Monster Boy Development Blog

Bonjour à toute l'équipe de Game Atelier et FDG. Par où commencer ? Il y a environ 5 ans j'ai découvert ce projet qui été un simple hommage à Wonder Boy avec un petit hamster et des décors tout simple. Puis au fil du temps le projet à été modifié, de nombreuses fois avec de nombreux report. Mais après cette attente interminable je découvre un jeu somptueux, des décors et des animations absolument magnifiques. En ce moment je suis à environ à 60% de la carte . Mais je veux le finir à 100%, découvrir chaqued recoins, chaques coffres, améliorer tout les équipements. Lorsque je joue, je n'arrive pas à lâcher ma manette, c'est tellement agréable, tellement prenant. Je ne trouverai jamais assez de mots pour exprimer ce que je ressens. Vous avez rendu bien plus qu'un simple hommage à la licence Wonder Boy, c'est une véritable lettre d'amour. Il a 5 ans c'était une chenille plutôt mignonne, mais aujourd'hui elle c'est transformée en un magnifique papillon.

Thank you so much, Spidey! It fills us with great joy to hear you're having a lot of fun with the game. We can all celebrate together the existence of this game, which would've never happened without the many fans and friends like you who stayed around and pushed us to the very end of the production. cheers!

Thank you for playing and enjoying Monster Boy together with us! Right now we don't have additional content planned but we'll see. ^_^ For now we're working on a patch that fixes some things which have been discovered since the launch of the game. We want to support the game at the highest possible level

..and we thank *you*! Thank you for supporting us and playing this all-new adventure. Please enjoy it to the fullest!

So happy to hear you're enjoying it JJ. cheers!

Thank you for being part of the team, Ed! The game has so many components in it and each one is very important for the complete experience and to be able to enjoy it to the fullest. We're very happy that the game fills many hearts with joy!

I know that childhood is a thing that can be reimagined but not truly revived. There is something magic in the kids eyes and point of view that makes memories become golden ones. There are very few things that can revive those feelings and excitement, and you have succeeded to make the game one of these. Monster boy and the cursed kingdom is not just a new entry to the monster land series, but a true love letter to the series that does not only honor them, but manages to better them. Most of the retro based revivals are seen by the critique as good efforts but...there is always a but... Reading reviews for monster boy, I realize that the press, while acknowledging its roots, sees the game as a standalone winner. New players and metroidvania, 2d platforming fans of all ages will enjoy the game. Those younger audiences would never appreciate the 8/16bit titles the way that us older caravans do. They need something like monster boy to connect: And you gave to them this game. My instagram page is prospectively_retro.spective . Looking at the old memorable titles but at the same time looking into the future. This is exactly what you have achieved with the game, and I love you!

I missed out on the launch as I was hoping for the PC release too, feels bad, been waiting for a real return since monster world 3! I am glad it is reviewing well however, the few reviews I've watched have been extremely positive and some were not familiar with the wonder boy franchise prior.

Please, don't forget to support 21:9 resolutions!

Thank you for this amazing game!
I've waited 25 years for another game in the Wonder boy series and Monster boy is perfect!

I wanted Monster Boy more then any other game this year and that includes RDR2(!)

So the game starts. Coming out of the house. I’m looking around and instantly recognize wonderboy 2 starting area. Even with its secret door. Already playing with a smile on my face at this point. And when you reach the first area and are hit with the music from wonderboy 3. At this point. It’s a no doubt that this is like a love letter to the wonderboy series. A series I hold and love dearly since a child. I keep playing. And this is the sequel I’ve been wanting and hoping for years. Thank you guys for making this game. It’s quickly becoming one of my favourites.

I love that this game exists and I really hope it does well. While I believe it deserves the $40 price tag, I believe in our day we're frankly a bit spoiled with many good games at better prices. The most popular indie games such as Celeste, Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, and Dead Cells to name a few all started at $20 or less. I can't help but worry that there are many like me who, despite a huge interest in the game, can't justify the current price due to so much other content I have yet to play. I just hope that when a sale goes live the general hype will still be high enough for people to get the game. (I'm clearly no expert, but) I believe the best long-term strategy would be to get this game in as many hands as possible. The quality and enjoyment of the game appears to be outstanding and it would make a statement for what your team is capable of.

