ININ games and StudioArtDrink have announced a release date for the Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World remake. It’s releasing May 28 on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch ($39.99).
Asha in Monster World is a side-scrolling platformer starring the green-haired heroine. She sets off on an adventure to free the Elemental Spirits of Monster World. She’s joined by her small flappy companion Pepelogoo, who can help Asha get around the world by flapping his ears.
Although described as a remaster, Monster World has been given a huge facelift with colorful cell-shaded 3D graphics, similar to Dragon Quest XI, while maintaining the original 2D levels and gameplay. Many of the developers of the original game from 1994 have worked on this remake, including Maiki Ozora for character design and Shinichi Sakamoto for music.
Note that this is a remake of an old game, whereas 2018’s Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom was a new game designed as a spiritual sequel to the Wonder Boy series.
Physical editions of Asha in Monster World include the original game, Monster World IV. In the Switch version it will be included in the cartridge, but for PS4 you’ll need to download it from a code included in the packaging.
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World will also be available in a Collector’s Edition ($120.99), which includes a poster, map, original sound track, artbook, and stickers, and a Mega Collector’s Edition ($216.99), which features a figurine and a large box modeled after the original Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive). It’s rated E10+.
