Introduction Wonder Boy in Monster Land was developed by Westone and released by Sega in arcades in 1987, with the Master System version following in 1988. Many years after the first Wonder Boy, a fire-breathing MEKA dragon has invaded the peaceful Wonder Land and filled it with monsters, and the hero returns, now armed with…
Introduction Konami released Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest for the Famicom Disk System in Japan in 1987 and on NES cartridge in North America in 1988. Seven years after defeating Dracula, Simon Belmont discovers he carries a deadly curse, and the only way to lift it is to find the five scattered parts of Dracula’s body…
Introduction Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap was developed by Westone and published by Sega for the Master System in 1989. It opens where Wonder Boy in Monster Land ended: the hero defeats the Mecha Dragon, but its dying curse turns him into a fire-breathing Lizard-Man. To lift the curse he must defeat a series…
Introduction A Nightmare on Elm Street was published by LJN and developed by Rare, released for the NES in 1990 as a licensed adaptation of Wes Craven’s horror franchise, tasking players with controlling a group of Elm Street teenagers who must find and destroy Freddy Krueger’s bones before he can kill them in their dreams….
Introduction Soleil, released in North America as Crusader of Centy, was developed by Nextech and published by Sega, released for the Genesis in 1994 as an action-adventure heavily inspired by the top-down Zelda formula. Players control a young boy named Corona who can transform into animal forms and recruit talking animal companions that fight alongside…
Introduction Wonder Boy in Monster World was developed by Westone and published by Sega, released for the Genesis in 1991 as the fifth entry in the Wonder Boy series and the first to fully commit to the action-RPG structure the later Monster World games would refine. Players control Shion, a young adventurer who can purchase…
Introduction Goof Troop was developed and published by Capcom, released for the SNES in 1993 as a licensed adaptation of the Disney Afternoon animated series of the same name. Players control Goofy or his son Max, either solo with AI assistance or in two-player cooperative mode, working through an island full of block-pushing puzzles, item…
Introduction Demon’s Crest was developed and published by Capcom, released for the SNES in 1994 as a spin-off of the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series starring the gargoyle Firebrand, previously a recurring enemy in that franchise. Players explore a nonlinear world map searching for six elemental Crests that grant new powers and transformations, from a heavier…
Introduction Beyond Oasis was developed by Ancient and published by Sega, released for the Genesis in 1994 as an action-adventure following Prince Ali’s quest to master an ancient armlet capable of summoning elemental spirits. Combat blends direct sword-swinging and throwable weapons with four summonable spirits, fire, water, plant, and lightning, each solving different combat and…
Introduction Terranigma was developed by Quintet and published by Enix, released for the SNES in 1995 as the third entry in the studio’s loosely connected Gaia trilogy alongside Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia. Players control Ark, a boy from an underground village who accidentally releases the surface world from a sealed void, then sets…
Introduction The Goonies II was developed and published by Konami, released for the NES in 1987 as a loose sequel to the arcade platformer The Goonies, itself based on the 1985 film. Rather than repeating the arcade original’s stage-based action, The Goonies II restructures the series into a Metroidvania-style adventure, sending Mikey through a large…
Introduction Illusion of Gaia was developed by Quintet and published by Enix, released for the SNES in 1993 as an action-adventure following a young boy named Will who can transform into two other forms, the powerful Freedan and the healer Shadow, each suited to different combat and puzzle situations. The game sends players on a…