Power-Up #12: Skateboard (Hudson's Adventure Island)

Skateboards are cool. Tropical islands are cool. And yet, skateboarding at the beach is a trip to the hospital waiting to happen. But somehow Master Higgins makes it work. This is a guy who has mastered riding at top speeds on the dirt, sand and even clouds And you'll never guess where he got the skateboard. Check out the video for more information.



Purpose: Although impractical, the skateboard does make exploring the island a lot easier. Hatched from an egg, the skateboard allows Master Higgins to speed around like never before. Thankfully, our hero is able to throw his various weapons while balancing on his new ride. The speed isn't always your friend, as players will quickly learn. The game constantly pushes you forward, leading to collisions with enemies, rocks and other obstacles. Plus, it's incredibly easy to ride right off the side of a cliff. At least Higgins has a helmet.

Legacy: Observant gamers will notice that the skateboard power-up was first found in Sega's Wonder Boy arcade game. While Sega opted to ditch the board, Adventure Island kept it around. Many of the NES and Super NES sequels feature the skateboard in some capacity. And Master Higgins was free to ride the skateboard once more in Adventure Island: The Beginning, the 2009 reboot.

In Real Life: As rebellious teens have known for decades, skateboards are a great way to lose the fuzz. But that's only when you're riding on concrete or something hard. It's next to impossible to ride a skateboard in the dirt and sand, which makes me wonder how Master Higgins does it.