Adventure Island III

Adventure Island III is the last of the NES trilogy and the most relaxed of the three. Master Higgins is back on a chain of islands hunting for his kidnapped girlfriend, and the vitality meter that has defined the series finally drains slowly enough to stop being the main threat.

The dinosaur companions return, now four of them, and each is tied to a specific island's terrain: a running dinosaur for flat ground, a fire-breather for combat, an underwater one, and a flying one that opens sky routes. The structure is a world map rather than a straight level list, so you choose island order and can revisit earlier ones with later equipment. New items - a boomerang, a crystal, and a new weapon set - replace some of the second game's kit, and the skateboard sections return with better handling. Its presentation is the high point of the series on the console.

• ▸Four rideable dinosaurs, each matched to a different terrain type
• ▸World map with selectable island order and revisitable stages
• ▸Vitality meter that drains far more slowly than the first two games
• ▸New weapon set including the boomerang, plus returning skateboard sections