Wonder Boy

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wonder Boy
Monster World MW logo.png
developer Sega , Westone Co. Ltd. , Hudson Soft , Activision
Publisher Sega
First title Wonder Boy (1986)
Last title Monster World IV (1994)
Platform (s) Sega Master System , Sega Game Gear , Sega Mega Drive , C64 , Amiga , ZX Spectrum , Amstrad CPC
Genre (s) Jump 'n' run , computer role-playing game , shoot 'em up

Wonder Boy is a computer game series that has produced numerous games of various genres over the years.

Wonder Boy

The first part of the series appeared in 1986 and was developed by Escape, which a short time later became Westone Co. Ltd. renamed. It was first published by Sega in the arcade. Later conversions followed by Sega itself for the SG-1000 , Master System and Game Gear (in the USA this version was called Revenge of Drancon), while ms Activision took over the development of the versions for the home computers. Wonder Boy appeared for the C64 , the ZX Spectrum and the Amstrad CPC . In 2004 Sega published a detailed implementation of the slot machine version for mobile phones .

The main character in the first part was called Tom-Tom and the aim of the game was to free Tom-Tom's friend Tanya, who had been kidnapped by the monster Drancon. Wonder Boy presented itself as a jump 'n' run scrolling from left to right . The main task was to collect fruits, which filled an energy bar. This functioned not only as a display of the life energy, but also as a kind of clock that continuously came to an end. If all life energy was used up, you lost a life. There were also numerous opponents to fight, including large snails, snakes and bees. Prehistoric-looking hammers could be used as a weapon. These were hidden, next to other objects such as a skateboard or a magical elf, in large eggs that you had to break by jumping on them. The game comprised a total of nine different areas, each with four sections. At the end of each area there was a fight against Drancon. The sections differed graphically, e.g. B. caves or forest landscapes were shown.

Wonder Boy in Monster Land

The successor was presented as early as 1987, which differed greatly from its predecessor in terms of play and was more like an action adventure with light role-playing elements. This part was also developed by Westone Co. Ltd. and once again Sega took over both the publication and the development of the games for the Sega Master System , while Activision published the game for Amiga , C64 , Atari-ST and ZX Spectrum . In Japan the game was called Super Wonder Boy Monster World. Two other versions were the anime series-based TurboGrafx 16 version by Hudson Soft which appeared under the Bikkuriman World and a version by Tec-Toy, where all characters were replaced by characters from the popular Brazilian comic Turma da Mônica. In Germany there was a version published in German for amusement arcade machines.

The action takes place eleven years after Wonder Boy. Tom-Tom has to go out again, this time an evil dragon and his army of monsters have to be defeated. Tom-Tom receives support from the inhabitants of the country, who sell him useful equipment such as signs, armor and shoes, but also from the local owners, who not only sell beer, which replenishes the life energy, but also give helpful tips. This is particularly helpful shortly before one of the numerous intermediate opponents, who calls himself the Sphinx and is difficult to defeat in the normal way by attacks, but gives up if you answer his question correctly. The game comprises a total of eleven sections which lead through caves, forests, cities and pyramids but also the bottom of a lake. Although the game is relatively short, it has an enormous difficulty level. An hourglass runs down and when it has expired, you lose one of the few hearts that represent life energy. The clock can only be refilled by buying items in shops or by collecting the few hourglass symbols that appear at certain points in the game. The game also offers neither a password system nor a battery to save the game status, so playing through in one piece was required.

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair

With Monster Lair a new genre is tried out again. Westone Co. Ltd. tried a shoot 'em up with platforming elements. Tom-Tom does not appear here, but a boy with green hair or a girl with pink hair if the game is played by two players. It was published in 1988. Coming back from Part One, the fruits that can be collected are again filling up an energy line here. The constantly scrolling screen is new. While you are first on foot and eliminate opponents with projectiles that you fire with a sword, you are later on the move on flying animals, the game is very similar to shoot 'em ups like R-Type, as there are bonus items, the new one Summon weapons or shields.

In 1990 NEC converted the game for the TurboGrafx 16 . In 1991 it was released by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive .

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap

Westone Co. Ltd. took over the development of another Wonder Boy part. This is the direct successor to Monster Land and was published in Japan under the title Monster Land II: Dragon no Wana for the Sega Master System . The game starts right at the end of the second part. As a fully equipped Tom-Tom you face the Mecha-Dragon again, but this time the character is transformed into a fire-breathing lizard (Lizard-Man). The goal of the player is now to find the so-called salamander cross in order to be transformed back into a human again.

