Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World Review
Release Date: May 28, 2021
Developer: ININ Games
Platforms: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 4
Price: $39..99
There's no denying the appeal that side-scrolling platformers have had since the dawn of time, and though a big portion of this had to do with technical limitations of an era where a 3D plane didn't exist outside of very few exceptions, the format and genre still holds strong today as the growth within the medium has allowed us to do so much more with gameplay elements and mechanics that keep the genre ever-evolving. Nowadays we still continue to have hits - mostly Indie - like Shovel Knight, Hollow Knight, Rain World, Double Cross, Celeste, and more that run from side to side with torch in hand, continuing to help move the genre forward with tons of awards to their portfolio, and because of this, new inspirations and properties come to fruition by developers and publishers of all sizes and backgrounds, keeping one of gaming's forefather genres as fresh and alive as ever. In the case of Wonder Boy, it's one of those odd series’ that has seen so many different variations of naming and life that it's honestly hard to keep up with, being originally Monster World before turning into Wonder Boy and back to Monster World and now Monster Boy. It truthfully makes no sense, but after finding a loyal following on Sega's Master and Genesis systems it remained dormant for decades before being revived and ported via single releases and in compilations, as well as now getting full blown remakes. Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World is now the third of these remakes we've seen over the last few years, remaking Monster World IV, but to add to Wonder Boy's long series of confusing names and design, Wonder Boy actually has no boy in sight, as players play as Asha going on a newfound quest and purpose.
Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World sees Asha freeing four sprits from impending doom, and in doing so unravels the mysteries of the evil forces and more as she goes on her journey to bring back peace and stability alongside her cute Pepelogoo friend she meets along the way that will help her with traversal and some light puzzle-solving. It's a simplistic story that doesn't necessarily need to do more than it needs to, and though it would be nice to see a more elaborate form of the story to give more incentive and reward to what it is that you're doing, it's enough to be a driving force but also goes to show one of the few things that haven’t changed much as the game - much like the other Wonder Boy remakes - sticks as close to its roots as possible, changing very little about the design philosophy whether it fits for today's standards or not. Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World is a remake in every sense of the word, and it works both to its benefit and against it as a lot of its old school design and mechanics don't translate very well to how games function today, but it's an enjoyable enough time that fans of the genre or Wonder Boy/Monster World in general should still have a decent enough time with it reliving or experiencing for the first time a once beloved retro game.
Those that find themselves delving into the genre a lot should effectively know what to expect as Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World isn't necessarily doing anything new in the remake either, so you'll have your standard health represented in hearts that can be further expanded as you collect more and more life drops with every ten collected giving you an additional heart to keep for your overall health. This can be increased further through purchasing various pieces of equipment that will give you not only more hearts but higher attack power and the sort. There's a slew of coins that come from just about everywhere from enemy spoils to chests and placed throughout the levels, but thankfully the game doesn't really necessitate spending them until later down the line as I never really found myself in a heap of trouble or feeling like I needed to upgrade unless it was for the sole reason of potentially doing more damage to get rid of enemies quicker, but outside of bosses - and even then - it wasn't exactly a chore to clear a room of them no matter how basic my weapons were, with the only real nuisance coming from janky animations, hit boxes, and invincibility frames that seem to be inconsistent throughout. It's easy to sometimes feel like there's some inspiration from Zelda here, but the systems themselves work much differently, and you won't be awarded in the same way after boss fights (namely the hearts that increase your health), so any sort of familiarity with those should be put to the side to get the most out of Asha In Monster World's enjoyment, though inconsistencies are riddled throughout, including the performance aspect of it. Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World mostly runs well and looks crisp in both handheld mode and TV mode, though in TV mode in particular I noticed quite a few hiccups and stutters that would happen every few seconds that also varied from environment to environment, and this wasn't anywhere near as apparent in handheld mode. This may presumably be due to the lowered resolution and resources needed to run, but it still was problematic enough that long play sessions were never really a thing due to the eventual eyesore, but thankfully Wonder Boy in general never really asks much of the player, and Asha In Monster World can be completed in roughly six hours.
