A love story !

Useful link : Penguin Adventure Help and Trivia

The Kingdom of the Penguins is declining and its Princess suffers from a terminal illness that only the Golden Apple can heal. But there’s a problem : this apple can be found only on the Continent of Dreams, whose Penguins were driven out by terrible dragons. Penguin, a young penguin, in love with the Princess Penko, will devote himself to seek the Golden Apple, facing many dangers, and to try to bring it back in time to the Princess.

It’s the main theme of this unmissable game in MSX history and especially Konami history. Released in 1986, Penguin Adventure (Yumetairiku Adventure) is a monument mixing action with a romantic RPG. Hideo Kojima, better known for Metal Gear and Snatcher, has contributed as assistant, which constitutes in itself a pledge of quality. Effectively, quality is present in every detail and it explains the passion of several generations of gamers for this unique kind of entertainment.

The fairyhood of the colors used for the various landscapes where the Penguin evolves, the magic of the PSG musics testifying a real talent of composition, the intelligent progression of the difficulty of the game, elements hidden to discover, the whole contributes to transport the gamer in another world where love and audacity triumph. Two elements so characteristic of the passion for the MSX system, that’s why you will not astonished to know that this cool Penguin has become the mascot of the MSX universe !

On the long Penguin’s way, hearts will appear. They will switch color every time you jump, what’s giving them a different power when you catch them : 1000 points (purple heart), 50 seconds (green heart), ability to fly on a cloud (blue heart), invulnerability allowing to destroy obstacles (yellow heart).

To fulfil his difficult mission, Penguin needs to avoid many enemies and most of the holes. He must also catch fishes to acquire items in exchange. But the 24 normal stages are not the only way to get fishes.

Some holes are smaller and give access to a shop where you can buy useful items to progress in the game.

There are 3 kinds of barters :
- the good barter (in green), cool and displaying reasonable prices;
- the bad barter (in blue), grumpy and displaying exaggerate prices;
- Santa Claus (in red) who will offer gratis one item.

Note that 5 special items are not available in the shops. They are hidden in secrets bags whose appearance is linked to very specific conditions !

In the shops, you can also generally find a slot machine. Bet your fishes and with some luck, you will get more fishes ! By default, you can bet 3 times, but if you buy the Necklace, you will be able to bet without any limit.

If he’s in the middle of a jump, Penguin can see wings appear at some places of the game. These wings allow to go to a bonus stage in the space, where our penguin can increase the number of his fishes or lives (a yellow fish is required in this last case).

Other holes hide another surprise : fast warps to an higher stage of the game.

Advantage : the game is shorter. Normal game includes 24 stages with increasing difficulty. In case of using of all fast warps, the game includes only the 11 following stages : 1 – 6 – 9 – 12 – 13 – 15 – 18 – 21 – 22 – 23 – 24.

Inconvenience : you will miss some items.

It’s your choice !

Another choice needs to be made before launching the game, it concerns the difficulty level ! You must know that level 2 is of course more difficult : less fishes to collect, some slot machines are missing, more enemies, ….

On the same screen, you can enter a password that will create an “Continue” (F5) option to be used when you have lost your last life : NORIKO or KAZUMI (without space or enter, but directly followed by the choice of the difficulty level).

With the first password, you continue the game with all the items that you own. With the second password, you lose these items. In both cases, you lose your fishes. Another choice to make !

The normal items

You can get different normal items in your quest. Take care to buy them from a smily barter ! Or, if you are lucky, Santa Claus will give something for free !

When you acquire these items, you keep them until the end of the game !
Bracelet : can be buyed for 20 or 40 poissons on stages 6, 13 and 14; allows to find the secret bags which contain special items
Ring : can be buyed for 18 or 36 fishes on stages 2, 7, 9, 16, 21 and 22; allows to not stumble over sea anemones
Necklace : can be buyed for 22 or 44 fishes on stages 2, 3, 12, 13, 21 and 24; allows to play more than three times at the slot machine
Golden Feather : can be buyed for 23 or 46 fishes on stages 1, 2, 6, 7, 12, 14, 15 and 24; allows a better control of the direction in your jumps
Gun : can be buyed for 10 or 20 fishes on stages 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15 and 21; allows to shoot at most enemies, by pressing on the “M” key
Propeller : can be buyed for 15 or 30 fishes on stages 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21 and 24; allows to make higher and longer jumps, especially above the barriers
Green Shoes : can be buyed for 19 or 38 fishes on stages 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 24; allow to run faster forth

