History VideoGame / MonsterBoyAndTheCursedKingdom

* PowerUpLetDown: The morning star's [[GroundWave shockwave]] ability. On paper, it should be awesome, after you stun an enemy with your ShockwaveStomp, a shockwave immediately comes out to hit the enemy for more damage. In reality, it's rather worthless. The shockwave has mediocre range, but even if you're in range, the tremor tends to knock an enemy over the incoming wave and even when it doesn't, a MercyInvincibility kicks in for your enemy.

* ShockwaveStomp: The upgraded morningstar can generate a tremor that [[SmartBomb affects every ground enemy on the screen]], making the morningstar one of the best weapons in the game. The morningstar can be upgraded further to do a GroundWave as well.

* PowerUpLetDown: The morning star's [[GroundWave shockwave]] ability. On paper, it should be awesome, after you stun an enemy with your ShockwaveStomp, a shockwave immediately comes out to hit the enemy for more damage. In reality, it's rather worthless. The shockwave has mediocre range, but even if you're in range, the tremor tends to knock an enemy over the incoming wave and even when it doesn't, a MercyInvulnerability kicks in for your enemy.

* 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 first level theme. Additionally the sewer maze's layout is identical to the opening level of ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap''.

* PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo: Exagerrated. The only ones who don't make an appearance are Leo and Purapril from ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIIMonsterLair''. And even these two have a mural dedicated to them.

** One of the Power Gems is acquired by talking to a specific person in Lupia village instead of inside a chest, and therefore never appears on the map and the location cannot be purchased.

What finally became ''Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom'' was originally merely a SpiritualSuccessor to ''[[VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap]]'' created by the French developer ''Game Atelier'' called ''Flying Hamster II: Knight of the Golden Seed''. After an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign, the project nevertheless could find a publisher (FDG Entertainment) and, better yet, was noticed by one of the founders of Westone Bit Entertainment and the creator of the ''VideoGame/WonderBoy'' franchise, Ryuichi Nishizawa, who went on to collaborate on the game, and gave the studio the green light to turn the SpiritualSuccessor into a full-fledged sequel, with a story integrated in the overall Monster World continuity.

* {{Animorphism}}: A prominent feature from ''[[VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap The Dragon's Trap]]'' that was brought back in the game. Most of the Monster World's inhabitants have also been transformed into animals prior to the game's beginning. Others were this originally, but the curse did change some of them into animals... of different species.

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

* {{Retcon}}: Unlike the lore described in the western ''VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand'' Master System manual, and more recently a reference in the character select menu from ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap'' remake, this game clearly shows [[VideoGame/WonderBoy1 Boy]] and [[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand Bocke Lee Temjim]] / [[VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap Book the Hero]] as two distinct legendary heroes.

** The four heroes from the past games ([[VideoGame/WonderBoy1 Tom-Tom]], [[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand Bocke Lee Temjin]], [[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.

* RiddleForTheAges: Unlike the lore described in western game manuals, and more recently a reference in the character select menu from ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap'' remake, this game clearly shows [[VideoGame/WonderBoy1 Tom-Tom]] and [[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand Bocke]] [[VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap Lee Temjin]] as two distinct legendary heroes, raising once again the question of whether the latter is the former grown up, or are they two people.

* DemonicSpiders: Bats in the forest level. Since you're stuck with Pig form only which has a terrible jump, horrendous attack box (only an inch directly in front of him) and limited magic attacks, bats which have a random move and attack pattern can make you want to pull your hair out. It's made only worse by the absence of the teleport rod, so you can be stuck with no magic attacks and no way to buy more. Bats alone have made more than one player ragequit the game for good.

* BadassCape: The player character Jin wears one.

* AmbidextrousSprite: Glaring when Pig's eyepatch switches from one eye to another depending on where he is facing.

* ChestMonster: One is fought in the haunted mansion.

* 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 refered to as "Ancient Heroes", but no hint is given of how much time has passed since the fourth hero's victory.

* {{Animorphism}}: A prominent feature from ''[[VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap The Dragon's Trap]]'' that was brought back in the game.

* PettingZooPeople:
** All of Jin's transformations are anthropomorphic, wear armors and handle swords, except for the Pig, which is too big and awkward for this, and the Snake , which is... well, simply a snake.
** Most of the Monster World's inhabitants have been transformed into PettingZooPeople prior to the game's beginning. Others were this originally, but the curse did change some of them into Petting Zoo People... of different species.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Lord Xaros 'rewards' Mysticat with this once he hands over the orbs needed to revive him]].

* MultiformBalance: As showcased on the ''Flying Hamster II'' Kickstarter page, every form has a special power, which is used to access new areas, solve new puzzles and/or fight enemies with different tactics.

** Most of the Monster World's inhabitants have been transformed into PettingZooPeople prior to the game's beginning. Some of them were this originally.

** For the first time in the series, Jin is not a HeroicMime.

* UltimateBlacksmith: The fox blacksmith in the woods. He only works with gold.

* VoluntaryShapeshifting: In a departure from ''[[VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap The Dragon's Trap]]'', the character is able to transform into any previously acquired form at will.

* RiddleForTheAges: Unlike the lore described in western game manuals, and more recently a reference in the character select menu from ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap'' remake, this game clearly shows [[VideoGame/WonderBoy1 Tom-Tom]] and [[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand Bocke]] [[VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap Lee Temjin]] as two distinct legendary heroes, raising once again the question of whether the latter is the former grown up, or are they two people. [[spoiler:This game does not give an answer, since neither of them speaks as a spirit when they appear, letting Shion do all the talking.]]