/vr/ - Retro Games

Is Monster World IV worth playing?

What a cute, charming, lovely game.

As a big WB fan, at first I was disappointed by the reduction of RPG elements and exploration, but I soon came to appreciate this game's emphasis on pure platforming. The platforming is also quite varied. Also, this is easily the most challenging WB game ever made (not counting the original arcade game). The wind fortress takes a lot of practice and skill. IMO some of the best platforming level designs on the Mega Drive.

Some minor things I wish were different:
-Not a fan of climbing ropes. It's a clunky system.
-Not a fan of the running mechanic. IMO while running if you drop down a ledge you should continue running as soon as you land, but in this game you start walking when you land. Also, when you run off screen you should continue running as soon as you enter the next screen, but you don't in this game.
-Unable to backtrack for missed life drops

Those are very minor quibbles though. Not a big deal.

If you're expecting an action-adventure-RPG like most of the other Monster World games then you might be disappointed at first. But this game has

-Excellent platforming with a lot of variation and originality
-Really great graphics and animation
-Nice cinematic storytelling using sprites
-The most challenging game in the series
-Charming characters and monster designs

The first two dungeons are kinda boring, but the game really picks up afterward.

Also, if you can't read Japanese then don't play the Japanese version. There are several instances where not understanding the game text will make you completely lost.

Also, make sure you get the "Virtual Console" version of the ROM. Way superior to the fan translation.