Wonder Boy Collection Switch Review

Wonder Boy Collection (Switch)

Developed By: Bliss Brain

Published By: ININ Games

Date of Release: June 3, 2022

Price: $29.99

Long ago in the arcade dominated era of 1986, a small company named Westone released a game called Wonder Boy, published by SEGA in the arcades. Starring a blonde caveman on a quest to save his girlfriend, it was a decent hit. It spawned a whole franchise of sequels and spinoffs, and even got a port to home consoles by Hudson as "Adventure Island", spawning an entire new franchise. From there the rest is history.

Wonder Boy Collection on the Nintendo Switch contains the 4 most iconic entries in the series. The original Wonder Boy is a platforming title which will of course feel familiar to anyone who has played Adventure Island, as it is pretty much the same game. Wonder Boy in Monster Land was the second game, and it's very much an action RPG rather than a straight up platformer (it also has some of the most horrifying boxart on the Master System). The third title, Wonder Boy in Monster World, is actually the fifth title and is a metroidvania-lite action RPG. as for the fourth title in this collection? Monster World IV is the only game in this collection that doesn't star the titular Wonder boy, and instead stars a newcomer Asha. it's a full on metroidvania and arguably the best title in this collection.

There is definitely a lot of gameplay here in this set, and unfortunately you don't get much more than that. Each game is well emulated, however some of the graphics settings are a bit odd, with the last two games in the set having forced bilinear filtering with the CRT emulation that muddles the image. All that's really on offer here is a barebones gallery that has boxart and manuals and not much else. On top of that, some of the best games in the series (next to MWIV) are missing, and are instead only available in the limited set from strictly limited games, which raises the question: why are digital fans getting the shaft here? Still, this is a decent and functional collection, with four games that are definitely worth playing. Still would have made more sense to have just one collection with all the games.

Pocky & Rocky Reshrined Switch Review

Pocky & Rocky Reshrined

Developed By: Natsume

Published By: ININ Games

Date of Release: June 24, 2022

Price: $29.99

In the vast world of the shoot-em-up (SHMUP) genre, a theme that often pops up is Japanese mythology. From the likes of Touhou to the classic Guwange, it's a topic that seems to fit quite well. And in the case of today's game, Pocky and Rocky Reshrined, it's clear that this title wears it's influences on it's adorable sleeve. Reshrined is essentially a reboot/sequel of the classic cute 'em up series, Kiki Kaikai.  Playing as the titular shrine maiden Pocky and her tanuki friend Rocky, it's up to the player to eliminate a host of mischievous Japanese spirits that are running amok.

It definitely helps that the gameplay in Reshrined is just as refined as in the original games. It's a scrolling shooter where you can fire your attacks in 8 directions while running around on foot as the stage scrolls about in different directions. It's definitely an effective gameplay system, and with the enemies coming from all directions it can get pretty hectic. Thankfully the fun factor is there. The graphics and soundtrack also do not disappoint, with lush visuals and rearranged tracks from the classic games. The presentation is well worth the price of admission alone.

Sadly not all things can be perfect. Pocky and Rocky Reshrined is only about 40-60 minutes long depending on your skill, though it is worth replaying again to improve on your score. There's also a bit of censorship on one of the characters outfits but seriously it doesn't detract from the gameplay in the slightest, and if you're going to skip the game/harass the devs over some missing cleavage, that doesn't speak very highly of your logic (seriously I've seen people wish bodily harm on the devs/localization team over it. What the hell?). All in all, Pocky and Rocky Reshrined is a worthy addition to the series, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of either the series or the genre. Diehard fans should also check out the physical versions of the game at Pocky & Rocky Reshrined (gamesrocket.com)