Penguin Adventure
Penguin 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; 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.
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. 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. 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.
How to play:
Click on the joystick icon in the Penguin Adventure online emulator to see how to control the Penguin Adventure game
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