Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

Monster Boy for PC, SWITCH and PS4 is the unofficial, seventh installment in the Wonder Boy/Monster World series. The developers, Game Atelier, does now own the rights to the brand (which are owned by Sega), but the production is set in the same world and the story fits the universe. One of the game's creators is also Ryuichi Nishizawa, who created the original game. Interestingly, the game's working title was Flying Hamster II. The developer decided to gather funds for the production on Kickstarter, but FDG Entertainment got interested in the project and helped to finish it. In the meantime, the game was slightly changed and references to popular platform games were added.

Plot

The game is set in a fantasy world and you have to help the eponymous Monster Boy to lift a powerful curse. To achieve that, you need to complete a range of levels and use the protagonist's unusual abilities. He can change into five beings that have different abilities, which can be used to solve puzzles or fight enemies.

Mechanics

The gameplay is based on that of classic 2D platform games of the 1980s and 1990s. You have to rely mostly on your ability to jump across platforms and fight many foes, including powerful boss enemies. The gameplay also has some role-playing elements — you can gather various items, which affect the protagonist's strength.

Technical aspects

The visuals of Monster Boy for PC, SWITCH and PS4 are two-dimensional, resembling the style of 16-bit console games, although they fit the modern standards.

Last updated on 12 April 2023