History VideoGame / WonderBoyIIIMonsterLair

Originally released in 1988, it was the last "Wonder Boy" game released for the arcades and saw home versions for the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafxCD in 1989 and the UsefulNotes/MegaDrive in 1990.

[[caption-width-right:350:Japanese arcade flyer, depicting Leo & Purapril as well as the game's mechanics]]

''Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair'', sometimes shortened to simply ''Monster Lair'', is the third game in the ''VideoGame/WonderBoy'' series. An auto-scrolling {{platform game}}/{{shoot em up}} hybrid, it is the only game in the series to offer 2-players co-op play. Players control either the Leo or Purapril, as they set off to follow in the footsteps of Book the Hero and free their land from a monster invasion.

* PointOfNoContinues: You'll no longer be allowed to continue once you reach the FinalBoss.

* WizardNeedsFoodBadly: Just like the first game, with the food acting as timer. Fruit can extend your decreasing time limit, and there is a fairy who can turn them into even more useful sweets, and a grim reaper who turns them into useless flowers.

* BigFancyCastle: The sixth stage. The prior stage has you [[DeathMountain ascending a mountain]] to reach the castle. The stages 9 and 13 are also castles, though much more perilous and darker.

%%* EternalEngine: Level 14.

* HardModeFiller: Stages 11, 12, and 13 are mainly rehashes of Stages 1, 5 (with a touch of 7's SlippySlideyIceWorld) and 9 (also iced over) respectively.

* LongSongShortScene: Most of the stages, as well as the boss battles, end before you get to hear the entirety of the music, at least in the [=TurboGrafx-CD=] version.

%%* ShiftingSandLand: Level 8.

* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Levels 7 and 12. And 13 to an extent. The ice makes platforming difficult.

%%* UndergroundLevel: Level 3.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Purapril is also called "Pappilo" and "Papillo" in the European arcade flyer, and "Pricilla" in the Mega Drive version (Purapril is an accurate official translation of her name that comes her apparent descendants in ''[[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterWorld Wonder Boy in Monster World]]'' and ''VideoGame/MonsterWorldIV'').[[note]]The high scores display "Pla" below "Leo", indicating her name was intended to be "Plapril" or some such.[[/note]] In the TurboGrafx-CD manual, the playable characters were instead called "Adam" and "Laura", but this has issues (see DubInducedPlotHole above).

* BattleCouple: The main heroes are this according to the [=TurboGrafxCD=] manual, although the Mega Drive manual just considers them close friends.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Purapril is also called "Pappilo" and "Papillo" in the European arcade flyer, and "Pricilla" in the Mega Drive version (Purapril is an accurate official translation of her name that comes her apparent descendants in ''[[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterWorld Wonder Boy in Monster World]]'' and ''VideoGame/MonsterWorldIV'').[[note]]The high scores display "Pla" below "Leo", indicating her name was intended to be "Plapril" or some such.[[/note]] In the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafxCD manual, the playable characters were instead called "Adam" and "Laura", but this has issues (see DubInducedPlotHole above).

* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Once you beat the game, you get to play through again wearing the Legendary Armor, with a higher difficulty level.

* DubInducedPlotHole: The manual for the [=TurboGrafx-CD=] version calls the protagonist Adam, but the high scores still show his name as Leo. Worse, the manual lists the Legendary Armor as the "Legendary Weapon of Complete Destruction".

[[caption-width-right:350:Japanese arcade flyer, depicting Leo & Princess Purapril as well as the game's mechanics]]
''Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair'', sometimes shortened to simply ''Monster Lair'', is the third game in the ''VideoGame/WonderBoy'' series. An auto-scrolling {{platform game}}/{{shoot em up}} hybrid, it is the only game in the series to offer 2-players co-op play. Players control either the Leo or Purapril, as they set off to follow in the footsteps of Bocke Lee Temjin and free their land from a monster invasion.

* AdaptationalBadass: The King Myconid. In Monster Land, it's a coward who relies on minions. In Monster World, it's a WarmUpBoss. In this game, it's a ruthless late-game boss who can only be defeated by its heart getting struck, and it has to be revealed through shots and a slot machine. And it even takes you on alone.

