Wonder Boy in Monster World

"One of the greatest games ever!"

If you were to ask me what game made me regret originally selling my Genesis and games back in 1995, Wonder Boy in Monster World would be it. The game is so magical and wonderful that it is a must-have title in anyone's collection.

STORY:
The story is simple: A young man named Shion sets out on a quest to rid Monster World from an invading army of monsters. During his journey he will meet up with a slew of helpful characters such as a fairy, a dwarf child, and a baby dragon. Once the quest begins, Shion learns that he must assemble the legendary equipment, which consists of a sword, a shield, armor and boots. These items are necessary to defeat the mastermind of the monster invasion, the Biomeka.

GRAPHICS:
The super-deformed characters and colorful sprites really make this a fun and beautiful game. Shion or one of the many townspeople, each one literally bursts with personality. Whether it's the mysterious owner of the Labyrinth weapon shop, or the jolly clerk at Sundry, each character is unique and colorful. The towns in the game are well constructed, be it the leafy village of Lilypad or the bustling metropolis of Purapril, you actually feel like you're there. I cannot stress enough how mind blowing the graphics are, in their own quaint little way.

SOUND:
The music... oh, the music. Each track in the game is superb, giving the area it plays in life. While traversing the Maugham Desert, the music has a perfect fit. When trekking through the jungles, the native's jungle beat throbs in your ears. When under the water, you could not imagine the music in any other area. Basically, the music is wonderful and perfectly fits into whatever area it's being played in. There isn't one bad track in the entire game.

PLAY CONTROL:
Controls are very simple. Shion can walk (of course), duck, slash his sword or jab his spear, use magic and magical items, swim (using the Trident), and deflect projectiles by spinning his spear. There is never an issue with play control because it's perfect. I can't really say much about the play control other than one word: Perfection. You must believe me on this.

That's really all I have to say about this great game. If you don't own it then you are doing yourself a grave injustice. Track it down any way you can and you won't be sorry. The only thing that disappoints me in this game is that you can only save one game at a time. However, starting over again isn't a chore. Trust me, this game is a masterpiece not to be missed.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/25/02, Updated 06/25/02