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[3]
Wii Virtual Console
US
900pts900[4]
Wii Virtual Console
EU
800pts800[5]
CERO
Missing Parameter!

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (ワンダーボーイIII 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.

Digital manuals

Magazine articles

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

Promotional material

WB3ML System16 JP Flyer.jpg
System 16 JP flyer
WB3ML System16 JP Flyer.jpg
WB3ML Arcade EU Flyer.jpg
System 16 EU flyer
WB3ML Arcade EU Flyer.jpg

Artwork

Physical scans

System 16 version

System 16, JP
System 16, World

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
58 №1990-12, p26[8]
53 №, p85[9]
64 №1, p31[10]
67 №112, p72[11]
60 №119, [1]
75 №30, p96[12]
20 №1991-01, p42
78 №14, p111[13]
27 №5, p95
37 №9, p21
47 №1, p81[14]
85 №10, p38[15]
81 №9, p60[16]
41 №20, p24/25
40 №23, p55
76 №6, p31[17]
79 №18, p68
86 №20, p66
Sega Mega Drive
60
Based on
18 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[18]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
75
[19]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
58
[20]
The Complete Guide to Sega (UK)
64
[10]
Console XS (UK) PAL
79
[21]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
67
[22]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
60
[23]
Génération 4 (FR)
75
[12]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
20
[24]
Joystick (FR) NTSC-J
78
[13]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
27
[25]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
64
[26]
Mega (UK) PAL
37
[27]
MegaTech (UK)
47
[14]
Micromanía (segunda época) (ES)
90
[28]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
47
[29]
Player One (FR)
85
[15]
Power Play (DE)
69
[30]
Raze (UK) NTSC-J
81
[16]
Sega Power (UK)
41
[31]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
25
[32]
Sega Pro (UK)
76
[17]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
79
[33]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
53
[34]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
40
[35]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
68
[36]
User (GR) PAL
71
[37]
Zero (UK)
86
[38]
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
Wonder Boy III in Monster Lair MD EU Manual.pdf
Manual
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

  1. File:Raze UK 11.pdf, page 76
  2. https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/software/09.html (Wayback Machine: 2018-01-28 13:27)
  3. http://vc.sega.jp:80/vc_lair (Wayback Machine: 2009-02-03 13:09)
  4. 4.0 4.1 http://www.nintendo.com:80/games/detail/gm69Zp71U1JJHcy0E9aMizMZd7-zYuOJ (Wayback Machine: 2010-11-21 03:04)
  5. 5.0 5.1 http://www.nintendolife.com/games/megadrive/wonder_boy_iii_monster_lair (Wayback Machine: 2017-06-09 06:06)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 https://steamdb.info/app/71168/ (Wayback Machine: 2017-05-24 23:24)
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 http://steamdb.info/app/71168/ (Wayback Machine: 2013-05-22 20:01)
  8. File:BeepMD_JP_1990-12.pdf, page 28
  9. File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf, page 87
  10. 10.0 10.1 File:TheCompleteGuideToSega UK.pdf, page 31 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:TheCompleteGuideToSega UK.pdf_p31" defined multiple times with different content
  11. File:CVG UK 112.pdf, page 72
  12. 12.0 12.1 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
  13. 13.0 13.1 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
  14. 14.0 14.1 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
  15. 15.0 15.1 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
  16. 16.0 16.1 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
  17. 17.0 17.1 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
  18. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 186
  19. Aktueller Software Markt, "März 1991" (DE; 1991-02-22), page 114
  20. Beep! MegaDrive, "December 1990" (JP; 1990-11-08), page 28
  21. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 136
  22. Computer & Video Games, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-16), page 88
  23. Famitsu, "" (JP; 199x-xx-xx), page 1
  24. Hippon Super, "January 1991" (JP; 1990-12-04), page 42
  25. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 95
  26. Mega Drive Fan, "March 1991" (JP; 1991-02-08), page 99
  27. Mega, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 21
  28. Micromanía (segunda época), "Junio 1991" (ES; 1991-0x-xx), page 55
  29. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 143
  30. Power Play, "4/91" (DE; 1991-03-15), page 136
  31. Sega Power, "July 1991" (UK; 1991-06-06), page 24
  32. Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 55
  33. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 68
  34. Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  35. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 171
  36. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 225
  37. User, "Aprílios 1992" (GR; 1992-0x-xx), page 87
  38. Zero, "June 1991" (UK; 1991-0x-xx), page 66
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Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair

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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)