Wonder Momo is a loose parody of a typical Ultraman-style superhero series, and utilizing a then-rare female protagonist. When the game is first started, players are treated to a parody of the MGM logo featuring Momo instead of a lion and a "Modoki" instead of a mask. The game then cuts to a scene of a theater stage, where a play begins starring Momo, a young woman who gets super-powers. At this point the game puts the player in command of Momo. Rather than playing a hero who needs to save the world, the setting is that of a live stage show (set at the "Namco Theater"), and the player is actually controlling an actress who is merely playing the role of Momo/Wonder Momo. The game also features voice samples in Japanese. As Momo, she can only attack using kicks, and in doing so builds up her "Wonder" meter. When she touches a tornado icon, or spins around by herself, she can turn into Wonder Momo and can also attack using the Wonder Hoop, which can be reused as long as she is Wonder Momo. After the Wonder Hoop is thrown, she won't be able to throw anymore, while she'll have to wait for it to bounce back to her. She can also shoot small waves of energy in whichever direction she faces (while she is crouching), which is based on the similar move by the Ultraman characters. Her most powerful attack is the Wonder Typhoon - a more powerful version of her small energy wave attack which shoots numerous amounts of small energy waves towards the left and right sides of the screen simultaneously, while she is spinning. The game is notable for featuring some slightly risqué content for the time, in the form of fanservice (at Momo's expense). When Momo jumps, the player can visibly see her underwear. Momo also needs to be wary of photographers in the theatre audience, who are determined to get a peek under her miniskirt. If one is successful, Momo will get "embarrassed" (stunned) for a short period of time. Additionally, one of the images that appears on the theater curtain (at the beginning and end of some acts) is Momo wearing only a towel.
Reviews View More
Shoddy, simplistic gameplay.
There are games so bad they are good.
There are games so bad they are despicable.
Finally, there are games that are so bad that there's nothing remarkable to say about them, like this one.
There are games so bad they are despicable.
Finally, there are games that are so bad that there's nothing remarkable to say about them, like this one.
The fact it's taken me this long to review Wonder Momo is astounding. The classic Namco girl that stood out for the time. While she has practically no popularity here in the states, in Japan she’s got fans. The original game was made for the Arcade and somehow didn’t see an official release here till 2022 thanks to Arcade Archives. This review will be for the PC Engine version. Namco really liked porting a lot of their more modern games at the time. I wouldn’t be surprised if half the reason was due to Namco hating Nintendo. So is this one any good? Well the score gives it away so idk why I even ask.
Wonder Momo is a beat em up but with an interesting premise. It’s given a tokusatsu feel to it, you know like Kamen Rider and that kind of stuff. It’s also set up as a play which I think is a thing people do in Japan? You can kick with Momo and you kick multiple ways including using both legs if you’re facing the screen. The controls are a little weird as you can face forward meaning you can’t just tap left or right to turn around. You can also jump but it’s not a high jump unless you hold up during it. You’ll be fighting random enemies until a boss or two arrives and once you’re done it’s off to the next act with 12 in total. While you only have one life, you can continue as much as you want though you’ll have to start from the beginning of the act.
The main thing that makes this game special is the fact you can transform by either entering a tornado or by facing the screen and pressing the attack button a bunch. With this new form you’re stronger, you take 0 damage from small projectiles and you can throw a hoop to do massive damage. Just make sure to pick up the hoop again otherwise you’ll be kicking for a bit. You use up your Wonder meter as you use it so I’d recommend not transforming the moment you start an act as you won’t have enough meter before the boss shows up. You gain meter by just defeating enemies as normal Momo. If you find a capsule that’s green, you can also do this spin attack that shoots projectiles left and right and it’ll give you back your hoop instantly once it’s over. There’s also a red capsule that just heals you, you’ll also get healed a bit after each act is over.
With that said though, the game is pretty simple. Once you’ve seen the first stage, you basically see what the game offers for stages. They are always on this stage with different backgrounds. While the enemy variety isn’t large they’re at least memorable and honestly feels like they could fit in for the type of show they’re doing. Though the only enemy I actively dislike are those pink hover things that shoot at you, especially when there’s two of them. Make sure you time your high jumps well! There’s even a cameraman that will try to take an upskirt shot of you, god just writing that makes me kind of groan. The bosses aren’t too memorable outside of their designs but if you can transform then you should be fine if you play smart.
Alright let’s just talk about it here, this game is kind of horny. It’s most evident with Momo herself as her panties can be exposed on some of her animations. This port also adds special images when you finish specific stages and it can range from her just relaxing in her swimsuit, relaxing in a bubble bath or even congratulating you and showing the credits in an unbuttoned shirt and panties yeah it’s certainly something alright. While you can definitely find worse than this in other Japanese media, I don’t really blame people for being creeped out by it? Idk maybe I’m being too negative about this.