But for the following items, their owning is time limited !
Metal Helmet : can be buyed for 8 or 16 fishes on stages 9, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 22; allows to be protected three times from thunderbolts
Silver Helmet : can be buyed for 12 or 24 fishes on stages 3, 9, 16, 18 and 22; allows to be protected three times from terrestrial or aquatic hedgehogs
Protective Vest : can be buyed for 13 or 26 fishes on stages 15, 18, 21 and 24; allows to be protected three times from bats and albatross
Bell : can be buyed for 17 or 32 fishes on stages 1, 6, 9, 13 and 15; warns when you are close to a warp to another stage; can be kept only in the stage where it has been acquired
Goggles : can be buyed for 11 or 22 fishes on stages 7, 9, 16, 18 and 22; allow to see invisible blocks whose presence is normally indicated by a cracking glass sound; can be kept only for 2 stages, if you don’t use a warp to another stage
Torch : can be buyed for 14 or 28 fishes on stages 9, 18 and 22; allows to not be blinded by the ink of the squids; can be kept only for 2 stages, if you don’t use a warp to another stage
Map : can be buyed for 21 or 42 fishes on stages 12, 18 and 24; allows to finish these 3 stages without walking in a loop; can be kept only on the concerned stage, except if you use a warp to another stage

The special items

You can get different special items in your quest. They are hidden in secrets bags whose appearance is submitted to magical acts ! When you acquire these items, you keep them until the end of the game.

Armour : can be found on stage 16, allows to stumble over a barrier without dying
Crossed Tiara : can be found on stage 14, protects from fireballs
Red Shoes : can be found on stage 13, make the moves more stable in the curves
Priest Robe : can be found on stage 9, allows to stumble over a rock without dying
Blue Boots : can be found on stage 6, allow faster lateral moves

The walkthrough

Here’s a walthrough with the specific details for each of the 24 stages : barters, bonus stages, warps to another stage, magical acts to make appear the secret bags containing special items ! The mentioned distances can vary in function of Penguin speed.

Stage 1

On stage 1, you are in a forest path. Not yet enemies, it is a good opportunity to learn how to avoid holes and catch a maximum of fishes !

- 483 km : good shop to the left
- 420 km : bonus stage
- 327 km : good shop to the right
- 270 km : exit from bonus stage
- 237 km : warp to stage 6, 280 km
- 183 km : bad shop to the right

Stage 2

On stage 2, you are in a cave. Still no enemies, but the game atmosphere is already more stressing !

- 381 km : bad shop to the left
- 183 km : good shop to the left
- 75 km : bad shop to the right

Stage 3

On stage 3, you are on the ice path and of course you will think about Antartic Adventure, the first episode of the Penguin adventures ! Enemies make their appearance, serious things begin !

- 683 km : bad shop to the right
- 665 km : bad shop to the right
- 401 km : good shop to the right
- 380 km : bonus stage
- 260 km : exit from bonus stage
- 83 km : bad shop to the left

It’s also the first stage with a boss at the end : a scaring dragon is waiting for you ! To defeat him, you need to jump 3 times on each stack and he will fall deeply in the iced sea ! The same result can be reached more easily with some good gun shoots !

You will find again such monster at the end of stages 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24.

Little amazing detail : if the remaining time ends by 2, 4, 6 or 8, you will see little dancing penguins !

Stage 4

Time to go in the river with stage 4, our penguin needs to avoid the tree logs floating on the water !

Stage 5

Stage 5 is the first stage under water : the beauty of the landscape could almost hide the perils, but they are really present : rocks, sea anemones and aquatic hedgehogs !

Stage 6

On stage 6, we are in the desert and we need double prudence and dexterity because fireballs come from the holes !

- 333 km : good shop to the left
- 297 km : Santa Claus to the left (tip : ask him the Bracelet !)
- 146 km : warp to stage 9, 560 km

It’s also the first stage with an hidden item in a secret bag ! Don’t forget to acquire first the Bracelet, then stay on the extreme left of the way in the desert. When you are in a permanent curve, jump to catch fishes. As soon as 5 fishes have been taken, the secret bag will appear and you’ll get, by taking it, the Blue Boots !

Stage 7

Back to the ice path with stage 7 ! Still more fishes to catch !

- 700 km : bonus stage
- 563 km : bad shop to the left
- 295 km : exit from bonus stage
- 263 km : bad shop to the right

Stage 8

On stage 8, we are in the cold ocean and new enemies appear : bats and invisible blocks (except if you have the Goggles). A way to make the atmosphere warmer !

Stage 9

Back to the forest path with stage 9, but it is now fully covered with snow. To make the things even worse, clouds are throwing thunderbolts !

