Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap Reviews
1989's Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap could have felt way out of its league here in 2017, but the impressive job that LizardCube has done updating it for our modern era has really given it a second life. It's a great retro-meets-future gaming experience marred occasionally by elements that just don't work as well all these years later.
With gorgeously rendered animated visuals, an instrumental recreation of the 8-bit soundtrack, and some truly compelling Metroidvania mechanics, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is just as good a game today as it was decades ago.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a remarkable remake of a classic from '89, with an oustanding artistic direction and a clever re-arrangement of the original OST.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap sets the bar incredibly high for future recreations of classic games. Not only does it pay reverence to the source material in nearly every conceivable way, it also manages to modernise the original game through an astounding level of quality in presentation.
Wonder Boy is a beautiful game built on the foundation of a classic, but that's just it, a foundation. Wonder Boy is almost a glorified painting at its core. It's beautiful and worth looking at, but won't be worth owning for most gamers. The core of the game is ok, but not amazing, and it never was. It could have been so much more with some work, but when they aimed to mirror the original 1 for 1, it limited all possibility for it to be something more.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is an astonishingly beautiful game to both look at and play. Its story is as charming as ever and the gameplay doesn’t ever over-complicate itself. The large variety of stages have enough to keep things interesting, while the amount of creatures to play as, with their unique skills, and ability to change from modern to 8-bit graphics at the touch of a button is marvellous.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a great classic that has now gotten a new chance to shine. Even though this game is almost 30 years old, I was surprised by how well it holds up today.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is an excellent example of the right kind of remastering for a sprite-based game. Everything from the original is kept intact, with only a few changes that make the game more bearable in the modern era without affecting the difficulty at all. The presentation is what everyone will be talking about, however, as this game surpasses expectations, which is a bigger feat for an indie developer than a larger studio. The game length may be short initially, but the many secrets will keep you coming back, making this title a must-have for platforming fans of all types.
Considered to be a hidden gem that was ahead of its time, this edition is possibly the best remake of a retro game ever. A unique game with a special charm, one that is highly recommended for classic game fans and anyone looking for special experience and doesn't mind a bit of work to get there.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a great remake of a beloved classic. It's a great game, but as a direct remake, the gameplay does seem a bit old-school. I would love to see a new fresh game in the series… and it seems I'll be getting my wish soon thanks to Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, which is a spiritual successor to Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap. It is being developed by Game Atelier and will be published by FDG Entertainment on PS4, so be sure to get Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap today to prepare you for that one as well!
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a well done remake of a classic action game. It allows the player to experience the game from the perspective of both the new art direction as well as the old one, making for an interesting experience.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap doesn't always put enough distance between itself and its Master System roots to fully appeal as a modern platformer, but it's so brimming with charming, challenging discoveries that dated design choices don't infuriate anywhere near as often as they reward.
A remake that certainly deserves to be played by fans of classic titles bearing in mind that it still has its original design difficulties which in turn may be a nuisance to current generation gamers no doubt.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
I am so happy that The Dragon's Trap was rereleased in this way. Its visual style appeals to a whole new generation, and the love and attention given to the game as a whole will make fans of the 1989 original smile from ear to ear. From the hand-drawn visuals to the instrumental soundtrack, everything about The Dragon's Trap remake shows how remakes should be done. This isn't a mere cash-in for nostalgia's sake, this is a remake that has been targeted for all audience, a rare gem for sure.
The Dragon's Trap: Wonder Boy is an excellent remake of a beloved classic. The enhanced visuals and superb audio really bring the game into the modern age complementing the excellent design of the original. Unfortunately, inherited design flaws such as some obscure puzzles, imprecise hit detection, and the lack of a hints system do hold the game back. However, these issues do not detract too much from the overall experience. This modern version of a classic game will appeal to a new generation of gamers and also remind longtime fans why they fell in love with the original.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is quite the looker, but the gameplay definitely shows its age. Fans of open-world platformers may enjoy scouring its world for secrets, but those weaned on modern-day titles may end up getting frustrated with its controls and design.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap was a fun game back in the day and its still just as fun today. It will certainly be a challenging adventure, but you won't be overwhelmed by the action. Speaking of that, if you want to get all of the game's trophies you better start playing on the highest difficulty since there are some levels related to completing the game like that. There's plenty to do in the game, and the fact that you can switch between the old-school graphics and music and the new graphics and music for the HD remake is a nice bonus.
But through all those old-school problems, The Dragon's Trap is still a strong and engaging Metroid-esque platformer that features a pleasant interconnected world filled with areas packed with secrets and grand old-fashioned platforming. It's well worth overcoming the outmoded aspects to experience a fresher take on a great game.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a superb remake. It's a flawless port with various minor improvements sprinkled throughout. It's also drop-dead gorgeous. The original game's age is clearly shown when it comes to matters such as equipment and level design. Even with these issues, the quest still hits all of the right notes. It doesn't waste the player's time, nor does it ever get overly frustrating. Each leg of the adventure makes a lot happen with very little, thanks to smart enemy placement and rock solid fundamentals. Altogether, this journey is one that any generation can find joy in.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap may essentially be the same game as the original but its brand new graphics and sound make it worth checking out for existing fans and newcomers alike.