Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World Reviews
Fans of platformers will have a good time with Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World. While not revolutionary in any way, it’s a good, old fashion platforming action. Are there better platformers on the market? Sure, but not everything has to be Super Mario Bros. 3. The game’s simple gameplay and relatively short playtime make it perfect for beginners and are sure to bring a smile to veterans. Framerate issues and tedious levels keep it from being a must-play, but if you’ve got a few hours to spare, playing Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is a good way to spend them.
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is a Mega Drive classic with a modern coat of paint, which isn’t a bad thing. Some aspects of its gameplay take some time to get used to, but you cannot deny it’s gorgeous to look at and way too charming to ignore.
Asha in Monster World is a good remake that maintains the heart and soul of the original whilst adding a few quality of life improvements for good measure. If you are a fan of the 2D adventure genre or are a fan of the Wonder Boy series and somehow missed out on this game the first time, this is well worth picking up. As a fan of the series myself, it’s great to see it continue to thrive on modern systems.
WORTH CONSIDERING - Fans of the original game on the Mega Drive/Genesis will no doubt appreciate all of the hard work that went into updating Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World for the modern era. Despite its wonderful animations and enchanting soundtrack, the gameplay and level design leave a bit to be desired. The game isn’t overly long and for $34.99 it’s hard to recommend this one to anyone that doesn’t already know what they’re getting into.
Overall, Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is just okay. There’s nothing innovative or outstanding about it and it doesn’t have quite the amount of polish you would expect from a modern remake. It’s very nice to look at and listen to, but that’s not enough to offset the rest of the game’s deficiencies.
So if you’ve only given this a passing glance when scrolling game trailers on YouTube and it’s not particularly floating your boat, be prepared for a decent player here but not one that’s going to dazzle you for months ahead.
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is a brilliant modernised remake of the 1994 classic, Monster World IV. I personally found the story to be enjoyable, the visuals were beautiful and colourful, and the soundtrack made the experience much more exciting and adventurous. The few changes, such as the save mechanic, makes the game more accessible and user-friendly, yet removes the challenge and programmed frustration we see in the original, so you may or may not like the minor alterations. Speaking of, if you buy the game physically then you also get the original game free (on the Switch cart or via a code with the PS4 version). If you like classic action platforming games but want something a bit more visually appealing than retro pixel-art, Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is for you!
Nishizawa and company could have updated a few old-school level designs and mechanics to improve the experience, but chose instead to preserve the identity of the original. The result is a remake that faithfully sticks to the established formula, warts and all.
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is a game very faithful to the original and that has respected its essence to the fullest, something that can be appreciated from minute one of the game. However, so much respect is a double-edged sword, since its remake, and like the original, has a simple, simple and partly predictable story and development. I am not saying that Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is a bad game, on the contrary, it is very entertaining and fun to play, but being so simple it can easily be finished in 4 - 5 hours at most if we do not get stuck in something. another puzzle.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World offers us a great remake very striking visually in which all the material of the original game has been respected with great success. Despite that, being so inspired by the Mega Drive game does not add or subtract new content, which makes it can be a little lacking in content for a game of this generation.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World does a wonderful job of rekindling my love of the Monster World franchise and reminding me exactly why I fell in love with it in the first place. While the remaster doesn’t bring any new ideas to the table, it does put a wonderfully charming new coat of paint onto a game that deserves to be seen and enjoyed by a new audience. Old fans of this game should be pleased with the treatment it received, while newcomers can expect a classically crafted platformer adventure that’s short in duration but massive in charm. And I’m going to add in here that if you play this game and enjoy it, I beseech you to check out the other games in the Monster World line and Monster Boy in the Cursed Kingdom. You’ll thank me, and yourself, for having done so!
Even if you bounced off the original for whatever reason, I do feel that Asha in Monster World is a much more approachable way to experience this wonderful adventure, and for those who are fans of the original and worried this would drain the charm out of it, there’s no need to fear on that front, either, as there’s plenty of charm here to go around! Definitely one of the biggest surprises of the year for me, and one that makes me honestly hope Monster World III gets a similar treatment!
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World works great as a remake as well as a stand-alone adventure title. It has some small flaws for this generation, mainly due to its somewhat outdated movement, but it is still an interesting take on such a classic and fascinating franchise.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World stands out as a pleasant journey packed with congenial level design, delightful visuals, and an uncomplicated but effective gameplay loop. While the combat is relatively mindless in execution, the incorporation of movement and attacking is so excellently done that this fault rarely muddled the exuberance I felt. If anything, though, I ultimately feel like there is a well of untapped potential, especially regarding the enemy design being as simplistically elementary as it was.
Wonder Boy - Asha in Monster World doesn’t stand on its own as it is very dependent on the nostalgia factor.
the best way to replay one of the great SEGA titles
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World is a remastered version of Wonder Boy IV released in 1994. It is an action-platformer, meaning the player needs to navigate side-scrolling gauntlets of platforming. There are specific levels for the player to traverse, and enemies to battle along the way. Along with a blue Pepelogoo, become the hero the town needs in Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World.
Not every game needs to be remade. That’s fine! Some games are fine as-is. Especially if the ensuing revisitation doesn’t do all that much new. Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World feels like a project that happened because Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap inspired not one, but two good games in the 2010s. So now Asha is back and, while the game is fine, it doesn’t have the same level of improvements and investment.
Wonder Boy : Asha in the Monster World was an excellent game back in 1994. Unfortunately, today's remake isn't spicy enough. The game is a classic, but it fails to stand out in today's world especially considering the heavy competition on the market. It's mainly good for the nostalgia if your heart really wants to give it a go.
Review in French | Read full review
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World presents a fun and well-constructed experience. It denotes an excellent work by the producer in updating the technical and visual part, keeping some of the mechanics of the original game. Overall feeling of the project is that you are an elderly person in a rejuvenated body! Despite some minor flaws as a whole, it is noteworthy and respects the legacy of the SEGA classic.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review