Monster Boy - Monster World Spiritual Sequel

**BonusKun** · 09 Feb 2018, 10:40 PM

I don't care about the name so fucking much that it's not going to stop me from buying and playing this. Just get the game and just know in your heart what it is.

**Frogacuda** · 09 Feb 2018, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by BonusKun

I don't care about the name so fucking much that it's not going to stop me from buying and playing this. Just get the game and just know in your heart what it is.

It won't affect my enjoyment of the game, but it is absolutely going affect how it's perceived and how it sells. Even NZE is calling it an "imitation" and almost every article calls it a "spiritual successor." I don't think there's a lot of clarity on the message that this is a true sequel.

**BonusKun** · 09 Feb 2018, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by Frogacuda

It won't affect my enjoyment of the game, but it is absolutely going affect how it's perceived and how it sells. Even NZE is calling it an "imitation" and almost every article calls it a "spiritual successor." I don't think there's a lot of clarity on the message that this is a true sequel.

Well here's the thing you might have forgotten. Monster Boy wasn't the big system seller title like Mario was back in the day. Those of us who know what it is probably knew about this and what it was going to be from the start. Honestly I'm happy it's getting a full release and if anything it might get people curious about the previous games known as Monster Boy.

**NeoZeedeater** · 10 Feb 2018, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by Frogacuda

It won't affect my enjoyment of the game, but it is absolutely going affect how it's perceived and how it sells. Even NZE is calling it an "imitation" and almost every article calls it a "spiritual successor." I don't think there's a lot of clarity on the message that this is a true sequel.

I didn't even realize old Westone people joined this project but I admit I haven't followed this one closely. I was just thinking of the name it uses. Not that it really matters to me what it's called.

**Frogacuda** · 10 Feb 2018, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by NeoZeedeater

I didn't even realize old Westone people joined this project but I admit I haven't followed this one closely. I was just thinking of the name it uses. Not that it really matters to me what it's called.

I think Nishizawa's involvement is probably similar to his involvement in the Dragon's Trap remake, which is to say occasionally watching footage or playing a build and giving feedback. But since Wonder Boy has that weird thing where the name and the rest of the IP are held separately, this has the latter but not the former, and that's probably the more relevant part in deeming this "official" and "canon."

Originally Posted by BonusKun

Well here's the thing you might have forgotten. Monster Boy wasn't the big system seller title like Mario was back in the day. Those of us who know what it is probably knew about this and what it was going to be from the start. Honestly I'm happy it's getting a full release and if anything it might get people curious about the previous games known as Monster Boy.

Yeah, you say that, except a Wonder Boy game came out last year and actually ended up selling better than the original games did back in the day, so it would seem really smart to capitalize on that.

**kedawa** · 10 Feb 2018, 09:01 AM

I'm confused. I would think Sega owned the name, and Westone owned the rest, since the old Wonder Boy games were sold to Hudson and released as Adventure Island. It's all very convoluted, and with Westone being defunct company, I don't see how the name is even an issue.
If this gets a sequel, they need to call it Monster Boy in Wonder World.

**Frogacuda** · 10 Feb 2018, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by kedawa

I'm confused. I would think Sega owned the name, and Westone owned the rest, since the old Wonder Boy games were sold to Hudson and released as Adventure Island. It's all very convoluted, and with Westone being defunct company, I don't see how the name is even an issue.
If this gets a sequel, they need to call it Monster Boy in Wonder World.

Sega owns the name and nothing else. I used to think they owned the characters since Hudson always changed them, but apparently that was more about Hudson trying to build their own brands than because they needed to.

When Westone closed a couple years ago their IP was transferred to a holding company called LAT (they have some connection to the Westone people, but I forget the details). This includes the original games, characters, lore, etc. So this game is licensed through LAT, but not through Sega, even though Sega is publishing the physical release in the US. The Dragon's Trap remake was licensed through both.