Originally developed by Westone Bit Entertainment and SEGA, Wonder Boy Collection marks the return of a brilliant franchise back to life on modern consoles. ININ Games is taking the lead role here with all of the publishing work as the new titles feature tons of improvements and modern accessibility options that were not present in the original title. Comprising four titles from the early days of the Wonder Bou franchise, Wonder Boy Collection is a love letter to one of the best platforming classics. This is our review of Wonder Boy Collection on the PS4 in which we revisit four of the greatest retro platformers and have a great time throwing axes on snails.
Wonder Boy Collection has four great titles to choose from. This includes the very first game Wonder Boy which was originally released in 1986, Wonder Boy in Monster World, the second title in the franchise, released in 19877, Wonder Boy in Monster World, the fifth title in the franchise, released in 1991, and Monster Boy IV which is the last title of the franchise. We did get plenty of remakes and compilations later such as the latest release Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World but the mainstream franchise ended with Monster Boy IV in 1994. With the latest release, we can now play the classic titles on modern consoles thanks to the brilliant publishing work by ININ Games.
Starting with the original Wonder Boy, you can instantly see that this title is the most barebones and retro platformer out there. The movements are very basic, and you can move around, jump and attack the enemies with various enemies. The story revolves around your character who looks like a caveman whose girlfriend has been kidnapped by the bad guys. The game has seven areas to complete, and each area has four zones. By default, you restart at the start of the zone if you die so all hope is not lost if you lose all of your health because health is always your main focus in the original Wonder Boy. This game does not allow you to go back as well so if you move forward and an area goes out of your frame, it is gone forever and you cannot go back to it.
This is because your health is continuously depleting in the game and if you end up cursing yourself, your health goes down even quicker. You gain your health back by eating fruits that randomly spawn during the levels and if you hit something like an enemy or rocks, your health goes down a major chunk. You can kill enemies by throwable stone hatchets that you get at the start of the game and after running through the entire area, you fight with a boss and then progress to the next level. Bonus items and health are found inside giant eggs that you break by running into them. This is also the toughest title in the collection since it is just barebones with nothing much to explore and also because your health is continuously going down on its own.
The second title in the collection is the Wonder Boy in Monster Land which is a direct sequel of the first game. This time around, you must defeat the evil dragon and save the humans from its evil grasp. This title brings the same gameplay mechanics from the first title but there are slight RPG mechanics thrown in the mix as well. You collect gold by defeating enemies and bosses and then you spend this gold on various merchants to purchase new equipment and items that come in handy. You can also purchase different consumables such as bombs and health potions that you can use in the game for your character. There are also different mini-bosses in dungeons that you can defeat to get bonus items that affect your character stats.
These RPG mechanics are not that detailed however there is slight inventory management, and you can purchase and equip better items as you collect gold. Enemies in different areas respawn which gives you excellent farming spaces where you can farm gold and then go and purchase the items that you really need from merchants. The combat is more melee-focused this time around and you need to be precise with your hits because the hitboxes are not very big for the enemies requiring precision hits. Also, some of the enemies are really fast in the game. There is a little bit of text narration giving you small hints of a story in the game as well. There are twelve levels this time around and there is a lot more exploration to do. The game is enhanced both visually and gameplay-wise.
Wonder Boy in Monster World is the third title in the collection but in the franchise, this is the fifth title. Wonder Boy in Monster World introduces a brand-new character called Shion and this game further expands upon the platforming and RPG mechanics mixed into one. This is the biggest RPG experience in the collection as you get to explore towns, villages, and cities where you find plenty of NPCs to interact with and different merchants to purchase new items. The inventory system is bigger than ever, and you can use Magic in the game as well. You can also collect various items and gear along the way for bonus stats.
When it comes to movement and combat, there is a huge improvement from the previous title, and you can instantly feel it when you switch from the second title to the third title in the collection. As you progress in the game, you come across various inns where you can save your game progress as well making this a proper RPG experience. The weapons and armor actually make a difference where cheaper weapons deal less damage and cheaper armor defends you less from incoming attacks. The more money and time you spend on yourself, the more powerful you become in the game. This time around, you also have a fully narrated story although it is still text-based but at least it is there.
Finally, you have Monster Boy IV which was originally released only in Japanese, and it was later translated by fans in 2002 for the west. Monster Boy IV features the female character Asha which is why the developers changed the name of the game as well. This is the title whose remake Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World was released the last world so if you played that one, this is the original title, and it is a lot more pretty and fun to dive into. When compared to the other three titles, Monster Boy IV is the best one in the collection and also the most precise when it comes to platforming and combat. Everything is really fluid, and it really shows when you play the game.
The story revolves around Asha who must travel and find the spirits to help them who have been whispering to them. She leaves her quiet village on her quest to become a warrior and the story of the game begins. She befriends a pet on her way too called Pepelogoo which you can summon for help during combat scenarios. The game combines both platforming and RPG elements into a single experience as you explore a beautiful 2D world. You can find and equip new weapons and gear and use your shield for defense. You have the freedom to attack on the ground and in the air with your sword using a wide variety of air and ground attacks.
Wonder Boy Collection comes with its own emulator for running all of the four titles and before starting each game, you can choose various settings as well. These include custom controller mappings, gameplay settings, and display settings. In the Gameplay settings, you have various accessibility options such as your starting lives, the high score needed to get a free life, and the difficulty of the title. In the Video section, you can turn on various retro filters to have that CRT effect on your screen. You can also set the display ratio of the screen here along with choosing how the emulator scales the game with three options Soft, Crispy, and Razor, each chopping up or smoothing the screen for a truly retro experience. Each title in the collection is unique and equally enjoyable on its own. My favorite one out of the bunch is Wonder Boy in Monster World although I had a great time in the first title as well because of its toughness. There is a cool gallery of art on the main menu as well.
Final Verdict:
Wonder Boy has always been one of my favorite retro franchises because of its great blend of platforming and RPG mechanics. Wonder Boy Collection is a great package for players who want to revisit this classic franchise and the best titles in their lineups. While the Anniversary Edition will certainly feature more versions and titles of the franchise, the four games featured in the Wonder Boy Collection are the best of the best. Each title represents a key turning point for the franchise and the difference is pretty evident right from the start of every title. For retro collectors and fans, the Wonder Boy Collection is an absolute must-buy and if you are getting into retro gaming just now, this is the perfect start for you because it represents every critical stage in the journey of this amazing franchise.
Final Score: 9.0/10
