This game looks bad
We're a nappy-wearing kid named Tom-Tom who wields a sword. Hmm, I was hoping for something macho with blood and gore, but there is none. If I'm brutally honest, beyond the likes of Stario or Giana Sisters, I'm not a fan of these platformers. Regardless, Tommy holds his own for his one and only outing on the Atari ST.
Tommy (yes, I've renamed him) lives in a pleasant place called Wonder Land, which he apparently protected during the first game. Don't get too comfy, a dragon has wreaked havoc on Wonder Land by releasing an army of hideous creatures. Not only will these beasts aimlessly walk back and forth, in a menacing manner, but they've managed to turn Tommy's beautiful home into Monster Land. Oh no, we can't have that!
Let’s drop the sarcasm because this is where we become a child hero tasked with vanquishing all the villains and saving the land from evil. Wanna turn your Atari ST temporarily 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!!
WonderBoy has to deal with some of the silliest monsters, which can be a pain to kill.
Kiddy killer time!
Monster Land starts off bright and cheery with lovely colours and a cutesy design. 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 nastier the deeper you progress through the land. Easy ones are snakes and rabbits, but there are 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? Look for doorways scattered throughout most of the maps. These provide access to various 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 you might find useful are shoes for faster movements, weapons (I love fireballs), or perhaps you're after some basic help and advice?
Oddly, there's an egg timer displayed in the status bar, but I hadn't got the foggiest what it was for. When it expires, some of your health is frustratingly taken, so try to keep it topped up by collecting the egg timers hidden throughout the levels. Yep, they're probably going to be invisible, so you'd better randomly jump!
Bosses appear frequently, I thought, with the first being Death himself. Actually, he's rather slow and moves in a predictable pattern, so it's easy to kill. However, the others aren't defeated so easily, so prepare thyself. Once any level boss is dead, collect his loot and a key to the exit. Tip: don't dawdle & grab the loot first!
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. However, Tommy’s movement is governed by basic physics. He won’t simply stop moving when you release the joystick; he’ll slow down instead. At first, that is 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 original, 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 and cute sprites - I love the snakes, but those horrendous Mudmen are the best. Scrolling suits the gameplay and is smooth and responsive. Sure, they reduced the screen size, but at least they didn't wimp out with flick or push scrolling!
The audio is good and features chiptunes throughout by David Whittaker. They're oldskool style, and I doubt they're his finest work, but there's something cool and timeless about chip music, and these prove it. Sound effects are nice, nothing more than the expected spot effects for weapons /etc. No complaints.
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!
The CryptO'pinion?
Considering that I have never liked this style of platformer, I 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 - who would have thought a nappy-wearing toddler would have been this good?
