Meikyuujou Hydra

Heavily inspired by Konami's Maze of Galious, Hydra Castle Labyrinth tasks you with reclaiming a stolen crown from the Hydra that awaits you inside its castle. The game is divided between an overworld and eight different dungeons that can be accessed once you have the corresponding keys. There is no map to tell you where to go and many of the game’s secrets are hidden inside walls or are only revealed when every enemy in a room is slain, requiring players to explore and experiment to gain an advantage when challenging the dungeons.

Your playable character can jump with the Z key and swing their sword with the X key. Once the player finds subweapons, they can be used with the C key (if the player has ammo) and swapped between with the A key. There are five subweapons to find – a bow that shoots arrows in a straight line, an axe that can be thrown in an upward arc, a boomerang that comes back when tossed and hits multiple times, a fireball that rolls along the ground, and a bomb that deals devastating damage but can also hurt the player. After the shield is acquired, players can also block attacks by remaining still or by pointing the shield upwards to block projectiles from above.

The items that can be found throughout the game assist the player in various ways and are permanently active once found. The pickaxe allows players to break solid blocks strewn about, which is essential for finding many other items as well as the key to the first dungeon. The bell will make a ringing sound whenever a hidden item is nearby, making it much easier to locate items naturally. Rings can be found that prevent the player from being inflicted with status effects and there are various mobility items as well, including shoes that allow for double jumping and the ability to walk on lava unharmed. Most of the game’s items aren't required to complete the game, but some items, such as the flipper and fin, are required to progress through certain dungeons and may not necessarily be found within the dungeons themselves.

Dungeons are made up of a series of rooms containing various enemies and hazards to avoid based on the theme of the dungeon. Some of the themes encountered include a water dungeon, a fire dungeon, a dungeon where poisonous enemies are commonplace, and a dungeon where visibility is greatly reduced. There aren't any puzzles to solve inside dungeons, but items will need to be found in order to gain access to the depths of dungeons and their respective bosses. If the player is defeated at any point, they will be sent back to the last save point they used. The only way to heal in this game is by using save points, encouraging players to divide dungeons into multiple trips in order to preserve progress and restore their health. Defeating a boss gives you the key for the next dungeon, meaning that all eight dungeons must be cleared in order to complete the game.