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Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World

Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World

G CHOICE, Monkey Craft · released Jun 28, 2021

ActionRPG

The adventures of Asha, the little warrior, begin! Together with her blue sidekick Pepelogoo, she will run through numerous stages and save the Monster World from the darkness.

73
VGC Score
·No trend datamedium confidence
73%
At launch
82%
Steam all-time
68%
Press
100%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)6843
All-time Steam reviews82%7685
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)100%971
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 2 reviews sampled · 3 total reviews in window · weighted 1.8 up / 0 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (86)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 90
    trust 80Jun 1, 2021

    Unlike many remakes glutting the market, the existence of Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World makes complete sense. After all, many gamers in the west never got to delight in what is likely the best entry in the Wonder Boy/Monster World series. How does this fancy remake play? Imagine for a second that Zelda II: Return of Link was good. That'll get you pretty close.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 78Jun 26, 2021

    The lack of autosave feature, primitive bosses and orthodox platforming feels like a something from the past. But at the same time, there's nothing wrong with the idea of bringing back old, but visually updated classic. Hardcore fans definitely can appreciate a game like this.

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  • 80
    trust 76May 25, 2021

    Overall, there are parts of Asha in Monster World that are a little rusty, and the end product could've used more than just the tweaking we ended up getting. While fans of the Mega Drive game may enjoy revisiting it, they may also be disappointed that there's not a whole lot that's new. Still, the elements that made it such a classic in the first place - the endearing protagonist, the delightful game world - are still present, and all of that still holds up brilliantly even after nearly thirty years.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 72May 28, 2021

    Asha in Monster World wears its retro heart on its sleeve, with the modern graphical overhaul only helping to increase its charm. For fans of classic games and platformers, it is definitely worth a shot, though you will need to be ready to overlook a few quirks.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 71May 31, 2021

    Nishizawa and company could have updated a few old-school level designs and mechanics to improve the experience, but chose instead to preserve the identity of the original. The result is a remake that faithfully sticks to the established formula, warts and all.

    read full review ↗
  • 67
    trust 70May 28, 2021

    Reskins of classic titles are both often very cool but a risky proposition in many regards when the original gameplay is left completely intact...

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 70Jun 28, 2021

    New graphics, quality of life improvements and humour make Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World an enjoyable platformer. Its level of challenge depends upon player experience in the genre. It is unfortunately let down by the final level which had little challenge and numerous small issues that should have been easy to fix. It is a sound title on Nintendo Switch that could do with some tweaking to make it shine at its best, but for those who love the graphic style and just want to have fun there is plenty to enjoy.

    read full review ↗
  • 78
    trust 70Jul 25, 2025

    Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World remains a great action-platformer, no matter the platform. Asha's adventure is light, fun, and full of nostalgic charm, fulfilling its role as casual entertainment.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 70Jun 16, 2021

    Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World does exactly what it sets out to do. It recreates the original game in high definition, 3D style. But if you stack it up next to the other contemporary Wonder Boy titles, the inadequacies stack up quickly.

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  • 70
    trust 69Jun 29, 2021

    While undoubtedly rudimentary, Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World remains a solid action platformer suitable for all ages.

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  • 70
    trust 69Jun 13, 2021

    Wonder Boy : Asha in the Monster World was an excellent game back in 1994. Unfortunately, today's remake isn't spicy enough. The game is a classic, but it fails to stand out in today's world especially considering the heavy competition on the market. It's mainly good for the nostalgia if your heart really wants to give it a go.

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  • 80
    trust 69May 29, 2021

    Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is a fantastic remake. While the save system feels as though it is painfully stuck in the past, every other aspect of the game is lovingly remade. For newcomers and longtime fans alike, this is a great adventure that you will certainly fall in love with.

    read full review ↗

…and 74 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

No patch announcements found on Steam yet.