Antarctic Adventure

Antarctic Adventure (けっきょく南極大冒険, Kekkyoku Nankyoku Daibōken) 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).

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 particularly note are his appearances in the Parodius series of shoot 'em up games.

Penta, or his son Pentarou, was appeared in the Medal Games like, Tsurikko Penta, Balloon Penta and Imo Hori Penta. Following in 2002 (Not released for mobile in 2001), was released for Three Mobiles like Kekkyo ku Nankyoku choi bōken (けっきょく南極ちょい冒険),^[2] in May 6, 2003, when 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 Following the Fishing game as Penta no Tsuri Boken, and released for i-Revo.

A screen 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 Windows Store as 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.

In other games, Pentarou makes a fisherman.

Soundtrack

• The music that plays in each level is "The Skaters' Waltz" by Émile Waldteufel.

See also

• Pentarou

References

1. ↑ "New International Track and Field | Press Release". MCV. Retrieved October 5, 2011. 
2. ↑
3. ↑ 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
4. ↑ South Pole at Handheld Empire
5. ↑ South Pole at Handheld Museum
6. ↑ AtGames
7. ↑ Dollar General

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