The presentation in this game is good for what it’s meant to be though some changes had to be made. The images for the curtains are all gone and were replaced with a single cute image of Momo so if you wanted to see Momo in only a towel before a level started then you’re out of luck. Thankfully most of what made the original look good is still here. The new images for the game whether you find them creepy or not look great for the console and are the highlights of this port. I do wish some things weren’t cut though like the opening to Acts 1, 5, 9, and 13. Even the original ending screen is missing here. The music is alright but I would never take them over the Arcade versions. What really sucks though is every voice has been cut which saddens me because they were really charming. They even made her lion roar way worse in this port!
Wonder Momo in today’s world is nothing special in fact it’s kind of a game you’ll either go “It’s eh.” or “It’s bad!” Which isn’t a bad thing for the record, I don’t like hold grudges or other petty bs against people who dislike this game, I don’t even think the game is good. That said, I still enjoy it despite its problems. It also helps I can actually beat this version which I can’t say for the Arcade one. I would love a sequel for this one but sadly that got canceled back in the day to focus on a game called Tekken, though I’ve also seen it was due to a decline in popularity. Wonder Momo would continue to be in stuff like Namco x Capcom for the PS2 but the closest she ever got to anything new herself was this awful comic and OVA series she starred in. Though that one starred a different Momo, I think the original was like her mother or something? There was even a mobile game made by Wayforward for it which just feels surreal to even read about. Should you play this port nowadays? Well not really? I can’t really see anyone besides an idiot like myself really getting any appreciation for it nowadays. I don’t know, maybe it’s worth at least a try or 2 if you’re curious.
Before I end I just want to say, for some reason the original ROM for this game just doesn’t work on my emulator. The logo on the title screen and images between some stages are glitched and it’s like the only ROM with issues. The fan translation even works fine. Does anyone know why this is the case??
Wonder Momo is a beat em up but with an interesting premise. It’s given a tokusatsu feel to it, you know like Kamen Rider and that kind of stuff. It’s also set up as a play which I think is a thing people do in Japan? You can kick with Momo and you kick multiple ways including using both legs if you’re facing the screen. The controls are a little weird as you can face forward meaning you can’t just tap left or right to turn around. You can also jump but it’s not a high jump unless you hold up during it. You’ll be fighting random enemies until a boss or two arrives and once you’re done it’s off to the next act with 12 in total. While you only have one life, you can continue as much as you want though you’ll have to start from the beginning of the act.
The main thing that makes this game special is the fact you can transform by either entering a tornado or by facing the screen and pressing the attack button a bunch. With this new form you’re stronger, you take 0 damage from small projectiles and you can throw a hoop to do massive damage. Just make sure to pick up the hoop again otherwise you’ll be kicking for a bit. You use up your Wonder meter as you use it so I’d recommend not transforming the moment you start an act as you won’t have enough meter before the boss shows up. You gain meter by just defeating enemies as normal Momo. If you find a capsule that’s green, you can also do this spin attack that shoots projectiles left and right and it’ll give you back your hoop instantly once it’s over. There’s also a red capsule that just heals you, you’ll also get healed a bit after each act is over.
With that said though, the game is pretty simple. Once you’ve seen the first stage, you basically see what the game offers for stages. They are always on this stage with different backgrounds. While the enemy variety isn’t large they’re at least memorable and honestly feels like they could fit in for the type of show they’re doing. Though the only enemy I actively dislike are those pink hover things that shoot at you, especially when there’s two of them. Make sure you time your high jumps well! There’s even a cameraman that will try to take an upskirt shot of you, god just writing that makes me kind of groan. The bosses aren’t too memorable outside of their designs but if you can transform then you should be fine if you play smart.
Alright let’s just talk about it here, this game is kind of horny. It’s most evident with Momo herself as her panties can be exposed on some of her animations. This port also adds special images when you finish specific stages and it can range from her just relaxing in her swimsuit, relaxing in a bubble bath or even congratulating you and showing the credits in an unbuttoned shirt and panties yeah it’s certainly something alright. While you can definitely find worse than this in other Japanese media, I don’t really blame people for being creeped out by it? Idk maybe I’m being too negative about this.
The presentation in this game is good for what it’s meant to be though some changes had to be made. The images for the curtains are all gone and were replaced with a single cute image of Momo so if you wanted to see Momo in only a towel before a level started then you’re out of luck. Thankfully most of what made the original look good is still here. The new images for the game whether you find them creepy or not look great for the console and are the highlights of this port. I do wish some things weren’t cut though like the opening to Acts 1, 5, 9, and 13. Even the original ending screen is missing here. The music is alright but I would never take them over the Arcade versions. What really sucks though is every voice has been cut which saddens me because they were really charming. They even made her lion roar way worse in this port!
