Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

 Switch
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
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  1. Gaming Age
    Jan 24, 2019
    100
    So overall Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a retro inspired platformer and shows the genre at its finest. Not to mention it feels right at home on the Switch despite being a multiplatform release. If you’ve never played a Monster Boy game but have been looking for anything to scratch that Metroid or Castlevania itch then this is for you. And if you’re a Monster Boy fan wondering if this installment is any good then you should probably already own it. But if you don’t then take it from me you won’t regret your time with Cursed Kingdom.
  2. PLAY! Zine
    Mar 5, 2019
    95
    It is a game that reminds you how some titles earned their legendary status in the history of video games, and teaches you how it can be possible to implement that epic old school essence into the modern age of gaming. A truly superb and rewarding gem you should not let slip unnoticed.
  3. Cubed3
    May 22, 2019
    90
    Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is not on the budget side of the indie spectrum, but what Game Atelier and FDG Entertainment have released is far from a cheap experience. The beautifully hand drawn art style, rocking soundtrack, rewarding boss battles, excellent progression system, and thrilling adventure, offers the very best of what makes a great action-adventure platformer, and turns it into a must own for anyone interested in the genre.
  5. Nintendo Insider
    Jan 22, 2019
    90
    

If you’re a fan of platformers, adventure games or Metroidvania style games, then this will be a great title for you. With a lengthy playtime, plenty of variety in its gameplay and has so much about it to enjoy, it is a title that does very little wrong and outdoes the game that it set out to emulate. It wasn’t on my radar in the build-up to release, but I love it now. It comes highly recommended.
  6. Atomix
    Jan 9, 2019
    90
    Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is one of the best surprises of 2018. A great adventure that everyone should play.
  7. Multiplayer.it
    Dec 6, 2018
    90
    Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is more than a simple tribute: it's a full fledged adventure well worth its price.
  8. Nintendo Life
    Dec 5, 2018
    90
    Monster Boy is a tremendous accomplishment. It’s a gorgeous looking game with a fantastic soundtrack and does its spiritual predecessors proud by nailing the Wonder Boy mechanics while still offering something that will appeal to modern audiences. As long as you can appreciate that it’s still very much an old-school game at heart and you’re going to get some 8-bit era platforming trickiness as a result, you’re going to thoroughly enjoy playing through this adventure for the 12-15 hours it’ll take you to beat it. It may not be Wonder Boy by name, but it’s definitely wonderful by nature.
  9. IGN Italia
    Dec 4, 2018
    90
    Wonder Boy is finally back, in his greatest adventure yet. An old-school, visually stunning, funny and engrossing adventure.
  10. Nintenderos
    Dec 4, 2018
    90
    One of the best action platformers of the year. The title offers visual and sound quality, humor, entertainment, fun and love thanks to the work of its developers.
  11. Gameblog.fr
    Dec 4, 2018
    90
    We expected Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom to be good. But, honestly, not that good. Visually stunning, faithful to its ancestors but not chained to them, this game is a true masterpiece, full of great ideas and that can entertain you for a long time if you feel the need to discover all of its very well hidden secrets. A must play.
  12. SpazioGames
    Jan 4, 2019
    89
    Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is the best example of how a development team can revitalize an old series. It is a must have game.
  13. IGN Spain
    Dec 4, 2018
    87
    A great neo-retro game that manages to be fresh and a perfect homage to some old classic like Wonder Boy.
  14. Hobby Consolas
    Dec 4, 2018
    86
    An excellent balance between old school adventures and what we expect from the modern times. If you are not afraid of challenges with a glimpse of complexity, you'll find a colorful, enjoyable adventure.
  15. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Aug 22, 2019
    85
    Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom appears to have been well worth the wait. [Issue #38 – March/April 2019, p. 71]
    All this publication's reviews
  16. 4Players.de
    Jan 25, 2019
    85
    The beautiful platform exploration of Wonder Boy transcends into the present with Wonder Boy adding clever puzzle elements.
  17. The Sydney Morning Herald
    Jan 3, 2019
    85
    With a lovely hand-drawn aesthetic and a modern, meticulous take on old-school design, Monster Boy is a smart and delightful game, both a fitting tribute and an exemplary example of the new breed of side-scrolling adventure games.
  18. Jeuxvideo.com
    Dec 13, 2018
    85
    Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a shiny and colorful metroidvania that offers great gameplay with equipment swap and animal transformations that changes the gameplay possibilities.
  19. NintendoWorldReport
    Dec 4, 2018
    85
    Some warts do show up, mostly stemming from a steep early difficulty curve and occasionally hard-to-judge hitboxes and jumps, but on the whole, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a fabulous entry in a relatively dormant series. My future-gazing hope is that this team can have another go and make it more of a bolder, modern game than a warm, loving throwback to a series clearly near and dear to them.
  20. New Game Network
    Dec 27, 2018
    83
    Both a faithful spiritual sequel and a fresh adventure, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is an excellent platformer with some truly gorgeous visuals.
  21. GameSpot
    Dec 10, 2018
    80
    With a well-realized world filled to the brim with secrets and excellent platforming mechanics that always keeps things interesting, the Cursed Kingdom is a place you will want to discover every corner of.
  22. FNintendo
    Apr 13, 2019
    70
    Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a rather surprising and very enjoyable 2D platformer that openly dresses the skin of a metroidvania-style of game, with a well-structured experience, a high quality cartoon-like art style and well implemented gameplay mechanics. It does not reinvent the wheel when it comes to 2D platformers but it certainly does a very good job at delivering a quality metroidvania type of game.
  23. Nintendojo
    Dec 27, 2018
    67
    It’s a beautiful throwback adventure that is, overall, quite enjoyable once it picks up steam, but its problems are hard to ignore. Simply put, the janky hit detection from decades-old games is a flaw that breaks up the flow of otherwise smooth controls, forcing the player to spend their first few hours with the least enjoyable transformations, leaving a poor first impression.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Eurogamer
    Dec 11, 2018
    One of gaming's great neglected oldies gets a spiritual successor crafted with care and imagination. [Eurogamer Recommended]
  2. Kotaku
    Dec 4, 2018
    Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a spiritual successor that draws inspiration from Wonder Boy III, modernizing the formula that made the original game such a classic. The action is faster, the controls more responsive, the visuals are sharper and the music is more full and lush. It improves on the original in every way. It’s even a little more sadistic.

Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Best Switch Game of 2018
51
#51 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018
72
#72 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 146 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 112 out of 146
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 146
  3. Negative: 17 out of 146
  1. TheDahaka
    Dec 7, 2018
    10
    A superb Metroidvania style platformer and an absolute blast for fans of Wonderboy. This was a long time coming. The devs knocked this one outA superb Metroidvania style platformer and an absolute blast for fans of Wonderboy. This was a long time coming. The devs knocked this one out of the park!… Full Review »
  2. Anon1024
    Dec 30, 2018
    10
    A true revival of a platforming legend, Monster Boy does for the Wonder Boy saga what Sonic Mania did for Sonic, but to a much greater andA true revival of a platforming legend, Monster Boy does for the Wonder Boy saga what Sonic Mania did for Sonic, but to a much greater and deeper extent. Rendered in amazing, 1080p hand-drawn, perfectly animated visuals and with a memorable, if upbeat and perhaps too modern soundtrack, this game does not only get a technical update, but a much deeper gameplay update where gameplay is now less about repeated fighting against the same kinds of enemies in the same situations, but a combination of simpler and more complex puzzles requiring strategy, precision, speed and, most often, careful exploitation of different character traits and perks. On top of this, the game is huge, accounting for about 6 times the size of the MegaDrive games, and has more secrets and collectibles than ever.

    Wonder Boy has grown up, and it did so masterfully at the hands of people that very clearly played and loved the original games. You can tell the amount of love this team put into this project, which is clearly an "I want to create the perfect game"-type project, not a "let's sell another hedgehog thing to random kids; add swords, whatever, just get it done, it will sell anyways"-type business. There's no shortage of fan service and references to the previous games too!    … Full Review »
  3. dimzic
    Dec 4, 2018
    10
    The game provides an excellent challenge and while it is fun, it gives to the players some hard times, but never frustrating. It makes theThe game provides an excellent challenge and while it is fun, it gives to the players some hard times, but never frustrating. It makes the game feel more substantial and provides a feeling of accomplishment. The form swapping complaints come from people who do not know that you can toggle settings to become able to change forms on the fly, without having to pause every single time. One thing that I really liked was the innovative and fresh, yet still wonderboy escue level design. I cannot see how the reviewer thinks that the level design is "BAD". The work and devotion to perfection are evident. Being a wonderboy fan I would give a 9.5 out of 10. As an unbiased reviewer, who has never played/heard the old games my scores would be: Graphics: 9.8 out of 10, Music/Sounds: 9.3 out of 10, Controls: 9 out of 10, Level Design: 8.8 out of 10, Pace/Addiction: 9 out of 10, VERDICT: 9 OUT OF 10… Full Review »
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