Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 35 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 35
  3. Negative: 4 out of 35

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  1. sh4dow
    Jun 17, 2017
    7
    This game is absolutely gorgeous. No doubt about it. Between this and Hollow Knight, the indie scene has been blessed with some beautiful titles this year.

    But... when it comes to the gameplay, it really shows its age. Enemies dragging you along with them, invisible doors and other places with little hint about their existence (without which the game would probably be about 3 hours    This game is absolutely gorgeous. No doubt about it. Between this and Hollow Knight, the indie scene has been blessed with some beautiful titles this year.

    But... when it comes to the gameplay, it really shows its age. Enemies dragging you along with them, invisible doors and other places with little hint about their existence (without which the game would probably be about 3 hours short), having to farm for gold, tedious character switching, boring boss battles (simple patterns and questionable collision detection). I was reminded of AM2R, where the creator kept the spirit of the game but adapted it to what one would expect from a more recent release. I think the modern mode of Wonder Boy would have benefited from something like that.

    I don't make the game sound all too exciting, do I? Well... it still is enjoyable and great to look at. And it took at least me close to 5 hours to do everything there is to do in the game. But considering that e.g. Hollow Knight is similarly gorgeous, offers vastly better gameplay, took me I think 5 times as long to finish AND is cheaper, I don't think it would be appropriate to rate this game any higher than I have. I do hope that the people who worked on the visual aspect of this (music is great too though!) will move on to work on more games with more modern gameplay.    … Expand
  2. DJKrimson
    Dec 23, 2019
    5
    I haven't played the original. I liked the graphics and the soundtracks in this game, but there's alot of annoying things in the gameplay, like:
    - If you die to a boss, you'll have to walk for miles to get back, and in a few dungeons you'll have to do that multiple times.
    - I got really with no idea where to go at times. At one point I was experimenting with a recently found mechanic and    I haven't played the original. I liked the graphics and the soundtracks in this game, but there's alot of annoying things in the gameplay, like:
    - If you die to a boss, you'll have to walk for miles to get back, and in a few dungeons you'll have to do that multiple times.
    - I got really with no idea where to go at times. At one point I was experimenting with a recently found mechanic and ended up not being able to proceed unless i found A HIDDEN BLOCK somewhere in the game. I looked for options to proceed for an hour before googling what I had to do.
    - Enemies will bounce you away when you get hit, meaning you'll accidently fall in to chasms/lava castlevania style and bounce back from your current room.
    - There's only 1 potion shop and it's very far from the city.
    - It's that kind of annoying zelda2-type of difficulty where you'll get overwhelmed with enemies at times and loose a 3rd of your hearts instant, some enemies even fire projectiles just above the height of your shield. While I'm not against a challenging game, these things makes you have to walk really slow at these places to make sure just to aggro 1 at a time. I'd like this game to be way more fast paced. (i played on normal btw)

    Summary: I'm not saying 8.4 user score is necessarily overrated, this was just nothing for me. This game has good elements in design, graphics, music and exploration. But it's way to hard, grindy and punishing. Wouldn't recommend to anyone who doesn't have a nostalgic connection to it.    … Expand
  3. TheProGamer-
    Apr 26, 2018
    8
    I never played the classic however that doesn't matter with this version. You can actually flick between both live as you're playing! The game felt great and you can see how much effort went into it. The attention to detail is great and the way everything is hand drawn gives it that modern yet retro feel. The way previous side-scrolling classics had gone through. The story is quite simpleI never played the classic however that doesn't matter with this version. You can actually flick between both live as you're playing! The game felt great and you can see how much effort went into it. The attention to detail is great and the way everything is hand drawn gives it that modern yet retro feel. The way previous side-scrolling classics had gone through. The story is quite simple and doesn't really hold up to many modern day games but other than that this game has everything a side-scrolling classic remake should have with genius ideas including. Definitely sets the bar high and other re-maker's of classic platformer's should take note!… Expand
  4. HSuke
    Aug 9, 2019
    6
    This is basically the same 1989 Wonder Boy III game with modern graphics. All the gameplay mechanics are identical, and the game definitely shows its age. Super-frustrating aspects like pixel-perfect accuracy and invisible walls and doors with no clues are poor gaming designs from decades ago. I would've liked to see a remake instead of a remaster of the game.
  5. kedireturns
    Feb 18, 2023
    8
    beautiful game! plays well, but tough without a guide only because it tells you NOTHING.
  6. JustinForgueims
    Jul 18, 2022
    9
    Super well done remaster. New graphics and sound are awesome.
    It's just changing a couple of things from the original and not ruining any part of it.
    I personally didn't find the gameplay annoying as many people says. Probably because I'm used to this kind of old-school games while younger people rely a lot on ease of life mechanics. Even so I need to say that the game become too easy    Super well done remaster. New graphics and sound are awesome.
    It's just changing a couple of things from the original and not ruining any part of it.
    I personally didn't find the gameplay annoying as many people says. Probably because I'm used to this kind of old-school games while younger people rely a lot on ease of life mechanics.
    Even so I need to say that the game become too easy and too short for nowadays standard.    … Expand
  7. maluigario
    Dec 5, 2022
    6
    TL;DR: If you loved the original game or love NES-era action-adventures, you'll love this. Otherwise, best to skip it.

    This game is a basic old-school platformer from the NES era that has received updated graphics and music. On the one hand, the new hand-drawn visuals are beautiful. On the other, if you were expecting any kind of revamp to the game such as new mechanics, this isn't for    TL;DR: If you loved the original game or love NES-era action-adventures, you'll love this. Otherwise, best to skip it.

    This game is a basic old-school platformer from the NES era that has received updated graphics and music. On the one hand, the new hand-drawn visuals are beautiful. On the other, if you were expecting any kind of revamp to the game such as new mechanics, this isn't for you.

    The one really neat feature is that at any time you can switch to the old graphics or music. This serves as a two-edged sword, however. It allows you to see just how much love and effort went into the new graphics and music while still being 1:1 faithful to the original. With the press of a button mid-combat, I can see just how this boss fight looked back on its original consol and just how much my attacks and hit boxes stay true to the original. But this then means that they were absolutely committed to keeping the gameplay identical to the last detail to the original. No improvements to platforming, no new features, nothing aside from graphics to bring this game into the modern era, and the switch-between-modern-and-retro button means I can see, when I'm frustrated by the controls or the hit boxes or the level design, that it's exactly the way it was back in 1989.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 2 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. The Overpowered Noobs
    Jun 16, 2017
    70
    After nearly three decades since the original release comes Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, a worthy remake. Developer Lizardcube created an engaging universe, partly thanks to beautifully hand-drawn graphics and a fleshed out storyline. If you’re a fan of the timeless classics, this one is a worthy addition to your library: Wonder Boy stays true to its predecessor but successfully takes the title into the modern era of indie gaming.
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  2. Ragequit.gr
    Jun 13, 2017
    85
    A product of love and devotion which may not excite a new gamer who is accustomed to today's handholding tactics and accurate gameplay mechanisms, but for those who have lived through the years of gaming "innocence" will hardly be able to hold back their tears by watching how gorgeous the game they used to love as kids has become.
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