 SEGA DRUNK Let's plug in the old Genesis Mini. With so many mini consoles released the past few years, it's easy to forget some of these exist. But hey, they always served as a good excuse to either revisit some of these games, or check them out for the first time. Like for me, I've never played Wonder Boy in Monster World. I saw the title and thought it might have the same dude Tenacious D used to sing about. But instead, it's an action RPG originally made by West One for Genesis in October of 1991, and later ported to the Sega Master System in Europe, while a retooled version was released for the Turbo Duo a few years later here in the States. And yes, the title of this one is Wonder Boy in Monster World, so it's the fifth game in the Wonder Boy series and the third game in the Monster World spin-off series. The whole Wonder Boy Monster World thing practically needs a flowchart and a PowerPoint presentation to follow all the releases and ports and spin-offs, but I'm gonna keep this simple and just focus on this game. So you start this one up, and you're told that Monster World was once a peaceful region, so why is it called Monster World? Shockingly, the piece was shattered by an invading number of monsters. Gosh, I wonder why. Are they really invading if it's their world? From there, the game slowly eases you into things. You talk to a wizard and a tree stump who gives you some spells, you keep stroll into the right and slash at these cute little serpent enemy things, and you eventually end up in a town that fills in more of what you're supposed to do and how this game works, and it's not that complicated. You walk to the right and kill stuff, collect gold, buy upgrades for all your stuff, buy items to help you out, visit more towns, and talk to more villagers. It's all the usual adventure game trimmings. There's two different weapon types, swords and spears, and one allows you to carry a shield, and the other you have to spin to defend. There's even a magic system where you can collect six different spells and carry two at a time. You just hold the A button and hit left or right on the D-pad to use them. So what makes this game stand out? I mean, other than the visual style, which is clearly great-looking and distinct even today. I mean, come on, look at that dragon. That just looks awesome. Still, some people might dismiss this one as being too cutesy, all style and no substance and all that. And that's a bad idea because this is a fun playthrough. It's one of those games that doesn't give everything away on its first impression. And yeah, this game definitely starts very slowly. Come on, man, what the heck? Where's my blast processing? The thing is, though, once you reach a certain point, the game just kind of stays open and you can revisit any area and go wherever. So you can explore for hidden stuff with new items and upgrades you've obtained. Yes, that's right. This game is structured like Metroid, or as the kids like to say these days, a Metroidvania. The game doesn't do the usual stuff with unlocking new areas, though. Sure, there's boot upgrades that allow you to jump higher to reach ledges and all that. But for example, with the first dungeon, you're given an ocarina, and you got a key in a code that creates a melody that allows you to proceed. In addition to that, each village that makes you run errands for them is nice enough to send a helper along with you. But really, what I enjoyed the most was just wandering around and seeing where I'd end up next. In the past, I've talked about games with worlds that you're comfortable just hanging out in, and this game is exactly that. And when I say exploring, it's not just exploring for exploring's sake, or just a grind for gold, there are tons of hidden doors and health upgrades you can find. You're consistently rewarded for doing your due diligence, so that's cool. The towns in this game are especially cozy. I really like the transition effect when you're indoors. It reminds me of Soul Blazer, although unfortunately, it can be kind of a pain to open a freaking door from the inside. And of course, it helps to have great music throughout this entire playthrough as well. This game does have its share of occasional annoyances, like this Ice World. Why does every game need an Ice World where you slide all over the place? Still, I wouldn't say this game is hard. It's not as easy as it looks, but it's pretty dang forgiving. Except for this part at the end, when the game goes all Mega Man 2 heatman stage on you, demanding you time, like, 100 jumps in a row in order to get to the next room. Someone actually made an improvement patch that shortens this section, and I don't blame them for doing that. But yeah, Wonder Boy in Monster World might be the same old stuff to a lot of you, but it's done well, and it's done in a world that's really comfortable and inviting, which makes for a breeze of a playthrough. It reminds me a lot of Magical Poppin for Super Famicom, but it's a bit more in-depth. It starts out very slowly, and its first impression isn't great, but if you're patient, you'll be rewarded. It's just a comfy game, like eating a big bowl of cereal on a Saturday morning, so drag out that Genesis Vinnie and give it a whirl. Alright, I want to thank you for watching, and I hope you have a great rest of your day.