Adventure Island II on Game Boy is one of those classic platformers that just feels right—bright colors, tight controls, and a weirdly satisfying mix of tropical vibes and alien chaos. You play as Master Higgins (who, let’s be honest, looks like a guy who’d rather be napping in a hammock), but instead of relaxing, he’s chucking axes at UFOs and hopping on dinosaurs like they’re rental scooters.

The levels are packed with little surprises—hidden fruit, sudden waterfalls, those annoying egg-throwing birds that never miss. And the dinosaurs? Some are fast, some spit fire, and one just kinda… floats there like it forgot why it showed up. The music’s got that classic Game Boy chiptune energy, the kind that gets stuck in your head after five minutes.

It’s not easy, though. You’ll die a lot, usually because you mistimed a jump or got greedy going for extra fruit. But there’s something about the way it all clicks that makes you want to try again. If you’ve got a soft spot for retro platformers, this one’s a solid time capsule.