Wonder Boy in Monster World

Wonder Boy in Monster World
Also known as: Wonder Boy V: Monster World III (JP), Turma da Mônica na Terra Dos Monstros (BR) Developer: Westone Publishers: Sega (JP/US/EU), Tec Toy (BR) Platform: Genesis Released in JP: October 25, 1991 Released in US: October 24, 1991 Released in EU: April 1992 Released in BR: 1994 This game has unused objects. This game has unused items. This game has unused text. This game has regional differences. This game has a prototype article

Wonder Boy in Monster World (aka Wonder Boy V: Monster World III) is a side-scrolling action-adventure game, much like its predecessor Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (aka Monster World II). Set in the same world hundreds of years later, Monster World III stars a new hero named Shion as he follows Bocke Lee Temjin's footsteps and goes on a journey to save the world. The shape-shifting gimmick from the previous game was replaced with the addition of NPC companions who will help Shion explore various locations throughout the course of his journey.

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Prototype Info

Unused Plot Items

Under the menu are some unused plot-related items that cannot be obtained in normal gameplay. They can be unlocked with Pro Action Replay (PAR) codes. The Rod has no known effect on gameplay. With the Rapid Pad code turned on, when the Elder Dragon gives you the Bracelet, it does not go into your inventory. But if the code is toggled off, so you still have the Rapid Pad, there is no other known effect. This suggests it may have been programmed in between The Sphinx boss and the Elder Dragon. The codes listed below work on the American and European versions.

Rapid Pad (FF9597:0001 or FF9598:0001):
Occupies the last slot in the item inventory.

Rod (FF958C:0001 or FF958D:0001):
Untranslated in the localized versions; it is written ロッド, which suggests it was removed fairly early in development. Commonly refers to a fishing rod, but may also be translated to Cane.

Unused Debug Items

There are four unused items left over for testing purposes:

• Infinite Return
• Shield x 6 lets you cast Shield 6 times before depletion
• Unknown
• Infinite Shield and displays the number 8 for some reason

Unused Doors

There are four doors left in the game which cannot be seen or accessed without hacking. They were likely used for testing, as they are placed in locations very deep in the game which cannot be reached quickly.

This door goes to inside a solid in the pyramid. If you enter it, it takes you to the door inside the volcano to the secret chest with a heart. This door can be used to access the secret in the pyramid.

This door drops Shion neatly ready for the second stage of the platform jumping challenge.

These doors place Shion halfway through the volcano. They cannot be re-entered.

Unused Backgrounds

The return paths have backgrounds which are covered up, these are the only screens that have this.

Unused Scenery

Many areas lock the vertical position of the camera, instead of following the player. Using the Pro Action Replay (PAR) code 009785:0000, it unlocks the camera to reveal unseen scenery. Some examples below:

Original game	Hacked camera

Original game	Hacked camera

Original game	Hacked camera

009785:0000 unlocks the horizontal position of the camera. This shows that two rooms in the Ice Palace are actually shared on the same screen, but only one chest is spawned at a time.

Original game	Hacked camera

Unseen Sprites

Because you start with a weapon that always covers up your character which you cannot unequip, you never see the back of the character's head. Here are the ripped sprites without the weapon for idle stance, swimming, taking damage, side attack and ducking.

Misplaced Door

The door was accidentally placed inside part of the wall.

Original game	Fixed to how it likely should've been

Misplaced NPCs

The first npc that provides firestorm and elixir at the start of the game is placed 1 pixel too low, spilling over onto the grass scenery.

Original game	Fixed to how it likely should've been

The hidden shop keeper is placed 4 pixels underground, hiding his feet and making him short.

Original game	Hacked game to show feet

In this ending scene, the middle three NPCs are at least 1 pixel too low. You can also never see the entire sprite for the bald man.

Original game	Hacked game to show feet

Wrong sized rope

During the dark castle level, the player must keep jumping across a pair of moving platforms, but half of it may be skipped by jumping directly onto the rope. The Marine and Ladder boots jump slightly higher than all other boots. As the jump height difference is barely noticeable and the player would've most likely had Legend Boots equipped at the point, testers never discovered this.

