Wonder Boy Asha In Monster World Review (PlayStation 4)
Our Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World Review tells the story of a real Wonder Boy adventure that stays true to its roots as the latest part of the legendary and successful series, that dates back to 1986.
Wonder Boy Asha In Monster World Review Pros:
- Slick cel-shaded graphics.
- 2.41GB download size.
- Platinum trophy.
- Two difficulties-easy and normal.
- Platformer gameplay.
- Works on Playstation 5.
- Physical copies come with the original Megadrive version of the game Monster World VI.
- Monster World VI 46.34MB download size.
- Japanese voice.
- Can skip cutscenes.
- Reworked soundtrack.
- The game goes from a flat 2D design to a 2.5D.
- Controls feel tighter than the original.
- All-new animations.
- Interacting with doors and chests can be done with a button rather than a direction.
- All new menu system.
- Lightning-fast loading times.
- Hack and slash combat, press down to use a shield to block enemy attacks/projectiles.
- Supports d-pad and analog controls.
- Coins collect and spend in shops.
- Can see enemy health bars.
- Save when you want from the menu.
- Life drops-every ten you collect gives an extra heart/life.
- The tips menu acts as a tutorial.
- Can rebind controls.
- Death- quit, load latest save or select a save.
- Big boss fights.
- Puzzle elements.
- Elixir- stored in your inventory and can be used whenever you want to replace hearts.
- Vending machines- pay to replace hearts.
- Shops to buy new swords and shields to improve stats and abilities.
- Magical hit- charges as you kill enemies and allows you to do higher damage attacks.
- The flow of the levels is a lot clearer and more manageable.
- Does a lot of cool new tricks to reinvigorate life into the 2D world.
Wonder Boy Asha In Monster World Review Cons:
- You can only get the original Monster World VI game with physical copies.
- The games are treated as one game and not separate tiles on the dashboard.
- Minimal settings.
- Difficulty spikes.
- Save anywhere kind of eliminates a lot of the level difficulties and traversal.
- Little to no replay value.
- Loses a tiny bit of the charm that made the original fun.
Wonder Boy Asha In Monster World:
Developer: ININ Games
Publisher: STUDIOARTDINK
Store Links-
Physical game bundles from Strictly Limited Games
Nintendo Switch physical from Amazon
PlayStation 4 physical from Amazon
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- Graphics - 8/108/10
- Sound - 8/108/10
- Accessibility - 7/107/10
- Length - 7/107/10
- Fun Factor - 8/108/10
Summary
Wonder Boy is a games series synonymous with the Megadrive for me, I never owned a Megadrive but I did play a lot on a mate’s one, Wonder Boy was one of those games that always seemed cool. Fast forward to now and I never knew of Wonder Boy Asha so this was all new to me, luckily the game came with the original Megadrive game (only available with physical versions) and it allowed me to try before the big updated version. In retrospect, I’m so glad I did! The original game is really good and they put a lot of work into it from filter to settings and presentation and it was just a good nostalgic ride. Booting up Wonder Boy Asha and it felt somewhat familiar, I mean that’s obvious but I use the term somewhat familiar as they have tweaked and changed parts of the game to improve the flow of the action, it’s a lot of additions that I understood instantly why they did it, I mean a few what in the actual fuck did you do come out of my mouth a few times but hey. Wonder Boy Asha In Monster World is a faithful and loving restoration piece on an (I’m now learning to be) classic title. Returning fans will feel at home with its modern-day graphics but retro-like gameplay and new players can see what the fuss is about. Piece of advice though, if you ever get the chance to play the original Monster World VI game then I implore you to do so, it will make the newer version that little bit more special. Overall I found Wonder Boy Asha In Monster World to be a charming and fitting remaster of a classic title.
