Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

The Good
I like that it follows the Wonder Boy III:Dragon's Trap concept of Wonder Boy being centred around a town and exploring outward in various directions, finding that some paths require a new animal form to progress further or perhaps an upgrade in armour or a key. I felt that Dragon's Trap was in many ways the best of the Wonder Boy/Monster World series, so I'm glad this game builds on that. I was also pleased that the game at times reminded me of other Sega console games like Landstalker, Shining Force and Puggsy, which I think are among the best. Monster Boy has things like specialized boots for different surfaces, upgradable weapons and armour and lots of complex puzzles. Mostly I liked the characters and the way the story progresses and there is a good sense of humour.

The Bad
While one can't overlook that Monster Boy plays a lot better than most of the Wonder Boy games and that Wonder Boy III:Dragon's Trap in particular played a bit awkwardly, I think a lot of the concepts from Wonder Boy and other games were overused. Too many, too difficult puzzles and too many inaccessible doors, treasure chests, areas etc. to have to remember to come back to, to see if you can now access. I also had a major problem with the final boss. A boring, dark wizard stereotype with clichéd boasts and threats. I think they should have continued the "MEKA" theme i.e the MEKA Dragon and the BIO-MEKA.

The Bottom Line
Doubtlessly worth playing for anyone who enjoyed the Wonder Boy series, particularly Dragon's Trap. I mean it's faithful to the series in many ways, just not necessarily the best of the series.