Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is an extremely fun and entertaining game that not only pays homage to the Wonder Boy series, but also takes the matters into its own hands and delivers one of the best platforming experiences of this generation.

What it lacks in storytelling, it makes up with sheer brilliance in something far more important – the gameplay that pushes the 2D platformer genre to its limits. The game sparkles with creativity and the developers’ clear love for games. [03/2019, p.82]

Overall, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom met my expectations and exceeded them in certain aspects. While the game does get off to a bit of a slow start, the various puzzles, bosses, platforming sequences, transformations, and much more eventually tie together into an exquisite title. The game is both technically and artistically crafted to provide a focused experience to players quite unlike many other games that captivated me this year. If you had to pick just one side-scrolling adventure platformer to play this year, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom would not be a wrong choice.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom perfectly bridges the gap between old and new, delivering the same style and charm of games from the Master System and Mega Drive, but including the same style of platforming and puzzle solving that have made modern indie titles stand out from the crowd. Essentially, it has captured the heart and soul of the original, and given it a breath of fresh life.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is the great revival of a series that has disappeared from the scenes for too long, and the unequivocal demonstration that classic approaches and structures can find space in today's videogame landscape.

Game Atelier proved to be the ideal developer for modernizing fully the Wonder Boy series. The visuals are exquisitely vibrant with a very charming cartoony vibe and the metroidvania design is up with the best of the genre, thanks to a large world that is filled with secrets and opportunities to cleverly utilize every newly acquired ability.

Monster Boy is not officially part of the Wonderboy series, but despite minor balance issues it's the best part of the series so far.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom not only pays faithful homage to Wonder Boy, particularly The Dragon's Trap, but by refining the solid foundations of its spiritual predecessors with modern affordances, it becomes a rich platforming adventure in its own right.

There's so much to love about Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. From the beautiful visuals to the variety in combat and movement, there are so many reasons to give it a try.

Considering there are not many platforming games on the PS4, this is a wonderful title that is worth picking up. If you haven’t played Wonder Boy, that is another title worth getting into and Monster Boy is a brilliant successor to it. Old school fun is back!

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a shiny and colorful metroidvania that offers great gameplay with equipment swap and animal transformations that changes the gameplay possibilities.

It might be missing the name but this is the best Wonder Boy game ever made, updating and expanding the original concepts into a perfect mix of new and old.

That’s what Monster Boy’s final hours feel like. They’re a clunky conclusion clogging up an otherwise slimy sleek progression. Usually in Metroidvanias, your progress stops because you’re missing something you need. In Monster Boy, progress slows because The Game Atelier and FDG Entertainment have given you far too much.

A great spiritual successor to Wonder Boy. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom does everything right and leaves you without wanting or needing it too do more.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom pays homage to the legacy of the Wonder Boy series by refining the solid foundations of those games and forging an excellent metroidvania.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is one of those brilliant retro throwbacks that captures how games used to feel, but without any of the nonsense that arises from how they actually were. It’s consistently entertaining and a blast to play. If you want something to sink your teeth into – human or otherwise – then this is a great choice for sure.