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Contemplating "Every Port" of Wonder Boy makes my head spin... especially with the Adventure Island License and those new revisions Returns and Remixed
This is one of my favourite games of all time. Memories of standing around the arcade cab around and yes absolutely caning the Hit Squad C64 cassette. I’d forgot how good a version it was, it has to be the best platformer on the system. I would be interested to see a world record attempt of the arcade (not by you though don’t worry lol)
would have been surprised if anything else than the sms version got first place, it's pretty much arcade perfect. just love the wonderboy series of games, monsterland and monsterworld are at the top of my list of favourite games on the sms & md.
Brilliant, my all time favourite platform game since I saw it on holiday in Spain back in 1986. This is the game that had me begging my parents for a SMS. When I got it for Christmas along with OutRun and Afterburner I was blown away. These days I get my fix of all things Wonder Boy via my Astro City Arcade Machine and the Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection on my PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
I'm a Sega guy. I owed the Master System as a kid. But the NES Adventure Island looks like it has some advantages including the larger spites of the eggs, snails and octopuses.
Hi, youtube suggested your video in my home page. So I take a chance to inform you about my free fan game based on Wonder Boy and Monster World. Many of the character and monsters and gimmicks fromthe first Wonder Boy you showed in your video are featured in the game which take account of material from all the differnt versione and ports of, not only the first WB, but the whole series. I'll be glad if you play it and review the game.
I played the SMS version a lot as a kid but never managed to completely finish it. I could play through the whole game getting all the Doll Bonuses in every level but never got past that damn 10-2 cloud jumping level. It just went on forever iirc.
Awww, thank you very much. I was planning to end this series at the start of the new year but because it is so popular and I keep getting requests come in every day. I will likely continue it for some time now.
The only game in series I finished is Super Adventure Island 2, which is more of a sidescroller RPG, I need to go through Monster World ones, especially 4, which is basically Shantae but green.
The Master System version transports me back 30 odd years just from heading that music. My friend would always play this or Double Dragon just before we went to school.
The ZX Sprectrum is very interesting (& an example of the game's makers being astoundingly LAZY)! If you look carefully (read = the HUD too), it has 6 colors. Yellow, purple, red, green, light blue for the environment & the characters (usually green), & black (for the background). Despite the presence of 6 different colors (sometimes _all_ at the same time), the lazily _limited_ the environments & characters to ONE color (2 if you count the black). _That_ was just refusing to use _all_ of the colors where they were needed the _,most!_
I had this on my Master System 2, and was a lot of fun back in the day. Definitely liked the WB in Monster Land port as well. Two of the handful of titles that did actually provide a "near-arcade experience," unlike something like Michael Jackson's Moonwalker which really disappointed me.
The Master System version is the best. The difficulty level was turned down slightly in terms of enemies on the screen in the earlier levels - the graphics are close but not as good as the arcade, but it has more levels. This seems to be a SMS thing: its version of Bubble Bobble is called 'BB extra' by fans. I think SMS's Wonderboy is really 'Wonderboy Extra'.
I like Adventure Island on the NES most. Sure, it has the changed character and music, but what's important to me mostly is how it 'feels' compared to the arcade game, and it's the closest of all the ports in terms of enemy placement and stage designs...even the Master System version that most people love messes about with the stage designs and outright changes some completely later on, as well as the order they appear in. So Adventure Island is actually a more authentic version of the Wonder Boy arcade game than any of the actual 'official' Wonder Boy ports in my opinion. I'm glad you included it on your list anyway.
NES version was "Takahashi Meijin's Bouken Jima" or "Pro (gamer) Takahashi's Adventure Island" with literal translation. Takahashi was Hudson's game pro, hugely popular among all the Famicom playing kids (tho interesting story - he later came out saying he was just a regular Hudson employee that was thrust into the space as the company's marketing campaign which exploded, but he was never good at games). I think the NES version is better than the Sega original and the music is better too as it break the monotony of the same music playing over and over across all stages in the original. Hudson also licensed Sega's Wonder Boy in Monster World, swapped out the character sprites and released it as Bikkuriman World on PC Engine to big sales as it was one of the few launch titles.
