Wonder Boy: Anniversary Collection

Based on these circumstances, our appraisal is a difficult task. If we were tallying solely based on the content of the package, it would do well. If price isn’t an issue and you didn’t purchase the previous release already, you can add three digits to the scoreline, as this is certainly the superior of the two collections. But our primary job as reviewers is to provide information that helps you decide on how to spend your disposable income - income you’ve no doubt worked very hard to accrue. Since the entire release structure and its exploitative nature is so distasteful, however, we feel genuinely loathed to award a lofty score that indicates glowing praise.

In a vacuum this collection is decent.

There are a few games that are tough to go back to, but when they're good, they're really good. The worst I can say is that it doesn't reach the heights of fan service some of the aforementioned collections do, but comparing Wonder Boy to those standard bearers might be a bit unfair. If you enjoy 2D platformers, liked a game in the series and want to explore more, or just have a curiosity for lesser known classic games, then The Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection is something worth looking up.

A Wonderful collection of Wonder Boy Titles

This is one of the most complete collections of a single game series I have seen, and even with it’s minor flaws, I can highly recommend this for your library!

The shadow of a prior collection from mere months earlier, plus the fact that this is pricier (while still feeling incomplete), is tough to ignore. Yet there are still plenty of good games here, so Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection is one to grab on sale.

Thanks to the inclusion of six games, 21 total game variants, quality-of-life upgrades, and bonus features, this feels like the definitive compilation of Wonder Boy titles, unlikely to be dethroned anytime soon.

Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection is a great collection to get to know this underrated classic SEGA IP, which has not only some great games, but also a very interesting history, it's fun to see how the titles have evolved and constantly changed between releases, but always improving in quality. If you are a fan of classic games from the Master System and Mega Drive (aka Genesis) era, it is certainly worth checking out the titles present here and experience some of the best games on these consoles, but of course, keeping in mind that they also show their age.

Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection is the best way to experience the retro classics on modern systems. Sure, this is not a totally complete collection. And it would have been nice to see a little more attention given to the galleries. However, one can’t deny these games’ solid emulation and quality that still holds up years later. Yes, it’s a pain; a smaller collection was released last year, and there is no free upgrade to get this collection if you already made the purchase. I’m a huge Wonder Boy fan, so I’m slightly biased on this review. But playing some of these games again, especially Monster Lair III, which holds a very special place in my retro heart, reminded me of better times which I haven’t thought about for some time. The Wonder Boy series is one of my gaming happy places; I can now share it with others for years to come. If you decide to take up the sword, it will hopefully create new gaming memories for you too

For fans of Wonder Boy, the ability to experience every step in his lineage is great, but it offers no value add beyond the games