History VideoGame / WonderBoyInMonsterLand

** Yours is a series of (initially 5) {{Heart Container}}s; and [[EveryTenThousandPoints you can get more of them by scoring lots of points]]. You're gonna need all 10 {{Heart Container}}s if you wanna face and defeat the FinalBoss, because of the threatening hourglass-and you can no longer use the continous play feature once your reach the final stage in the Arcade version.

* NintendoHard: Within the Sega Master System version, the bosses can be killed in just a few hits each, but you only have one life, unless you gain more lives through score (and continuing is impossible). Wherein the Arcade version, the bosses are much much more difficult; but by adding credits if necessary, you can continue playing should you die (up until you reach the final stage)... take your pick.

* TimedMission: There's an hourglass at the bottom-left corner. When it runs out, it will flip over and deal damage. There's plenty of things that can reset the timer while preserving your life energy (except for the Amiga version.)

It was originally released as a 1987 arcade game called '''''Wonder Boy: Monster Land''''' in Japan, with an international release for the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem in 1989. The Mark III version was titled '''''Super Wonder Boy: Monster World''''' in Japan, making it the first game in the "Monster World" sub-series. Computer versions were also released for the Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC, along with licensed remakes for non-Sega platforms such as '''''Bikkuriman World''''' for the UsefulNotes/PCEngine and '''''Saiyuki World''''' for the UsefulNotes/{{Famicom}}. Similar to its predecessor, [[DolledUpInstallment it was also re-released as "Super Adventure Island" for cell phones in 2006]] (not to be confused with the actual ''Super Adventure Island'', released for the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] in 1992).

* BlindIdiotTranslation: Some versions suffered from this. For example, the Amiga version used: "3 gold get." The English version of the arcade game (which was actually a pirated release) was barely intelligible. Thankfully, the English Arcade edition (through UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole and ''[[CompilationRerelease Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World]]'') does away with all that and gives us a proper translation which does not end as such:

* BonusBoss: In the Master System version, the eighth round (which in itself is an exclusive area with its own end boss) is home to a secret boss known as the Wizard. Defeating him yields nine [[SmartBomb Lightning Bolt spells]], which may definitely come in handy later on.

* LifeMeter: Yours is a series of hearts. Tougher enemies are shown with a colored dot, gradually changing to red, but some ports removed the dot.

* NintendoHard: Within the Sega Master System version, the bosses can be killed in just a few hits each, but you only have one life, unless you gain more lives through score (and continuing is impossible). Wherein the Arcade version the bosses are much much more difficult but you can continue by adding credits if necessary (up until you reach the final stage), take your pick.

* TimedMission: There's an hourglass at the bottom-left corner. When it runs out, it will flip over and deal damage. There's plenty of things that can refill the timer (except for the Amiga version.)

* KingMook: The Myconid Master (giant version of the mushroom mooks), Giant Kong (giant ape), Kraken (giant squid) and King Demon (a promoted version of those one-horned ogre monsters).
* TheMaze: The {{final dungeon}}. Incorrect paths return you a few screens or possibly back to start.

* OutsideGenreFoe: [[spoiler: After 99% of the game consisting of medieval swords & sorcery, the evil tyrannical dragon conqueror turns out to be a robot crafted by space aliens who flee in a flying saucer following the dragon's defeat. The only things even remotely foreshadowing this are a line from one of the barkeepers claiming the dragon arrived in an "airship" and the room right before the final fight.]]
* PaletteSwap: Three of the bosses, notably the Death Master, Knight, and Giant Kong, as well as some of the mooks, have recolored variants, sometimes with different attacks.

* PermanentlyMissableContent: Since there is almost no ability to backtrack in the game, failing to find one of the secret areas in the ChainOfDeals sidequest basically makes the entire quest impossible to complete. A particularly egregious example considering that the reward for the quest is either a bell (which chimes when you are going the right way in the final dungeon, making the whole thing ''significantly'' easier) or a ruby (which automatically defeats the final boss's first form).

* OutsideGenreFoe: [[spoiler: After 99% of the game consisting of medieval swords & sorcery, the evil tyrannical dragon conqueror turns out to be a robot crafted by space aliens who flee in a flying saucer following the dragon's defeat. The only thing even remotely foreshadowing this is a line from one of the barkeepers claiming the dragon arrived in an "airship".]]

* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:When you have to fight the final boss again.]]

* GameOver: Some ports, including the Amiga and SMS, forbid you continuous play at all points.

* NintendoHard: Within the Sega Master System version, the bosses can be killed in just a few hits each, but you only have one life, unless you gain more lives through score (and continuing is impossible). Wherein the Arcade version the bosses are much much more difficult but you can continue by inserting more coins if necessary, take your pick.

* ChainOfDeals: The primary FetchQuest has you go around various towns to obtain one of the two useful items needed for the final dungeon. The items in question are a bell that allows you to progress through the maze quite easily, or a ruby that depletes the dragon's health to a half.

%%* ChainOfDeals: One of the subquests.

* PopQuiz: The Sphinx PuzzleBoss.
* RoboticReveal: [[spoiler:The final boss.]]

* AllThereInTheManual: This game is virtually disconnected from the original ''Wonder Boy'' game except for a mention in the localized manual of the Master System port as the event having taken place eleven years prior. The citizens of Monster Land somehow heard the tale, and call the hero by the legendary title "Wonder Boy" (the manual also mentions that his moniker in the home ports, "Tom-Tom", is actually a childhood nickname). Now a teenager, Wonder Boy (real name Bock Lee Temjin) is summoned to save the kingdom. Both characters were also implied to be one and the same in the manual and remake of ''[[VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap]]'', but ''VideoGame/MonsterBoyAndTheCursedKingdom'' later treats them as two separate characters.

* PaletteSwap: Three of the bosses, notably the Grim Reaper, Knight, and Giant Kong, as well as some of the mooks, have recolored variants, sometimes with different attacks.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The hero's name. The arcade game spells his full name as "Bocke Lee Temjin" (with "Book the Hero", the name given in the instruction card, being his nickname) in the casting roll, while the manual for the Master System version spells it "Bock Lee Temjin" (removing the "e" from "Bocke"). Some of the enemies have their names spelled differently as well, most notably the final boss of the game - which was originally called the Mechanic Dragon, and called the MEKA dragon, Meka Dragon, MEKA Dragon and Mecha Dragon in later sources such as ''The Dragon's Trap''.

* StealthPun: The Grim Reaper and its upgraded version Gold Collector. The certainties of death and taxes come to mind.
* StoneWall: The grey ghosts. They don't have any attacks, only low damage in contact, but take ''forever'' to die, tanking more hits than a [[BossInMookClothing Red Knight]] in the same room.

* FinalDeath: Some ports, including the Amiga and SMS, forbid you continuous play at all points.

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: Contrast the image above (the Japanese box art) with the [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/71/Monster_Land_for_the_Master_System_cover_artwork.jpg American version]] of the Master System version of the game, featuring a more realistically proportioned hero in full plate grinning wildly while cutting down a knight.