Totally agree with your order. I too had and cherished the C64 version (and boy was it a struggle finding a copy of it back then), but when playing the Master System version later on could see it was the superior port, but wasnt unhappy we had the C64 port as it was.
Big fan of the OG Wonderboy here. I think it holds up better than Super Mario Bros purely because I can whack on the arcade version or the SMS port today and enjoy it a tonne. I'm also a fan of Hudsonsoft but consider NES Adventure Island to be somewhat of a poor bootleg experience compared to the SMS arcade port. Special shout out to New Adventure Island on the PC Engine, which is a beautiful reimagining of the concept.
Great video for a great game!!! Congratulations!!! Next steps 》》》 OPERATION WOLF, FROGGER, BUGGY BOY, PAC MAN, GREEN BERET, BOMB JACK & more & more...!!!
Do you know what? Even though the trusty old C64 rarely if ever gets the number 1 spot for any conversions its still the machine I think of with most fondness. That's nostalgia for you eh? It just holds a special place in my heart and Wonderboy was part of it. I bought it from a flea market stall holder who sold pirated versions of 8 bit games - good times. I even remember the colour of the cassette used to pirate it - it was a cheap green translucent plastic. Amazing the things you remember. That was 39 years ago.
C64 is my favourite micro so much so I have covered it relentlessly in the past. New hardware, new games etc. But when it comes to it. My favourite isn't always the best. Here you go. One example here for a new C64 Case install: th-cam.com/video/wV11hjW7bZo/w-d-xo.html
You have to collect the fruits to keep the "Vitality" bar full while travelling through to the goal. SMS version is the one I grew up with. Great videos
Had this on the Game Gear, a total joy to play. Amstrad version was lazy and abysmal. Did they ever complete the remake that was announced a couple of years back? 🤔
So is the not understanding Roman numerals bit a joke or is it genuine? I've heard "IV", as in "intravenous" for 4 a couple of times in these videos and at this point I just have to ask.
Wonder Boy on Amstrad is rare in that it actually takes the C64 sprites and drops them into an Amstrad game. It's not the best and the music becomes very annoying. There was a much better homebrew in development but that has been paused for now
I'd change the 3rd and 4th places positions (sorry, the sprite of Wonder Boy in C64 is uglier than Takahashi Meijin in Adventure Island) and include the PC Engine's New Adventure Island as a contender for the 1st place, even with its liberties. Anyway, I agree with most of what you've shown here.
@@JustJamie1983 hmmm I'd say half and half fella RF output/other Amstrad CPC464 ZX Spectrum Sega SG-1000 Sega Game Gear composite video Commodore 64 MSX1 models NES Sega Master System I can make no sense of it bruv
Ah yes, the caveman type game I used to play this in those 999 in 1 console, good times Anyway, ZX Spectrum one looks…pretty weird? It's not bad or at least not the worst, it's just weird This is pretty predictable to know who's at the top if it's Sega's property, but good list
Even though I had the turbografx "New Adventure Island" I am glad it didn't make an appearance here as I have a controversial take on games like this being too cutesy for my liking same with dare I say this without other turbografx fans accusing me of heresy I never truly liked the "Bonk" games for same reason. There are just some games despite their popularity I seem to loathe. Only reason I got it was because it came as a bundle of games.
