History VideoGame / MonsterBoyAndTheCursedKingdom

The game has a new protagonist, Jin, who one day discovers his uncle Nabu drunk as a skunk, flying on a barrel, wielding a magic wand, transforming people into monsters and otherwise wreaking havoc. Then Jin gets turned into a pig.

** As part of a secret level, Jin can fight against [[BonusBoss the Meka Dragon]].

** The bonus level has you fight through the final hallway of ''Monster Land'''s final stage, ending with a BonusBoss fight against the Meka Dragon, taking a page from ''The Dragon's Trap''.

** The means of opening the corked well in the village are never hinted at anywhere in-game and at one point requires basic knowledge of morse code to work out a combination. There's even less indication that [[spoiler:the glitched error message is a timed puzzle]].

* WrapAround: The game's map wraps around horizontally.

* PreRenderedGraphics: Both the title sequence and the ending are anime-style cutscenes.

* AwesomeMusic/AwesomeMusic: The entire soundtrack is worth a listen, with a special mention for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI-nJaYAbWI the final battle theme]], courtesy of one Creator/MotoiSakuraba.

* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: The game kicks off when Jin's [[spoiler:bewitched]] uncle gets his hands on a magic wand and a lot of booze, and starts flying around randomly casting BalefulPolymorph on people for the lulz. The key to defeating him in the penultimate dungeon is to sober him up.

* BalefulPolymorph: People who Nabu turned, including Jin's brother Zeke.

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: In relation to ''[[VideoGame/MonsterWorldIV Monster World IV]]''. Is Pepelogoo the same one who accompanied Asha on her adventure or is it a descendant? The previous three protagonists are explicitly referred to as "ancient heroes", but no hint is given of how much time has passed since the fourth hero's victory. [[spoiler:A secret ending, however, reveals that the game at least takes place within Asha's lifetime.]]

* DenserAndWackier: The game's beginning looks this way. After having multiple installments where the protagonists fight off Biomeka and his armies of monsters and aliens, this game's plot is kicked off by the protagonist's uncle getting drunk and somehow obtaining magical powers. Things do get more serious as the game progresses, though.

* DolledUpInstallment: In the Kickstart campaign, the game was announced as ''Flying Hamster II'', a sequel to ''Flying Hamster'' inspired by ''Wonder Boy''. Then the developer cancelled the campaign and formed a partnership with the publisher FDG Entertainment, then made a successful contract with LAT Corporation to make the game an official installment into the ''Wonder Boy'' series.

* DolledUpInstallment: Started out as a sequel to ''Flying Hamster''...
** GenreShift: ...which is a CuteEmUp.

* ExcusePlot: A large part of the story is basically "Your uncle went crazy and turns everyone into animals. Now go around the world and collect all the magical orbs."

* ActionHoggingOpening: The opening animation shows freeing Sir Hoots from prison as a huge [[TheWarSequence War Sequence]] where Jin fights through armies of soldiers. In the actual game, [[spoiler:the sequence is more of a StealthSequence and rather than physically break Sir Hoots out of prison, Jin simply uses the Teleport Rod to warp Sir Hoots out of his cell.]]

* AnIcePerson: The ice equipment allows you freeze water, solidify molten lava and trap enemies in ice so they can be used as platforms; Metroid-style.

** If you're having trouble beating a boss Zeke will eventually start flying across the top of the screen and dropping hearts.

* ArmorOfInvincibility: Two candidates, the Golden Armor starts off with a strong 3 rating for defence. It also prevents all status effects!! Unfortunately if you have the complete upgraded set, you'll get a huge damage increase but you also take significantly more damage which puts the Golden Armor down to just respectable protection. The Onyx Darkplate starts off with a respectable 2 rating and prevents stun/slow when upgraded. But if you have the complete upgraded set, you take half damage on top of the armor's normal protection. The game then rates the armor at a unique 4.

