This channel reminds me of how low key and chill KZread game reviews were in 2011-2014. Keep up the amazing work!

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks :)

@lesserspottedmugwump.363

3 жыл бұрын

I don’t think I knew of KZread that long ago. 10 years. God time flies.

@kingboobs20

2 жыл бұрын

It's all about jokes and flashy editing now.

@TriZaba

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah honestly +1 on this comment, it’s very chill and easy to listen to. I don’t feel like the reviewer is trying to sell me something

As a kid my mom became addicted to this game she wouldn't play but made me play 🤣

The sprites in Wonder Boy look adorable.

Definitly one of my favourite games back in time.

Probably my favourite all time Sega genesis game

@Victory-in-YAHUSHA

3 жыл бұрын

It is a toss up between Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Streets of Rage 2, and Phantasy Star IV for me.

@wolfpacsyxx

3 жыл бұрын

It is up there I absolutely love the game and surprisingly Sega Sports NHL not the EA one that I never liked

@lesserspottedmugwump.363

3 жыл бұрын

@@Victory-in-YAHUSHA Mortal Kombat for me. I got that and whooo. All my mates came around for a battle. It was £1 a go in the arcade. This is 25 years ago so probably £5 now or $8. A go. Good times.

@lesserspottedmugwump.363

3 жыл бұрын

@@wolfpacsyxx “EA sports, it’s in the game”.

First played this during the summer of 92 on my Sega Genesis and 30 years later I still play it now!

Charming is the perfect word to describe this game. I’m enjoying your Genesis reviews since it’s not a console I grew up with or have taken the time to explore (yet). Great work as always!

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! I'm really enjoying discovering more of the Genesis library myself.

@lesserspottedmugwump.363

3 жыл бұрын

@@Cannotbetamed1 I don’t know if you are into space shooters. There’s a game called “Truxton”, hard as nails. My first mega drive game. “Genesis” what is this alien language. Never finished it. Worth a look though. The music brings back memories.

@AndrewNewZealand

3 жыл бұрын

@@lesserspottedmugwump.363 Yeah I enjoyed Truxton(our local mall had a Japanese import with the original name Tatsujin). Great music, especially the stage 1. I never completed it at the arcade, made stage 3(of 5), but managed to complete the Mega Drive.

I replay this one every few years, a true classic. Great review!

@Cannotbetamed1

4 ай бұрын

Thanks!

I've always been curious about this game since I've seen it pop up in small snippets during My Life in Gaming videos. You've convinced me to give it a chance. Also I like how you match the dark color aesthetic of you room.

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks. I hope you enjoy it.

If I hadn't seen the copyright 1991 I would have thought this game was an indy title from the last couple years. It looks amazing. Thank you again Pam for turning me onto yet another cool vintage game!

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

No problem!

That moment when you finally get out into the open ocean for the first time with that music was intense.

5 ай бұрын

True, and that is one of the reasons i find the music in this game to be so good. A great soubdtrack must do things to you before you even realize that the music is actually very good

I'm gonna play this with my son. I've been looking for the perfect "retro game" to start him on, and I honestly think he'd really enjoy this one. Thank you so much! 🤓😎🤓👍👍👍

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

No problem, I hope you both have fun.

I love this game. I didn't have the original Sega Console, I was too busy being a a hippie madman in Missoula MT back in the '90s. But I have played it on the One X and Series X. The music....amazing! I don't bond with all retro-games--this one I do.

@lesserspottedmugwump.363

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, the music still resonates from this era.

@TheAncientGamerX

3 жыл бұрын

@@lesserspottedmugwump.363 I'd been playing this game, retro-vibing, for a month or so off and on. Loved the music. But I picked up a pair of Steel Series Arctis 9x's for my One X and as I tested them, this was the game I happened to load up. Wow! Just a perfect earful. Made me enjoy the game even more.

@lesserspottedmugwump.363

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheAncientGamerX Mega man music always gives me a retro vibe. That music is fantastic. Loads of energy.

I still have this game. Play it all the time. Glad I found your channel

This review hit deep with me. It was one of those games that almost seemed like a dream because I was so young. Thanks for the nostalgia treasure you helped me find. Keep it up

@Cannotbetamed1

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Being a nintendo kid this is the one game that every sega kid talked up. And now I know why. This game looks beautiful.

