I want to get into the Monster World series--best versions?

[1upsuper]

Hello, all. Recently I've gotten interested in playing through the Wonder Boy/Monster World series for the first time. Haven't played any of them yet. I'd like to know what the best versions and ports are of each. Unfortunately I don't have any of Sega's home consoles accessible right now so the original carts are out. I have every Sony system, Steam, and every Nintendo home console. I know that there is a complete collection on PS2 but spending $90 on it is a bit too much now.

What are my best options for playing these games? Is there any particular need to play them in order if a couple of them are currently inaccessible based on what I have?

Thanks a lot for your help!

[wyrdwad]

I believe the compilation is still available for PS3, which contains Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Wonder Boy in Monster World, and Monster World IV. The emulation on each game is pretty much flawless, and the version of Monster Land on offer is a port of the arcade original, so you get what I *believe* to be the best versions of all three games (with Monster World IV in English for the very first time, and the localization is fantastic).

I've only played all the way through Monster World IV, of the three, but that game is DAMNED GOOD. If you've played Shantae: Risky's Revenge, it's basically that, but IMHO better.

I do wish Dragon's Trap had been included, though, as that's the Monster World game I most want to play. Fortunately, there is that upcoming remake, so I'll probably just wait and play the hell out of that.

-Tom

[Sturat]

I agree that the three-game collection on PS3 is probably the best way to go, unless you're playing on a standard-definition TV, in which case you might want to buy the games piecemeal on the Wii. Be sure to also get Wonderboy III: The Dragon's trap, as it is my favorite game of all time. You also might appreciate the series more if you play Wonderboy III, Wonderboy in Monster World, and Monster World IV in order because they do throw-backs like recurring enemies and musical motifs.
If you aren't going to play it on original hardware, the Wii Virtual Console is really your only option for Wonderboy III, but you have to choose between the original Master System version and the Turbo GrafX port, called Dragon's Curse. They're both pretty much the same; the Turbo GrafX port is a bit more smooth, has more colors, and the music has different instruments and some added layers. To choose between them, ask yourself whether you prefer the look and sound of Master System or Turbo GrafX, and how much you value playing the original version. If you're still not sure, I guess I'd recommend the Master System one.

[ZenithianHero]

The PS3 collection was on sale a week or two ago. It's great way to grab them. They usually don't show up in Sega's other Genesis/Arcade circulation. Even more-so Dragon's Trap but that one is getting a remake. SEGA should really make a Master System collection.

[1upsuper]

Thanks a lot, everyone. It looks like PS3 for the collection and Wii VC for The Dragon's Trap/Curse.

Jun 26, 2016 15:22:29 GMT -5 wyrdwad said:

I've only played all the way through Monster World IV, of the three, but that game is DAMNED GOOD. If you've played Shantae: Risky's Revenge, it's basically that, but IMHO better.

-Tom

Good to hear. I actually found Risky's Revenge to be disappointingly mediocre but with the potential to have been a lot better. Hopefully I'll enjoy MWIV more.

Edit: I just noticed that Monster Lair isn't included in the collection, nor did anyone here mention it. Is it like the black sheep of the series? I still get the games in this series mixed up but that's the SHMUP-ish one, right? I see it's available on the Wii VC.

[Aoi]

I'm glad this exists cause I also wanted to get into them.

If given choice of arcade or console, is it best to play arcade versions?

[Sturat]

Jun 26, 2016 15:56:25 GMT -5 1upsuper said:

I just noticed that Monster Lair isn't included in the collection, nor did anyone here mention it. Is it like the black sheep of the series? I still get the games in this series mixed up but that's the SHMUP-ish one, right? I see it's available on the Wii VC.

Yeah, Monster Lair is a good game, but its appeal is not the same as the Monster World series. If you like arcade-style games with a constantly-depleting life bar like Adventure Island, Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars, and J.J. and Jeff, it's definitely worth a look, but I don't think it's anywhere close to as good as the Monster World games. Just like the other Wonderboy III, the Wii virtual console has two versions. I think the Turbo CD version is a lot better than the Mega Drive version because it has better music, more color, and generally more polish, even if it's slightly less similar to the arcade version. I think it's actually better than the arcade version, too.

Jun 26, 2016 16:35:34 GMT -5 Aoi said:

I'm glad this exists cause I also wanted to get into them.

If given choice of arcade or console, is it best to play arcade versions?

The best three games of the six in the series are console-exclusives, so this is kind of a moot point. The second game in the series, Wonderboy in Monsterland, never saw an English release in the arcade, but the arcade version was released in English for the first time on Wii/PS3/360. It's worth playing as an introduction to the series, but I've never been able to get more than halfway into it (on Master System or arcade) so I think you're fine attempting one or two plays and moving on to the Dragon's Trap.

The arcade version of the first Wonderboy is the best, but if you've already played it on Master System (or even on NES as Adventure Island) you already have a good sense of what the game is about and I wouldn't hunt down the collection on PS2 just to play it.

Monster Lair is better on Turbo CD than the arcade.

[1upsuper]

Thanks again, Sturat. I picked up Wonder Boy 1 (SMS) on Wii VC just because I want to play all of them in order. I'm about halfway through. It's...definitely the precursor to Advenure Island alright. I'll probably finish it today.

[ommadawnyawn2]

Wonder Boy in Monster Land/Monster World 1 - The SMS version is a tad easier and slower paced than the arcade original, and the smoothest playing and best looking of the home ports except for Bikkuriman World on PC Engine, which replaces character and boss sprites with stuff from that franchise (it doesn't blend well with the setting imo).