@@JustJamie1983 yeup and the sequel for the pcengine isn't New Adventure Island 2 or Wonder boy 2 its called Dragons Curse. There was a third game in the series for the TG-16 as a cd title which finally used "wonderboy" in its name Wonder Boy ||| Monster Lair. I eluded to Nintendo a few times but they're the main reason for the naming being all over the place with this particular series. Still to this day developers fear Nintendo's wrath. I haven't bought another nintendo product since the wii and Nintendo's closure of that system's virtual console rendering my purchases on it to nothing so yeah I am very much boycotting them. They do developers and their own consumers dirty. Its why I own a TG-16 mini they cannot take that away from me. I hope a fate awaits Nintendo far worse than Sega's exit from the console market.
@JustJamie1983 I have no attachment with Nintendo what so ever. But from what I could see on your video. There is no way a c64 port has anything over the nes port
I don't understand why you went with this crappy Amstrad version when the 2020 remake is vastly superior to all 8bits releases, showing once again that the CPC rules the 8bits world.
I had the Speccy version, played the master system one in my mates, we played it literally all night. C64 wonder boys been on the beds man 😂 Boss list mate.
@JustJamie1983 just trying to think of a game that deserves a list but it's difficult finding one I know that could have been better on home versions Vs the arcade or what was good on Speccy or Atari Vs anything else. Turrican 2 on Atari STe was better than the Amiga but wasn't on arcade. What about enduro racer? I actually liked the master system version of that, totally different but was actually better than the arcade.
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I have very fond memories with the Master system version.
It sure was a great version 👍
My fav version
Me too. Especially considering that the Master System was my first ever console.
Totally agree with this one. The Master System was so great.
Contemplating "Every Port" of Wonder Boy makes my head spin... especially with the Adventure Island License and those new revisions Returns and Remixed
This is one of my favourite games of all time. Memories of standing around the arcade cab around and yes absolutely caning the Hit Squad C64 cassette. I’d forgot how good a version it was, it has to be the best platformer on the system. I would be interested to see a world record attempt of the arcade (not by you though don’t worry lol)
would have been surprised if anything else than the sms version got first place, it's pretty much arcade perfect.
just love the wonderboy series of games, monsterland and monsterworld are at the top of my list of favourite games on the sms & md.
Brilliant, my all time favourite platform game since I saw it on holiday in Spain back in 1986. This is the game that had me begging my parents for a SMS. When I got it for Christmas along with OutRun and Afterburner I was blown away. These days I get my fix of all things Wonder Boy via my Astro City Arcade Machine and the Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection on my PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
I'm a Sega guy. I owed the Master System as a kid. But the NES Adventure Island looks like it has some advantages including the larger spites of the eggs, snails and octopuses.
Hi, youtube suggested your video in my home page. So I take a chance to inform you about my free fan game based on Wonder Boy and Monster World. Many of the character and monsters and gimmicks fromthe first Wonder Boy you showed in your video are featured in the game which take account of material from all the differnt versione and ports of, not only the first WB, but the whole series. I'll be glad if you play it and review the game.
Sure, that's fine. Drop me an email. Thanks.
I played the SMS version a lot as a kid but never managed to completely finish it. I could play through the whole game getting all the Doll Bonuses in every level but never got past that damn 10-2 cloud jumping level. It just went on forever iirc.
Been subscribed for a bit,but wanted to hop in and say I love what you are doing here.Please keep it up.Appreciate you. ☺️👍
Awww, thank you very much. I was planning to end this series at the start of the new year but because it is so popular and I keep getting requests come in every day. I will likely continue it for some time now.
The only game in series I finished is Super Adventure Island 2, which is more of a sidescroller RPG, I need to go through Monster World ones, especially 4, which is basically Shantae but green.
Wonderboy's music is second only to Zorro, for inducing insanity.
The Master System hardware is very similar to the System 1 arcade, so no wonder the port looks so good.
i still own the new version n bought winder boy on the virtual console on the wii..merry christmas . happy new year.
The Gameboy version is brilliant.
I bought the Sega Master System just to have this game !!
I bet you were chuffed.
The Master System version transports me back 30 odd years just from heading that music. My friend would always play this or Double Dragon just before we went to school.
Woah. You had time to play games before School?