I'm happy to hear that you've had good initial sales, and I understand your perspective. Thanks for the reply, and for the great game!

We don't have an exact PC release date yet, we currently plan to release it sometime in Q1/19

Not sure where to report bugs, but I have an issue with the music sheet Its a Treasure Box III. I don't have credit for collecting it and there is a ? over its location on the map, however the button that needs to be pushed down in order to start the time event for it is pushed down already and I cannot reactivate it. So I have no way of collecting it again.

Hi Monster Boy team,
Enjoying the game...already at "The Volcano" where the timed platforming sure is tough! Just a quick question: do you plan to release the soundtrack to the game?

Thank you for reporting this, Leonardo. We actually found a glitch in the game that must've caused your issue too. It will be fixed in the upcoming patch and it won't take a long time. They're already sent to console platform holders for checks.

Hi team, thanks so much for the wonderful (pun intended) game!

I'm not sure whether this has been asked before, so apologies if so: will you be releasing the soundtrack? The music is phenomenal, and I would love to have the mp3s to listen to while I'm driving or doing work

My copies arrived today. I've played it for about half an hour now and it's brilliant. The graphics , sound and gameplay is perfect. The amount of detail on every little thing is absolutely incredible. I'm playing it on a beamer with a 123 inch projection and it still looks stunning. This is , for me, the game of the year !

I would like to play it on my pc connected to an 80-inch uhd, could you give me more precise news for the release? Thanks, best wishes and congratulations !!!

Yes, absolutely! You can fully enjoy and understand this game without knowing the prequels.

Thank you so much, Abraham! I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed the game and played it to the end! Yes, the last pic may be relevant for a sequel (if that happens).

PS Vita is a neglected system by sony itself and will soon have no online support. Releasing a game for the psvita at this point is completely pointless. You will be able to enjoy the game on your pc in a few months if you do not own any of the three main consoles.

Thank you guys and girls for that amazing release!
I´m going to wait until a physical release is comng to Europe. Looking forward to it ^.^

Thank you so much, Marcus. It fills me with great joy to read your positive feedback and it's a great honor to hear that Monster Boy was your choice in 2018. We hope you enjoy it to the fullest, together with your kids

Thank you very much for the great feedback Rafael!! ^_^

Thank you very much, Stephen. A separate Soundtrack release is currently not planned because of additional licensing, but we receive a lot of positive feedback on it so we hope to find a solution in the future. cheers!!

Congratulations! I am still waiting for the PC release in Q1 2019 and full of anticipation.

Btw.: The windows with the four heroes in the first village; aren't the first two heroes from the left supposed to be the same person (Tom-Tom from WB1, 2 and 3)? Or is the second hero supposed to be from Monster Lair?

Maybe... Interestingly, in Lizard Cube's remake of "The Dragon's Trap", when you choose the male hero, it says that the hero has "traded his skateboard for a sword and chield". The skateboard was one of Tom-Tom's iconic items in WB1. Of course nobody says that two different people cannot have their own skateboards, but I still think it's at least a reference to WB1 and the english handbook's claims that both heroes are the same.

We took a bit of artistic freedom to make the story more accessible for a new generation of players.

Thank you very much, Christopher. We're so happy about the positive feedback, it's great to hear from players who enjoy Monster Boy.

Wow, thank you so much for your incredible support!!

Thank you!! ^_^

Thank you! We're looking forward to welcome you as a new player in 2019 when Monster Boy releases on PC. ^_^

Thank you so much for the positive feedback! Yes, the volcano is challenging but sooo rewarding when you beat it! Please enjoy the rest of the game ^_^

Hi LordKaiser,
thank you for reporting this bug! We'll keep improving the game and I forwarded it to the team. Thank you for playing Monster Boy!

Hi Antony, thank you for your message! Unfortunately the physical release is USA only but there are some import shops in Europe that sell the game so you don't have to worry about customs or anything. For example this shop in Germany has the game available on Switch: http://www.nippondreams.com

Hi Victor, thank you very much for sharing your positive impressions! We're very happy to hear that you enjoyed Monster Boy and also finished it already! Congratulations and Happy New Year 2019!

