Aldo’s Adventure

Aldo’s Adventure is a single-player platform game created by David and Benjamin Ibach and released for MS-DOS in 1987. It was distributed as shareware, with a registered price of $15, and uses high-resolution EGA graphics at 640 × 350 pixels. Two sequels, Aldo Again and Aldo’s Assault, followed in 1989 and 1991 respectively.

The player controls Aldo through a series of single-screen stages composed of platforms, ramps and ladders. The objective is to climb from the bottom of each screen to a treasure chest at the top before the time limit expires. Aldo can run, jump and climb while avoiding falling or rolling barrels. The combination of ladders, elevated platforms and barrels closely resembles Nintendo’s arcade game Donkey Kong, although Aldo’s Adventure introduces its own level layouts and hazards.

Later stages add fire, disappearing platforms and increasingly complicated routes. Contact with a dangerous object or the expiration of the time limit costs the player a life. The original release contains ten stages, while version 1.1 adds two more, including a level titled “Blazing Inferno.” After the final stage is completed, the sequence begins again with a different colour palette and shorter time limits rather than presenting a conventional ending.

Visually, the game is notable for its comparatively detailed animation of the protagonist. Aldo has several movement frames and generally moves smoothly, although the barrels and most environmental objects receive much simpler treatment. The high-resolution EGA display gives the stages a clear appearance, but the game contains no music or sound effects. The number of barrels visible at once can be changed through a command-line parameter, originally intended to improve performance on slower computers.

Retrospective assessments have been mixed. The controls, varied stage designs and character animation have received praise, while the slow pace, complete absence of sound and occasionally inconsistent collision behaviour have been criticised. Graphical corruption can also occur when Aldo passes in front of certain parts of the background or status display. Despite these faults, Aldo’s Adventure is a distinctive example of an independently produced DOS platform game from the late 1980s.