Fans of Wonder Boy should take note of retro publisher Ratalaika Games’ new action platformer Massi. It’s due for release on Switch, PlayStation and Xbox on the 10th of October 2024 with a budget-busting price of just $5. The game centres on Massi, who was once the King of the land of Numidia, but he lost his kingdom after a terrible tragedy befell him. Massi must now fight alongside his friends to win back his lands. Along the way, there will be new skills to learn, bosses to fight, equipment to find and puzzles to solve.
From watching the trailer, it’s clear this pixel-art adventure is paying homage to the classic Sega-published series. Many of the enemies are very similar to those found in Wonder Boy on the Master System, but this isn’t the only game this budget title is emulating. There are classic wall climbs that wouldn’t look out of place in Strider and platforming sections in the classic 16-bit style. The combat also appears to have many elements to it including blocking, parrying and combos that will help keep the formula fresh. There are also some modern mechanics to utilise such as stealth and roll manouveaurs.