@That_Lady_Charlie

3 жыл бұрын

it's the most Nintendo looking Sega game

I love your reviews, calm and great narrative thanks for sharing big hugs from Denmark :D

Love your channel by the way. You really know your stuff--great presentation!

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I'm glad you made this documentary. I loved the Master System Wonder Boy series and wondered whether the Genesis/MegaDrive installment was worth it. Only with the pictures, I can say yes. I recognize the same mechanics as in Dragon's Trap.

Thank you for covering my favorite game from childhood! I'll admit, my nostalgia mostly prevents me from letting the flaws of the game get to me. I'm glad the game's charm kept you through to the end despite them! The visuals are my favorite part, too, after all.

@Cannotbetamed1

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

Wonder Boy games were what I grew up on as a wee lil nugget in the 90s, so this one holds a special place in my library. I also think the Tyrant Dragon (the one on the title screen) is the cutest dragon I've ever seen before Mushu and Sisu came around X3 ...I had my own OC in elementary school based on him!

Love your videos! You are so prefessional :)

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!!

Genesis was such a cool system. I jumped from SMS/NES to TG16 to SNES, passing over the Genesis. I played a lot of the popular Genesis games on my friend's systems, but never fully appreciated just how deep the catalog was.

Played the heck out of this game in my teenage days on my friends Genesis. The charm was the overall highlight of the game.

I'll have to check this out! Great review

@Victory-in-YAHUSHA

3 жыл бұрын

The other games in the series are great too such as Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, and Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom.

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Thanks for reviewing this cute game for us Pam 😊

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

No problem

wow, I've been meaning to play this. Great video!

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Can you believe games used to have colors and inspire cuteness? Great review as always! Best wishes from Portugal! :)

The conveyer belt on the final boss wasn't in the Japanese original, Sega of America added it just to be d1cks it seems, also you just returned to the last place you saved if you died, there was no game over in the original. But I loved the game as a kid, but it was a bit of a step back from The Dragon's Trap. The Master System port is even more nerfed.

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting! It's strange how sometimes publishers thought games needed to be made easier to come over to North America, and other times they were made harder.

@lesserspottedmugwump.363

3 жыл бұрын

Hello you. Take it easy Larry, from sunny Harrogate.

@GabePuratekuta

2 жыл бұрын

Wasn't The Dragon's Trap its sequel, though?

The best Wonderboy. So proud when I finished it. A lot of exploring and returning to old sites. The graphics and art style was very impressive.

@Victory-in-YAHUSHA

3 жыл бұрын

Wonder Boy in Monster World was my favoite game in the series until Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom came.

I vaguely remember this game. Righteous trip on the Wayback Machine. I dig it.

Hooray, Wonder Boy! My favorite is Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap. I have played and finished that game so many times in my life already. Never gets old.

@Victory-in-YAHUSHA

3 жыл бұрын

Do you like the 2017 remake as well?

@whoisbatman

3 жыл бұрын

@@Victory-in-YAHUSHA Love it! Such a faithful but entirely new interpretation. And the music, unf, so good.

@tomfoolery2964

3 жыл бұрын

@@whoisbatman I agree! The spiritual successor Monsterboy in the cursed kingdom is amazing as well.

@Victory-in-YAHUSHA

3 жыл бұрын

@@tomfoolery2964 It really is! The series itself is underrated.

@whoisbatman

3 жыл бұрын

@@tomfoolery2964 Unfortunately I was not into that one. I found that it focused too much on time-based puzzles or quirky precise jumping in combination with switching animal form. It wasn't enjoyable to me.

An absolute favorite Genesis title... So many good memories playing it! Thanks for the awesome review, really wishing you and everyone reading this to have a wonderful day 😊

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, you too!

I love your review, as always, and I admire how you give credit to every single detail of this little old gem (which unfortunately I've never played, at least so far...)

@Cannotbetamed1

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you kindly!

I recently played the Master System iteration of this and it was brutal in its refusal to give strong direction to the player. Might check this out based on your video - thanks!

One of my favs for the Genesis. This is a great little gem, and yes it's very cute and simple but fun to play. It's often just what a game needs to be good and rememberable.

