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Wonder Boy in Monster Land is the second game of the Wonder Boy series. Unlike the first game the gameplay has mix RPG what be a stable for future games of the series. Originally release for the arcades in 1987 and later was ported to other gaming platforms like the Sega Master System the year later. Both the arcade and Master System versions were re-released for the Wii Virtual Console and while the arcade version for the Sega AGES for the Nintendo Switch. It was also later released in the game Wonder Boy Collection for the same console.
Plot[]
The game's main protagonist is a young boy named Bock Lee Temjin, known to his friends as "Tom-Tom". In Wonder Boy Tom-Tom's girlfriend Tanya was kidnapped by the "evil King" and was taken to his woodland kingdom; Tom-Tom set out to the kingdom, defeated the evil King, and saved Tanya. Word spread throughout Wonder Land about Tom-Tom's quest, and people bestowed upon him the title of "Wonder Boy".
Following the evil King's defeat, peace reigned over Wonder Land for eleven years. Then, one day, a fire-breathing dragon called the "MEKA dragon" appeared and terrorized the land. The people, helpless and not skilled in fighting, were defeated by him and his minions; they quickly took over the land, and Wonder Land became known as "Monster Land". The people send out Wonder Boy, now a teenager, as Wonder Land's only chance to defeat the monsters and demons who inhabited the land and to defeat the MEKA dragon. The deposed Mayor gives Wonder Boy a sword and a life potion and sets him on his way.
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.
Development[]
Wonder Boy in Monster Land was created by Ryuchi Nishizawa and Michishisto Ishizuka, two of the three members of a newly founded company called Escape. After the release of the first Wonder Boy game, they rebranded the company as "Westone": the first letter in Nishizawa's name means "west", while the first on Ishizuka's name means "stone". Nishizawa, originally an arcade game developer, was trying to take advantage of the quickly emerging role-playing video game genre, with games such as The Black Onyx, Wizardry, and Dragon Quest. He tried to create a game that fused together arcade and RPG elements. The jungle backdrop was overhauled and replaced with a medieval one with castles and caves. As with RPGs, he intended for the player to start with no items or strength, and for players to buy items, spells, health, and better equipment. Later in the game's development, Shinichi Sakamoto came on board to compose its soundtrack; in an overview of the series by IGN, they said that the music "was a sigh of relief for those still haunted by the repetitive loops of the arcade original", adding that it contributed to the RPG style and that would establish the standard for all future Wonder Boy games in the series.
Reception[]
In Japan, Game Machine listed Wonder Boy in Monster Land on their September 1, 1987 issue as being the seventh most-successful table arcade unit of the month. Sinclair User magazine gave the arcade game a positive review, published in January 1989, calling it a "highly enjoyable" game.
Triva[]
- Jaleco Entertainment released a modified port for the Famicom under the title Saiyūki World. They changed the graphics and character sprites so that it resembled the Chinese novel Journey to the West.
External links[]
- Wonder Boy in Monster Land at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Wonder Boy in Monster Land at GameFAQs
- Wonder Boy in Monster Land at MobyGames
| Wonder Boy series | |
|---|---|
| Main series | Wonder Boy • Monster Land • III: Monster Lair • The Dragon's Trap (Remake) • Monster World Monster World IV (Asha in Monster World) • The Cursed Kingdom • Returns • Collection |
| Related | Adventure Island • Sega • Hudson Soft • Westone • Whomp 'Em • Aggelos |
| Sega AGES games | |
|---|---|
| Games | Sonic the Hedgehog • Thunder Force IV • Phantasy Star • Out Run • Gain Ground • Alex Kidd in Miracle World • Puyo Puyo • Virtua Racing • Wonder Boy in Monster Land • Space Harrier • Columns II • Puzzle & Action: Ichidant-R • Shinobi • Fantasy Zone • Puyo Puyo 2 • Sonic the Hedgehog 2 • G-LOC: Air Battle • Thunder Force AC • Herzog Zwei |
| Related | Sega |