Experience the fourth chapter in the classic Monster World series! One day, a young, green-haired girl names Asha, hears spirits calling out for help. Upon hearing the spirits, she leaves her village and sets forth on a grand adventure into Monster World. One her journey, she comes across a small blue monster named Pepe and a magical Genie. Together they must fight through Monster Land to defeat evil and save the troubled Elemental Spirits.
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Simply a perfect game as far as I'm concerned. Controls are tight, puzzles are interesting and diverse, you get a pretty round friend to solve them with, the story is charming, the visuals are a showcase for the console and the length is just right. Banger.
This is exactly the kind of game I'd point to when saying that journalists really need to use a little caution when using the term "hidden gem".
Does this game deliver on providing an adorable protagonist, a somewhat progressive story for 1994 standards and a colorful world that is brimming with charm on both the artistic and dialogue fronts? Absolutely.
However
The level design is quite a step back from Dragon's Trap, and the dungeon quality ranges from fun and interesting (the first two as well as the sky temple) to "what were they thinking" (the ice pyramid). Honestly, I would've gladly given this game four stars if the ice pyramid just didn't exist. It's not challenging, but it's incredibly tedious and I can't believe somebody thought it needed to have three entire sections. At least the Sky Temple following it is by far the most interesting and challenging of the lot, but the way this dungeon kills the pacing can't be understated.
Bosses also aren't terribly interesting. It just boils down to figuring out where to stab them and avoiding getting juggled...since that's still a thing carried over from Dragon's Trap.
I decided to marathon this game on a day off and while I'm happy I went through it once...I don't see myself coming back when the wonder boy series has far better games to revisit.
Does this game deliver on providing an adorable protagonist, a somewhat progressive story for 1994 standards and a colorful world that is brimming with charm on both the artistic and dialogue fronts? Absolutely.
However
The level design is quite a step back from Dragon's Trap, and the dungeon quality ranges from fun and interesting (the first two as well as the sky temple) to "what were they thinking" (the ice pyramid). Honestly, I would've gladly given this game four stars if the ice pyramid just didn't exist. It's not challenging, but it's incredibly tedious and I can't believe somebody thought it needed to have three entire sections. At least the Sky Temple following it is by far the most interesting and challenging of the lot, but the way this dungeon kills the pacing can't be understated.
Bosses also aren't terribly interesting. It just boils down to figuring out where to stab them and avoiding getting juggled...since that's still a thing carried over from Dragon's Trap.
I decided to marathon this game on a day off and while I'm happy I went through it once...I don't see myself coming back when the wonder boy series has far better games to revisit.
I'm having a lot of trouble writing this review, so instead of going full-detail like I was trying to, I'll keep it as concise as I can.
This game is a massive improvement over its predecessor in every aspect. Every single thing Monster World III did wrong, Monster World IV fixes to the point where it's really hard to believe both of these games are in the same franchise.
The visuals are simply stunning, featuring some of the most impressive spritework of its generation. From the beautiful, detailed backgrounds to Asha herself, she's so full of life! The number of unique animations she has gives her so much more personality than the previous MC.
The level design of the temples is also a huge improvement, varying from okay to really good. My only complaint is that the ice piramid goes on for a bit longer than needed, but both the Water and Cloud temples completely blew me away.
Your companion is super useful this time! He will accompany you for most of the game, and he's the key to solving a vast variety of puzzles. Seeing him try his hardest to help you out made me fall in love with him really fast.
So yeah, play the hell out of Monster World IV! It's a fantastic game and easily on my Top 10 list of Mega Drive games.
This game is a massive improvement over its predecessor in every aspect. Every single thing Monster World III did wrong, Monster World IV fixes to the point where it's really hard to believe both of these games are in the same franchise.
The visuals are simply stunning, featuring some of the most impressive spritework of its generation. From the beautiful, detailed backgrounds to Asha herself, she's so full of life! The number of unique animations she has gives her so much more personality than the previous MC.
The level design of the temples is also a huge improvement, varying from okay to really good. My only complaint is that the ice piramid goes on for a bit longer than needed, but both the Water and Cloud temples completely blew me away.
Your companion is super useful this time! He will accompany you for most of the game, and he's the key to solving a vast variety of puzzles. Seeing him try his hardest to help you out made me fall in love with him really fast.
So yeah, play the hell out of Monster World IV! It's a fantastic game and easily on my Top 10 list of Mega Drive games.
Man, we gotta start issuing warnings for when "hidden 16-bit gems" are just pretty games with no level design
dream land 3 lookin ass games
dream land 3 lookin ass games
Son: I wanna play Shantae
Mother: We have Shantae at Home
…and nobody complained again
Mother: We have Shantae at Home
…and nobody complained again
I've loved the Wonder Boy games since I was a kid, starting with the Sega Master System, but never got a chance to play this final entry until the Genesis Mini due to it never officially releasing in the US. MW IV is a delightful evolution in a series that was in a constant state of change from game to game, and features incredibly charming art and a catchy soundtrack. The OST uses a central theme and repurposes it into different styles to suit the various settings, which lends the game a cohesive feeling.
More linear than say, Wonder Boy III, with re-exploration focused on the town between levels, each stage has its own set of unique challenges, and Asha's companion Pepelogoo if often the key to navigating them. The steadily evolving relationship between Asha and Pepelogoo keeps the gameplay interesting stage to stage, and becomes incredibly endearing by the end of the story. And Pepelogoo is simply adorable.
I thought the game became less compelling toward the end for reasons that would constitute spoilers, and one late stage is a bit of a slog. And there's one level where the designers were clearly inspired by Sonic, and the pairing is not a great fit for how Asha moves. But those issues aside, this is a terrific action/platformer and a wonderful (not sorry) conclusion to the OG Wonder Boy/Monster World series.
Played on Genesis Mini.
More linear than say, Wonder Boy III, with re-exploration focused on the town between levels, each stage has its own set of unique challenges, and Asha's companion Pepelogoo if often the key to navigating them. The steadily evolving relationship between Asha and Pepelogoo keeps the gameplay interesting stage to stage, and becomes incredibly endearing by the end of the story. And Pepelogoo is simply adorable.
I thought the game became less compelling toward the end for reasons that would constitute spoilers, and one late stage is a bit of a slog. And there's one level where the designers were clearly inspired by Sonic, and the pairing is not a great fit for how Asha moves. But those issues aside, this is a terrific action/platformer and a wonderful (not sorry) conclusion to the OG Wonder Boy/Monster World series.
Played on Genesis Mini.