It’s nice to see another relatively uncommon Sega game getting the Sega Ages treatment, but while it’s still perfectly playable after more than three decades, the arcade version of Monster Land suffers from frustrating combat and a general lack of spark. Its importance in the evolution of the action platformer can’t be denied, but it’s not quite as addictive as other Sega Ages games, and while the emulation is as flawless as ever, the underwhelming extra modes mean there’s less incentive to keep coming back time and time again. Still, sometimes it's nice to play a game that has a bit of history behind it, and this is one such game; it may not be anywhere near as refined as Wonder Boy's more critically-acclaimed adventures, but it's still an entertaining way to spend an hour or two.