Congratulations on 100% and thank you very much for your positive feedback. We're overjoyed to hear from your great experience with Monster Boy. ^_^

Hi Timo, many thanks for your amazing feedback. It feels really great to get the positive feedback from veteran players who also know the Wonder Boy series. It means a lot to us, thank you for playing! ^_^

Hi Vein, sorry to hear about your trouble with the updating process. The update on PS4 is about 200MB so maybe now after the holidays, your Internet is faster? Please try to load the patch again.

Hi Nickarino, thank you for your interest in Monster Boy PC edition. We're working on it^^

Hi Shion ( I see what you did there ),
unfortunately the game will not release on the PS Vita. We hope you'll eventually get the amazing Nintendo Switch next.

Hi Blade, can you specify the volcano room in which you have trouble? In general we recommend to equip the ice equipment for a reduced damage against lava. Also notice the ceramic pots with magic symbols on it, they exchange magic bullets with life hearts and you can also use the town portal staff from within the volcano which generates a portal anywhere between volcano and town.

Hi Vein,
every version was tested with a completion of 100% before submitting it to Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft. However, not patching the game increases the risk that you run into a bug or glitch. One major bug that was fixed after release was a quest progress bug that could occur after Haunted Mansion (in the case of not following the quest markers). The physical release is limited to the Day1 edition and right now there are no plans of reprinting it. If we work on a new physical release (currently we don't have anything to announce), it would be always based on the latest version available, which means patches are included.

We didn't like the helmets as they covered the face/head too much and transforming between characters was less satisfying because the visual change was less apparent. Also we liked the hair-play animation which made the character look more dynamic (e.g. lion/human). Another reason was that we didn't see a big benefit of another defense related stats upgrade so we changed the helmets to bracelets which had a more universal magical stat upgrade. That made the gear more fun to buy, use and combine.

There was allready a remake called "Wonderboy Returns".

Bonjour,

Merci pour votre message, on est vraiment ravis de lire que vous appréciez Monster Boy!

Pour la partition de Ollie chez les pirates: cela sera corrigé dans un patch qui arrivera très prochainement.

Pour le manoir hanté: avez-vous regardé le miroir qui se trouve au RDC à gauche du hall d'entrée?

Enfin, le système de multi-sauvegardes sera également ajouté dans le prochain patch.

Merci pour votre patience et bon jeu!

Bonjour,

Est-ce que vous allez sortir des versions physiques en europe? et specialement en france?

Merci

Hey, Michael Keramea! There already is a remake of the very first Wonder Boy game. It’s made by South Korean company CFK and it’s available via PSN (PS4) and Steam (PC). The name of this game is “Wonder Boy Returns”.

Hi Alfredo,

congratulations and thank you for playing Monster Boy! You've been with us on this blog for a long time now and it makes me happy that you're also among the first to finish it

Thank you so much, David! It's awesome to hear about your positive experience with Monster Boy, especially as Wonder Boy veteran! ^_^

Hi BFK, thank you very much for sending feedback to our support. They all got forwarded to the dev team and you'll soon also receive a response (the support team is working through all communication that stacked during holidays).

We're working on the PC Version but first we need to improve the code base. Here's an excerpt from what I posted on ResetEra boards:

Right now we're still working on improving the first time experience for many console users and some bugs and glitches came up that we want to fix before taking the code and building the PC version based on that. We also plan to add more savegame slots for Switch players first. In the near future we plan to release 1.0.4 to all consoles with many bugs/glitches fixed that came up during Christmas/New Year player feedback and reports. Then we add saveslots and an anti-flashing light option for players with epilepsy/sensitivity to light flashes. Finally, when we finish the PC port we'll try to add 120Hz and 21:9 support. It will take some time and we'll announce an exact date for PC later. Thank you for your patience!

Well i am half agree with you .

