Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair

From Sega Retro

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WB3ML Title.png

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair
System(s): Sega System 16, Sega Mega Drive, Virtual Console, Steam
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Sound driver:
Sega Mega Drive
SMPS Z80
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Arcade (System 16)
JP
¥? ?
Arcade (System 16)
US
$? ?






























Sega Mega Drive
JP
¥6,0006,000 G-4025
Sega Mega Drive
EU
Sega Mega Drive
AU
Sega Mega Drive
KR
GM4044JG
Wii Virtual Console
JP
600pts600
Wii Virtual Console
US
800pts800
Wii Virtual Console
EU
800pts800
CERO
Missing Parameter!

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (モンスターレア) is a Sega System 16 game in the Wonder Boy series. It is not to be confused with Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, which is actually the fourth game in the series.

It was later ported to the Sega Mega Drive, and was brought to the TurboGrafx-CD as well, with the North American release being called just Monster Lair and lacking all Wonder Boy branding. The Mega Drive version was not released in North America.

Gameplay

Monster Lair is unlike other games in the Wonder Boy series, though it at least resembles the original more than it does the various Monster World games. Though it still contains platforming segments, Wonder Boy's sword fires projectiles, and the screen auto-scrolls to the right.

History

Legacy

The Mega Drive version of the game has been brought to the Wii's Virtual Console service.

Versions

Monster Lair was ported to home platforms relatively unscathed, although on the TurboGrafx-CD version lacks parallax scrolling and the Mega Drive version has entirely re-drawn graphics to better suit the hardware.

Magazine articles

Main article: Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Digital manuals

Artwork

Physical scans

System 16 version

System 16, JP
System 16, World

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
64 №1, p31[2]
67 №112, p72[3]
75 №30, p96[4]
78 №14, p111[5]
27 №5, p95
37 №9, p21
47 №1, p81[6]
85 №10, p38[7]
81 №9, p60[8]
41 №20, p24/25
40 №23, p55
76 №6, p31[9]
79 №18, p68
86 №20, p66
Sega Mega Drive
63
Based on
14 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[10]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
75
[11]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
58
[12]
The Complete Guide to Sega (UK)
64
[2]
Console XS (UK) PAL
79
[13]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
67
[14]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
60
[15]
Génération 4 (FR)
75
[4]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
20
[16]
Joystick (FR) NTSC-J
78
[5]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
27
[17]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
64
[18]
Mega (UK) PAL
37
[19]
MegaTech (UK)
47
[6]
Micromanía (segunda época) (ES)
90
[20]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
47
[21]
Player One (FR)
85
[7]
Power Play (DE)
69
[22]
Raze (UK) NTSC-J
81
[8]
Sega Power (UK)
41
[23]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
25
[24]
Sega Pro (UK)
76
[9]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
79
[25]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
53
[26]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
40
[27]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
68
[28]
User (GR) PAL
71
[29]
Zero (UK)
86
[30]
Sega Mega Drive
61
Based on
28 reviews

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair

Mega Drive, EU
WB3ML MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
MonsterLair MD EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, JP
WB3ML MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
WonderBoy3ML MD JP CartTop.jpg
WB3ML MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, AU

Mega Drive, KR
WB3ML MD KR Box.jpg
Cover
WB3ML MD KR Cart.jpg
Cart

External links

References

Necretro-round.svg
NEC Retro has more information related to Monster Lair
  1. File:Raze UK 11.pdf, page 76
  2. 2.0 2.1 File:TheCompleteGuideToSega UK.pdf, page 31 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:TheCompleteGuideToSega UK.pdf_p31" defined multiple times with different content
  3. File:CVG UK 112.pdf, page 72
  4. 4.0 4.1 File:Generation4 FR 030.pdf, page 96 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Generation4 FR 030.pdf_p96" defined multiple times with different content
  5. 5.0 5.1 File:Joystick FR 014.pdf, page 111 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Joystick FR 014.pdf_p111" defined multiple times with different content
  6. 6.0 6.1 File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf, page 81 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf_p81" defined multiple times with different content
  7. 7.0 7.1 File:PlayerOne FR 010.pdf, page 38 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:PlayerOne FR 010.pdf_p38" defined multiple times with different content
  8. 8.0 8.1 File:Raze UK 09.pdf, page 60 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Raze UK 09.pdf_p60" defined multiple times with different content
  9. 9.0 9.1 File:SegaPro UK 06.pdf, page 31 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaPro UK 06.pdf_p31" defined multiple times with different content
  10. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 186
  11. Aktueller Software Markt, "März 1991" (DE; 1991-02-22), page 114
  12. Beep! MegaDrive, "December 1990" (JP; 1990-11-08), page 28
  13. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 136
  14. Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 88
  15. Famitsu, "" (JP; 199x-xx-xx), page 1
  16. Hippon Super, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-04), page 42
  17. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 95
  18. Mega Drive Fan, "March 1991" (JP; 1991-02-08), page 99
  19. Mega, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 21
  20. Micromanía (segunda época), "Junio 1991" (ES; 1991-0x-xx), page 55
  21. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 143
  22. Power Play, "4/91" (DE; 1991-03-15), page 136
  23. Sega Power, "July 1991" (UK; 1991-06-06), page 24
  24. Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 55
  25. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68
  26. Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  27. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 171
  28. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 225
  29. User, "Aprílios 1992" (GR; 1992-0x-xx), page 87
  30. Zero, "June 1991" (UK; 1991-0x-xx), page 66



Games in the Wonder Boy series
Wonder Boy (1986) | Wonder Boy in Monster Land (1987) | Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (1988) | Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (1989) | Wonder Boy in Monster World (1991) | Monster World IV (1994) | Monster World Complete Collection (2007) | Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World (2012) | Arcade Archives Wonder Boy (2014) | Wonder Boy Returns (2016) | Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (2017) | Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (2018) | Wonder Boy Returns Remix (2019) | Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World (2021) | Wonder Boy Collection (2022) | Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection (2022)
Wonder Boy related media
Music
Monster World Complete Collection Original Sound Track (2007) | Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap Original Soundtrack Sampler (2018) | Wonder Boy Collection - Best Of Soundtrack (2023)
Book
Wonder Boy V Monster World III Koushiki Guide Book (1991)