It is the dream of any cult classic game to be revamped and brought into the modern era. ForThe Wonderful 101, cult darling of Platinum Games, that dream seems poised to come true. The tease in February ofWonderful 101finding a home on the Switchhas come to pass, and at first, people were very happy.
The appeal of the originalWonderful 101came from a mix of colorful, creative environments, and unique gameplay. All the action and flare people have come to expect from Platinum was condensed into a simultaneously small and large environment that saw heroes combine into huge shapes to destroy robots and aliens. The game was largely held back by being released on the Wii U, with touch-screen controls that were awkward at best.
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With this in mind, it’s easy to see why the Kickstarter to remaster the game was successfully funded so fast. Unfortunately, problems have arisen with the Kickstarter that have left backers somewhat bitter. For starters, thephysical release ofWonderful 101remaster was delayed in some regions, in part due to COVID-19. While backers have been understanding of this, UK backers have been less understanding of the unexpected fees they’ve been getting. Shipping fees that UK backers did not know to expect have been cropping up, and they’ve been pretty pricey, approaching £20 in many cases.
The additional cost is due to the handling fees imposed in the UK, which many players did not expect to apply to the physical shipment of the game to them. These players feel blindsided by the additional fees, and have even made their grievances known in the game’s Kickstarter comment section. While there is a warning that Platinum is not responsible for additional fees and foreign shipping costs outside the US, it was added several days after many had already backed the game. Players feel that Platinum did not do its due diligence in warning players what the full cost of the game would be, and compounded with the physical copy’s delay, they are angry. It’s safe to say thatif aWonderful 101sequel is in the cards, it may be best to keep it off of Kickstarter.
It’s a shame that the reception has turned negative for something so many were enthusiastic about at first. Prior to the delay and extra fees, the Kickstarter forWonderful 101’s remaster was considered a big success. Not only would a Steam version of the game also be produced, awhole new mini-spinoff would also be made. This mission focuses on Luka, and for fans who have played the first game front to back, the new content would be very welcome.
There aren’t many games likeWonderful 101, which takes inspiration from Super Sentai showsand American comic books in a way few other games do. This makes the handling of the fees an even greater shame, since everyone who backed the game is certainly a fan craving the only possible way to enjoy this formula. Hopefully any future Platinum Kickstarters will be more forthcoming with what backers will have to pay.
The Wonderful 101 Remasteredis available on PC, PS4, and Switch.