Pc version could be release before fixing bugs on consoles . Even if pc version suffer of those little bugs , pc version could be update at the same time of console versions .
Here the state is that we have to wait before playing this game and that can take long time .
Since monster boy it is a reboot of Wonderboy it is definately a game wich will sell better on steam and on pc since pc gamers are players that played in there childhood the real wonderboy in arcade not like the kids who are playing on console and dont even know the original wonderboy .

I'm stuck at 99,7% because of a bug (already reported) at the beach were I messed up to get a music sheet at the first try.
Can't press the button again to retry.

Any news, when the next update will be released?

But still a great game, I sure replay it again!

My Wonderboy History:

Wonderboy (Arcade)
Wonderboy in Monsterland (Commodore Amiga 500)
Wonderboy 3 Monster Lair (Arcade)
Wonderboy 3 Dragons Trap (Sega Game Gear)
Wonderboy in Monstworld (Sega Mega Drive)

Still hope to get a Sequel to the best game of the series:

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

Thank you very much for this game!

Félicitations à toute l'équipe ! J'avoue avoir été plutôt sceptique en suivant le projet de loin, je n'aurais jamais pensé à une telle qualité au final. Je m'incline, Monster Boy égale même, voire dépasse, le magnifique remake de the Dragon's Trap. Un bel exemple d'évolution, de prise en compte des feedbacks des internautes, de remises en question, de dépassement. Encore bravo et merci !

I was taking a trip home using the U-Bahn (subway transit raitl system) of Berlin yesterday and was looking at the info screens there. And what did I see? A commercial for a video game. And these types of commercials are really rare there. It was (I think) the second commercial for a video game I've ever seen in the U-Bahn. And what game was it? Monster Boy.

Can't wait to experience this amazing game on steam. I have 749 games in my collection and this will make the final game I will buy as I doubt I will live long enough to play all that I already have;-)
What an amazingly detailed and brilliant game to go out on when it comes!

Thank you! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the game so far! ^_^

Merci beaucoup et félicitations pour avoir terminé Monster Boy à 100%! Ravi d'entendre que l'aventure vous ait plu
Effectivement le Berserker est un peu déséquilibré, c'est pourquoi dans le prochain patch la défense sera divisée par 1.5 au lieu de 2.
Donner x2 à la place aurait été un peu trop clément et fait perdre du challenge à certains passages vers la fin du jeu.
A bientôt!

Hi Brisca,

yes we changed the writing to 2019 because we're still busy with fixing bugs and glitches in the console version. It doesn't make sense to release a PC version when we still work on the main code of the game. We'll announce a PC release date as soon as we know it. Please stay tuned and thank you for your patience.

The fact this game isn't out on PC yet is unacceptable.

I've heard all the excuses, how hard it is to release for all platforms, etc.
but I don't believe any of it. Sure, naive users who already own & play the
game on their consoles can repeat what you say and call people with my
viewpoint jerks but this has been a long time coming and the frustration
is justified. My anger is not misplaced and not only do I program myself but
I have seen many other companies release multi-platform simultaneously
and on time, without constant delays and excuses.

The PC is the best gaming platform for obvious reasons.
It is far more powerful & flexible than consoles.
It gets most things that come out on console, except the few exclusives.
It has far more exclusives it's self than on any console and it has graphic
and sound capabilities that will always be ahead of consoles.
The game it's self was developed on a PC and is just a 2D platformer!
PC users are being made to suffer, even though we own the best platform!

I'm sick of hearing about how hard things are. Other companies do these
things all the time. All your problems seem marketing related, not technical.
Seems like every decision to delay has been marketing, using catch
phrases like "we want to wait for a good quality release" when it is all crap
and the game could have gone out months ago, on all platforms.

All I see is everyone patting themselves on the back for how great they did
and how great the reviews are but no one is even considering the fact that
us PC users have not even got a chance to play it yet!
How do you think we feel seeing you congratulating yourselves when the
game still isn't even out for our platform yet? You know how we feel?
OFFENDED.

I don't want to see how happy you are because you made a bundle of cash
dealing with big companies like Sony and Microsoft and Nintendo.
And I don't want to hear about how the PC version sold less when the reason
for this is because by the time it comes out on PC, it will have already been
spoiled and played through and old news, no one wants to buy that!