@JustJamie1983 yeah, well primary school we did as we lived pretty close.
The ZX Sprectrum is very interesting (& an example of the game's makers being astoundingly LAZY)! If you look carefully (read = the HUD too), it has 6 colors. Yellow, purple, red, green, light blue for the environment & the characters (usually green), & black (for the background). Despite the presence of 6 different colors (sometimes _all_ at the same time), the lazily _limited_ the environments & characters to ONE color (2 if you count the black). _That_ was just refusing to use _all_ of the colors where they were needed the _,most!_
I used to be able to ace this game on arcade
Wonderboy with the Scorpion Engine is pretty good too
Yeah, played the Amiga port. It is pretty cool.
Thanks Jamie. I am fond of the NES version.
My pleasure my friend 😀
I had this on my Master System 2, and was a lot of fun back in the day. Definitely liked the WB in Monster Land port as well. Two of the handful of titles that did actually provide a "near-arcade experience," unlike something like Michael Jackson's Moonwalker which really disappointed me.
I had the hit-squad version as well... easily one of the best C64 games ever, and the best £2.99 anyone could ever spend.
Definitely
The Master System version is the best. The difficulty level was turned down slightly in terms of enemies on the screen in the earlier levels - the graphics are close but not as good as the arcade, but it has more levels. This seems to be a SMS thing: its version of Bubble Bobble is called 'BB extra' by fans. I think SMS's Wonderboy is really 'Wonderboy Extra'.
There are a lot of good ports of this one! Yay.
Yup fairly.
Looked up the Game Gear cover art. You weren't kidding about it being sinister.
Haha. I don't lie about something this serious.
I remember this game on c64 an̈d we just called it Wonderboy
Most of us did.
I like Adventure Island on the NES most. Sure, it has the changed character and music, but what's important to me mostly is how it 'feels' compared to the arcade game, and it's the closest of all the ports in terms of enemy placement and stage designs...even the Master System version that most people love messes about with the stage designs and outright changes some completely later on, as well as the order they appear in. So Adventure Island is actually a more authentic version of the Wonder Boy arcade game than any of the actual 'official' Wonder Boy ports in my opinion. I'm glad you included it on your list anyway.
Hey, no worries. Thanks for watching.
NES version was "Takahashi Meijin's Bouken Jima" or "Pro (gamer) Takahashi's Adventure Island" with literal translation. Takahashi was Hudson's game pro, hugely popular among all the Famicom playing kids (tho interesting story - he later came out saying he was just a regular Hudson employee that was thrust into the space as the company's marketing campaign which exploded, but he was never good at games). I think the NES version is better than the Sega original and the music is better too as it break the monotony of the same music playing over and over across all stages in the original. Hudson also licensed Sega's Wonder Boy in Monster World, swapped out the character sprites and released it as Bikkuriman World on PC Engine to big sales as it was one of the few launch titles.
Totally agree with your order. I too had and cherished the C64 version (and boy was it a struggle finding a copy of it back then), but when playing the Master System version later on could see it was the superior port, but wasnt unhappy we had the C64 port as it was.
I think the C64 had a near perfect port, the 64 could do it every now and then.
@@JustJamie1983 For sure it was better than the first attempt (Equalizer or Toddler)
@AmigaOmega haha. Equaliser. That was wierd.
Game Gear version cos it simplifier the gameplay, to run you dont push Throw button, you push Up-Right, this is a must for people with fat fingers.
Yes my man. Finally wonderboy💪
As requested my many.
Wow the SG1000 sprite is terrifying.
Lol
Big fan of the OG Wonderboy here. I think it holds up better than Super Mario Bros purely because I can whack on the arcade version or the SMS port today and enjoy it a tonne. I'm also a fan of Hudsonsoft but consider NES Adventure Island to be somewhat of a poor bootleg experience compared to the SMS arcade port. Special shout out to New Adventure Island on the PC Engine, which is a beautiful reimagining of the concept.