Wonder Momo in today’s world is nothing special in fact it’s kind of a game you’ll either go “It’s eh.” or “It’s bad!” Which isn’t a bad thing for the record, I don’t like hold grudges or other petty bs against people who dislike this game, I don’t even think the game is good. That said, I still enjoy it despite its problems. It also helps I can actually beat this version which I can’t say for the Arcade one. I would love a sequel for this one but sadly that got canceled back in the day to focus on a game called Tekken, though I’ve also seen it was due to a decline in popularity. Wonder Momo would continue to be in stuff like Namco x Capcom for the PS2 but the closest she ever got to anything new herself was this awful comic and OVA series she starred in. Though that one starred a different Momo, I think the original was like her mother or something? There was even a mobile game made by Wayforward for it which just feels surreal to even read about. Should you play this port nowadays? Well not really? I can’t really see anyone besides an idiot like myself really getting any appreciation for it nowadays. I don’t know, maybe it’s worth at least a try or 2 if you’re curious.
Before I end I just want to say, for some reason the original ROM for this game just doesn’t work on my emulator. The logo on the title screen and images between some stages are glitched and it’s like the only ROM with issues. The fan translation even works fine. Does anyone know why this is the case??
Gave this a look because I saw the title screen somewhere and thought it was pretty cute. Game kinda blows, there's like maybe 5 or 6 different enemies across the whole runtime. Not really anything else to say about it in terms of gameplay.
It's also pretty goddamn gross. I assumed it was pretty innocuous at first though as I picked up on more things I kind of felt really dumb for not realizing. For example, the guys in the crowd with cameras are trying to get panty shots when I thought they just wanted regular photos, and Momo becomes briefly stunned out of embarrassment when I thought she was blinded by the camera flash or something. If you squint you can see her panties every time she jumps, which I probably wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't pointed out to me but it's still a creepy detail nonetheless. There's also some intermission cards between every few levels, and while I think the first is quite adorable, the second features a hermit crab revealing Momo's three sizes for some reason, and the third outright features Momo taking a bath. The final one is at the end of the game, where Momo congratulates the player in a flirty manner before introducing the staff, who she says are all "very dirty-minded", as though further confirmation was needed.
Very unfortunate things going on here. Gameplay is too barebones, developers are too perverted. I wonder if it could've been something more if it was fleshed out a bit further, or preferably if it was just like, normal
It's also pretty goddamn gross. I assumed it was pretty innocuous at first though as I picked up on more things I kind of felt really dumb for not realizing. For example, the guys in the crowd with cameras are trying to get panty shots when I thought they just wanted regular photos, and Momo becomes briefly stunned out of embarrassment when I thought she was blinded by the camera flash or something. If you squint you can see her panties every time she jumps, which I probably wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't pointed out to me but it's still a creepy detail nonetheless. There's also some intermission cards between every few levels, and while I think the first is quite adorable, the second features a hermit crab revealing Momo's three sizes for some reason, and the third outright features Momo taking a bath. The final one is at the end of the game, where Momo congratulates the player in a flirty manner before introducing the staff, who she says are all "very dirty-minded", as though further confirmation was needed.
Very unfortunate things going on here. Gameplay is too barebones, developers are too perverted. I wonder if it could've been something more if it was fleshed out a bit further, or preferably if it was just like, normal
A pretty blatant effort to market a pretty bishoujo heroine with a so-so game, I can see why this took so many years to see an international release.
Unfortunately Wonder Momo is a repetitive, clunky "kill the enemies to fill the power meter, transform, (hopefully) beat the boss and then repeat for 16 levels" type of game. Think Altered Beast but on a single screen rather than a repeating level layout. It appears simple at first but enemies swarm you, and Momo never feels as responsive as you'd like her to be. Even for the era there are other arcade games that do the bishoujo action lead better (Athena released the year earlier and Psycho Soldier would come out a week after Momo's debut).
It all makes sense when you consider Japan's growing fascination with idol culture starting to really solidify itself as a pop-culture movement when this released. Momo really did fit all the criteria for what was appealing to Japanese youth at the time, and she clearly took a hold of a subset as Wonder Momo still appears as a recognizable face of Namco's Japanese arcade history. I just wish it was attached to a game I'd actually want to replay.
Unfortunately Wonder Momo is a repetitive, clunky "kill the enemies to fill the power meter, transform, (hopefully) beat the boss and then repeat for 16 levels" type of game. Think Altered Beast but on a single screen rather than a repeating level layout. It appears simple at first but enemies swarm you, and Momo never feels as responsive as you'd like her to be. Even for the era there are other arcade games that do the bishoujo action lead better (Athena released the year earlier and Psycho Soldier would come out a week after Momo's debut).
It all makes sense when you consider Japan's growing fascination with idol culture starting to really solidify itself as a pop-culture movement when this released. Momo really did fit all the criteria for what was appealing to Japanese youth at the time, and she clearly took a hold of a subset as Wonder Momo still appears as a recognizable face of Namco's Japanese arcade history. I just wish it was attached to a game I'd actually want to replay.
it's weird how namco tried to make this series relevant as recently as the late-00's/early-10's despite how hilariously pedophilic it feels. There's nothing here you haven't already seen in dozens of other fanservice-y games but everything about momo as a character, her role in the game, and the enemy designs screams 'this was made by someone attracted to kids'. It ain't even a good beatemup man.