In the future, either release everything all at once or don't do it until you can.
This game has been a nightmare for those of us who waited through
delay after delay and have been given excuse after excuse for YEARS.
Our patience has finally blossomed into anger, and justifiably so!

Seems like you view the game as already released and are already
drinking the champagne of victory and THAT is why it isn't on PC yet.
I believe that if it was the Switch instead that you had chose to delay,
you would not be behaving in this way and would have already busted
your butts to make sure it was out by now.

Utterly disappointed. 8(

Hi DA, the most important part is the VRAM (requires 2GB VRAM). So if you have a computer with 4GB RAM and a GPU with 2GB VRAM it will run. You'll be able to configure the controls to your liking including mouse+keyboard.

Hi there, FDG/Atelier crew!

Just wanted to comment on the Epic Store situation and pc-version :

PLEASE don't skip steam (or/and gog) in favor of Epic store exclusivity, no matter how great the deal might seem.
Remember that even though you could make a better profit for each sale on Epic Store, you'll reach many millions more on the other, established platforms.

Better to sell 10 million copies on steam than 1 million on Epic, right?

And one more thing : Like everybody else here, I'm eagerly awaiting news regarding the pc release of Monser Boy. I've had it in my steam wishlist since june 2018 (and on my radar since january 2014).

Yes you're busy perfecting the console versions first, and I understand you want a best possible grounding to base the pc port on, but a release date/window and pre-order option would be hugely appreciated!

Changing from Q1 to only 2019 on steam only furthered the notion that this will be going through many delays, that's why we're getting a little impatient, after 5 years of waiting

I bought a Switch primarily to play this game, that's how much it's meant to me through all the waiting

Best wishes on the bugfixing and pc version porting, and all the best to the whole team!

Erik

Hi MD, we understand that the PC release is important to you (it is to us as well) but we're still working on the game and will release the PC version as soon as we're ready. There's no artificial delay from our side even if you don't want to believe us

Regarding your theory about sales of an old game: Blossom Tales was released on PC first one year before Switch and the sales have been abysmal compared to console sales. Steam first isn't a guarantee for healthy sales, it always depends on the game.

Just keep doing your thing, guys.
It's on my Steam wishlist and I'm super looking forward to it but I've waited 25+ years for a new wonderboy, so if it takes a few extra months to come to PC, it's hardly a big deal. Maybe you can make it in time for the 30 year anniversary of WB3's western release (which I guess would be feb/march)?
Anyway, keep pushing it folks. Thanks for bringing back wonderboy and I hope sales are doing well enough that you're already pondering a sequel.

Its funny as wonderboy was the very first game I played on the sega master system which my parents generously bought me for my birthday at age 7. They also bought me Global Defence which was rock hard but I managed to complete it. Wonderboy 2 was a marvel and wonderboy 3 was just plain brilliant. I'm such a huge fan and busting to play this game. Oh and for those you don't know, there is a remake of wonderboy 3 on all platforms and the graphics are absolutely amazing. I just wish they remade it by making it a different game though as the only improvement are the visuals.

Salut, Y aura t il une version boite Europe?
Merci

Been playing this over the last several days and I just wanted to chime in and heap praise on your team for this incredible achievement. It's clear how much love and effort went into the development. I haven't finished it yet but I'm around 75% map completion and I have to say it's absolutely worth the asking price. I grew up as a Sega kid, and Wonder Boy III's non linear gameplay captured my imagination but over the last twenty or so years I became more of a Nintendo guy. After playing Monster Boy I'd proudly list it alongside Nintendo's best games and it's inspired me to go back and rediscover the whole series. Excellent work and I can't wait to see what's next from you guys.

I read in an article that you are afraid of releasing the pc version. I still do not understand if because it has bound "nintendo" or because you snub the pc gaming. Thanks for the attention !!!

Retro Gamer magazine gave this game 95 percent and said it was even better than Dragon's Trap which is quite the achievement. Congratulations!!!

Hi there Thomas/FDG!