- 403 km : good shop to the right
- 335 km : warp to stage 12, 880 km
- 300 km : bonus stage
- 181 km : good shop to the left
- 95 km : exit from bonus stage

You can find another special item in this stage ! The trick is here to take the wings (300 km) and to press at least 10 times on the spacebar when ascending to the bonus stage. After the exit from this stage, the secret bag will be available and you will find the Priest Robe !

Stage 10

Second walk under water with stage 10, but don’t hope some rest, because bad squids will try to make you blind by throwing black ink !

Stage 11

Second bathe in the river with stage 11, but it is now infested with hedgehogs flying in zig-zag !

- 300 km : bonus stage
- 90 km : exit from bonus stage

Stage 12

We are again on the ice path for stage 12 where enemy attacks are more intense to prevent your arrival to the Tree Temple. Besides, you don’t know its precise localization, you need a Map !

- 783 km : bad shop to the right
- 520 km : bonus stage
- 483 km : bad shop to the left
- 435 km : good shop to the right
- 390 km : exit from bonus stage
- 183 km : Santa Claus to the left (tip : ask him the Map !)
- 50 km : back to 520 km without the Map

As soon as the dragon of stage 12 is defeated, you can access to the Tree Temple and you will find what interests you to heal the Princess and save her Kingdom : the tree on which the Golden Apples are growing ! Your first goal is reached, but your quest is still not yet finished !

Stage 13

Back to the snowy woods for stage 13 with barriers and duos of bad smileys to annoy us ! If you stay enough time at the extreme left of the way, a secret bag will appear and you will find the Red Shoes !

- 361 km : bad shop to the left
- 355 km : warp to stage 15, 525 km
- 187 km : good shop to the right
- 181 km : bad shop to the left

Stage 14

On stage 14, we are in a cave where fireballs are falling from the sky, even when there is no many fishes to eat ! If you enter in the first real hole and press on the LEFT cursor, then on the RIGHT cursor, a secret bag will allow you to get the Crossed Tiara !

- 580 km : bonus stage
- 470 km : exit from bonus stage
- 171 km : good shop to the left
- 87 km : bad shop to the right

Stage 15

Back to the desert with stage 15 and a new enemy to avoid : the albatross ! It’s the last one of a long range although the game has not yet reached its maximum difficulty level !

- 480 km : good shop to the right
- 435 km : good shop to the left
- 78 km : warp to stage 18, 805 km

From stage 16, no more new enemy but stages are generally longer and there are even more enemy attacks. You will find below the important things for stages 16 to 24.

Stage 16

Cave

- 1020 km : bonus stage
- 780 km : exit from bonus stage
- 341 km : bad shop to the left

The last special item can be found on this stage by using the pause (F1), then pressing successively on the UP, RIGHT, DOWN and LEFT cursors : press again on F1 and the secret bag will give you the Armour !

Stage 17

River

- 550 km : bonus stage
- 350 km : exit from bonus stage

Stage 18

Forest Path

- 815 km : good shop to the left
- 443 km : bad shop to the left
- 431 km : good shop to the right
- 418 km : warp to stage 21, 1049 km
- 50 km : back to 490 km without the Map

Stage 19

Under Water

Nothing special

Stage 20

Cold Ocean

Nothing special

Stage 21

Desert

- 983 km : Santa Claus to the right
- 863 km : bad shop to the left
- 510 km : bonus stage
- 410 km : exit from bonus stage
- 383 km : bad shop to the left
- 179 km : good shop to the right

There is officially no warp to stage 24. On some machines, it could happen that, when leaving Santa Claus (983 km), you should come to an empty stage 24 by pressing the DOWN cursor instead of the spacebar. It’s a bug of the game.

Stage 22

Cave

- 931 km : bad shop to the right
- 865 km : good shop to the right
- 835 km : good shop to the left
- 265 km : bad shop to the left

Stage 23

Under Water

Nothing special

Stage 24

Ice Path

- 1109 km : bad shop to the left
- 587 km : good shop to the right
- 50 km : back to 750 km without the Map

The end

When the last dragon is defeated, you come finally near the Princess Penko, with the hope that she’s not yet dead.

The game has a happy ending (you come in time, you give the Golden Apple and your dear friend finds back all her vitality) and a sad ending (you come too late, she is alas dead).

To access to the happy ending, there’s a trick : use the pause (F1) only once. Or respect the following mathematic formula for the pauses : 4n+1 with n=0,1,2,… Note that with using of the “Continue” (F5) option, the pause counter is reset. So happiness depends from a little detail ! Also the peace of a big Kingdom !