Adventure Island/Gameplay

Controls

 * : Use the direction pad to move Master Higgins across each stage. Press left or right to make Higgins run in either direction.  While on the skateboard, press right to speed up, or press left to slow down.  Up or down are not used in this game.
 * : Press A to make Master Higgins jump in the air. Higgins can jump higher when he is running than when he is standing still.
 * : Hold the B button down to make Higgins run faster than usual. Press the B button when equipped with a weapon (axe or flame) to throw the weapon.
 * : Press the start a new game. Press in the middle of a game to pause the action.
 * : Not used.

Master Higgins (Wonder Boy)
In Adventure Island, the identity of the player's character is known as Master Higgins outside of Japan. In Japan, the character is known as Takahashi Meijin, a fictional character based on real life personality Toshiyuki Takahashi, a former spokesperson for Hudson Soft. Master Higgins is simply a redrawn sprite originally based on the Wonder Boy character of the original Wonder Boy arcade game. No matter who you are, you have the same goal; to rescue your kidnapped girlfriend. You also have the same abilities, including the ability to run, jump, and throw stone axes at enemies. You can also jump on skateboards when you find them. Riding a skateboard allows you to travel particularly fast, but this makes it easy to pass things by, as you cannot stop until you are literally forced off the skateboard by hitting an enemy. Only in Adventure Island can you upgrade from the stone ax weapon to the fireball weapon, which is capable of destroying rocks that lie in your path.

Princess Leilani (Tanya)
In Adventure Island, the damsel in distress is the island's very own Princess Leilani. However, in Wonder Boy, the girl waiting to be rescued is known only as Tanya, Wonder Boy's girlfriend. Either way, you will not see them at all until you manage to reach the 4 stage of the eighth and final world, where you must fight and defeat the last boss that stands between you and your goal. At that point, you can untie the girl and watch the ending of the game.