Antarctic Adventure
Antarctic Adventure — frequently asked questions
- Is Antarctic Adventure on Steam?
- No. Antarctic Adventure is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
- What platforms is Antarctic Adventure on?
- Antarctic Adventure is available on ColecoVision, Wii, Family Computer, Wii U, MSX.
- When did Antarctic Adventure release?
- Antarctic Adventure was first released on December 31, 1983.
About Antarctic Adventure
Antarctic Adventure is a video game developed by Konami in 1983 for MSX, and later for video game consoles, such as NES. The player takes the role of an Antarctic penguin, racing to disparate research stations owned by different countries in Antarctica. 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.
Summary via IGDB.
Antarctic Adventure on Wikipedia
Antarctic Adventure is a video game developed by Konami in 1983 for the MSX, and later for video game consoles, such as the Family Computer and ColecoVision. The player takes the role of an Antarctic penguin, racing to various research stations owned by different countries in Antarctica.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Platforms
- ColecoVision, Wii, Family Computer, Wii U, MSX
- Developer
- Konami
- Publisher
- Konami
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ColecoVision | 1984 | $20 | $67 | — | Graphics ★★★★ · Play-Action ★★★ |
Also released on: Wii · Family Computer · Wii U · MSX. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
ColecoVision · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-19
Label variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegames re-release | — | $13 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about 5 times a year
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-19.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $12.00 in Jul 2009, $19.03 five years ago, and $19.99 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $14.98 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $11.00 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $3.24 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $47 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $12.95 | $30 |
| Jan 2015 | $22 | $40 |
| Jan 2016 | $5.00 | $40 |
| Jan 2017 | $15.86 | $23 |
| Jan 2018 | $16.99 | $36 |
| Jan 2019 | $15.01 | $19.45 |
| Jan 2020 | $16.12 | $24 |
| Jan 2021 | $18.22 | $40 |
| Jan 2022 | $20 | $50 |
| Jan 2023 | $19.04 | $62 |
| Jan 2024 | $23 | $61 |
| Jan 2025 | $25 | $65 |
| Jan 2026 | $12.50 | $50 |
| Oct 2026 | $19.99 | $67 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Label |
|---|---|
| North America Coleco | End label: for ColecoVision and ADAM |
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1984
- Controller
- Hand controller, Super Action controllers
- Players
- 1
- Authenticity
- Low
A cheerful, timed penguin race that Computer Entertainer recommended in 1984, and an easy, inexpensive cart to like.
Coleco published Antarctic Adventure for the ColecoVision in 1984, with Konami credited as the developer. Wikipedia dates the Konami game to 1983 on the MSX, with Famicom and ColecoVision versions following, so this is a port of a home game rather than a coin-op conversion.
You steer a penguin explorer around the Antarctic continent, stopping at ten ice stations, and every stage has a time limit that keeps you moving. Computer Entertainer reviewed the ColecoVision cartridge in its issue 3-5 and recommended it, calling it a cooling diversion for a hot summer afternoon. It is a pleasant, uncomplicated game of speed and jumping, not a deep one.
How it was made
Konami is credited as developer and Coleco as publisher of the ColecoVision cartridge, which Coleco announced for the second quarter of 1984 in Computer Entertainer's release schedules.
What the press said at the time
| Computer Entertainer Vol. 3 No. 5 | August 1984 | Graphics ★★★★ · Play-Action ★★★ |
“The graphics are exceptionally well done, with smooth transitions between scenes. … This one is good, family fun.”
Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — diamonds through early 1987, stars after — comparing each game only with other games for the same system.
How the ColecoVision version differs
Computer Entertainer noted that, unlike most Coleco games, the ColecoVision cartridge offers only one skill level.
Also on other platforms
MSX
| MSX | Konami |
- MSX. The MSX version, from 1983, was the original; Konami brought the game to the Famicom and ColecoVision afterward.
Worth knowing
- From the ColecoVision manual. If you do not press a keypad button at the Game Select screen, a Practice Run screen appears so you can practise steering the penguin before starting.
- From the ColecoVision manual. The keypad is not used in the game, and on the Super Action controller the Blue and Purple buttons and the Speed Roller do nothing.
- From the ColecoVision manual. Scoring: capturing a flag is worth 500 points, catching a fish 300 and jumping an obstacle 30; finishing a run early adds a time bonus.
Before you buy
Low risk and plays with the standard ColecoVision controller, one player. The loose cartridge is inexpensive, while the box and manual carry most of a complete copy's value, so ask for photos of the box and check that the manual is present before paying a boxed price. Antarctic Adventure was also included on a special ColecoVision Flashback unit sold through Dollar General in 2014, so a loose cartridge is the thing to buy if you want the original.
Antarctic Adventure screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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