Welcome to the 83rd issue of the GBAtemp Recommends Revival Project! This is a weekly feature where we share some our favourite games and the occasional "something else". Some may be well known, others I feel have been ignored but all are fantastic and deserve at least a play.
SEGA! Y U NO RELEASE SOME GAMES IN THE WEST? Here is another title that was originally only released in Japan, it did however get a release on Virtual Console, PSN & XBLA last year so that's OK, a 18 year wait is better than never.[prebreak][/prebreak]
Monster World IV is the sixth and last title in the Wonder Boy/Monster World series...but isn't part of the Wonder Boy line...but is a sequel to Wonder Boy V: Monster World III (which was called Wonder Boy in Monster World) so yeah whatfuckingever Sega. I could confuse things further by going into the Adventure Island/Dragon's Curse/Bikkuriman games but screw that kettle of fish.
MWIV is a platforming adventure title, and is a little more linear than the previous Monster World titles. You play the part of a young lady called Asha (and not Wonder Boy) who is leaving home for the first time to become a great warrior. There is less backtracking than before and it's also a lot easier too but the gameplay has be refined really well. It controls like a dream, you won't find yourself sliding about and combat has been improved too with your character having different moves to perform.
Added to the gameplay is the ability to use a a special creature called a Pepelogo. Now this thing flies about and helps you out when you need it. So if you need to float to platform, double jump, need a platform...you can use this fella. He is also central to the games plot too and between each dungeon you'll get to know more about his part in the story. This chap is a nice addition to the gameplay though to be honest, I'd rather double jump by myself.
The structure of the game is kinda like a Zelda title, where you'll go to a area and talk to people, collect items you need, buy shit and then you'll go into a castle/dungeon etc and do a ton of platforming, monster battling until you meet a final boss and then rinse and repeat. The levels are very nicely done, especially the platforming parts which keep things interesting though it's not a "binge" game, you may want to do a couple of dungeons, play another game and then go back to it.
The game is very pretty and stands up well even today, for me it's one of the MD/Genesis finest looking titles. Rich brilliantly drawn spirtes and backgrounds make this a delight to look at and the variety in creature and level designs is very high. The sound is top notch and the music is extremely catchy just like in previous titles however the main theme is repeated too much and can get annoying.
Overall this is one of those 90's gems that was way too overlooked and ignored due to it never getting a release in the West back in it's day. The game for me still feels fresh, kinda like a modern indie title or even a GBA/DS title that was created by WayForward, DreamRift and their like. You can find a translated version of the original quite easily or you can you know...buy it on Virtual Console, XBLA or PSN and I recommend that you do because that'll tell Sega that people are still interested in Japanese only released titles.
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Platform Mega Drive/Wii VC/PSN/XBLA
Released 1994/2012
Developer Westone
Publisher Sega
Genre Platform Adventure
so I played MW3 and the other Genesis classics instead then got the patch and finally finished it.