This is exploited at 43:20 in the speedrun video.

Name	Jump height
Cloth	1
Leather	1
Ladder	1.5
Marine	1.5
Oasis	0.75
Ceramic	0.5
Legend	0.75

Original game	Fixed to how it likely should've been

Unused Font

An entire font set is available in VDP, but many characters and symbols go unused, such as upper case letters, roman numerals, [ " # $ % & ' ( ) * +

Unused Prices

Some items which are found in chests also have a sell price stored in the game code which cannot be seen without hacking.

• Hard Shield - 150 Gold.
• Legend Shield - 20,000 Gold.
• Oasis Boots - 1200 Gold.
• Legend Boots - 10,000 Gold.
• Leather Armor - 30 Gold.
• Legend Armor - 23,800 Gold.

Unused Names

The following names in the ROM word library go unused: Castle of Illusion, Prince of the Devil World and Ice Capital.

Original unused	Actually used	Full text	Location
Castle of Illusion	Nightmare Castle	I think he's gone to Nightmare Castle.	?
Prince of the Devil World	Prince of DarkWorld	I am the Prince of DarkWorld, and you must be the legendary hero.	After defeating almighty demon king boss
Ice Capital	Ice World	Now, you must search for the Old Axe hidden in Ice World. To get to Ice World, you'll need this special Bracelet.	Green dragon after reaching Dragon village
Ice Capital	Ice Castle	I heard you went to Ice Castle.	?
Ice Capital	Ice Castle	The item you're looking for is in Ice Castle.	?

Version Differences

Japan to US/Europe

Many changes were done during the localization of the Genesis/Mega Drive version, mainly to increase the challenge. These changes didn't carry to the localized versions of Dynastic Hero, the later released PC Engine port.

• The magic "EXPLOSION" has been renamed to "QUAKE" in the western release. The magic only damages ground based enemies, so this was an improvement.
• During the end credits which are English in both versions, MUSIC / EFFECT was changed to MUSIC / EFFECTS.

Game Over

In the Japanese version, running out of hearts merely sends you to the last inn you visited, with no penalty to your money or progress. As such, players would "suicide" this way after a boss to avoid backtracking.

The American and European versions give you a newly-added Game Over screen instead, after which you get booted back to the title screen and lose any progress since your last save at an inn.

Almighty Demon King

In the Japanese release, the bunny head floats around the screen. In the western release it floats around and drops fire on the ground.

Final Boss

Bio-Meka was incredibly easy in the Japanese version: he was basically a sitting duck on the right side of the screen occasionally firing some laser bolts. The US version added more laser orbs in the background and a fast-moving floor with a chainsaw moving back and forth. In the Japanese version, the NPC continues talking after you are healed, in the US version he disappears immediately after you are healed.

Initial Japanese release	Western release

Fixed Chest Position

In the later release, they fixed the position of a chest, instead of having an invisible wall.

Initial Japanese release	Western release

The Potion and Holy Water sprites have been changed in the western release. But the Medicine sprite remains the same. This change made it easier to differentiate between the two.

Initial Japanese release	Western release

Brazil

To do: More details.

In 1994, the game was localized (like the previous two Monster World games) as a tie-in licensed game called Turma da Mônica na Terra Dos Monstros ("Monica and Friends in the Land of Monsters"), with the Monster World title finally used... somewhat. Monica replaces Shion in the title screen with her threatening blue bunny doll known as Samson, which is her main weapon. Weapons and many plot-relevant NPCs have been replaced by items and characters from the franchise; as a result, their graphical style clashes with the anime feel of the unaltered NPCs. The port is based on the western release of the game rather than the Japanese release, as evidenced by the presence of the Game Over screen.

Title Screen

Wonder Boy V: Monster World III	Wonder Boy in Monster World	Turma da Mônica na Terra Dos Monstros

Besides Monica replacing Shion, Sega's copyright was demoted from a logo to plain text, and copyrights for Tec Toy and Monica and Friends creator Maurício de Sousa were added. They didn't bother updating the shadows on the rock under Shion's feet for Monica.