Play Adventure Island 3 Online

Adventure Island 3 came out on the NES in 1992, developed by Hudson Soft. It was one of those later NES titles that showed how much developers could still squeeze out of the hardware, even as the 16-bit era was taking over. The series had its own style, a bit different from the more famous platformers of the time, with a tropical vibe and a focus on quick, item-based action.

You control Master Higgins, who runs, jumps, and throws weapons like axes and boomerangs to defeat enemies across a series of island stages. The main goal is to rescue your captured girlfriend by beating each stage boss, but the real fun comes from taming and riding dinosaurs that grant unique abilities, like a pterodactyl for flight or a stegosaurus that smashes through certain blocks. Levels are short and fast, often demanding quick reactions to avoid enemies and pitfalls, though it feels a bit more forgiving than some earlier entries in the series. It’s a game that keeps you moving, always looking for fruit to keep your energy up or a new dinosaur friend to help you push forward.