@draganskoda3338

5 ай бұрын

SIMPLE? I get killed all the time,.because I cannot dodge the projectiles

this game is awesome and i still play it in these days. its my childhood, i cant stop to think to recreate this game. im on my journey to recreate the game now!

@Cannotbetamed1

2 жыл бұрын

Have fun!

Nice review. I remember this game from way back. That platforming bit near the end was a total pain. Cool eye-shadow.

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Really enjoying your game reviews Pam - only just discovered your channel and as many others have said here - you're chilled out and so easy to listen to - thumbs up from Australia =)

@Cannotbetamed1

2 жыл бұрын

Welcome to the channel

Love this game, I believe I eve finished it as a kid and recently started revisiting it

@myprivatechannel1695

3 жыл бұрын

Yep, now you can take all the Charmstones (by farming the money in the cloud castle against the vampires), and all the Hearts (there are a lot of guides where they are hidden). Enjoy!

yeahhh Hoorah i remember this game, go Pam go.

Dang, what a classic! Been watching since Kid Chameleon, so super psyched to see this pop up in my recommendations. Great review Pam!

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

This is my favourite Genesis Wonder Boy game! Recently, I completed the game 100% - I literally mean doing every conceivable thing possible - and uploaded the video to KZread. I appreciate you choosing this game to review, as I'm not sure it gets enough love. One thing, the Ocarina does have another purpose, albeit an optional one. Great video!

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

What else is the ocarina used for?

@YesterdaysMoose

3 жыл бұрын

@@Cannotbetamed1 There's a hut near Poseidon's domain where you can talk to his daughter. She will take the Ocarina in exchange for a hint to the location of the Amulet, the one that reveals the entrance to the domain. This is not required, so it can be skipped without consequence.

I played some of this as a child, but didn’t get to far. I never actually knew it was a Metroidvania. Your videos on the games of this console, are a real trip down memory lane. It was the first I owned.

Finally some Wonderboy in monster world love!!!! 🥰 Can't wait!!!!

A childhood fav I absolutely loved this game, was the high point of the wonder boy series. Still get the crystal level music stuck in my head from time to time.

Awesome review, as always!

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

I appreciate that

It did blow my mind that this 1991 game has impeccable graphics, with even some Yoshi's Island crayon-style colouring plus it has so many quality of life qualities that games didn't have (Link to the Past is an exception of course) in those days. And the action-adventure metroidvania-like gameplay puts it above many more famous Snes games of that period.

Another great review and analysis of a not as well known Genesis classic. It's been fun seeing these videos since you got that flashcart

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

I've really been enjoying exploring the library.

Another one of my favourite Mega Drive game and I also played this on my Master System back in the days but I do prefer the Mega Drive version. For the Master System nothing beats Wonder Boy 3 Dragon Traps it’s a really good Wonder Boy game 🕹👍

Great video. Like this series quite a bit. Had to check my Genny cart collection to see if I had this cuz I knew I had one of the Wonder Boy games, and sure enough I do.

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

This was my first Wonder Boy game though I couldn't beat it on the Megadrive but went back to it's PS3 re-release and finally beat it. Cracking little game.

Most of us Brazilians know this game by the name "Turma da Mônica na Terra dos Monstros"(Monica's gang in monster world) because tectoy (our local sega publisher) made a retexture of the original game and put this brazilian animation on it, they changed the story a bit to fit in the world of monica's animation too. Great video as always!

@itsalolmor

3 жыл бұрын

Então era esse jogo que era da Mônica? Cacete, não sabia disso, hahahaha!

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! That's really interesting they completely changed the character.

I have never had a chance to play this game. It looks very nice. But I must say, your eyeshadow for this video is AMAZING. That dual tone with blend is just so well done. My hat is off to you for it. An excellent video! Have a great week.

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much. I had fun doing this eyeshadow look.

I loved this game growing up and the first time I played it was on the C64. I bought it a bit back on steam and need to try it out again.

Another awesome vid Pam!!! I'm actually shocked I never played or heard of this game. After seeing the gameplay you showed it honestly looks like a game I would of gotten into. Have a marvelous rest of your day

@Victory-in-YAHUSHA

3 жыл бұрын

Definitely try out Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, and Asha in Monster World. All are great games.

