Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair is the third arcade Wonder Boy, and it is built on a simple alternation: platform stages where you run and jump, then forced-scroll shooting stages where you ride a flying form and blast waves of enemies. The two genres trade off stage by stage, so the game never settles into one rhythm for long.

It is also the most forgiving Wonder Boy. Your character has a health bar, shots level up as you collect the right pickups, and the shooting stages are closer to a light theme-park ride than a bullet test - waves come in set patterns and the level-up makes you visibly stronger. The result is a game that plays better as a cheerful two-player afternoon than as a score chase, which is exactly what the alternating two-player mode is for. Westone and Sega released it in 1988 on System 16, and the name is a trap for collectors: it has nothing to do with Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, the Master System game that carries the same number.

• ▸Stage-by-stage alternation between platforming and horizontal shooting
• ▸A health bar and level-up shots - the most approachable Wonder Boy
• ▸Genuine 2-player alternating play built around the two modes
• ▸Bright System 16 sprite work in the series' signature cartoon style