Image Mw4clean_repaired_cropped.bmp Asha From Monster World Iv

Newly released to the PlayStation 4 e Switch (and coming soon on Steam), 'Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World' is part of one of the oldest (and most confusing) franchises in video game history, a series that began in 1986 with the release of 'Wonder Boy' to arcades.

Here in Brazil the series is best known for the versions adapted by Tectoy, who, in addition to translating the text, replaced the original characters with those of Turma da Mônica.

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So, 'Wonder boy in monster land'turned'Monica at Dragon Castle' for the Master System, 'Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap'turned'Monica's Gang in: the rescue' (also for the Master) and 'Wonder Boy in Monster World', on Mega Drive, became 'Monica's Gang in the Land of Monsters'.

In Brazil, games from the Wonder Boy series (left) were adapted with characters from Turma da Mônica (right). Image: Olhar Digital / Reproduction

But the fourth game in the series: 'Monster World IV', released in 1994 in Japan for the Mega Drive, took 14 years to reach the West: it was only in 2008 that it gained an English version on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console.

A pity, since fans of "Mega" were for a long time deprived of a game that, in addition to being one of the best in the series, is also one of the best on the console, with beautiful graphics and great gameplay.

Which brings us back to 'Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World'. The game is a remake of 'Monster World IV' with enhanced 3D graphics that give it an anime look, remixed soundtrack and dubbed dialogue that faithfully follows the original mold.

The new graphics give "Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World" the look of an anime. Image: Olhar Digital / Reproduction

Emphasis on "faithfully": the layout of the stages, enemy behavior, animations and even the character dialogues are absolutely identical, to the point that whoever played the original will have a feeling of "dejá vu" from start to finish, with little new thing to see or do.

That doesn't mean that 'Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World' be bad. It's a side action platform game with a light RPG twist where the main character, a girl named Asha, explores ancient temples accompanied by her pet Pepelogoo, a blue flying pet, in an attempt to free four guardian spirits who have been imprisoned by a dark force that wants to dominate the world.

One of the four guardian spirits that must be released by the player in "Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World". Image: Olhar Digital / Reproduction

The "hub" that connects one temple to another is the city of Rapadagna, and talking to its inhabitants, Asha will, little by little, discover the origin of the threat. But unlike modern RPGs, here the story unfolds absolutely linearly, with no dialogue trees or important decisions for the player to make.

The temples are long, with a design that emphasizes memorization. But don't expect something like a "Metroidvania": just like the story, they are linear. You will rarely be forced to return to an area you've already passed through to acquire a new item or skill. If by chance an obstacle comes your way, you can be sure that the solution is right there.

One of the game's simple puzzles: helping an NPC reveal the location of a secret door. Image: Olhar Digital / Reproduction

A noteworthy point is Pepelogoo's role in the gameplay: in addition to being one of the central points of the story, he is a versatile tool that can be used to reach higher places, protect against lava, navigate rivers, trigger switches, collect items and more. Solving several puzzles involves figuring out when, and where, to call on the pet for help.

The boss battles are a reflection of the time when 'Monster World IV' has been developed: although large, they all attack with easily predictable patterns. Once you learn them, a battle is all about dodging attacks, waiting for an opportunity, attacking, and repeating the process.

Some vending machines operated by a genius sell hearts and items that restore Asha's energy. Image: Olhar Digital / Reproduction

Two very welcome changes from the original are the "easy mode", which increases the amount of hearts that restore Asha's energy (very useful after the first half of the game when the difficulty goes up) and the ability to save departure at any time.

Previously, this could only be done by finding a "sage" who recorded his journey at specific points in the stages. The character still exists, and jokes about this change saying that things "are much better than before" and that "you'll be out of a job". There are also more "slots" to save the game, 12, instead of the 3 in the original.

Enemies are few, and you will rarely find yourself "surrounded" by them. Image: Olhar Digital / Reproduction

About dubbing, it's worth mentioning that it's only available in Japanese, and the only language for the game's texts is English. Something unusual, since today it's not uncommon for games to come with audio and text options at least in the main European languages, often even in our Portuguese. I asked the developers if there are plans for an update with more languages, but got no response.

'Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World' is like a good afternoon movie, unpretentious, but captivates you with its ambiance and will certainly yield a few hours of fun.

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Fans of the series who want something new should look for 'Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom', a true sequel that was released on Switch, Xbox One and PS4 in 2018 and Stadia in April 2020. But those who have never played the original have an excellent opportunity here.

The game will be available in physical and digital versions. Physical copies for PS4 and Switch are published by ININ Games and will cost US$39,99 (about R$212 in direct conversion). Both include, as an exclusive bonus, the 'Monster World IV'Original.

The digital versions for both consoles are published by STUDIOARTDINK and will cost US $ 34,99. A PC version, with the same price, will be launched on the Steam on June 29th. However, the digital versions do not include the original game.

Collector's edition content for Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World. Image: Disclosure
Collector's edition content for Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World. Image: Disclosure

There are also collector's editions, which are being published by Stricty Limited Games. Prices can range from €99,99 (about R$641) to €179,99 (about R$1.100).

Note: The 'Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World' version reviewed in this review is digital for the Nintendo Switch, with code provided by the developers

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Image Mw4clean_repaired_cropped.bmp Asha From Monster World Iv

Source: https://olhardigital.com.br/en/2021/06/02/games-e-consoles/review-wonder-boy-asha-in-monster-world-e-uma-nostalgica-volta-ao-passado/

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