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! You too

This game was awesome and still is today. One of my favorites growing up!

@Victory-in-YAHUSHA

3 жыл бұрын

It really is awesome!

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

It's a lot of fun

@josedeluna2245

3 жыл бұрын

@@Cannotbetamed1 lol Micheal Jackson’s Moonwalker was fun too. Awesome video

such an underrated sega rpg. loved this game growing up

Great seeing this live

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you could make it

This is by far my favourite of ALL the Wonderboy games.

Nice review! Wonder Boy III is one of the best Genesis titles out there and definitely doesn't get enough love :)

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

This is one of my favourite games! One of the few I've playthrough multiple times and still love it (although the first half n hour or so drags...). To me this game is what Zelda II wanted to be. This seems to be the most forgotten of the wonderboy games and I hope it doesn't et missed in the current spate of remakes. I would buy it in a flash!

In brazil we got some reskinned games on the master system with Monica's Gang characters (a brazilian comic strip that recently broke in the US as far as I know). The monster boy games were licensed to a brazilian company called tectoy so these reskins were actually legal. Tectoy also ported street fighter 2 to the master system, which is considered quite a feat in the retro community.

@lesserspottedmugwump.363

3 жыл бұрын

I think Street fighter got ported to the Commodore 64 as well. It’s not pretty though.

Great review, awesome game!

Very cool game and was a wild find on the Genesis and I wish they would remake this one like they did the other ones. Good stuff 👍

A balanced and thorough review. 👍🏻 The Master System version of WBIMW was one of my favourite games as a kid, so I must give this one a try. I didn't even know a Mega Drive / Genesis version existed. Mega Drive and its cartridges were kind of expensive in the early 90s' Turkey, so my parents refused to buy me one and made me choose between an SMS and a Famiclone. haha

Monster World 4 is my favorite in the series. Plus it got a remake recently like the third game (Wonder Boy/Girl: The Dragon's Trap). You even get a little pet that helps you fight and can grow as you progress.

As far as I'm concerned it's the perfect platformer game. I love everything about it. I was hooked on it as a kid when there was an arcade port of it in our local fast food place. Wow I was mesmerized by this game.

subtitles are great, thank U

Awesome review Pam!😀

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

I don't remember this game, but my favorite scene was the rabbit head floating around pooping fire 😄 My goodness, who thought of that?

Theres a reworked version of this game released in Brazil by Tec Toy. It is essentially a rom hack where you play as Monica (from Monica's Gang), a beloved comic book character. Also the Brazilian version is in Portuguese. This was the version I had access to back in the day. Tec Toy recently released the game again.

I started a Genesis collection not too long ago. Might have to add this one to it.

@myprivatechannel1695

3 жыл бұрын

You will not regret it. This game is very funny, try to take all the Charmstones and hidden items...

The Wonder Boy/Monster World series was perhaps my favourite console franchise in the early '90s, me being a Sega owner. I really enjoyed Wonder Boy in Monsterland and Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap on Master System. I completed Wonder Boy in Monster World, Master System version, on rental in '93, but didn't try the Mega Drive/Genesis version till just last year actually. I wrote a review at Moby Games. It's not especially long, so I may as well paste it here. THE GOOD "The graphics, villages, towns, castles, deserts, snow fields etc. are often very nice. I like Dragon's Trap's idea of having a central town as your base from which you explore in all directions, some directions blocked until later in the game. Here your base is Purapril Castle/Town. Like Wonder Boy II, you play as "Wonder Boy" for the whole game, no transforming into beast-men, though you're a different Wonder Boy now, "Shion", a supposed descendant of "Bocke Lee Temjin", the previous Wonder Boy. The usual Wonder Boy music composer Shinichi Sakamoto has made some more nice background music, including new productions of his previous Wonder Boy music. I also like that they built on MEKA-Dragon from the previous games, this time having the BioMeka, alien monster up in space(it is perhaps MEKA-Dragon in a new form as he appeared to escape in a flying saucer at the end of Wonder Boy II, in the original arcade game anyway)." THE BAD "First the game doesn't play very well. Wonder Boy's sword is too short, causing you to often swing and miss, before learning to time it better. And your defence is often very weak, causing your hearts to run out quickly and are given potions that don't fully restore. You're forced to repeatedly kill enemies to raise money for stronger armour. Then there's the story and the objective. A lot of the time you are travelling in a certain direction just because a somebody suggests you go that way. You just have a vague concept of some evil master controlling the invaders of Monster World. It's a bit of a hollow victory when you're praised for saving everyone when you don't really build much connection with the people and can't really appreciate the danger they're in."

