Antarctic Adventure
Antarctic Adventure (けっきょく南極大冒険, Kekkyoku Nankyoku Daibōken, After all, Antarctic Great Adventure) is a video game developed by Konami in 1983 for the MSX, and later for video game consoles, such as the Family Computer and the ColecoVision. The player takes the role of an Antarctic penguin, racing to disparate research stations owned by different countries in Antarctica (excluding the USSR).
| Antarctic Adventure | |
|---|---|
 Family Computer cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Platform(s) |
|
| Release | MSXColecoVision
Wii3DS
|
| Genre(s) | Racing, platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player Multiplayer (alternating) |
The gameplay is similar to Sega's Turbo, but plays at a much slower pace, and features platform game elements. The penguin, later named Penta, must reach the next station before time runs out while avoiding sea lions and breaks in the ice. Throughout the levels, fish jump out of ice holes and can be caught for bonus points. The game, like many early video games, has no ending – when the player reaches the last station, the game starts from the first level again, but with increased difficulty.
Legacy
Antarctic Adventure was followed by a sequel for the MSX computer in 1986, entitled Penguin Adventure. In addition, the penguin character Penta, and his son Pentarou[1] became a mascot for Konami through the 1980s. They have made appearances in over 10 games. Of particular note are his appearances in the Parodius series of shoot 'em up games.
Penta, or his son Pentarou, had appeared in the Medal Games like Tsurikko Penta, Balloon Penta and Imo Hori Penta. Following in 2002 (not released for mobile in 2001), three mobile games Kekkyo ku Nankyoku choi bōken (けっきょく南極ちょい冒険),[2] released on May 6, 2003, another titled Kekkyoku Nankyoku Daibōken Taisen-ban (けっきょく南極大冒険対戦版), as part of Konami Taisen Colosseum,[3] and the fishing game as Penta no Tsuri Boken, and released for i-Revo.
A screenshot from this game can briefly be seen in the introduction of Gradius ReBirth, released in 2008 for the Wii Virtual Console and in 2014 for the Wii U Virtual Console. An MSX Version was re-released for the Windows Store as part of EGG Project on November 25, 2014 in Japan.
There was rumored to be a coin-operated arcade version released by Konami in 1984, but the existence of an actual example has yet to be confirmed.
In 1990, Konami released only in Japan a handheld electronic game of Antarctic Adventure, although it is usually listed as South Pole (a more literal translation of the Japanese title).[4][5]
In 2014, Antarctic Adventure was released on a special version of the ColecoVision Flashback by AtGames.[6] available only through Dollar General[7] stores.
| Tsurikko Penta | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Series | Antarctic Adventure |
| Platform(s) | Arcade (medal game) |
| Release | 1991 |
| Genre(s) | Fishing |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Balloon Penta | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Series | Antarctic Adventure |
| Platform(s) | Arcade (redemption game) |
| Release | 1993 |
| Genre(s) | Balloon |
| Super Fisherman Penta | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Series | Antarctic Adventure |
| Platform(s) | Arcade (redemption game) |
| Release | 1995 |
| Genre(s) | Fishing |
| Imo Hori Penta | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Series | Antarctic Adventure |
| Platform(s) | Arcade (medal game) |
| Release | 1997 |
| Hie Hie Penta: Ice Cream Catcher | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Series | Antarctic Adventure |
| Platform(s) | Arcade (Merchandiser) |
| Release | 2001 |
| Kekkyo ku Nankyoku choi bōken | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Series | Antarctic Adventure |
| Platform(s) | Mobile Phone |
| Release | 2002 |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Kekkyoku Nankyoku Daibōken Taisen-ban | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Series | Antarctic Adventure/Konami Taisen Colosseum |
| Platform(s) | Mobile Phone |
| Release | May 6, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Penta no Tsuri Bōken | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Series | Antarctic Adventure |
| Platform(s) | Mobile Phone |
| Release | May 7, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | Fishing |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Gokkan Hie Hie Penta | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Series | Antarctic Adventure |
| Platform(s) | Arcade (Merchandiser) |
| Release | 2019 |
In other games, Pentarou appears as a fisherman.
Soundtrack
- The music that plays in each level is "The Skaters' Waltz" by Émile Waldteufel.
See also
References
- "New International Track and Field | Press Release". MCV. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
- コナミ、iアプリ対応の通信型対戦ゲーム配信サイトオープン
- South Pole at Handheld Empire
- South Pole at Handheld Museum
- AtGames
- Dollar General Archived 2014-11-09 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Antarctic Adventure at MobyGames
- Review of the game
- The Colecovision prototype version of Antarctic Adventure can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive