Adventure Island/World 1

Stage 1

 * 1) The first section starts out easily enough.  After collecting some fruit, the first egg that you encounter will contain the hammer, followed by a few Sneils, and then some rocks.  Learn the rates of speed at which Higgins can run.
 * 2) The next egg you encounter will contain the skateboard.  While it can be fun to ride, and speed up how quickly you can complete the level, it can cause you to miss valuable power-ups.  Around the time that you see the first Cavas bird, a hidden egg can be found along the ground.  Use your hammer to figure out where it lies and jump at that location.  Open it up and you will discover the fireball.  Use the fireballs to defeat the remaining Cavas, and clear away the rocks.
 * 3) There are totem poles in the background at the start of this section.  After jumping over a fire, you will end up between two tall, close totem poles just before a fire breathing cobra.  Kill the cobra, and throw your weapon between the totem poles several times to call upon a platform to the first bonus stage.  You'll know that you're standing in the right place if your weapons disappear very quickly, if not immediately.  If you skip the bonus stage, begin climbing up the hill and watch out for the boulder.  You can jump over it or shoot it with fireballs.  A Honey Girl fairy waits at the end of the section which you can carry into the next.
 * 4) The last section presents the first real jumping challenge, with suspended platforms and unfortunate rock placements.  If you have fireballs, you can easily clear the rocks, but you must still learn how to utilize the springboards properly.  Just before you see the Bonus Pot, there is a hidden egg that contains red milk.  And just before the G signpost, which signifies the goal, there is a hidden egg which contains the Honey Bee which is required if you plan to use the continue code.

Stage 2

 * 1) This stage is your introduction to a typical water stage.  You'll learn how to hop from cloud to cloud as you cross over the water, which you must avoid landing in.  You'll also meet Octopi who jump out of the water to hit you.  At the end of an island with a group of snails you will find a hidden fireball egg.  If you still have fireballs from the first stage, it will be a 2000 point ruby ring instead.
 * 2) More cloud hopping and more octopi to defeat.  When trying to hit them from a distance, only throw one weapon out at a time.  If you throw both and miss, you'll have to sit there and wait until you can throw again.  A single Pooter greets you just before you cross into section 3.
 * 3) Shortly after you start this section, you will find an egg before three Octopi.  The egg contains a Honey Girl fairy.  Collect and crash through any enemies you encounter, but don't slow yourself down to hit every one.  Take care when you jumping on to the descending clouds.
 * 4) You'll encounter a variety of moving clouds in this section.  You can tell moving clouds from stationary ones by examining the bottom of the cloud.  Moving clouds have darker outlines.  Don't miss the easy Bonus Pot above the lateral moving cloud.  The very last cloud before the goal will drop into the water, so jump off of it quickly.

Stage 3

 * 1) This is the first cave stage, and as such, it will be your first series of Basser bats as well.  They aren't particular hard to defeat, especially if you continuously throw your weapons forward.  You will inevitably hit them that way.  Just watch out for the one bat that is place precariously close to a fire.  If you jump over too early, you may wind up crashing into the bat as it drops down from the ceiling.
 * 2) An egg at the start of this section contains a Honey Girl fairy which will allow you to crash through the first set of skulls that you encounter.  When you approach the bottom of the staircase, search for a hidden egg which contains a key.  Collect the key and jump on to the platform ahead to be taken to a secret bonus stage.
 * 3) As you start out in this icy section, you will notice that your control over your direction is considerably weaker.  Plan to stop early or you will slide into an obstacle.  The first egg you encounter contains a flower which doubles the point values of the fruit.  Next comes a long corridor of icicles.  You have two choices: run straight through it, or carefully trek ahead to lure the icicles off the ceiling before progressing.  Watch out for the egg in this hallway as it contains a life sucking eggplant.  There is, however, a hidden fireball egg just before the eggplant egg if you can stop sliding in time to find it.  A single bat signifies the end of the section.
 * 4) You must jump up a series of icy stairs and avoid the boulder that rolls your way.  After you find an egg on a small ledge which contains a skateboard, you can ride the descending ledge down to the Bonus Pot.  However, be very careful of the boulder that's rolling your way on the ledge beyond.  Jump over it or destroy it with a fireball.  Then make your way through the group of Basser bats to the goal.

Stage 4

 * 1) This may look like the first stage, but it's a little harder.  Here, you will be introduced to the Zigmo spiders.  They are fairly easy to defeat.  They simply climb down and try to land on Higgins.  On hit with a weapon will remove them.  The Bonus Pot is extremely easy to collect in this early section.  The egg just before the next section may contain a flower or milk.
 * 2) You will encounter your first Coyote here, appearing from the left and trying to hit you from behind.  Destroy it before it reaches you, or jump over it and kill it from behind to earn a 1000 bonus point controller.  There is a hidden fireball egg just before the first fire. Use the spring board to clear the rocks, but don't land in the fire beyond.
 * 3) Defeat the numerous spiders you encounter here, and prepare for another encounter with a Coyote after you reach the clearing beyond the trees.  Collect as much fruit as you can along the way.
 * 4) Start out by climbing up the hill, avoiding the boulder.  There is a hidden fireball egg when the land levels out.  If you have held on to the fireball since the beginning of the game, this may be your fourth ruby ring, which means the next one will be an extra life.  Proceed across the suspended platforms to the boss location.  Hit the boss eight times in the head and you will defeat him.