In terms of play, this title hardly differs from its direct predecessor. But while this game was still divided into levels, Dragon's Trap consists of a large world in which you can move freely. However, certain sections can only be reached if Tom-Tom is in the right shape. In addition to the fire-breathing lizard, you are transformed into other characters such as a mouse, a lion or a piranha. All of these forms offer different skills and benefits. For example, you can only swim in the shape of a piranha and as a mouse you are small and can reach special places. In contrast to its predecessor, there is now a password system that allows you to quit the game at any time without having to start all over again the next time.

The game was converted by Sega for Game Gear . This version was released in 1992 and to avoid confusion with Monster Lair, which was also listed as the third part, it was simply published under the title Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap . A graphically revised version was published by Hudson Soft for the TurboGrafx 16 under the title Dragon's Curse . Tec-Toy set about producing the game in Brazil with the characters from the Turma da Mônica comics. There the game was called Turma da Mônica em o Resgate

On April 18, 2017, a remake of the game was released (titled like the Game Gear version Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap ) for PlayStation 4 , Nintendo Switch and Xbox One , which was also released for PC on June 8, 2017. According to Metacritic, the new edition received mostly positive reviews.

Wonder Boy in Monster World

In 1991 Westone Co. Ltd. the fifth part of the series for the Sega Mega Drive . In Japan it was released under the title Wonder Boy V Monster Land III , it is the last part of the series to be officially published in English.

Even if the game is a sequel to Dragon's Trap, it has little to do with this storyline, and you now play with a new character named Shion. The RPG elements of the game have been expanded significantly. So you could now talk to the inhabitants of the cities and receive certain quests from them that had to be solved. This gives the game an enormous depth, as certain characters such as the wise dragon or princess Shiela Purapril play an important role. There was also a small level system to increase attack and defense values ​​as well as life energy. It's also about collecting as much gold as possible in order to invest it in better equipment.

The game was released with a battery, so that you could save a game at any time. In 1993 the game was converted for the master system. This version offered fewer and shorter level sections and no battery, but a password system that was overly complicated with 40 characters. Tec-Toy published the game in South America under the title Turma da Mônica na Terra Dos Monstros and Hudson released a version for the TurboGrafx CD that was expanded to include animated cutscenes under the name The Dynastic Hero .

Monster World IV

Exclusively in Japan, the last part of the series so far appeared again in early 1994 for the Sega Mega Drive , even if it left the name Wonder Boy behind. This is probably due to the fact that this time you are controlling a female character named Assa / Asha. Technically, it hardly differs from its predecessor.

It wasn't until 2002 that this game was translated into English by some fans. In North America, the game was available through Gametap , TBS's online game service , but also only in Japanese.

The game has also been available in Germany since 2012. It is offered as a download for the Wii, Playstation 3 and XBox 360.

Monster World Complete Edition

This collection was released in 2007 in the Sega Ages 2500 series for the Playstation 2 . It contains: - Wonder Boy in the Arcade, Sega Mark III, Game Gear (Japan), Game Gear (US / Europe) and SG-1000 versions - Wonder Boy in Monster Land in the Arcade and Master System versions - Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair in the Arcade and Mega Drive version - Monster World II in both the Japanese and the US / Europe version from Game Gear and the Master System version - Wonder Boy: Monster World III in the Mega Drive and Master System version - Monster Land IV - Mega Drive version

Adventure Island

In 1986, Hudson Soft developed Adventure Island, a clone of the game for the Nintendo Entertainment System and MSX computer. Since Westone had assigned the trademark to Wonder Boy to Sega, third parties such as Jaleco and Hudson Soft could license the game. For this, the companies had to exchange the game characters and the title. In contrast to the first part, the Adventure Island II - IV, which appeared later, are completely own developments.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap: Remake of the third part is released today on PS4, Switch and Xbox One - 4Players.de . In: 4Players . ( 4players.de [accessed on July 31, 2017]).
  2. ↑ Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap - PC remake of the platformer out this week - GameStar . ( gamestar.de [accessed on July 31, 2017]).
  3. ↑ Reviews of Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap on metacritic.com. Retrieved May 16, 2018 .