I got into chiptunes because of this game ❤️ gotta love those YM2612 vibes

@lesserspottedmugwump.363

3 жыл бұрын

Check out “Toni Leys, Through a cardboard world”. Nice chilled chip tune. Good analogue vibe.

For anyone who would like to try playing this game, but has trouble with cartridge hunting, I bought a super combo cartridge from M&M Games in Upland, California, which has nearly 200 games on its menu. Those include "Wonder Boy In Monster World," and "Kid Chameleon," and "Alisia Dragoon," and "Gain Ground," and "Arcus Odyssey," and a host of others. The only fault is, all those games on one cartridge leave no room for battery backed save data. That means you can go to an inn with "Wonder Boy In Monster World," and try to save, but it doesn't really save. And it means some of the games on it, like "Light Crusader" and "Warsong," shouldn't really be there, because you can't save any results effectively. But ones that don't have a save feature to begin with, it plays normally.

Absolutely loved this game as a kid. It appeared just as I was getting old enough to be into RPGs, and this was a great "beginner" game for me, haha. Though, to be honest, I never was able to beat the final boss back then...

@georgehancock2307

Жыл бұрын

My reflexes are slower now, had to have every magic last time I beat this

Really nice video. If you'd played Monster Land or Dragons Trap prior to playing this game you'd be looking for the hidden doors from the start. We've all had that Ahhhhh moment. Great game.

Never played this game. I really want to play this now. Seems I would like it.

@Apanblod

3 жыл бұрын

It's a great game, but deceptively difficult given its cutsie aesthetics, in my opinion.

I agree, this is a solid game. I have the entire series across both PS3 and PS4 through various collections.

Hi Pam. Great to see you again checking out Genesis games!! First time I have seen a full review of this game, even when I have seen it so many times in pictures or in mentions. I am very surprised, it is much more charming than I thought. And I didn't know that it used RPG elements in its gameplay. I was hoping to see a port where Adventure Island characters had been replaced or something. Very charming and colorful. The bosses look very well done in terms of graphics and gameplay. Its replay value reminds me of the Mega Man series. And that return spell reminds me of the same spell used in Dragon Warrior for the NES. How its supposed you can fit in that tiny bed?? You would need to cast a shrinking spell on yourself or something XD

This game looks fun, I like all the colors. :) The companions are cute, too. :) I hope this gets ported to modern consoles one day as I no longer own a Genesis.

In Brazil this game was heavily altered, with its sprites and story completely replaced by characters from a famous comic strip called Monica's Gang. Instead of Wonderboy fighting with a sword we had a girl fighting with a blue stuffed toy rabbit (which she uses to beat up the boys who call her mean names). The name of the game: Monica's Gang in Monsters,' LAND. The other games of the franchise got similar treatments.

I have Wonder Boy III: The Dragons Trap and I like it. But, I haven't played Wonder Boy In Monster World yet.

@judgegroovyman

3 жыл бұрын

That Wonderboy 3 is my favorite game. What a masterpiece

I used to rent the Master System version of this when I was about 11, I absolutely loved it. Only gripe was that I finshed it pretty quickly, like within a day or 2. It was also the moment I was all 'I must have blue hair!'😊 I'll have to check out this Mega Drive (Genesis) version sometime, maybe its longer and more difficult.

I really liked some of the Wonder Boy games. This one was pretty good though I do think it was more punishing than you let on. Enemies tend to do a ton of damage and with the super short weapon range, it's easy to get hit. Im really glad this part of the series has been getting remakes and they've been very good. It's still bizarre to think that the series started off as Adventure Island.

@Victory-in-YAHUSHA

3 жыл бұрын

Quite the opposite. The games have always been Wonder Boy since the 1986 arcade game. Video game company Hudson had made a deal with the developers (Westone) to gain license in creating their own branded series, Adventure Island. Adventure Island is a in-game sprite swap of the original Wonder Boy game.

