Wonder Boy

As technology advances ever forward, sometimes it is refreshing to look back at the classic games that first brought us joy. The original Wonder Boy was a 1986 sega game, and it was a far cry from even later revisions of this game. Later versions of this game gave you swords and armor, but in this classic you have only an axe, a grass skirt, and a skateboard.

Side Scrolling Platformer

To play the game you must reach the end of the level as you scroll sideways. You need to collect fruit as you go and avoid enemies to be successful. Enemies are mobs like snails or bees, and the platformer smoothly transitions from one level to another without stopping.

The only sign you have completed a level is literally a rough wooden sign with the number—and the progressively harder challenges you face. Towards the end the game can get particularly challenging as it forces you to handle combinations like fire, jumping enemies, and moving platforms all at once.

Collect Dolls to unlock secret surprises

The game manages to add some replay value by having hidden content you can unlock. The 7th boss is the final boss if you simply play through, but if you collect all the dolls it unlocks a hidden level with yet more surprises and an 8th final boss in it. This adds replay value to the game, because if you don’t collect all the dolls on the first run through you still have something to go back and do.

About one hour to play through

If you are relatively good at this game and don’t end up dying, you can play through all the levels in about an hour. Compared to modern games this might seem very short, but for 1986 this was a reasonably long game. At times, this can seem a bit too long, but it’s still worth playing if you’ve got a long weekend and not much else to do.

Great Visuals even now

The graphics and simple audio for the game often bring back fond memories for people who play it today. There’s something to be said about the bright colors, iconic characters, and cleanly made backgrounds.

Because they are so well done, the graphics don’t look tired or old despite the decades that have gone by. The audio is also simple but charming, and adds to the game.

Wonder Boy can’t be judged against modern games because most modern gaming innovations weren’t there. The 1986 game still manages to entertain and provide a positive gaming experience 34 years later.

Pros:

• A well thought out game
• Good audio and visuals
• Replay value
• Classic

Cons:

• Despite being an hour long, it can feel too long

Sega is working feverishly to bring out software to support it's new Game Gear. To build up a quick library many of the old 8 bit titles are being shrunk down to GG size. Look for this to be called the Revenge of Drancon when it hits the U.S.