Wonder Boy III: DT/Dragon's Curse/Monster World 2 - It's a bit of a tossup but all versions are great. If you like this one I recommend also checking out "Dragon's Curse Remake", a fan remake/mod for PC that expands the game world and increases the challenge.
PCE/TG16: This version scrolls smoother than the SMS one, has more colorful graphics, and rearranged music. A couple of the player character sprites were changed and the shading style is different. The in-game story text was changed to something more cheesy and comical, but it's a minor part of the game.

SMS: In comparison to the PCE game it has a cleaner, more consistent art style and to me the best version of the soundtrack in terms of melody. Speaking of the music you can play either with PSG or FM sound. The latter sounds like Mega Drive/Genesis music but simpler.

GG: On the surface it's just like on SMS (with PSG sound) but has various minor level design changes (mostly to make it more playable on the smaller screen though the sprites are still as big so you can't run through areas quite as quickly without knowing the layouts), has less grinding than the other versions and replaces the charm stone system with teleport stones that let you go back to the town hub from pretty much anywhere. The charm stones tend to annoy people as they limit what you can buy in shops. They also switched around a bunch of shops' stocks in this version and renamed some of the gear. Finally a certain trick that lets you transform on the spot is easier to pull off in this version.

Wonder Boy in Monster World/Monster World III/Dynastic Hero (PCE CD) - If you're gonna play the games in chronological order then you'll probably want to play the MD/GEN game first, because the PCE CD one has a different story and characters that, like with Bikkuriman World, clashes with the setting, and a soundtrack that has a different feel to it (I personally don't like it that much). That said there are nice sprite-based intro and outro cutscenes, and the NPC dialogue is more fleshed out and has more personality than in the MW/WB game. Apart from this they are nearly the same, but Dynastic Hero has a much easier final boss. IIRC it's the same as in the japanese version of WBiMW, which was changed for the western release of the game. The western version of the MW3 boss is much harder, and noticeably harder than the rest of the game, but you should be fine if you upgrade you character fully.


Wonder Boy 1 and Wonder Boy 3: Monster Lair pretty much belong to their own series, being more straightforward action platformer games. I would go with either the SMS or arcade version of WB, and either the arcade or PCE CD version of Monster Lair. The MD/GEN version of WB3: ML is missing a few levels and has redrawn player sprites that people tend not to like. 

[Aoi]

^ Thanks for the breakdowns, everybody. It's such a confusing series @__@.

I'm familiar with Adventure Island/WB1, and know I'm not interested. I'd say my real interest in the series came after watching Gamecenter CX's playthrough of Bikkuriman World. The light RPG elements and colorful graphics really appealed to me. I researched it at the time and saw several ports, including arcade, and just assumed it was always the superior version. As much as that entry hooks me in, I'm not sure I want to deal with that frustrating timer flip. Maybe I'll check it out just to try it and maybe not look to absolutely conquer it.

It seems like WB3 is the ticket I'm mainly looking to actually play. Seems popular and an improvement over the last game, so I'll look into the SMS version.

What was really confusing me was all the MegaDrive ports on Steam. After WB3 on SMS, is it a safe bet to snag the WBiMW(megadrive) off Steam? That whole set of Genesis titles is on sale for less than $2 right now o.o.

[alphex]

Seems I'm the only one who loves Monster World the most. The cute allies (THAT FAIRY SPRITE WHEN SHE IS WHACKING AWAY AT ENEMIES! *___________*) alone are a huge plus. Too bad the endgame is too damn hard for its own good.

[1upsuper]

Jun 26, 2016 18:11:22 GMT -5 ommadawnyawn2 said:

Lots of dope information.

Thank you for this, really helpful!

I beat Monster Land today. I'll admit that I had to do some save state abuse in that final area, yikes. I enjoyed the game quite a bit actually, but IMO the final dungeon sucks ass. Why do continues bring you back to the start of the game? Given how many load states I used I can't imagine how many times I would have had to play through the whole game otherwise. The timer never bothered me throughout the whole game until I got to that dungeon, and then the fight against the dragons became a race against the clock. I tended to game over fairly frequently throughout the game so I beat it with only 7 hearts. I imagine if I would have played a lot better throughout the game then the dungeon would have given me less grief. I was able to enter the dungeon with maxed out gear, which was really helpful. And then the fight with the dragon was weird. Why have two aesthetically disparate but functionally identical bosses? The existence of the ruby is also interesting.

All in all I enjoyed the game and I look forward to moving onto Monster Lair.

[Aoi]

Yeah, I just tried ML (arcade). That had to be one of the worst and most frustrating games I've ever played in my life. Honestly, killed any desire to play the others. I made it to round 8 without save states, but quarter feeding. Once it got to ice physics with already horrible slippery controls, forget it.

[ommadawnyawn2]

Jun 27, 2016 22:46:44 GMT -5 1upsuper said:

Jun 26, 2016 18:11:22 GMT -5 ommadawnyawn2 said:

Lots of dope information.

Thank you for this, really helpful!

I beat Monster Land today.

The SMS version then? Yeah it gets pretty nuts there, I've only beaten the game legit once because of that. The later games (except Monster Lair, heh) are a lot easier than Monster Land though and play more like Faxanadu or Battle of Olympus. 

Since you guys are emulating and using save states you might want to check out gamehacking.org's codes for the early games; for example you can remove the time limit on the weapons in Monster Lair or the clock in Monster Land. Also I think WB3: Monster Lair is more fun in 2-player. 

[Discoalucard]

I admit I've never beaten Monster Land. The farthest I ever got was that part in the last dungeon where you have to jump back and forth between those two platforms that float up, and if you mess up the timing, you fall to the ground. I always kept running out of time on that one.

The SMS version is better balanced overall, but it's also harsher considering the lack of continues. The arcade version is more difficult, but if you die you can just restart the level.