Wonder Boy in Monster Land / Super Wonder Boy: Monster World (SMS, 1988)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-7 Control-6.5 Challenge-9
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-8 (9) Fun-7 Originality-7
Overall Score-7
+ RPG elements (shops, bars, item quest), good variation, secrets (hidden money, items, shops, etc.), sidequest (trading sequence pre-Zelda), mini-bosses, some good bosses (simple patterns though), cool power ups (hover boots, smart bomb, tornadoes), some alternate paths, when you buy new armor it shows on your character sprite, play quiz games with bosses, a couple of extra stages and enemies compared to the original
+/- Enemies are often more maneuverable than you, can only enter shops/bars twice (even though the person inside says 'come again' after the second time), gain more secret money from letting enemies hit you in certain spots (obtuse yet interesting), somewhat uneven difficulty because of random item drops, some deteriorating gear (gauntlet, helmet)
- Slow movement (though it gets better later on), trial & error (invisible floor traps, having to know to press left when falling into a certain water pit, hidden money etc.), no continues, while adding rpg elements the game keeps the timer from the prequel (so you can't always explore or do shopping when you want to unless you know where the Hourglasses are or what not to waste money on), short weapon range (spells are very expensive), very frustrating last level (labyrinth), no difficulty options, somewhat floaty control and you can't adjust jump height, down to use sub weapons (makes you accidentally use them when climbing down ladders), timed dialogue in bars/houses (can't write down clues unless you're quick)
Comment:
A challenging game that introduced some of the series staples like shopping for equipment and treasure hunting. It's a shame it didn't get rid of some older mechanics in the process though, because searching for secrets and doing shopping is pretty hard to do when your life keeps draining away and there are no continues to fall back on. And you still get point giving loot from enemies when all you really want is gold because it's so damn rare and everything is so damn expensive! The game ends up being as much about resource management as it is about platforming and fighting monsters.
If you haven't played a WB game yet then get the sequel, Wonder Boy III/Dragon's Curse first.
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-8 (9) Fun-7 Originality-7
Overall Score-7
+ RPG elements (shops, bars, item quest), good variation, secrets (hidden money, items, shops, etc.), sidequest (trading sequence pre-Zelda), mini-bosses, some good bosses (simple patterns though), cool power ups (hover boots, smart bomb, tornadoes), some alternate paths, when you buy new armor it shows on your character sprite, play quiz games with bosses, a couple of extra stages and enemies compared to the original
+/- Enemies are often more maneuverable than you, can only enter shops/bars twice (even though the person inside says 'come again' after the second time), gain more secret money from letting enemies hit you in certain spots (obtuse yet interesting), somewhat uneven difficulty because of random item drops, some deteriorating gear (gauntlet, helmet)
- Slow movement (though it gets better later on), trial & error (invisible floor traps, having to know to press left when falling into a certain water pit, hidden money etc.), no continues, while adding rpg elements the game keeps the timer from the prequel (so you can't always explore or do shopping when you want to unless you know where the Hourglasses are or what not to waste money on), short weapon range (spells are very expensive), very frustrating last level (labyrinth), no difficulty options, somewhat floaty control and you can't adjust jump height, down to use sub weapons (makes you accidentally use them when climbing down ladders), timed dialogue in bars/houses (can't write down clues unless you're quick)
Comment:
A challenging game that introduced some of the series staples like shopping for equipment and treasure hunting. It's a shame it didn't get rid of some older mechanics in the process though, because searching for secrets and doing shopping is pretty hard to do when your life keeps draining away and there are no continues to fall back on. And you still get point giving loot from enemies when all you really want is gold because it's so damn rare and everything is so damn expensive! The game ends up being as much about resource management as it is about platforming and fighting monsters.
If you haven't played a WB game yet then get the sequel, Wonder Boy III/Dragon's Curse first.