I personally love Wonder Boy Returns. Did you play it?
I was terrible at this game in 1987 and nothing has changed in 2024
Haha, it's certainly requires a skill.
Great video for a great game!!! Congratulations!!! Next steps 》》》 OPERATION WOLF, FROGGER, BUGGY BOY, PAC MAN, GREEN BERET, BOMB JACK & more & more...!!!
Haha, too many requested. I am working through them lol
Do you know what? Even though the trusty old C64 rarely if ever gets the number 1 spot for any conversions its still the machine I think of with most fondness. That's nostalgia for you eh? It just holds a special place in my heart and Wonderboy was part of it. I bought it from a flea market stall holder who sold pirated versions of 8 bit games - good times. I even remember the colour of the cassette used to pirate it - it was a cheap green translucent plastic. Amazing the things you remember. That was 39 years ago.
C64 is my favourite micro so much so I have covered it relentlessly in the past. New hardware, new games etc. But when it comes to it. My favourite isn't always the best. Here you go. One example here for a new C64 Case install:
th-cam.com/video/wV11hjW7bZo/w-d-xo.html
Great video and game !! How could the publisher release the Amstrad version ??? It was just awful !!
Because sadly. Those ruthless money grabbers knew kids would buy them.
Master System even if you don't consider the arcade elements.
GOOOOO WONDERBOY!!!! JUMP AND THROW THE HATCHETS!!!!!!
Awesome game.
BREAK THE EGG AND RIDE THE SKATEBOARD!!!!
Don't forget to check out the Equalizer on the C64. Its a rip off, but hey its fun.
Yup. Played it. It's not bad.
@@JustJamie1983 Was a great budget game when it came out. And looked better then the c64 version in some ways.
@Dimahoo1973 100%
I wanted to put a request for bad dudes vs dragon ninja comparison video, if you haven't done so already
Hey there, i have such a huge backlog lol
It is coming at some point.
Master System was the one i had. Totally agree the best of the lot. Wonder why Amiga or ST never got a port? Game seems perfect for 16 bit power.
Amiga and ST and versions but they were sequels. No idea why they didn't get original ports.
Isn't it a health bar not time?
Wonder Boy dosent have a health bar in the original game. This is a timer.
Ok@@JustJamie1983
You have to collect the fruits to keep the "Vitality" bar full while travelling through to the goal. SMS version is the one I grew up with. Great videos
I like the Gamecube version but you need a Free Loader to play it on real hardware. It's Japanese only.
Had this on the Game Gear, a total joy to play.
Amstrad version was lazy and abysmal. Did they ever complete the remake that was announced a couple of years back? 🤔
For Amstrad?
@JustJamie1983 Yeah, Amstrad. There's a few vids for it here on TH-cam.
Development has been suspended for a while now. It may restart at some point
Thats not Wonderboy, that's Eric Cartman in the Spectrum version! :D
Haha. Great resemblance 😀
So is the not understanding Roman numerals bit a joke or is it genuine? I've heard "IV", as in "intravenous" for 4 a couple of times in these videos and at this point I just have to ask.
Seemed pretty fancy to have roman numerals. Much like horror films did and still do.
Wonder Boy on Amstrad is rare in that it actually takes the C64 sprites and drops them into an Amstrad game. It's not the best and the music becomes very annoying. There was a much better homebrew in development but that has been paused for now
Hopefully. CPC users will get a better release.
I'd change the 3rd and 4th places positions (sorry, the sprite of Wonder Boy in C64 is uglier than Takahashi Meijin in Adventure Island) and include the PC Engine's New Adventure Island as a contender for the 1st place, even with its liberties. Anyway, I agree with most of what you've shown here.
The PC Engine game is just far too different. But I understand.
No way is the composite version better than the NES. By a fair margin at that in my opinion.
Awesome. Thanks for your feedback.
composite version? whats that?
