History VideoGame / WonderBoyInMonsterWorld

''Wonder Boy in Monster World'' (released in Japan as ''Wonder Boy V: Monster World III'') is the fifth ''VideoGame/WonderBoy'' game. A new protagonist called Shion embarks on a heroic adventure to save his land from a monster invasion. It was originally released for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis in 1991, followed by an 8-bit version for the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem in 1993 released exclusively in Europe.

A UsefulNotes/TurboGrafxCD remake was released by Creator/HudsonSoft titled '''''The Dynastic Hero''''' in 1993 (released in Japan as '''''Chou Eiyuu Densetsu Dynastic Hero''''' in 1994), with the cast replaced by a new set of characters courtesy of the [[Creator/RedEntertainment RED Company]].

* DifficultyByRegion: In the Japanese version, dying simply warps you to the last inn and charges you the normal inn fee, [[DeathIsCheap making death an effective means of backtracking]]. In the English version, death takes you to a Game Over screen. (''Dynastic Hero'' is based on the Japanese version.)
** The final boss will use lasers and a conveyor belt with a moving buzzsaw on it, but the belt and buzzsaw are only in the English version.

*** The first level boss (a big fish that turns its scales into smaller fish) appears several times as a simple mook. Tough for a mook and gives massive rewards, but still no longer a boss.

* MoneySink: Subverted. Charmstones as useless and as expensive as they are, do have a use. They act as a currency at a SecretShop which can give the player more Magic Charges (Maximum is 12 Charges) or a HeartContainer (maximum is 14 hearts). This allows the player to cap out nearly all their magic in the game and increase their health if they don't want to go searching across the land for the containers. Sadly the Return spell doesn't increase, you still only get 1 use out of it, but since all you need to do to get another use of it is to sleep in the inn you warp to, it doesn't really matter.

* SongsInTheKeyOfLock: The cavern near Alsedo has locks that will only respond to the tune of an ocarina.

* SuperNotDrowningSkills: Justified, as you need Poseidon's Trident just to swim underwater. For the first time not being able to swim does not make the main character sink like a rock.

%%* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:The Darkworld Prince]]

* BossRush: The final level, Biomeka's spaceship. Once Shion reaches it, he has to fight four of the previous bosses (Myconid, Gragg & Glagg, Ice Bomber and Tyrant Dragon).

%%* GoombaSpringboard: The jellyfish.

* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: All the main bosses in the final dungeon. Tyrant Dragon especially, since you had to fight it in Pygmy form the first time.
* WakeUpCallBoss: The Myconid is a decent challenge but doable if you have the best gear. But Knarrg and Klarrg are the point where the bosses will show no mercy on you and need very good strategy to win.

*** The Maugham Desert part is similar to the Mam Desert and the Pyramid levels from that game: aside from the similar names, the pit where platforms appear when you kill bats reappears (but is not mandatory this time), and the bosses of both areas are Sphinxes that like quizzes (except this time, he actually looks like a Sphinx) .

* FungusHumongous: The Myconid in Alsedo Cave. Also a WakeUpCallBoss, since its attack pattern is unpredictable (sometimes you can avoid its jump attack by running under it thgen turning around and hitting it back, sometimes it lands behind you then ''bounces back on you''), it takes many more hits to defeat than you can absorb, meaning you can't trade hits with it, and it [[FlunkyBoss constantly throws smaller mushroom enemies at you]].

* IncredibleShrinkingMan: In order to enter the 4th dungen near Begonia (the city of dragons), Shion must gather the "Pygmy" equipment. Once he wears it, he enters a door and his sprite becomes a mini version of himself.

%%* BossRush: The final level.

*** This game's final level shares its music with that's game final level.

%%* HeartContainer

%%* IncredibleShrinkingMan: With the "Pygmy" equipment.

%%* LoadBearingBoss: [[spoiler:See EarthShatteringKaboom above]]

%%* YouGottaHaveBlueHair

A UsefulNotes/TurboGrafxCD remake was released by Creator/HudsonSoft in 1994 titled ''The Dynastic Hero'', with the cast replaced by a new set of characters courtesy of the [[Creator/RedEntertainment RED Company]].

*** The first level boss (a big fish that turns its scales into smaller fish) appears several times as a simple mook.

%%* HopelessBossFight: [[spoiler:Biomeka, until the Darkworld Prince shows up.]]

%%* PopQuiz: The Sphinx again.
* SequelHook: [[spoiler:Biomeka is shown to be alive and well at the very end of the game]]

* SpinToDeflectStuff: If you have a spear equipped, you do this to block, instead of using your shield.

%%* TechnologicallyAdvancedFoe: [[spoiler:Biomeka]]

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:The Darkworld Prince]]
* BrainMonster: [[spoiler:Biomeka]]
* BossRush: The final level.

* GoombaSpringboard: The jellyfish.
* HeartContainer
* HopelessBossFight: [[spoiler:Biomeka, until the Darkworld Prince shows up.]]

* IncredibleShrinkingMan: With the "Pygmy" equipment.

* LoadBearingBoss: [[spoiler:See EarthShatteringKaboom above]]

* PasswordSave: In the Master System version, and this time it isn't short.
* PopQuiz: The Sphinx again.

* TechnologicallyAdvancedFoe: [[spoiler:Biomeka]]

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair

* FungusHumongous: The Myconid in Alsedo Cave. Also a WarmUpBoss, since its attack pattern is predictable and only takes several hits to defeat.

[[caption-width-right:350: Japanese cover art, depicting Shion surronded by his little companions Priscilla, Dragon, Hotta, & Shabo.]]

[[caption-width-right:350: Japanese cover art]]

[[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mw3_shion_6650.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:240:Shion, protagonist of ''Wonder Boy in Monster World''.]]

* AllForNothing: [[spoiler: Not entirely, as the game ends up in a good note and the people seem to be at peace again, but in Monsterworld IV Shion is said to have been sucked up to a hole that appeared near his home not too long after the events of the game. Its strongly implied Biomeka, having escaped his demise, managed to get revenge on the hero who twarted his plans.]] That part was however removed from the official English release.
** Thankfully averted in ''Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom'', which shows that [[spoiler: Shion's actions have seen him immortalised in art, astronomy and legend as one of Monster World's heroes]].

* NostalgiaLevel: The very first area is just like the beginning of ''Wonder Boy in Monster Land''.

** Thankfully averted in ''Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom'', which shows that [[spoiler: Shion's actions have seen him immortalised in art, astronomy and legend as one of Monster World's heroes.]]

* YouDontLookLikeYourself: As a result of the artist drawing the player character based on his interpretation of the game sprites, as opposed to the official character design, Shion looks nothing like himself in [[https://gamefaqs.akamaized.net/box/9/9/5/19995_front.jpg the American and European box arts]]...

** Thankfully averted in ''Monster Not and the Cursed Kingdom'', which shows that [[spoiler: Shion's actions have seen him immortalised in art, astronomy and legend as one of Monster World's heroes.]]

* CallBack: quite a few:

** [[FridgeLogic Then again, just how does Shion stay afloat while wearing all that heavy equipment?]]