Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (PC) is a side-scrolling action-adventure game, developed by Game Atelier and published by FDG Entertainment. The game is a spiritual successor to SEGA’s Wonder Boy series, the first installment of which was released in 1986. In Monster Boy, the player controls the character named Jin, and guides him through a series of levels, defeating monsters and solving puzzles along the way. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom received positive reviews from critics, who praised it for being a faithful continuation of the classic series.
Gameplay
The core gameplay mechanic in Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is fighting monsters and solving different puzzles. The player can collect weapons and armor, which can be upgraded using gemstones found throughout the levels. Certain pieces of equipment can unlock new paths, leading to hidden secrets.
One specific mechanic making its return in the Cursed Kingdom is Jin’s ability to turn into six different creatures. Each transformation allows the player to use different abilities: pig can smell traps and clues; snake can scale walls and crawl through tight spaces and lion can charge through objects blocking the way.
Story and characters
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away... there was a boy named Jin. Jin’s uncle, Nabu, used magic to turn the citizen of the kingdom, including Jin’s brother, Zeke, into animals. After a fruitless effort to stop his uncle, Jin is turned into a pig. From the court magician, Mysticat, Jin learns of the way to turn everyone back into humans. He goes on a quest to find five animal orbs and restore peace to the kingdom.
Reception
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom received positive reviews (PS4) from critics, who praised the game for combining faithfulness to the series with introducing new elements, a world filled with secrets to discover, engaging gameplay – especially the puzzle segments – as well as beautiful graphics.
Key features:
- Return of the classic series! Wonder Boy’s legacy continues in the newest installment of the series.
- Jin’s kingdom is in trouble! When his uncle Nabu, turns everyone into animals, Jin must find a way to bring everyone back to normal.
- Awaken the animal! Turn into different creatures and use their powers to travel through levels, solve puzzles and fight enemies.
- Upgrade yourself! Collect weapons and armor and upgrade them with gemstones to become even stronger.
- Adventure in 2D! Enjoy the beautiful graphics that bring the 2D environments of the Cursed Kingdom to life.
