Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection
Summary: Overall Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection is a solid compilation, of course there will be features people would want to have seen like more backgrounds and better overlays but what is here is still worthwhile. The main negative is the price $50 is far too much for a compilation of retro games and when compared to similar products you would be hard pressed to find another valued at the same price.
3.6
Expensive Nostalgia
The Wonder Boy Anniversary collection picks up where the Wonder Boy Collection left off, with the addition of more versions of the games including Arcade, SG-1000, Master System, Game Gear and Genesis/Megadrive! If that was not enough they have also included both Wonder Boy III games Monster Lair and Dragon Trap.
Games
The additional versions of each title adds a lot more meat on the bone to the collection whilst some versions (especially the SG-1000) are fun to add but for modern gamers they will be unplayable slide shows. Also including both the Western and Japanese releases which whilst not massively different do help in giving the player the most rounded experience.
The addition of both Wonder Boy III games really rounds off this collection even with the Dragon Trap getting a remake in 2017. Something about the original version still hits well in 2023.
I had personally not played the Game Gear versions of Wonder Boy, some may say that is a blessing whilst it has a lot more slowdown than its big brother Console port of course minus the SG-1000 version (sorry Japan). If I had bought those games back when they were released I would be very happy with my purchase.
Of course the main game that everybody likes is the 16-bit Monster World IV. This was the pinnacle for the series, seamlessly crafting an Action RPG to rival the big hitters on the SNES. To be able to play this without having to shell out the $$$ for the original version is fantastic and I would suggest anyone who has tried it to play this here you will not be disappointed. This time the player plays as Asha as she along with her pet Pepelogoo must save the world whilst also growing to become a master genie. Also added are additional maps of the stages which in this style of Action RPG are very useful tools
Features
The game selection menu includes a screen shot and a small blurb that describes the plot, release date, developers and publishers all interesting information for fans on the series.
Along with the different variants you also have the addition of the usual extra features including video filters like CRT and Scanlines, all of which you would expect from a classic gaming compilation package. Also you have the ability to fast forward and rewind adding an extra layer of usability for people especially when getting to the later levels of the Arcade game where a missed judge jump could end your run.
Added in this collection is an expanded gallery with expanded collection of images plus more developer notes scans of cover artwork and manuals, something this reviewer feels is sadly missed in modern games.
Final Thoughts?
Overall Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection is a solid compilation, of course there will be features people would want to have seen like more backgrounds and better overlays but what is here is still worthwhile. The main negative is the price $50 is far too much for a compilation of retro games and when compared to similar products you would be hard pressed to find another valued at the same price.
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