Gameplay
In Wonder Boy in Monster Land, players control Wonder Boy as he destroys the monsters in Monster Land and defeats the MEKA dragon. When the player begins the game, Wonder Boy starts out in the City of Wonder Land without any items or gold, but to give him a chance, at the beginning of the game, the city's mayor gives him a sword and a revival potion and sets him off on his own. The game is divided into twelve levels, and each of them has its own unique features, items, monsters, and secrets. These levels include towns, valleys, deserts, islands, and castles. Players use the D-pad to move Wonder Boy on the main screen, to enter doors by pressing upward, and to use Magic Weapons by pressing downward. The D-pad is also used to select between various items when in a shop. Players also have two buttons – one which makes Wonder Boy attack with his sword and buy items in the shop; and one which makes Wonder Boy jump and skip through storylines.
Wonder Boy has a life meter which consists of a series of red hearts; he starts the game with five red hearts. Whenever he sustains damage those hearts turn black. When all the hearts turn black, Wonder Boy dies, and the game ends. Players score points whenever Wonder Boy defeats enemies and collects certain treasures, and at certain point intervals Wonder Boy receives an additional life heart. Players earn gold throughout the game in order to purchase weapons, magic weapons, and other items in shops and rooms. Gold is obtained from enemies, while some are hidden in odd places such as trees and clouds. The game has an "Hourglass Timer" on the top of the screen; whenever the Hourglass Timer runs out, Wonder Boy loses some life. The Hourglass Timer can be refilled by collecting hourglasses or by visiting hospitals or taverns. In the ZX Spectrum version of the game, a candle represents the timer.
In the Sega Master System version of the game, pressing one of the buttons takes players to the Status Screen which primarily shows what items they currently have. Other information displayed in the Status Screen include types and strengths of weapons and armor equipped; gold; life remaining; special items collected; and types of "Magic Weapons" collected and their quantities. Magic Weapons include bombs that roll on the ground, fireballs that fly through the air, small tornadoes that run on the ground and attack enemies, and "thunder flash" which damage all enemies on the screen. In the game's other versions, all gameplay information are displayed on the left and top edges of the screen; there is no need to access a separate screen.
Throughout the game, the player must investigate the surroundings through finding and entering doors. These doors contain shops where players can buy equipment, rooms which provide additional information needed in the quest, traps which contain powerful enemies, and exits to the next level which can be opened after finding a key. Some of the doors in the game are hidden and can only be found through by trial and error. At the beginning of the game, shops are visible and are clearly marked with the appropriate signs. Later on in the game, as Wonder Boy gets closer to the MEKA Dragon, the shop doors become unmarked while others are traps set by the level's bosses; near the end of the game, many of the shops are invisible and contain more powerful weapons. There are four types of shops throughout the game: boot shops allow the player to buy boots which make Wonder Boy jump higher and run faster, armor shops contain armor which makes Wonder Boy incur less damage from enemy attacks, shield shops contain shields which allow him to repel fire from enemies, and magical shops allow players to purchase Magic Weapons. There are also various rooms in the game which the player can enter and receive additional assistance in the quest: taverns where players can buy drinks and receive information from the bartender, Fortune Teller rooms where players may receive information about future events, and hospitals which allow players to refill their life meter and Hourglass Timer for a small price. Other rooms contain a boss in which the player must defeat to get the key to the next level, to earn additional gold, or to upgrade to a more powerful sword.
There are many items and treasures located throughout the game. Many of these treasures are obtained by defeating enemies and include the following: gold; golden water jugs, necklaces, scales of justice, harps, mirrors, and crowns which increase the player's score; hourglasses which refill the Hourglass Timer; hearts which refill the life meter; gauntlets which temporarily double Wonder Boy's attack power; helmets which temporarily provide additional protection from enemy attacks; Wing Boots which allow Wonder Boy to fly over obstacles; Revival Potions; and magic mantles which make Wonder Boy temporarily invisible. Other special items hidden in the game in which the player must find include letters, the flute, various charms, the bell, and the ruby.
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