Wonder Woman’s lovechild returns in one of the longest running Sega sagas! Having failed the audition for the Stratford Shakespearian Players, Wonderboy goes back to his old job!

Being a hero must pay well (better than a staff writer!) ‘cos Wonderboy keeps going back to it. This time he’s lost his skateboard but found a suit of armour, which is just as well because he’d look a tad out of place skating around his latest adventure!

Wonderboy finds himself in a magical land plagued with monsters, killer mushrooms and pubs (it’s not all bad. then!). Various problems have been set for ‘Boy-o and if he wants to escape from this world he’d better solve them!

Interaction with local yokels is essential to solve each task. Ordinary passers-by give snippets of information but if you want the hard facts, houses have to be entered to find the people who can enlighten you.

When baddies are killed they leave behind a gold coin of varying value which is spent in any of the world’s shops (sorry, no cheques!). Wonderboy can upgrade his weapon and buy armour and medicine — some of the baddies are pretty tough cookies and give as good as they get!

So jump and run your way through to freedom in the usual Wonderboy vein. Just remember to look before you leap!

Paul admits... ‘I WAS HOOKED’

He’s back (again!) and this time he’s got his clothes on! Yes, Sega’s original mascot’s resurrected and sent to Monster World to give the poor, oppressed citizens a helping hand.

The latest offering from the one-inch wonder’s a mixture of classic Wonderboy platform-jumping, puzzle-solving and RPGing! And the good news is it works!

To be honest, I always hated these sort of games, so with the type of enthusiasm I usually reserve for a Villa match, I booted the cart. After five minutes, I was hooked! After ten minutes, I’d only solved the first problem, and after an hour-and-a-half I was well and truly immersed in Monster World! I cried when I had to switch it off and go home!

So what makes it so good? Though above average, the graphics are nothing special, and the less said about the sound the better! So what is it? The gameplay, the ease with which you get into the game and the complexity of the puzzles and problems, all mixed with good old platform romping, makes Wonderboy 3 one of the better MS releases.

If you’re after a cutesy platform-cum-puzzle game and don’t fancy some of the recent bland offerings, Wonderboy 3’s for you!

PAUL 80%

FANTASY FIGURES

Bat
These nasty blighters hide just underneath the ceiling which makes spotting them very tricky. The best trick is to jump up and whack them.
Cobra
Popping up from the ground and sticking their tongues out at you, these are a cinch to kill, just edge up dose to them then slice ‘em up!
Red Blob
Well they’re red and they’re blobs, with a nasty habit of bouncing round the screen which makes them a bit tricky to kill.
Little Chap
Doesn’t do that much except leg after you on the little islands over the sea — annoying bloke.Just crouch down to kill him.
Fairy
This gentle and kind creature tells you of your quest on level one. Her kingdom is above the sky and can be found in the village.
Fish
Fat and slow. These are the least of your problems in the underwater levels. Just prod ‘em with your trident to kill them.
Guard
He won’t let you pass until you’ve had a chat with the Princess, so use the back door which is up by the fairy in the village.
Citizen
Loads of these can be found in the village of Aleron. Talk to them and heed their words because they know what their talking about.

Ade says... ‘NICE MIXTURE OF RPG AND SLICE-’EM-UP!’

I played this on Mega Drive a few months back and the MS version’s just as good. The Wonderboy series started to get a little tiresome, so Sega came up with the bright idea of adding RPG elements. Thankfully, the concept works! With a little help from tips printed in the Pittstop, I got quite far. although it differs from the MD romp in certain places.

Wonderboy 3 definitely makes you think! It’s possible to get infuriated when things aren’t going to plan, but stick with it and you find a hidden area and more of the plot unfolds. The bad guys are easy to beat but it’s the RPG element that’s the important part, so it’s not such a bad thing.

The visuals are nice and colourful. They’re not particularly well animated, though, and flicker dreadfully on some levels. Soundwise, each level has its own theme tune and there are a few spot FX. On the whole, they’re not bad by Master System standards.

There’s a code backup system, so you can play again at a later date if the puzzles are putting a bit of strain on the old grey matter!

Not a bad attempt. A nice mixture of RPG and slice-’em-up, but Wonderboy fans who aren’t nuts about roleplaylng should look elsewhere.

ADE 70%

SF Rating

Presentation
74% - Nice title screen, good introductions, save facility
Visuals
76% - Nice colourful graphics — cute and cartoony. Underwater sections are very impressive
Sonics
60% - Not the best Master System themes. Each section has its own tune
Playability
82% - Easy to get into if you follow the clues carefully. Hard to drag yourself away!
Lastability
78% - Not the greatest of challenges but big and tough enough to keep you at it for a while

75%

Nothing new as far as platformers go, but RPG elements add to the enjoyment

Producer
Sega
MD
Out
MS
Dec
Memory
512K
Players
1
Price
£32.99
Rating
75
Reviewer
Sega Force magazine
Region
UK
Scans
Sega Force - Issue 13

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