Adventure Island 3 is one of those NES games that starts simple—you’re just a dude in a loincloth running and jumping through tropical stages—but then suddenly you’re hatching dinosaur eggs and riding them into battle against giant monsters. The whole "aliens kidnapped your girlfriend" plot is classic 8-bit nonsense, but the real fun is in the dino pals. Some spit fire, others fly, and one even lets you skate around like it’s wearing roller skates (weird, but it works).

Each island feels like its own little challenge—some are straightforward platforming, others have hidden warp eggs that’ll skip you ahead if you’re sharp-eyed. Just watch out for the eggplant. No, seriously, it’s poison for some reason. The bosses are these massive screen-filling beasts that’ll wreck you if you don’t figure out their patterns fast. It’s got that old-school "trial and error" vibe, but in a way that makes nailing a tough jump or finally beating a boss feel legit satisfying. If you’re into retro platformers with a weird twist, this one’s a solid pick.