When did Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair release?

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair was first released on November 1, 1988.

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair

Nov 1, 1988ShooterPlatformArcadeArcadeLinuxWii Sega Mega Drive/GenesisPC (Microsoft Windows)

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair on?: Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair was released on Arcade, Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD, TurboGrafx-CD.
When did Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair release?: Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair was first released on November 1, 1988.

About Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair

The monsters are attacking the quiet town of Xenobia. Guide Leo and Priscilla to wipe out the monsters using the Legendary Weapons.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Arcade, Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD, TurboGrafx-CD
Developer: Westone
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Game modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative, Split screen
Themes: Action, Fantasy
Series: Wonder Boy

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

64/100

from 16 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Fake risk
Sega Genesis	1991	$15	$57	$116	2 reviews	Low

Also released on: Arcade · Linux · Wii · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Mac · Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD · TurboGrafx-CD. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29

Loose

$15

Complete

$57

Sealed

$116

few sales

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Japanese release	$14	$37	—

How often it sells

Loose: about once a month
Complete: about 2 times a month
Sealed: about once a year

Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $18.68 in Jul 2018, $22 five years ago, and $14.60 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2019	$14.85	$32
Jan 2020	$12.28	$32
Jan 2021	$14.57	$27
Jan 2022	$16.06	$29
Jan 2023	$23	$26
Jan 2024	$19.10	$24
Jan 2025	$20	$39
Jan 2026	$11.03	$40
Oct 2026	$14.60	$57

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date	Barcode
Europe / PAL	April 1991	—
Japan	22 December 1990	4974365540258

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Mega Drive software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published where both agree on the same cartridge dump, or from the libretro records alone where MAME lists no number for that dump. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: EU+JP
Released: 1991
Authenticity: Low

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages, the Genesis Mini and Nintendo Switch Online, are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Sega Genesis prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A colorful two-player Sega port of the Wonder Boy arcade game that came out only in Europe and Japan, and is priced about in the middle.

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair is Sega's Mega Drive version of the arcade game, developed by Aicom. Japan got it on 22 December 1990 and Europe in April 1991. A second player can join as the princess, who is named Priscilla in the English-language Mega Drive version.

A Mega Drive games guide found its graphics and sound very average.

What the press said at the time

Computer + Video Games Issue 112	March 1991	67%
Sega Pro Issue 36	September 1994	40%

“Wonderboy 3 is initially quite enjoyable, but the action is quite monotonous”
— Computer + Video Games, March 1991

“Controlling a sword-wielding young lass may 8 El get you rather excited, but the whole adventure of hacking through the greenery soon gets very tedious.”
— Sega Pro, September 1994

How the Sega Genesis version differs

Sega itself released the Mega Drive version, in Japan in 1990 and in Europe in 1991.

The English-language Mega Drive version renames the princess Priscilla.

Mean Machines Sega rated it only 47 percent, calling the graphics and sound very average and the gameplay unchallenging.

Also on other platforms

Arcade · TurboGrafx-CD · Windows

Arcade

Westone

TurboGrafx-CD. The North American TurboGrafx-CD release dropped the Wonder Boy III title and renamed the hero Adam.

Before you buy

Among European-only carts it sits about at the middle, so the European cart is the one to look for. The Japanese cart usually costs about the same loose and noticeably less complete, but its cartridge is a different shape and does not fit a Western console without an adapter or removing two plastic tabs in its slot.