Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Sega Master System)
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Wonder Boy in Monster Land is the second game in the Wonder Boy series. Before Sonic came along, Wonder Boy was probably the closest thing Sega had to a mascot. Originally released as an arcade game in 1987, it would be ported to the Sega Master System in 1988 and then to a variety of other home computers and consoles.
The plot picks up 11 years after the original Wonder Boy. In that game, you had to rescue Wonder Boy’s girlfriend who had been kidnapped by the evil King. Eleven years later, a fire breathing dragon and his minions took over Wonder Land turning it into Monster Land. Wonder Boy gained somewhat of a reputation in defeating the evil king so he is called upon once again to rid the land of the dragon and his minions.
Wonder Boy in Monster Land plays like a cross between a side-scrolling platform game and an action RPG. The game features twelve levels, each with its own theme, including different monsters and items. Wonder Boy has a life meter consisting of five hearts. If you lose them all, you die, however you gain a new heart at certain point levels. Points are gained by defeating monsters and collecting treasures. With the treasure you collect, you can purchase upgraded weapons and other items.
While the plot is certainly simplistic and the name sounds silly, Wonder Boy in Monster Land, along with most of the other Wonder Boy games, are actually pretty good. While I generally associate this game with Sega, it was available for a wide variety of platforms, including the NES, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST and others.
If you want to play Wonder Boy today, you can always track down an original copy or make use of emulation. I consider the Sega Master System version to be the definitive home port but if you are emulating anyway you might want to go with the arcade version. However, there are also some more modern options. The Sega Master System version was released for the Wii’s Virtual Console in 2009. Later, in 2012, Sega released the arcade version as part of its third Sega Vintage Collection for the Virtual Console, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade.
Screen shots above are from the Sega Master System version of the game.
