Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World Reviews
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.