Genre: Action platformer
Developer: FDG Entertainment
Publisher: Game Atelier

Regular readers will know that this reviewer has a borderline-hatred of "pixel-less" vector-style graphics, and Monster Boy's sometimes thrown-together background art-- devoid of any semblance of texture or material-- does nothing to change any existing opinions. But rather than rehash, let's focus on what Monster Boy does well: the menu system, dialog boxes, and fonts contained there-in are mind-bogglingly sharp and shiver-inducing, while the character sprites are probably the best ever featured in a game with this aesthetic direction.

Now this is how Red Book remixes should sound! Some of the renditions are so experimental that it feels like the 90s all over again while listening to them: want "Guardian Heroes"-esque live saxophone? How about "Ys Book I & II" electric guitar? Or raging organ solos? Or why not some disco "waka-waka" for good measure? With names like Yuzo Koshiro, Motoi Sakuraba and Michiru Yamane on the credits list, none of this should come as any surprise. The game's sound effects take somewhat of a back seat simply because the music is so good! Dialog chirping and other minor effects, like the save "bling!", are tasteful and actively contribute to the game's luster.

Like some other games-- the 3DO's "Immercenary" comes to mind as the best example-- early goings are painful, but then a sudden turning point is reached where the game transforms. In this instance: the sword "stab" has about a five pixel hit box; the constant switching of equipment, spells, and characters makes for excruciating pacing; enemies and hazards literally take six or seven hearts away with one hit; and the healing vial is more of a mockery than helpful, as it's expensive and gets used almost immediately due to the insane difficulty. But then out of the blue, the game hands the player Morrowind's "mark and recall", allowing the player to warp back and forth from the town at any point-- and it's "game on" for the rest of the way.

Monster Boy is not a "Wonder Boy" game-- it's a 2d "The Legend of Zelda". Where games like Dragon's Trap and Wonder Boy in Monster World focused primarily on combat mixed with tricky platform traversal, this entry is almost one hundred percent solving one nutty puzzle room at a time, complete with Zelda-like "ta-da-dadada!" chimes whenever some accomplishment is made. For this reviewer, who likes his puzzles and his video games, just not together, Monster Boy's formula-- especially when combined with the art direction, and its extreme length for a game of this style-- was somewhat of a slog subjectively. But more objectively, Monster Boy is a well designed puzzle-centric adventure, with a wonderful soundtrack. And it's one of the few games today which even comes with a manual-- full color, to boot!