on several platforms during the years: first on PlayStation and Sega Saturn as part of Konami Antiques MSX Collection in 1997/1999, then on Virtual Console (first for Wii on November 24, 2009, later for Wii U on January 29, 2014) in Japan, and finally on PC on April 11, 2014 always in Japan (as Project EGG).
- A mobile version was released on May 31, 2006 only in Japan.
Other media
| Penguin Adventure: Penta no daibōken Korokorokokoro no Penko-hime | |
| 夢大陸アドベンチャー -ペン太の大冒険 コロコロココロのペン子姫- (Yume Tairiku Adobenchā: Penta no daibōken Korokorokokoro no Penko-hime) | |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Published by | Konami Digital Entertainment |
| Magazine | Weekly Konami Magazine |
| Published | September 15, 2006 - February 2, 2007 |
| Volumes | 20 |
In 2006, Konami Digital Entertainment Tokyo serialized a series of digital comics based on the video game of the same name titled Yume Tairiku Adobenchā: Penta no daibōken Korokorokokoro no Penko-hime (夢大陸アドベンチャー -ペン太の大冒険 コロコロココロのペン子姫-, lit. "Dream Continent Adventure: Penta's Adventure, Penguette's Colosse Heart").[6]
References
- "夢大陸アドベンチャー (PC)". Konami. Retrieved 2015-01-26.
- KONAMIのMSX往年の名作がWiiバーチャルコンソールに登場 (Translation), Famitsu
- Penguin Adventure at MobyGames
- Penguin Adventure Archived 2012-07-16 at Archive.today, GameSpot
- Todd, Ciolek (October 12, 2011). "Less than Famous Firsts: Your Favorite Developers' Early Efforts". 1UP.com. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- "『ランブルローズ』『幻想水滸伝』がケータイ漫画に！". Gpara. Retrieved March 12, 2015.