Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
- July 25, 2019
- Game Atelier
- 21h median play time
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Get on PS Store"Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom" is a single-player action adventure game with ingenious visuals and good music, created as a tribute to classic games. The game features a curse-stricken protagonist who can transform into five different creatures, each with unique abilities, to explore, battle bosses, and uncover hidden passages in an epic story. It's a love letter to 80's and 90's gaming, inviting players to celebrate together.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Beautiful hand-drawn graphics and charming art style that evoke nostalgia for the Wonder Boy series.
- Engaging gameplay with a variety of transformations and puzzles that keep the experience fresh and rewarding.
- Excellent soundtrack featuring remixes of classic Wonder Boy music and new compositions that enhance the overall atmosphere.
- Some puzzles can be overly obtuse or frustrating, requiring outside help to solve, which can detract from the experience.
- Difficulty spikes in certain areas, particularly in the volcano and haunted mansion, can feel unfair and lead to frustration.
- Combat mechanics can feel clunky at times, with limited attack directions and inconsistent hitboxes that may lead to cheap deaths.
- music298 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its superb quality and nostalgic remixes of classic tracks from the Wonder Boy series. Composed by renowned artists, the soundtrack is described as catchy, atmospheric, and perfectly integrated into the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience. While some found certain tracks repetitive, the majority agree that the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and enjoyment.
“The music effortlessly combines the nostalgic tones of past games with fresh melodies that enrich each scene, making it one of the best soundtracks in recent platformers.”
“The soundtrack is fantastic, it really stands out and helps to drive the adventure, as do the animations.”
“The music is absolutely wonderful and makes the game even more engaging.”
“The music is ear blood.”
“It's so so so terrible and basic that I had to play with the music off.”
“Honestly, this soundtrack is abysmal.”
- gameplay291 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom" is a vibrant blend of modern mechanics and retro charm, featuring a unique transformation system that enhances both combat and puzzle-solving. While many players appreciate the engaging level design and variety of abilities, some criticize the game for inconsistent mechanics and frustrating difficulty spikes. Overall, the gameplay is generally well-received for its creativity and fun, though it can feel overwhelming at times due to the sheer number of mechanics introduced.
“The gameplay in Monster Boy is enriched by varied transformations that keep the puzzles and combat engaging, and each form (from a fire-breathing dragon to a powerful pig) brings unique abilities that perfectly capture the spirit of the original games.”
“The gameplay is fun and mostly well designed.”
“The gameplay is stellar with a constant flow of challenges and increasing progression and with a ton of hidden areas so exploration is always rewarded.”
“What starts off as a simple enough game turns into an utter mess involving not properly explaining mechanics right up to kaizo tricks because, like the vast majority of game developers, they have chosen the path of Dark Souls, throwing in cruel tricks that only the best players will be able to pull off without feeling miserable.”
“The game didn't even explain such things or mechanics; you're supposed to figure that out yourself.”
“The gameplay is hard.”
- graphics239 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom" have been widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style, vibrant colors, and smooth animations, creating a whimsical and charming atmosphere that resonates with fans of the original series. Reviewers highlight the game's beautiful visuals and engaging character designs, noting that the graphics enhance the overall experience, making it visually appealing even years after its release. While some players find the art style cute and cartoonish, they also acknowledge that the game presents a significant challenge, contrasting the aesthetics with its gameplay difficulty.
“For those of us who grew up with Wonder Boy in Monster Land and Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, this game is like revisiting old friends—but with fresh twists and a gorgeous, hand-drawn art style that reimagines the whimsical world we remember.”
“The hand-drawn graphics are gorgeous, and it has a killer soundtrack with songs composed by greats including Yuzo Koshiro and Michiru Yamane - a bunch of the songs are Wonder Boy / Monster World remixes but there's some really good new stuff too.”
“The graphics are stunning and you can see that they put so much effort into even the smallest details.”
“The visuals are acceptable but nothing special to me.”
“Don't be fooled by the cute aesthetics, this game is nasty.”
“Several points in this game after you have solved the puzzle or beaten the boss the game kills you with a cheap gimmick, it doesn't matter because you have infinite lives but this makes you not care about the game or its characters which are totally boring NPCs; don't let the graphics fool you, this game is totally lifeless.”
- story168 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in this game is generally viewed as simplistic and often lacks depth, with many players noting it primarily serves as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. While some appreciate its light-hearted and whimsical tone, others criticize it for being a series of fetch quests with minimal character development and predictable plot points. Overall, the story is seen as charming but ultimately forgettable, with the gameplay and visuals taking precedence.
“The music and art direction is fantastic and the story is exactly what it needs to be.”
“A cute metroidvania with very nice graphics, good level design, funny story and nice gimmicks for each character.”
“The story is simple and straightforward, but enjoyable nonetheless.”
“The plot is very basic, and there's nothing really to latch on to in terms of our characters' personalities or motivations.”
“The story starts out well, but soon turns into a series of fetch quests with no real story payoffs.”
“The story is nearly non-existent.”
- grinding37 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- -5 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with early stages feeling tedious due to the need for money and item farming. While some later game mechanics and transformations alleviate some of the grind, many still report that certain puzzles, boss fights, and the overall progression can become frustratingly repetitive and unfulfilling. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the challenge and loot discovery, though they acknowledge that the game can feel tedious at times, especially in the late game.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
“Good luck getting enough money to buy everything without grinding.”
“Very tedious, not at all rewarding.”
“The first problem is grinding.”
