Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom | Nintendo Switch | Review

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Spiritual successor to the classic Wonder Boy games, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a strikingly gorgeous, achingly nostalgic adventure that gets better and better the more you play.

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by Sam Sant

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@SlamShotSam

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Developer: The
Game Atelier
Publisher: FDG
Entertainment
​Platforms: Switch, Xbox
One, PS4, PC
​Players: 1

The story is simple: after your drunken uncle turns Monster World’s colourful cast of characters into anthropomorphic creatures, including blue-haired protagonist Jin, it falls to the player to venture out and restore equilibrium. There’s little more to it than that, which is fine, and, coupled with the text-based delivery, it evokes an intendedly retro feel.

That brand of pitch-perfect nostalgia extends into most aspects of the game - the hand-drawn, 2D art style that’s layered for 3D effect; the rockin’, homage-paying soundtrack; the simple, tried-and-true core platforming tenants - resulting in a reimagining that feels like a faithfully slicker, sharper version of its forefathers.

Cursed Kingdom by no means relies on that to get by though, constantly evolving as new areas and gameplay elements are introduced on the regular. Being the titular Monster Boy, Jin can (eventually) transform into a range of animals, each boasting their own fitting suite of abilities and loving, bespoke animations.

From a porcine punch-packing pig, capable of sniffing out secrets and casting spells, to a frog with a knack for aquatics and a grappling hook-like tongue, to a venom-spewing, wall-crawling, small-space-navigating snake, and beyond, each animal form greatly impacts how the game plays.

Whether a specific character is required to solve a platforming section or puzzle, or they’re just better suited to a certain combat encounter, you’ll very often be switching them out and it’s here, when you come to combine their powers in increasingly inventive ways, that Monster Boy flourishes.

What’s more, those select animal forms that are capable of equipping armour and weaponry present even further opportunity to mix things up, courtesy of an interchangeable and upgradeable arsenal collected or purchased throughout the course of Jin’s lengthy adventure. Decking yourself out in the best gear available helps you rise to meet a challenging, but fair, difficulty curve at the hands of persistent baddies, hectic boss battles, precision platforming, and the odd head-scratching conundrum.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a strikingly gorgeous, achingly nostalgic adventure that gets better and better the more you play.

Some items come with associated abilities - like boots that enable a double jump manoeuvre - often granting access to new areas, or at the very least previously inaccessible nooks within explored locales. Monster World is pretty huge, so the detailed, screen-by-screen map that’s awash with hints pointing towards as-yet-undiscovered secrets is a real boon for completionists.

Fortunately, the game’s setting is as varied as it is vast, encompassing idyllic, bustling hub towns through dark, labyrinthine sewers. Not just visually diverse, areas also require different tactics to traverse, making each feel doubly distinct and effectively staving off any potential fatigue resulting from what’s, ultimately, quite a familiar overarching structure.

In basest terms, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is another retro platformer, but, given time, it blossoms into something altogether more complex and enthralling. The fact that the folks at FDG Entertainment and The Game Atelier managed to pull that off while remaining staunchly true to their ‘80s inspiration, Wonder Boy, results in a masterfully-executed game that fans of retro platformers and modern metroidvanias alike will adore.

Pros

• Faithfully modernises the classic Wonder Boy series
• Regularly introduces new areas & mechanics, making it hard to put down
• Play as a range of characters, each being distinct & equally playable
• Absolutely vivacious visuals
• Overall quality & breadth justify a comparatively high price point

Cons

• Barebones story (though you probably weren’t expecting otherwise)

9/10