Oh boy, this game looks so bad...
Okay, we're a kid called Tom-Tom who wears a nappy and wields a sword. Hmm, I was hoping for something macho with blood and gore but, there is none! However, Tommy holds his own for his one and only outing on the Atari ST.
Anyhow, Tommy (yes, I've renamed him) lives in a pleasant place called Wonder Land which he apparently protected during the first game. However, don't get too comfy because a dragon has wreaked havoc on Wonder Land by releasing an army of hideous creatures. Not only will most of these beasts aimlessly walk back and forth, in a menacing manner, but they've now managed to turn Tommy's once beautiful home into Monster Land. Oh no, we can't have that!
Okay, let's end that sarcasm because this is where we come in to be a kiddy hero with the demanding task of killing all of the baddies and freeing the land of evil. Wanna turn your Atari ST temporally into a Nintendo and save the day?
I already know the answer so let's begin with some cool screenshots...
Hmm, that looks like a slab of juicy meat floating in the air?
Argh no!! Tell me I don't need to kill this cute, er, thing? Yes, KILL IT!!
Wonder Boy has to deal with some of the silliest monsters - which can be a pain to kill.
Kiddy killer time!
Monster Land starts off very bright and cheery with lovely colours and a cutesy design that I really like. Right from the beginning, you meet with somebody who details your quest and kindly arms you with a sword. Every level has its baddies who get more frequent (and nasty) the deeper you progress through the land. Easy ones are snakes and rabbits but there are many others which are trickier: bats, mud men and grey things that fire arrows (ugh, I hate those).
Currency is a big thing in this game and slain monsters will leave behind gold coins when slaughtered. Also, it's worth jumping up into apparently empty parts of any level because these areas might reveal extra hidden coins. You've just gotta be willing to hop here, there and everywhere - like an idiot! (I'm good at that)
Wanna spend those coins? Well, look for doorways that are often scattered throughout most of the maps. These provide access to various different stores to purchase items, enhancements, or friendly advice. For example, it's a good idea to carry a shield when you come across a grey fella who fires arrows. Other items which you might find useful are shoes for faster movements, weapons (I love the fireballs) or perhaps you're just after some basic help and advice?
Oddly, there's an egg timer displayed in your status bar and I hadn't got the foggiest what it was for. But, when it expires, some of your health is frustrating taken so try to keep it topped up by collecting the tiny egg timers hidden throughout the levels. Yep, they're probably going to be invisible so you better start randomly jumping...
Bosses appear quite frequently I thought, with the first being Death himself. Actually, he's rather slow and moves in a predictable pattern so is quite easy to kill, However, the others aren't defeated so easily so prepare thyself. Once any level boss is dead, you're then able to collect his loot and a key to the exit. Tip: don't dawdle & grab the loot first!
Okay, it's that time when I show some responsible screenshots. Fancy a beer, kid? What...
Oh not again? But boss-eyed helpers, whatever next?
A drink you ask? Beer please, and ignore the nappy I'm wearing. I'm over 18, honest.
Input & Output
Use your joystick to walk, leap and activate power-ups. When Tommy moves, he abides by humble laws of physics with regard to momentum: so he cannot simply stop moving when you release the joystick and will instead slow to a halt. At first, that is rather annoying I gotta say, but it soon becomes second nature. Oddly, the spacebar is used to open shop doors, which can be a little awkward and I would have preferred not to let go of my joystick.
Visually, Monster Land honours the arcade game well, but I doubt it'll blow your socks off: we're not talking
Seven Gates Of Jambala or
Risky Woods. What we do have is a gorgeous cartoon design with the cutest sprites - I love the snakes but those horrendous Mudmen are the best. Scrolling suits the gameplay perfectly and is smooth and responsive. Sure, they reduced the screen size but at least they didn't wimp out with flick or push scrolling so respect from me!
The audio is good and features chiptunes throughout by David Whittaker which I really liked. They're oldskool style and I doubt they're his finest work but there's still something cool and timeless about chip music and these prove that. Sound effects are nice, nothing more than the expected spot effects for weapons /etc. No complaints.
Okay, let's check out those cool kiddy visuals with the final run of screenshots...
Blue flying rabbit/bat things. Cute and annoyingly deadly!
Aye-up, what's inside here? Treasure, I hope...
And there's always an end-of-level boss just itching for a fight!
Considering that I have never liked this style of platformer (
yep, including Mario!), I must admit that I have
really enjoyed Wonder Boy on the Atari ST. It starts off easy but soon becomes challenging with a massive variety of cute baddies to kill whilst exploring a range of interesting levels. Blummin' excellent game I thoroughly recommend!!
A massive shock for me this - who would have thought a nappy-wearing toddler would have been this fantastic?