- humor22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and lightheartedness, featuring funny interactions, clever dialogue, and amusing character designs that contribute to a friendly atmosphere. While some players noted that the humor often elicits minor chuckles rather than full laughter, the overall comedic tone is well-received, enhancing the game's enjoyable experience. The combination of cute graphics, entertaining storylines, and humorous gameplay elements makes it a standout in the metroidvania genre.
“It's a funny game with all the different forms, equipment, and powers you can get!”
“Funny interactions and dialogue, clean anime art style, the animations and everything is done very well.”
“Metroidvania wonderboy, this game has some wonderful humor and has gotten quite a few laughs from me.”
- stability11 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, inconsistent controls, and issues with hitboxes and collision detection. While some users noted that the game runs smoothly with minimal glitches, others experienced frustrating gameplay due to freezing and movement-related bugs, particularly in later levels. Overall, the game appears to have been rushed towards the end, leading to a less polished experience.
“Unlike a lot of AAA games, this game feels complete and bug-free. This seems to be less common in modern big business game makers, where rushing something to market leaves it full of bugs and needing regular updates as new bugs and glitches are found.”
“It also seems to be rather bug-free and worked flawlessly with an assortment of different gamepads.”
“The controls are not consistent, the hitboxes are a mess, contact damage is inconsistent, and there are so many glitches that just have to do with basic movement and environment interactions.”
“The game can get buggy, with Jin getting stuck or boulders getting caught and unable to move in the pinball-like section of the Haunter Manor.”
“You can also tell the game was rather rushed towards the end as the last few dungeons were rather buggy with missing collisions, allowing me to accidentally bypass some puzzles, or just certain objects not working when resolving a puzzle, forcing me to restart my game to complete said puzzle.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of nostalgia and frustration, particularly for fans of the Wonder Boy series, as it evokes fond memories while also presenting challenging gameplay that may deter younger players. The beautifully crafted graphics and emotionally resonant musical score enhance the experience, though some players feel the character development may not engage those unfamiliar with the franchise. Overall, the game is described as charming and heartwarming, despite moments of emotional whiplash due to its difficulty spikes.
“That in itself is heartwarming.”
“However, one nice thing that is done here is that it brings several references to the previous Wonder Boy games and that is very touching.”
“It's that level of dedication and heartfelt compassion that shows they know how to make what they love a reality.”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its vibrant graphics, soothing yet dynamic music, and an engaging art style that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the combination of a family-friendly vibe with challenging gameplay, as well as the attention to detail in environmental elements and animations that contribute to a captivating atmosphere. Overall, the game successfully blends a lighthearted aesthetic with deeper, immersive gameplay, making it a standout in the metroidvania genre.
“Music is nice and soothing but also dynamic and atmospheric.”
“Game offers good platforming, innocent atmosphere and altogether a nice metroidvania.”
“From enemy dying animations, to just stuff happening in the background or details in the environment, it all fits in perfectly and is just atmospheric.”
“This game, despite the colorful graphics and peaceful, family-friendly atmosphere, is brutally difficult.”
“While the atmosphere, art style, and vibes in general are just amazing and it has one of the best intros I've ever seen, I sadly have to add to the negative reviews.”
“But once I progressed, the gameplay got deeper and more fun, and my headaches went away with the change of atmosphere.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report smooth performance at high resolutions and frame rates, others experience significant performance issues, particularly on systems with multicore CPUs. Overall, the PC port is praised for its optimization, achieving high performance on capable hardware, but some users find it borderline unplayable due to severe performance drops.
“Zero bugs or performance issues at 4K 120fps.”
“The PC port is fantastic and well optimized; I currently run it maxed out at 1080p 144fps, and I can only imagine on a higher-res display it looking even better.”
“As for performance, you will have no issues running the game.”
“It was fun from the limited time I was playing, but the game suffered horrible performance issues on my system, which made it a borderline unplayable experience.”
“The game is not optimized for multicore CPUs and instead just uses 100% of one of your cores at all times.”
“There are some issues with the performance of the game too.”
- character development7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, while the game features charming hand-drawn graphics and appealing character designs, it suffers from a lack of meaningful character development and a weak story. Players appreciate the unique boss fights and puzzles, but the absence of depth in character arcs detracts from the overall experience.
“Everything about this game oozes charm; the music, character design, art style, combat.”
“Beautiful hand-drawn graphics, lovely music, and great character designs abound.”
“The graphics, music, and character design were great.”
“Terrible story and no character development.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the abundance of secrets and upgrades that encourage exploration, others find the lack of additional modes, such as a boss rush or challenge mode, limiting. The cryptic puzzles in the latter part of the game may also detract from the desire to replay it. Ultimately, it appeals to fans of the genre but may not offer enough variety for those seeking extensive replay value.
“You could probably clear it in a few hours, but with secrets, equipment sets, upgrades, etc., there is a ton of replayability to the different areas.”
“Overall, it's an enjoyable, low-key game that's worth a look if you like metroidvania and/or platformer style games.”
“However, the obnoxiously cryptic puzzles that plague the last third of the game, along with the complete lack of replayability, do hurt it a bit. I feel they could've added a boss rush mode or some sort of challenge mode that would allow you to enjoy things without having to replay the entire game.”
“I don't know that it has much by way of replay value, and there were times it would become heavy-handed enough that I would put it down for a bit. Overall, it's an enjoyable, low-key game that's worth a look if you like metroidvania and/or platformer style games.”
“Will update review as soon as I finish the game to comment on replay value.”
