Wonder Boy Collection

As noted in my Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World review, I did not play Monster World or Wonder Boy back in the day. And so a collection of games in this series is not nostalgic for me at all. In fact, to me, these are new games! In the following review, I look at how each of the games plays now, what features are included in the collection, and whether I think this collection is meant for just fans or for everyone. Here is our review of the Wonder Boy Collection for the Nintendo Switch!

Wonder Boy Collection is a collection classic action/adventure/rpgs for the Nintendo Switch. There are four games included and some of the features you may have come to expect from collections like this: rewind, save anywhere, and screen size. There is an art gallery too. To be honest though, the features and extras in this collection feel barebones. It would’ve been nice to see a bigger art gallery and a few more special features, like being able to listen to the soundtracks whenever, instruction manuals, and behind the scenes videos. So its disappointing to see that its just a few minor features. Still, you do get four games with this collection. How are each of the games? Let’s look over them.

Wonder Boy

The first Wonder Boy is very simple game and honestly, it’s the worst game in the collection. It has no aged well at all. The player basically just runs and jumps in this game. There is not much to it at all. The graphics very simple and a bit uninteresting. The controls are alright, the jumping controls a little bit better than the running. Overall, this is a game you’ll only want to play if you are hardcore Wonder Boy fan.

Wonder Boy in Monster Land

In Wonder Boy in Monster Land, the series starts to evolve a bit. The graphics are a little bit better and most of all, the rpg elements are starting to show up. The player collects items and also gets to upgrade various things like armor and boots. The controls are pretty stiff, and the character can’t bend down but Wonder in Monster Land is definitely better than the first game. Its still not a game that many will want to spend much time with.

Wonder Boy in Monster World

The graphics in Wonder Boy in Monster World are great. The franchise is taking on more of a cartoon style of graphics and everything from the backgrounds to the enemies to the main character look very nice. The gameplay is becoming more complex too! The player can now get weapons, armor, a shield, boots, items, and magic. The series is starting to become more of an action rpg. The jumping continues to be extremely stiff but at least the main character can bend down in this game! Wonder Boy in Monster World is a good game and well worth checking out.

Monster World IV

Monster World IV is the best game in this collection. The graphics in Monster World IV are the best of all the games: a very nice cartoon style. The gameplay is a bit harder and doesn’t hold your hand as much as previous entries. The rpg elements continue to develop, with a much better menu system and more collectables to get. Monster World IV is the game that you’ll want to spend the most time with in this collection.

Overall, the Wonder Boy Collection is a good collection but not great. This collection shouldn’t be your introduction to the Wonder Boy series. For newbies, Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World is highly recommended. Fans of the series will enjoy seeing its evolution in one package and revisiting old favorite games. It would’ve been nice if the collection had more features and extras, but it does a fine job of collecting and putting these games in an easy to access place for fans.

Wonder Boy Collection gets an 7.5 out of 10.

Thanks to PR Hound for providing a digital code for this review. Wonder Boy Collection will be out on June 3^rd, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch eshop and be available in physical formats from Strictly Limited.