Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World

Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is a full remake of an action platformer with RPG elements, Monster World IV, released in 1994. The game was developed by the Artdink team and supervised by people who took part in the creation of the original; we are talking about Ryuichi Nishizawa, Shinichi Sakamoto, Maki Ozora and Takanori Kurihara, among others.

Plot

The protagonist of Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is a girl named Asha. Her task is to free four ghosts imprisoned by evil forces. The heroine is not alone, as she is accompanied by a blue creature called Pepelogoo, whose abilities are useful during her dangerous journey.

Mechanics

Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is a side-scroller. As we play, we travel through a variety of colourful stages, jumping on platforms and avoiding environmental traps, as well as fighting enemies with a sword. Pepelogoo comes in handy especially when we have to get to areas inaccessible for the girl. Besides, the creature can fly, which Asha makes use of, using it as a kind of cushion absorbing the force of a fall from a great height or as an additional platform.

As we progress we face stronger and stronger enemies, so we often have to return to the town, which serves as a hub, where we can improve the protagonist's equipment by buying better armour, shields and swords. Injuries can be healed with potions found during exploration.

Technical aspects

In comparison to the original, Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World has a totally new graphic design. The game features 3D cel-shaded graphics; the protagonist's voiceover has also been added.