Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 42 Critic Reviews

74% Positive
31 Reviews

24% Mixed
10 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 42 Critic Reviews

74% Positive
31 Reviews

24% Mixed
10 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Gamers' Temple

Jun 8, 2017

I loved the remake of Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap. Everything I remember is in place, only with updated - beautifully so - visuals and sound. The whole original game is included and an integral part of the package, and this is the kind of remake that drives fans absolutely wild. Newer gamers may shy away from some of the old-school issues that all games from back then seemed to share, but those willing to look to the past with fresh eyes will find a gem of an action platformer that was nothing short of amazing for its time. Old fan or new gamer, make sure you give Wonder Boy more than a passing glance.

Game Over Online

Apr 17, 2017

An outstanding remake – and one of the best examples of a full-on remake that we’ve seen in quite some time. It’s an early example of an open-ended platformer, and its minor mixture of RPG and platforming works nicely. It’s definitely a game that has aged, and the core game may not have aged as well as something like the original Sonic or Super Mario Bros. games, but it is still very well crafted.

User Reviews

User Score

Generally Favorable Based on 64 User Ratings

7.7

72% Positive
46 Ratings

16% Mixed
10 Ratings

13% Negative
8 Ratings

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

User Reviews

User Score

Generally Favorable Based on 64 User Ratings

7.7

72% Positive
46 Ratings

16% Mixed
10 Ratings

13% Negative
8 Ratings

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

lostleader

Jan 1, 2024

This game has such good animation and graphics! To find out this was a remake of an old classic, Wonderboy III, was a bit shocking, but made sense with how short and compacted it felt. Regardless, the game is a fun little adventure, with a fun gimmick throughout.

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geoxd88

Jul 20, 2017

Simply put, the definition of how a remake should be done. The 10 goes to the remake, not the actual game. The actual game is an old school classic with all the pros and cons this involves. New players will be left speechless by the design choices of an era long gone, while old players will realise what a long way games have come since then. It's not a bad game by any means, but it is a difficult one to play and a difficult one to appreciate. The remake is fantastic in all aspects, presentation, music, graphics. The fact that you can instantly go back to the old graphics and music (independently) with a press of a button shows that these people actually sat down and thought what a remake means and to whom a remake is targeted. I expect to see more from this team soon.

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NZGamer

May 10, 2017

Wonder Boy (Girl): The Dragon’s Trap is an excellent throwback to old school gaming but with a wonderfully adapted new paint job. You feel all the highs and lows of platformers in a family-friendly and super cute environment.

God is a Geek

Apr 18, 2017

It's still relevant now just as it was all those years ago, and getting a beautiful art style helps to keep Wonder Boy fresh and enjoyable.

LaPS4

Apr 18, 2017

In a year with several, important revivals such as Crash Bandicoot or Sonic, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is another delicious, nostalgia-filled remake that allows you to play either with its original or updated visuals, and a great work in sound and artistic aspects, but with its characteristic, challenging difficulty. We want DotEmu to bring back several more games like this one.

IGN

Apr 17, 2017

While its antiquated roots cause some minor frustration with unreliable hitboxes and unnecessary grinding, the foundational combat and exploration is still engaging and fun after 30 years. From long-time Wonder Boy fans to platformer enthusiasts who’ve never heard of it until now, you’ll likely be able to find whimsical fun and a neat bit of genre history in this charming adventure.

Push Square

Apr 17, 2017

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a ruthlessly faithful remake of the Master System classic that boasts a dramatic and beautiful audiovisual makeover. The game itself is still very enjoyable with a world map that's fun to work through and a lean Metroidvania structure that introduces new ideas right to the end. The controls are quite loose, which can lead to some frustration, but by and large this is a wonderful recreation that both fans and newcomers will enjoy.

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Paulo-Lameiras

Jul 19, 2017

I bought this game for my Master System 2 back then, and bought it now for PS4. This remaster is simply brilliant! The visuals are a work of art, the music is good, and i love the option to activate the classic visuals and sound. What surprises me the most is how modern the formula and design still feels! Despite being almost 30 years old, it feels as good as any modern indie 2d platformer. Simple, diverse, lots of secret areas, you have to grind in order to get the best items or beat some bosses, etc. My only complain is the hit detection, but then again, devs didn't change anything from the original except visuals and sound. All in all, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap feels as good now as i remember, something not very common. Many games i used to play and love in 8 and 16bit eras didn't age this well. An easy 9/10.

