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Is Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom worth playing?
Yes, especially if you like action-platformers where new abilities change how you move through a connected world. Jin’s transformations are more than combat variations: each gives him tools for reaching places, solving environmental puzzles, and finding secrets. The game’s appeal is the steady process of learning where a form or piece of equipment can take you.
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Yoshi's Crafted World - Nintendo Switch | $52.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.82 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate - Nintendo Switch | $33.97 | Buy on Amazon |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch 2 | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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![Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51uFuaO-nlL._SL160_.jpg)
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Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code] | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Game Atelier developed the game, and FDG Entertainment published it. GameSpot describes it as an official successor to the Wonder Boy series. In his review published December 11, 2018, Ivan Ho scored it 8/10 (“Great”), praising the transformations, puzzles, world, hand-drawn art, and soundtrack, while noting that the plot does little beyond establishing its premise. Ho called it “a fantastic adventure in its own right, one that distinctly builds upon the best parts of Wonder Boy and adds some welcome modern conveniences for good measure.” Read the GameSpot review.
How do the transformations and exploration work?
Jin can switch between human form and five animal forms: pig, snake, frog, lion, and dragon. Their distinct abilities work alongside equipment, so progress often depends on choosing the right combination for a traversal challenge or puzzle. GameSpot gives examples such as equipment that enables walking on clouds or double-jumping.
#1 Best Overall
- Explore each stage and then find even more secrets by making your way through the stage backwards on the flip side
- Overcome varied enemies and obstacles, like Zombie Guys, Skelesaurus, Ukiki, and Monty Mole as you seek out hidden collectables; ESRB Content: Mild Cartoon Violence; Genre: Action, Platformer
- Pass a Joy Con controller to a friend for 2 player cooperative exploration
- Clad Yoshi in collectable, protective, handicraft costumes as he makes his way through each stage
The world rewards revisiting places as Jin gains more ways to move and interact with the environment. Puzzles increasingly combine powers, while platforming asks for more precise movement later in the adventure. Checkpoints make retries less punishing, but they do not remove the old-school edge noted in reviews. Nintendo Life described the game as retaining an old-school feel and warned of “8-bit era platforming trickiness.” Metacritic’s critic-review page reproduces that assessment.
How long is Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom?
There is no single completion time: estimates depend on whether you focus on finishing the adventure or uncovering its secrets.
Rank #2
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
- About 12–15 hours to beat: Nintendo Life’s estimate, published in 2018 and reproduced on Metacritic.
- About 15–20 hours to discover everything: GameSpot reviewer Ivan Ho’s 2018 estimate.
- More than 15 hours of adventure: FDG Entertainment’s publisher-provided description on Nintendo’s Switch listing, accessed in 2026.
These figures describe different goals and sources, not a guaranteed playtime for every player. Nintendo’s listing also notes that the game supports English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese text.
Is it a Metroidvania?
It has several Metroidvania-style elements: an interconnected world, backtracking, secrets, and new abilities that open routes. The available reviews characterize it more broadly as an action-adventure platformer rather than establishing one definitive genre label. If you want ability-gated exploration and revisiting earlier areas, it offers those pleasures without needing a strict genre classification.
Rank #3
- Colossal roster - Take on the series' largest roster of monsters to date including all-new monsters, Deviant variants, and the mysterious new Elder Dragon Valstrax.
- Co-op multiplayer - join up and hunt online with up to three other hunters, or meet-up and play together via local play.
- Play anywhere! - with Nintendo Switch, for the first time gamers have the flexibility to either play online with friends on a TV in tabletop mode or play on-the-go in handheld mode.
- New level of challenge - “g” rank is introduced to test experienced hunters' battle tactics. Formidable versions of familiar foes enter the fields with different moves and abilities never before.
- Highly customizable gameplay - Expanding on the four Styles and supermoves called Hunter Arts introduced in Generations, two Styles are introduced for even further refined personalization options
What platforms is it on?
The cited listings establish editions for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam; GameSpot also lists additional console platforms. Storefront availability and compatibility can vary by territory and change over time, so check the relevant local store before buying.
On Switch, Nintendo lists a digital edition, while the official game website promotes a physical edition. Choose based on whether you prefer portable play, a particular screen and input setup, or owning a physical copy. Current prices, stock, and regional availability are not established here. The official game website provides information about the physical edition; Steam’s listing identifies the PC edition.
Rank #4
- Build whatever you can imagine in your own infinite world that’s unique in every playthrough.
What do player reviews say?
At the time Steam’s page was accessed on October 8, 2026, 86% of 876 English-language user reviews were positive, and the total across all languages was 2,423 reviews, rated Very Positive. These are changing Steam snapshots, not critic ratings or permanent lifetime totals. They provide a useful temperature check, but they measure a different audience and point in time from GameSpot’s 2018 review.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- Mario & Rabbids universes collide in this new adventure that combines the best of these two worlds!
- Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Yoshi join forces with four Rabbids heroes with their own unique personalities.
- Easy to play, difficult to master. Solo and co-op turn-based combat is a fresh gameplay experience.
- Battle with an arsenal of weapons through four new worlds filled with enemies, puzzles, and humorous fun!
- Pick up and play anywhere exclusively on the Nintendo Switch system, even on the go.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