In a list of bugs and odd little technical woes, sound is arguably the most uninspired part about Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World. Rather than retaining its original audio or having the option to switch between new and retro formats, Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World's music and sound, while new, is unfortunately bland, and I found many instances where if you would kill enemies in quick succession of each other, sometimes the sound effect that occurs when you defeat them (the same sound on every kill that tends to dig into your skin after a while) will outright cut out or distort. The other big issue is that for some odd reason when you're ready to save the game (I do recommend doing this as any death will take you only to the most recent save, and there is no autosave) there is arguably the biggest slowdown in the game as you're taken to another screen where up to 12 vases that represent your save slots are shown with Asha and a sage looking on as you choose which vase to store your precious progress. It makes saving something rather to not look forward to, which seems counterintuitive to the function unless you're looking to go for a Nuzlocke and/or permadeath run. Also worth mentioning is that Monster World IV is included in all physical editions of Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World but it is not included in any of the digital versions. The Switch version of Monster Boy IV comes on the cartridge, however it is made available through a digital download through the PS4 copy of the game. Considering these sorts of titles typically get limited releases, it's unfortunate they've gone down this route to distribute the original title, especially seeing how since the PS4 version has a digital copy alongside it, it can easily be made available for all to download and pay for separately as a premium if needed. It does digital owners a disservice given that the price of the game is the same regardless if you're opting for physical or digital, making the digital version downgraded, yet the physical version will more than likely become hard to find at retail in due time.
Thankfully its UI and dungeon design is fairly simplistic so everything remains legible and great for any party of fans to pick up, though it does continue with the theme of Asha In Monster World's overall design being mundane when so much more could have been done to further make its otherwise colorful and cheery world pop out on screen. Dungeons typically have a bit of backtracking but nothing horrendous, and even without a proper map to guide you with some basic internal navigation skills it's easy to make way throughout each with deductive reasoning. Regardless of the theme of the dungeon, you'll have the usual locked rooms that are both for progression as well as collectible goods that'll help you throughout your journey, and it's hard to miss what goes into where as chests, doors that require keys, and traps are sometimes overexaggerated and are clearly represented on screen to either avoid or aim for. Very rarely did I find myself going "where should I go," though sometimes the lack of direction and storytelling in the game caused me to say "What should I do" after I'd miss out on just a day or two of playing Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World.
Even with its faults and dated ideas, Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World is admittedly a genuinely good time when taken in moderation, though this is coming from someone with a big side-scrolling platforming background that grew up with these types of games and metroidvanias, but there's also no denying that Asha In Monster World has now effectively become a poor man's Shantae, which is interesting to think about given that just about every Shantae game can actually be purchased for cheaper than Asha In Monster World's $40 asking price and came after the Wonder Boy/Monster World series. Even despite this, there's no denying that fans of the original will relatively enjoy the makeover Asha In Monster World has gotten, and with crisp visuals on Switch that give a new perspective into its world, the makeover undoubtedly adds quite a bit of charm, and a lot can be easily forgiven because at the end of the day it doesn't ask much of the player and helps give that bit of nostalgia back to those that were around in its initial release. Overall, Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World brings the Wonder Boy series into the modern day with a remake that's competent enough to be enjoyable, however there's no doubt that there's a heavy inconsistency to each one of these games that ends up finding its way into contemporary consoles because they keep bouncing around from developer to developer and publisher to publisher in an effort to build interest for the IP again for new and nostalgic players. Now we'll just have to wait and see what they do with the naming and structure of Wonder Boy V: Monster World III, which came before Monster World IV.
PROS:
Performance and visuals are solid, even if a little uninspired.
The game has a lot of charm that exudes in almost every corner
With its retro background, it's a great title for those looking for something a bit more "classic"
CONS:
The boss fights are extremely bland and are recycled throughout
Animations and controls can feel janky and inconsistent
A big thank you to ININ Games for providing us a copy of Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World for the purposes of this review!