January2023

May2022

November2021

February2016

  • Review Dark Half (SNES)

    ​Heaven and Hell

    There are hundreds of amazing games for the Super Famicom that remain a mystery to Western gamers. Dark Half is one such game, published by Enix in 1996. It is a late generation Super Famicom title that at first glance seems to be your typical JRPG, with the player taking control of Falco, the Paladin (not to be confused with the...

May2012

October2009

March2009

  • Review Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (MD)

    The once quiet town of Xenobia is under attack by fierce, gruesome monsters and no one can stop them!

    Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair might seem incredibly familiar to Virtual Console addicts because the game has technically already been released on Nintendo’s download service – in the guise of Monster Lair on the TG-16! The complexities of the...

January2009

April2008

  • Review Wonder Boy (Virtual Console / Master System)

    Small Wonder

    Wonder Boy was one of the first games I got for my beloved Sega Master System. Having played the original arcade game on seaside weekends of my youth it seemed amazing to have such a faithful conversion of the game in my bedroom at the time. The hero of the game, Tom-Tom isn’t known for providing in-car navigation, rather he is...

January2008

  • Review Riot Zone (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    I predict a riot!

    Released back when the scrolling fighter was still seen as a massive money-spinner, Riot Zone (AKA: Crest of Wolf in Japan) was Hudson’s attempt at muscling in on the territory traditionally presided over by Capcom (Final Fight, Captain Commando, Knights of the Round, etc) and Sega (Streets of Rage, Golden Axe). Now let’s not...

December2007

  • Review Monster Lair (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    Join young Adam and Laura as they embark on a fantastic adventure in this comical action/shooting game.

    Before you get excited, this isn’t your traditional Wonderboy adventure. Although we’ve already been blessed with Virtual Console versions of the quite frankly sublime Wonderboy in Monsterworld (Genesis / Mega Drive) and the exceptional...

  • Review The Dynastic Hero (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    Take control of Dyna as he battles through action-filled stages.

    Dynastic Hero is basically identical to the Megadrive Wonderboy in Monsterworld. Anyone who has played this MD classic will know that this is no bad thing - it's one of the strongest titles in the Wonderboy series. However, this version features different characters. I can only guess...

April2007

March2007

  • Review Dragon's Curse (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    Wonder Boy by another name...

    Those of you that used to own a Sega Master System may experience an unshakable feeling of deja vu when playing Dragon's Curse (known as Adventure Island in Japan) - because it's pretty much the exact same game as the Master System Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap! The history of the Wonder Boy franchise is complex and...