A decent Genesis title for Virtual Console.
Background
After much waiting for this title to reach the American virtual console, Wonder Boy makes his appearance on Nintendo Wii! While the game may not have a large deal of innovation, the addictive gameplay and musical score make up for it. A must-have for any Virtual Console collection. Wonder Boy is a 1991 classic ported to the Virtual Console in late April of 2007. Since it is a Genesis VC title, it costs you 800 Wii Points (roughly $8.00 depending on where you live).
Story: 3/10
Although this is an RPG, there isn't really too much of a story. Basically, you play as a warrior named Shion, and you journey throughout Monster World. There has been an unexplainable (for now) invasion of monsters and it's up to you to help everyone out. Shion is a silent protagonist, so if that's not your thing, avoid this game. The story isn't essential to the game at all really. Until I replayed this on Wii, I had no clue what the story was about even. If you aren't giving your full attention, you may miss it completely.
Gameplay: 10/10
While others may tell you differently, I absolutely loved the controls and gameplay in this game. The game screen scrolls left and right, and although this usually restricts gameplay, it's a positive thing for Wonder Boy. The developers were creative enough to make the gameplay very simple and intuitive, but at the same time they didn't do anything new. Combat is basically hack and slash; there are two types of weapons in the game: swords and spears. When using a sword, you can equip a shield that protects against projectiles, but it moves down when attacking, leaving you vulnerable. Similarly, spears have no protection while attacking. The upside to using spears is that you can spin it (one of my favourite parts of the game), and it acts as a shield, covering a length equal to your own height. The health system is pretty much the same as any Zelda game, it is measured in hearts, and as you progress in the game, you can collect more hearts that add to your total life. Of course, like any RPG, you can buy new equipment once you reach a new town/village. However, in Wonder Boy, the equipment can get really pricey, so be prepared to kill respawning enemies if you really want to get them. One main flaw with the game is that you can only have a single save file. This isn't exactly great if you're in a situation where you don't want to backtrack to find an item you missed or if you have siblings who want to play on their own. The one thing that the developers did to minimalize these situations is that once you clear a dungeon, a door will open up that transports you between towns.
Graphics: 9/10
The entire art style is pretty appealing - it's bright and colourful. The sprites aren't anything to brag about, but they were done very clean. Every character of the game looks unique in a way that shows off their own personality, even if they never were given a distinct dialogue. From the miscellaneous shopkeepers to the gigantic beings deep in the ocean or in the mountains, I can assure that you will not get bored of looking at them. The towns are so diverse; they look completely different from each other not only in their surroundings but even the people inside them. Each town introduces a new race of people much unlike each other. The backgrounds and foregrounds are similar to something you would see in more popular games such as Super Mario World and the like. One thing I can say for certain is that the graphical quality of this game represents Sega Genesis well on the Virtual Console.
Sound: 8/10
The music in this game really suits your surroundings. They compliment the art style and colour schemes of the game well. The Soundtrack of this game is one of my favourites; it's right up there with Final Fantasy Tactics and Kingdom Hearts 2. There really isn't anything different about the music compared to other games, but it is very calming and soothing. Most Genesis games don't really have that great music; Wonder Boy is one of those exceptions. It's got those kinds of songs that you get stuck in your head for an entire day or two after being stuck in a single area.
Overall: 7.5/10
And I'll just round this up to an 8 because it is a much overlooked title. Very nostalgic game, the whole feel of it leads you to wonder what other missed hits Genesis had. It's an above average game that somehow stays entertaining despite the complete lack of story. Here's hoping to more Wonder Boy titles on VC!
After much waiting for this title to reach the American virtual console, Wonder Boy makes his appearance on Nintendo Wii! While the game may not have a large deal of innovation, the addictive gameplay and musical score make up for it. A must-have for any Virtual Console collection. Wonder Boy is a 1991 classic ported to the Virtual Console in late April of 2007. Since it is a Genesis VC title, it costs you 800 Wii Points (roughly $8.00 depending on where you live).
Story: 3/10
Although this is an RPG, there isn't really too much of a story. Basically, you play as a warrior named Shion, and you journey throughout Monster World. There has been an unexplainable (for now) invasion of monsters and it's up to you to help everyone out. Shion is a silent protagonist, so if that's not your thing, avoid this game. The story isn't essential to the game at all really. Until I replayed this on Wii, I had no clue what the story was about even. If you aren't giving your full attention, you may miss it completely.
Gameplay: 10/10
While others may tell you differently, I absolutely loved the controls and gameplay in this game. The game screen scrolls left and right, and although this usually restricts gameplay, it's a positive thing for Wonder Boy. The developers were creative enough to make the gameplay very simple and intuitive, but at the same time they didn't do anything new. Combat is basically hack and slash; there are two types of weapons in the game: swords and spears. When using a sword, you can equip a shield that protects against projectiles, but it moves down when attacking, leaving you vulnerable. Similarly, spears have no protection while attacking. The upside to using spears is that you can spin it (one of my favourite parts of the game), and it acts as a shield, covering a length equal to your own height. The health system is pretty much the same as any Zelda game, it is measured in hearts, and as you progress in the game, you can collect more hearts that add to your total life. Of course, like any RPG, you can buy new equipment once you reach a new town/village. However, in Wonder Boy, the equipment can get really pricey, so be prepared to kill respawning enemies if you really want to get them. One main flaw with the game is that you can only have a single save file. This isn't exactly great if you're in a situation where you don't want to backtrack to find an item you missed or if you have siblings who want to play on their own. The one thing that the developers did to minimalize these situations is that once you clear a dungeon, a door will open up that transports you between towns.
Graphics: 9/10
The entire art style is pretty appealing - it's bright and colourful. The sprites aren't anything to brag about, but they were done very clean. Every character of the game looks unique in a way that shows off their own personality, even if they never were given a distinct dialogue. From the miscellaneous shopkeepers to the gigantic beings deep in the ocean or in the mountains, I can assure that you will not get bored of looking at them. The towns are so diverse; they look completely different from each other not only in their surroundings but even the people inside them. Each town introduces a new race of people much unlike each other. The backgrounds and foregrounds are similar to something you would see in more popular games such as Super Mario World and the like. One thing I can say for certain is that the graphical quality of this game represents Sega Genesis well on the Virtual Console.
Sound: 8/10
The music in this game really suits your surroundings. They compliment the art style and colour schemes of the game well. The Soundtrack of this game is one of my favourites; it's right up there with Final Fantasy Tactics and Kingdom Hearts 2. There really isn't anything different about the music compared to other games, but it is very calming and soothing. Most Genesis games don't really have that great music; Wonder Boy is one of those exceptions. It's got those kinds of songs that you get stuck in your head for an entire day or two after being stuck in a single area.
Overall: 7.5/10
And I'll just round this up to an 8 because it is a much overlooked title. Very nostalgic game, the whole feel of it leads you to wonder what other missed hits Genesis had. It's an above average game that somehow stays entertaining despite the complete lack of story. Here's hoping to more Wonder Boy titles on VC!