* BigBoosHaunt: The Haunted Manor, which is full of ghost and undead enemies. There are even puzzles where you yourself need to turn into ghosts and posses objects to move them around.
* BlackoutBasement: The Lost Temples and undersea trench require lighting torches and activating glowing crystals respectively. Fortunately, wearing equipment with the "shiny" property lights up a larger area around Jin depending on the percentage of shininess.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler:After Nabu found Mysticat talking to Lord Xaros, they decided to get rid of him this way... and that's why he started turning everybody into monsters.]]

** The four heroes from the past games ([[VideoGame/WonderBoy1 Boy]], [[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand Bocke Lee Temjin]] / [[VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap Book the Hero]], [[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterWorld Shion]], and [[VideoGame/MonsterWorldIV Asha]]) make an appearance on stained glass from a local chapel. Their relics also become collectible items as part of necessary FetchQuest to advance the plot.
** The Pepelogoo you meet early in the game claims it's looking for "green-haired girl," which'll ring a bell if you've played ''VideoGame/MonsterWorldIV''.

* CarryABigStick: The 2nd last weapon you get is the Morningstar for the heavy Onyx set. This beast can break most blocks including some that otherwise require bombs (it can't break through Dark Matter). It can be upgraded to do a powerful ShockwaveStomp making this the InfinityMinusOneSword and later it can be further upgraded to do a GroundWave.
* TheCavalry: [[spoiler:After the first phase of the final boss, Lord Xaros traps Jin in an unbreakable cage... and then Nabu appears, throwing bottles of liquor at Xaros's face to distract him as Zeke breaks Jin free and Pepelogoo eats the orbs powering Xaros up.]]

* DarkIsEvil: [[spoiler:The Dark Realm and its ruler, Lord Xaros]].
* DenouementEpisode: The main villain in this game is unrelated to the [[AliensAreBastards aliens]] that Bocke, Leo, Shion, and Asha fought against in the other ''Monster World'' games, notably the Meka Dragon, High Baroom, and [=BioMeka=] / Fear Incarnate. That threat is completely gone and isn't even referenced in this game.

* GangplankGalleon: The Ghost Ship mini-dungeon, where you need to fight ghost pirates. The gimmick is the ship keep swaying back and forth, moving platforms and obstacles around.
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: [[spoiler:Lord Xaros doesn't get any characterisation or backstory beyond "evil bad guy wanting to conquer/destroy the world"]]
* {{Gonk}}: The King's ..ahem.. "gorgeous" wife, she doesn't look that much different as a human then she did as a hippo.
* GoodThingYouCanHeal: With the game being a tad stingy with hearts and several other methods of recovering health requiring a fight (such as blocking an attack with an upgraded Crimson Scutum), getting the Crimson SetBonus is a godsend as you slowly regain health when you walk (it has to be walking). An upgraded Knight Gleam-Targe lets you regenerate when it's reflecting light.

** The means of opening the corked well in the village are never hinted at anywhere in-game and at one point requires basic knowledge of morse code to work out a combination. There's even less indication that [[spoiler:the glitched error message is a timed puzzle.]]
** All barriers required to be destroyed with bombs in order to finish the game are clearly labelled as brown blocks with cartoon bombs drawn on them. Because of this a normal playthrough never demonstrates to the player that unlabelled walls and floors can also be destroyed with bombs.

* HeartContainer: Heart upgrades are scattered across the land. Finding them increases your lives by one heart.

* InfinityPlusOneSword: The Golden Sword is likely the final item you get in the game, as the last piece of it is in a chest shortly before you fight the final boss. It's by far the most damaging weapon in the game: it's the only weapon that has more than 2 power, when upgraded it has a whopping 50% chance of doing a critical hit and when you have the complete Golden set - you are Berserk and do double damage but with take 50% more damage, making the Golden Armor go from top-notch to being just respectable.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: In the Haunted Manor, right before [[spoiler:the boss battle]], the [[spoiler:Undead Wizard]] will speak an odd language that you can't comprehend, then he'll push you away in the closest save point. Do it again, and Pepelogoos then asked you, "Don't you have an option to understand ghost language?". When you check the Option Menu, the Ghost Language Translator will be available under the Language Options. This option is available just in Haunted Manor and useful only for this moment.