Will there be a pre-order option for the Steam-version of the game? I know you stil have some work left on the pc-version but we fans would greatly appreciate a pre order option as soon as you settle on a release date and price

Best Regards

Erik

Thank you very much for the quick response

The PC version will be the 4th time i buy the game (1st japanese switch eshop preorder, 2nd european switch eshop (so that my favorite game is linked to the most used nintendo account), 3rd Switch physical US import, and 4th Steam PC version when available). You deserve all the support you can get with such an amazing work of art in todays gaming world of triple-A sequels, microtransactions- and dlc-infested "junkfood"-games.
Thank you for keeping the spirit of colorful 80's and 90's action-rpg platformers alive, and for keeping the Wonder Boy/Monster World franchise relevant after all these years!

Sincerely,

Erik

YOU GUYS HAVE EARNED IT!!!!!!!

I too am waiting for the pre-order. I am trembling with excitement wanting to play this game finally.

Bought the physical game yesterday. My son enjoyed playing it. He played first the demo on switch and I'm so happy that he likes to have a copy of the game so we decided to buy it. I also like the free stickers and manual that came inside the game case. I seldom see manuals now a days and we really appreciate the effort having it included in the game. Reading the manual and having pictures on it makes me remember my childhood days on the SNES. Hope you make more games and cheers from the Philippines!

It is really sad that there is no physical release for Xbox one
Any idea when a fix/patch will be proposed for the Ollie’s sheet impossible to collect after completing the game ?

Bonjour à toute l'équipe. Il y a bien longtemps que je n'ai pas écrit un petit mot sur ce blog. Il me semble que la version PC est bientôt prête, et je suis vraiment content pour les joueurs PC. J'espère que le jeu rencontrera le même succès que sur console. Lorsque tout sera fini, serait il possible de mettre un lien PDF de la notice pour ceux qui on choisi d'acheter le jeu en démat ? Autre point que j'aimerai aborder, je pense que la remarque à déjà été faite mais il y a une petite coquille dans le texte. En effet lorsqu'on achète la tenue de feu, il est noté tenue écarTate au lieu d'écarLate. Rien de bien grave mais une future correction sera là bienvenue. Merci pour votre attention.

Ignore my previous message it works fine now thanks !! I was hoping to reach 100%, but i’m stuck at 99% I wonder what I could have missed..

Congratulations, but is the pc version expected? and when?

Bonjour à toute l'équipe.

Vous devez tous être là tête dans le guidon pour terminer la version PC, mais je me demandé si dans un avenir plus ou moins proche un mode new game + serait envisageable ? Avec en option, soit recommencer avec ses pièces déjà accumulées, coeurs et équipement. Ou bien recommencer avec les transformations sans les talismans. Qu'en pensez-vous?
Ce n'est que mon avis, mais je trouverai ça vraiment sympa de refaire une partie avec des avantages non négligeable. Merci à tous

Merci pour votre réponse Fabien. Dernière question. Lorsque la version PC sera terminée et que toute l'équipe aura pris du repos est-il toujours envisageable d'avoir des avatars Jin, cochon, Zeke etc.. pour notre compte PS4 / XOne. C'est une demande que j'ai déjà formulée il y a pas mal de temps, je me demandé si cette idée est toujours dans les cartons? Merci encore de prendre le temps de répondre à toutes mes questions.

C'est bien dommage, j'aurai aimé un avatar MB pour ma PS4 ou ma Switch. Tant pis

Hi Brisma, do you mean updated information about the release date? It will be July 25 on Steam and GOG same day release. cheers!

Hi Leons, thank you very much for your feedback. I took notes to consider it for later updates, but right now we're taking care of some crash bugs that a small group of players experienced in the demo. We want to make sure Monster Boy runs very well on the majority of PC's before adding further video options. cheers!

Hi Erik, thank you very much for supporting us with your purchase of Monster Boy PC! ^_^ Yes, we're planning to offer a pre-purchase option within the coming weeks. Thank you for your patience!

Thank you very much for checking out the PC demo and your feedback! ^_^

Thanks a lot, LJM! We're very happy to hear about your positive experience with Monster Boy!

Hi Alfredo!
We currently don't have a sales update to announce but the game is still doing best on Switch. The new project with Game Atelier is a different game but we hope you'll like it as much as Monster Boy!

Not yet, unfortunately. Please stay tuned^^