It means that most of these systems covered had composite output. No idea why this person expressed it like this..
@@JustJamie1983 hmmm I'd say half and half fella
RF output/other
Amstrad CPC464
ZX Spectrum
Sega SG-1000
Sega Game Gear
composite video
Commodore 64
MSX1 models
NES
Sega Master System
I can make no sense of it bruv
Haha
Ah yes, the caveman type game
I used to play this in those 999 in 1 console, good times
Anyway, ZX Spectrum one looks…pretty weird? It's not bad or at least not the worst, it's just weird
This is pretty predictable to know who's at the top if it's Sega's property, but good list
Hey, thanks buddy. I appreciate it 😀
@@JustJamie1983 you're welcome!
No Amiga Port?
Only had sequels on Amiga and ST. The Amiga release from a few years back cannot qualify as it is an after market game.
Even though I had the turbografx "New Adventure Island" I am glad it didn't make an appearance here as I have a controversial take on games like this being too cutesy for my liking same with dare I say this without other turbografx fans accusing me of heresy I never truly liked the "Bonk" games for same reason. There are just some games despite their popularity I seem to loathe. Only reason I got it was because it came as a bundle of games.
As you know. A very strange history with versions and names etc.
@@JustJamie1983 yeup and the sequel for the pcengine isn't New Adventure Island 2 or Wonder boy 2 its called Dragons Curse. There was a third game in the series for the TG-16 as a cd title which finally used "wonderboy" in its name Wonder Boy ||| Monster Lair. I eluded to Nintendo a few times but they're the main reason for the naming being all over the place with this particular series. Still to this day developers fear Nintendo's wrath. I haven't bought another nintendo product since the wii and Nintendo's closure of that system's virtual console rendering my purchases on it to nothing so yeah I am very much boycotting them. They do developers and their own consumers dirty. Its why I own a TG-16 mini they cannot take that away from me. I hope a fate awaits Nintendo far worse than Sega's exit from the console market.
Everyones yanked their joystick at some point in their lives 😬
Haha
c64 version over the nes one? what have you been smoking?
if you rule the c64 one out, the tope 4 are basically identical apart from the nes sprites
Retro gaming has much more to offer than just Nintendo 😉
@JustJamie1983 I have no attachment with Nintendo what so ever. But from what I could see on your video. There is no way a c64 port has anything over the nes port
@blvk3 I see. Well. Thanks for your feedback. Merry Christmas.
I don't understand why you went with this crappy Amstrad version when the 2020 remake is vastly superior to all 8bits releases, showing once again that the CPC rules the 8bits world.
Because that's not the point of the video. I mention in most that NO after market releases.
Remake hasn't been finished as of yet unfortunately
sega retron what's on his head?.....a cabbage 😂😂
Adventure Island is not Wonderboy at all. Just a copy so not it is not a port, just a copy
It was ported as Wonder Boy. For legalities it had to be changed to "Adventure Island" with a few changes in the game itself.
I had the Speccy version, played the master system one in my mates, we played it literally all night.
C64 wonder boys been on the beds man 😂
Boss list mate.
Haha thanks
@JustJamie1983 just trying to think of a game that deserves a list but it's difficult finding one I know that could have been better on home versions Vs the arcade or what was good on Speccy or Atari Vs anything else.
Turrican 2 on Atari STe was better than the Amiga but wasn't on arcade.
What about enduro racer? I actually liked the master system version of that, totally different but was actually better than the arcade.
@JustJamie1983 maybe......
Ikari warriors
Shadow warriors
Enduro racer
Super hang on
Le mans 24 hour
Green beret
Cabal
@dlads79 thanks
@JustJamie1983 HOLY CRAP! I Have NEVER been embarrassed to have been a CPC Owner UNTIL NOW!!! That was F**KING AWFUL! Glad I never had that one!
Haha, yeah. It was pretty tragic.