Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap Reviews
I'm normally the type of player who will for sure choose the 8 or 16-bit option, but the modern art and music in Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap were so good, that I played 95% of the game full modern.
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.
One of the best retro remakes there's ever been, and although the gameplay sometimes shows its age the graphics are amongst the best of the year.
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.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a great opportunity to look at one of the early games of the genre with a new hand-drawn graphics and a great soundtrack. If not for the lack of convenient maps and shortcuts next to the bosses and primitive by modern standards combat system, the game could claim the title of best remake of 2017.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a delightful trip down memory lane. The art for the characters and environments are absolutely astounding, but with a dated gameplay style, it's difficult to say this remake is fully realized. Yes, purists will love that The Dragon's Trap is a nearly 100% replica of the original with updated art, but I feel as though the love given to the art of the game should have been given to the gameplay as well.
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.
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
. If you’re a fan of the original or just looking for a charming, retro-inspired adventure, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is a game you’ll want to experience at least once.
Though the graphics and soundtrack showcase the superb effort to update the original game for hardcore series fans, frustrating gameplay mechanics and archaic design keep Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap from rising above anything but average.
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 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.
"Surgeon's knife can make the difference."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
We revisit one of the eShop’s earliest gems, a classic action-platformer and proto-metroidvania lovingly remade for the modern era.
The Dragon's Trap's HD sheen belies the simplistic gameplay of its era, but there's undeniable charm in that simplicity.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is everything an HD remake should be. The game itself was given an amazing face lift and the animation looks incredible. The platforming gameplay is the same as the original game, to a fault. The basic platforming and enemies can be a little boring at times.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap sets the bar high for retro remakes. It represents the celebration and conservation of an unrecognized classic.
Dated in some respects, polished and refined to a bright sheen in others, Wonderboy still manages to engage the player thanks to a solid fundamental core of simplistic but challenging combat, and a vast landscape to explore.