@githane

3 жыл бұрын

​@@Victory-in-YAHUSHA Yes, thats more or less what I mean. The original Wonder Boy would be more familiar as Adventure Island. I mean it's more weird that it started as that type of game then went to a more action RPG.

@Victory-in-YAHUSHA

3 жыл бұрын

@@githane Yeah, the genre started to shift by the third arcade game (Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair) as a rail shoot em' up, then found it's mainstay in the 2D open world/Metroidvania genre with The Dragon's Trap and onwards. It will be interesting if the next installment will be a 3D open world game.

@YesterdaysMoose

3 жыл бұрын

@@Victory-in-YAHUSHA I'd say the shift to RPG started with Wonder Boy in Monster Land, the second game in the series.

@Victory-in-YAHUSHA

3 жыл бұрын

@@YesterdaysMoose It's true that the shift may have began in Wonder Boy II, but to me action RPGs are games where your character levels up as you defeat monsters in real time. If Monster Land was an action RPG, then the Zelda series (with the exception of Zelda II) would be labled as an action RPG series. Zelda is actually an action adventure/open world series. The same applies to Wonder Boy in Monster Land, only that it is an action adventure platformer.

I've only just started to get into the Wonder Boy games, (Got 3 for Sega Master System xD) I hope in the near future I can play more as they look fun 😊 Great review as always Pam 😁

@Cannotbetamed1

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I bought this game when it first came out. It does have a few minor flaws but it's a good follow-on to Wonder Boy In Monster Land. I spent most of this video saying, "oh, it's that bit where you had to..." :-) Cheers, Pam!

Awesome game, played in on the SMS :)

As a fan of the Wonderboy series, if you may call it so, i had to play this. I've managed to beat the game back then in the glorious Genesis days, but it was a hell of a ride. Like you've said, the later levels are a pain in the ass. Dragons Trap on the Master System is also very good and challenging. Thumbs up!!!

Thank you for your very good time. Have a good day😊👍

Fantastic game this whole series is excellent

BEST IN THE BUSINESS!

I love these games! Dragon's Curse on Turbo Grafx 16 is my fav. A port of 2 I think

Well, the enemies respawn fast... if you're fast. It's actually based on distance. And enemies also do have limited respawns until you refresh the screen. I think most of the time they respawn about 3-4 times before needing a full area refresh to come back.

"High above the muckity-muck, castle made of clouds, here sits Wonder Boy, sitting oh so proudly! Not much to say when you're high above the muckity-muck!"

A sphinx that asks questions about the game you have been playing... Where have I seen that before.

Really long comment here: I literally just played through this game a couple of days ago! Your review is pretty spot on with my experience, but apparently I didn't get enough power ups before the final boss and concluded that beating said boss was going to be impossible without a lot more exploration. Sadly, this seemed like too much of a chore at that point, especially knowing how cryptic the secrets can be, but I did like it a lot otherwise. Oddly enough, I also heard that the original Japanese version actually had a much more reasonable difficulty for the final boss, but I haven't played through that one, so I can't say for sure. Just before playing Wonder Boy in Monster World, I played (and actually got to finish) a gorgeous remake of its predecessor, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap. The structure is kind of similar (metroid-lite?), but your character gets turned into various anthropomorphic animals with different abilities which kind of reminded me of Demon's Crest, albeit less infernal and more charming. Actually, these particular (metroid-esque) Wonder Boy games are probably more akin to the Shantae series than anything else that I know of. The presentation of The Dragon's Trap is outstanding and I highly recommend it if you liked this game. Now having played those two (metroid-like?) Wonder Boy games, I just started the original version of the next (metroid-ish?) game in the series, Monster World IV for the Sega Genesis. Monster World IV has a similar exploration platformer structure but seems a bit more polished than the previous two titles (at least from the first hour or so of playing it), which is quite nice. The game stars an adorable female protagonist, Asha, in a middle eastern looking setting that is just beaming with content and personality, so I'm pretty excited to play through this one. I plan to move on to the most recent game in the series, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, thereafter :)

I just got this in a console lot I was planning to refurb. I only played it for for 2 minutes so far but I definitely plan on playing it longer lol.

I love this game, and as a young man I rented it a bunch of times but never beat it. I just should have bought the damn thing.