* DubInducedPlotHole: The manual for the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 version calls the protagonist Adam, but the high scores still show his name as Leo. Worse, the manual lists the Legendary Armor as the "Legendary Weapon of Complete Destruction".

* EvilDoppelganger: At first, the final boss appears to be Book the Hero or the original Wonder Boy (hence his name in the title), but it turns out to be an alien imposter. He still uses the abilities of the hero, though.

* GaidenGame: This picks up from the ending of the arcade version of ''Monster Land'', where aliens steal the Legendary equipment. This is inconsistent with the SMS sequel, where Book the Hero [[BagOfSpilling leaves it behind]] in the collapsing castle after being cursed, but regains it near the end of the game.

* KingMook: About half the bosses, including a giant snake, a giant fish, a giant bat, the Queen Wasp, a cactus jack-o-lantern, a GiantEnemyCrab, etc. The King Demon from ''Monster Land'' also returns.

* OurVampiresAreDifferent: Mostly vampire bats. [[spoiler:You face Dracula at Round 9.]]

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Purapril is also called "Pappilo" and "Papillo" in the European arcade flyer, and "Pricilla" in the Mega Drive version (Purapril is an accurate official translation of her name that comes her apparent descendants in ''[[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterWorld Wonder Boy in Monster World]]'' and ''VideoGame/MonsterWorldIV''). In the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafxCD version, the playable characters were instead called "Adam" and "Laura".

* AdaptationalBadass: The King Myconid. In Monster Land, it's a coward who relies on minions. In Monster World, it's a WarmUpBoss. In this game, it's a ruthless late-game boss who can only be defeated by its heart getting struck, and it has to be revealed through shots and a slot machine.

%%* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Levels 7 and 12.

* BigFancyCastle: The sixth stage. The prior stage has you [[DeathMountain ascending a mountain]] to reach the castle.

%%* BeeAfraid: Round 4 and its boss.

* EvilDoppelganger: At first, the final boss appears to be Book the Hero or the original Wonder Boy (hence his name in the title), but it turns out to be aliens.

* KingMook: About half the bosses, including a giant snake, a giant bat, the Queen Wasp, a cactus jack-o-lantern, a GiantEnemyCrab, etc. The King Demon from ''Monster Land'' also returns.

%%* RocketPunch: Round 13's boss has this.
%%* SegmentedSerpent: The boss of Round 2.

%%* WizardNeedsFoodBadly: Just like the first game.

[[caption-width-right:350:Japanese arcade flyer]]

[[quoteright:264:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leo_and_papillo_1259.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:264:Leo and Purapril from ''Monster Lair''.]]

* BeeAfraid: Round 4 and its boss.
* BigBoosHaunt: Round 9 and 13.
* BigFancyCastle[=/=]TempleOfDoom: The sixth stage. The prior stage has you [[DeathMountain ascending a mountain]] to reach the castle.

* CyberCyclops: The Round 13 boss.

* DirectContinuousLevels: Rounds 4-6, 9-10, and 11-14.

* EternalEngine / SpaceZone: Level 14.

* GaidenGame / AlternateContinuity: This picks up from the ending of the arcade version of ''Monster Land'', where aliens steal the Legendary equipment. This is inconsistent with the SMS sequel, where Book the Hero [[BagOfSpilling leaves it behind]] in the collapsing castle after being cursed, but regains it near the end of the game.
* GreenHillZone: Round 4

* IcePalace: Round 13.
* JungleJapes: Round 2.

* PalmtreePanic: Rounds 1 and 11.

* RocketPunch: Round 13's boss has this.
* SegmentedSerpent: The boss of Round 2.
* ShiftingSandLand: Level 8.
* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Levels 7 and 12.

* UndergroundLevel: Level 3.
* WizardNeedsFoodBadly: Just like the first game.

* RocketPunch: Round 13's boss has this as ThatOneAttack.

''Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair'', sometimes shortened to simply ''Monster Lair'', is the third game in the "Franchise/WonderBoy" series. An auto-scrolling {{platform game}}/{{shoot em up}} hybrid, it is the only game in the series to offer 2-players co-op play. Players control either the Leo or Purapril, as they set off to follow in the footsteps of Bocke Lee Temjin and free their land from a monster invasion.