* LegacyBossBattle: The Myconid Master / King Mushroom shows up for the third time.

* LethalLavaLand: [[MarathonLevel The Volcano]]. It's full of lava hazard that deals a lot of damage, lava geysers, lava waterfalls, and a bunch of rooms where you need to exit before the rising lava engulfs the room. It also have fireballs dropping from the ceiling and many fire-themed enemies. Fortunately, this is also where you find the Ice Boots, which lets you safely freeze and walk over lava.
* LevelInTheClouds: To enter the Volcano, you need to first go through the Skies of Aeria, jumping from clouds to clouds. You need to wear the Cloud Boots to stand on the clouds, though. Use any other boots and you'll fall to your death.
* LimitedUseMagicalDevice: Like other ''Wonder Boy'' games, most of your magic is single use. Luckily enemies can drop magic and it's pretty cheap to recharge. Boomerangs can be reused if caught, though.
* MacGuffinDeliveryService: Near the end of the game, [[spoiler: Mysticat steals all your orbs, and consequently your transofrmations, and gives them to Lord Xaros, the real BigBad. In the final dungeon you have to "rescue" your forms in order to transform again.]]

** Despite being featured on the stained glass windows of the sanctuary, [[VideoGame/MonsterWorldIV Asha]] is the only one of the previous legendary heroes who does not get a relic representing her, and [[spoiler:doesn't appear in spirit form to help out Jin.]] However, [[spoiler:this turns out to be justified because she's not dead.]]

* NighInvulnerable: The amoebas you face in the Dark Realm can only harmed by laser obstacles and having the frog form yank out their nucleus with his tongue and then attacking it. The ghosts are immune to your attacks when they're intangible, but if you have Pepelogoo with you - he'll instantly kill the weaker ones by eating them and other undead can be roasted by his light beam.

* NostalgiaLevel: The first area of the game matches the layout of the first level of ''[[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand Wonder Boy: Monster Land]]'' with its music being a remix of that game's desert theme. Additionally, the sewer maze's layout is identical to the opening level of ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap''.

* PeninsulaOfPowerLeveling: This game gets pricey pretty with all the equipment you need to buy and supplies to restock. The best way to rack up the money is after leaving the Village of Aeria and going to the volcano. At the entrance of the volcano is a save spot and lodes of bricks full of gold. Using a form with a downward attack, smash your way to the bottom of the entrance while harvesting the gold and then die in the lava lake. You'll revive at the save spot hundreds of coins richer, repeat until you can afford everything.

* TheStinger: If 100% completion is achieved before fighting the final boss, an extra picture after the credits reveals [[spoiler:that the green-haired girl Pepelogoo was seeking was [[VideoGame/MonsterWorldIV Asha]] herself who is still alive.]]

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: Right after defeating the first boss you get transformed into a pig and lose the ability to use armor and swords. It's particularly jarring for those who bought the game after playing the demo (which ends with the aforementioned transformation) expecting a sword wielding boy going on an adventure only to find out that the Pig and snake forms can't use any weapons, and you don't see your sword again until you acquire the frog form.

* UpgradeArtifact: Each transformation after pig gets an artifact which unlocks a new ability [[spoiler:- including human]]. The dragon form even gets ATasteOfPower by starting out with the artifact and then having to reacquire it again permanently.

* WeNeedADistraction: In the penultimate cutscene (just before the final battle), [[spoiler:Nabu rushes in and pelts the big bad with bottles, drawing his attention while Zeke rescues you and Pepelogoo saps his power.]]