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Frogacuda

Apr 19, 2017

Wonder Boy III has never really gotten the respect it deserves. A polished, ambitious, graphically impressive action-adventure, built atop solid, old-school platform mechanics, it was a far better answer to Mario and Zelda than Alex Kidd ever could be. But it arrived relatively late (1989), on a platform that by then was failing in America, and basically dead in Japan (its Japanese release was cancelled outright, though it was later ported to Game Gear). After nearly three decades as a cult classic, relegated to the shadows behind better known NES titles, The Dragon's Trap gets the respect it deserves with a remake that is both lavish and lovingly faithful to the source material. The new artwork truly puts it among the finest-looking 2D games out there, with beautiful hand-drawn sprites that look like they came right off a comic book page. The art style is not slavishly faithful to the original, and the influence of French and Belgian comics shows, but it captures their tone and intent in a way only a true fan could. Music has been arranged for real instruments and performed live, and is generally wonderful, doing justice to a very memorable soundtrack. But underneath the modern veneer, the gameplay remains untouched. This is not an attempt to modernize a dated title, but rather to bring one of the great masterpieces of the 8-bit era to a new audience. While it's unmistakably old-school, and some design decisions may run counter to modern gaming conventions, it's really a testament to the strength of the original how much it holds up today. For nostalgics and purists, you can even switch to retro graphics and/or sounds with a button press, although the new visuals are so appealing, I mostly just used this to compare what had been done. Overally, it's easily one of the best remakes of an 8-bit game ever, and a clear labor of love by a team of dedicated fans. It'll be interested to see if Lizard Cube continues with the series, either remakes or an original title. It's clear they have a hit on their hands.

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frederik1478

Nov 1, 2021

The charm of this game is on a level I've never seen , the amazing artwork graphics and all the small things in the background and the amount of Love The in this one, you never feel like you're stuck in this one place because as Long as you always get money you always moving forward , If you have the slightest want to play it then do it you will not regret it

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SuperkenGaming

Apr 19, 2017

Wonder Boy: The Dragons Trap A Modern look with a dated feel The Dragons Trap is a remake of the master system game Wonder Boy 3 You can even swap between the 2 versions of both sounds and visuals with the touch of a button This is an action platformer where you play as wonder boy or wonder girl trying to undo a curse that turns you into a lizard man There are definitely some metroidvania style feels here… You basically explore a sort of open map until you can’t anymore... you’ll eventually find the right path to the next boss and pick up coins and other items dropped from enemies along the way… The coins can be used to heal your character as well as buy new armor shields and swords from shops scattered throughout the game… Unfortunately you can’t use the coins to buy any of the consumable weapons which ****... I’d much rather grind for coins than random drops… These consumable weapons are so rare that you’re better off ignoring them, because relying on them you’ll quickly find is a mistake because of this rarity… Once you make it to a boss, you take part in a battle of dodging and attacking the head.. These battles are where the games problems really start to show… The biggest issue is that you have to hit the enemies head, meaning you have to get close... problem is if you get too close you take damage and you can’t attack for a few seconds after damage is taken… This makes every single boss battle feel luck based and cheap… There was really only one boss I felt like I beat using timing and skill… The others I had to rely on my potions that refilled my health after I lost all of my hearts while I try to get lucky with being just the right distance while at the same time not having taken damage from their spammy attacks… These encounters are just not fun… and if you die you restart from the little village and have to make your way back through all of the obstacles and enemies again… If you do defeat the boss you unlock a new form... You then use this form to reach areas you couldn’t reach before and it’s the same cycle of go until you cant or until you find a boss for the next form… Each form feels unique and has its own abilities… The mouse though clearly the worst and most frustrating to use thanks to its forced extra close ranged attacks... Wonder Boy The Dragons Trap is fun to play through... its gorgeous.. It’s my favorite kind of metroidvania where you feel the urge to explorer rather than feeling like you’re forced to do so and it’s a fairly quick game that can be beat in a little less than 3 hours… But still this is a remake of an old game and it shows... The platforming is stiff... bosses are cheap thanks to this no doing damage after you’ve taken damage window…and the grind for pickups is no fun But what is fun is unlocking all of the abilities and finding all of the secrets this game has to offer. I give Wonder boy: The Dragons trap a 7/10

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Ginger_Avenger

Nov 19, 2022

I had this game way back when on the Master System, but I have to say the art of this remake was a really nice change. You can still switch to the old graphics, which I actually did to get thru some sections, and the updated music is nice. I think the game shows its age more than a bit, and even with the reskin, I wasn't always feeling it.

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