Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

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.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is everything a remake should be: a thoroughly modern yet completely reverent update that preserves the soul of its inspiration for a new generation of gamers to enjoy.

Wonder Boy: Dragon’s Trap is an objectively short game, but at the same time is the most heartfelt and genuine tribute to one of the greatest classic arcades. No questions, here: just play it.

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.

It's all very retro and very fun and, for me at least, not just nostalgic but sort of joyful, like seeing an old friend again after many years. Other old games, like Super Mario Bros, I've played many times over the years, either on virtual consoles or on the original systems, but this has remained a lost gem. I feel pretty lucky to be able to play it again, and in such a loving rendition. Lizardcube has crafted something special here. You should play it.

Wonder Boy: The Dragons Trap is a shining example of a remake done right. This is both a love letter to the original and a way to bring in the present an undervalued gem.

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.

There are average, good, and very good remasters. Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap belong to that last category, bringing back a masterpiece of videogames history for a few bucks.

Sets a new standard for what remakes should include, and I hope future ones can follow in these footsteps with projects that are just as passionate. While it can’t escape a few of the original title’s annoyances, it is still an engaging and enjoyable experience for 2D-platformer and series fans, and will most likely garner the franchise some new fans, who will come into contact with the series for the first time with this game like I did.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Curse is simply wonderful. Not only does it keep the spirit of the original, it proves that you don’t need to overthink and recreate a formula that works just as well in 2017 as it did in 1989. Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Curse is a must buy.

Much more than a fresh coat of paint, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a new classic nearly thirty years in the making and truly a project of passion for Lizardcube.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is an excellent remaster of an underrated game. Though the playtime is short, it’s a worthy experience for anyone who enjoys nonlinear “Metroidvania” styled platformers. It’s great to see such a faithful adaptation, but it would have been nice to see new content other than the gender option. Either way, it’s clear that a lot of passion went into making the game look and sound as great as it does. Lizardcube has set a new standard for remaking an old game, and I’d look forward to seeing what’s next on their table. Perhaps we’re due for a proper new entry in the Wonder Boy series.

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.

The Dragon’s Trap is an accurate recreation of the original game which, for the most part, is really great. Your journey in Wonder Boy is all about exploring Monster World in each of the various cursed forms. The lizard form is able to breath fire, as a mouse, you can climb certain walls, the piranha form gives you the ability to swim, the lion is essentially a tank, and as a hawk you’ll soar through the sky. These forms break up the game well and ensures that you’ll periodically be traveling through the world in a slightly different way. They’re also great about opening up new secrets in earlier areas in the game that were previously unreachable. Things never get old and exploring is always rewarded. However, the actual movement in Wonder Boy is quite slippery and can lead to a good deal of frustration. This, combined with the continuous knock-back that can happen in certain boss fights, leads to some aggravating situations that tend to be a small blemish on an otherwise enjoyable game.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is a perfect example of a remake that’s been done for reasons beyond simple material gain. Lizardcube have clearly put everything they have into making it unerringly respectful of the original – for good and bad – but this has all the look of a gorgeous modern indie platformer, while retaining the old-school gameplay that made it so memorable the first time around.

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: The Dragon's Trap shines as one of the best retro remakes yet. It knows not to tamper too much with the enjoyable, exploration-driven gameplay that made the original so good, instead focusing on updating the presentation to reintroduce the game to a new generation of players. While it's a bit on the short side--you can probably beat it over the course of a lazy Saturday--its small world is packed with personality. Whether you've played the original or are completely new to the weird, wacky world of Wonder Boy, The Dragon's Trap is an adventure well worth embarking on.

This is an excellent way of bringing back an amazing game, a beautiful audiovisual remake that still plays great. And being a 30-year-old game, it's certainly an achievement.

Quotation forthcoming.

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.

Lizardcube did an amazing job, showing so much love and care for this - still enjoyable - classic. The way the french team allows us to play it with lovely and modern visuals and music just makes us hungry for more of this kind of remaster.

Yes, The Dragon’s Trap is one of the best-looking 2D sprite-based platformers ever, but beneath that gorgeous exterior is a fundamentally well-built adventure platformer. All the player needs to do to prove the truth of that statement is tap one button and discover just how good gamers had it twenty-eight years ago.

As a remake of 1989’s game of the year, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is a brilliant and beautiful recreation.

A faithful remaster of a classic that a lot of folks missed. Developer LizardCube has kept the original gameplay completely intact and laid some amazing 2D art and great remastered soundtrack over top of it. It's a faithful preservation of a classic, retaining any of the gameplay pitfalls the original had, but it's surprising how great Wonder Boy III is with some visual and aural polish.

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.

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. The extra challenge areas are nothing to sneeze at either.

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.

So-called "love letters" can leave a person with a broken heart. While true to the classic, Wonder Boy - The Dragon's Trap does little to improve on the three decades old formula. While old players will love it, new ones might find this piece of old school classic a little bit too stale.

It's a cool adventure that ignore the trend of modern day 2D platformers just to offer a whole new world. The only problem is that the movement of the enemy is so annoying, that it is tough to stay motivated.

Wonder Boy: The Dragons Trap is a good game and a fantastic remake.

Technically, it's a great remake, but the gameplay hasn't aged well. Still recommended for fans of the genre and gamers with an interest in game history.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is a game for Metroidvania fans. If you’re the kind of fan who still plugs in their Nintendo and likes to see what the origins of modern games look like, then pick this up.

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.

A gorgeous but sometimes galling nostalgia trip. [Issue#188, p.81]

It’s a unique mix of a complete overhaul in the graphics and sound department, boasting catchy music and charmingly beautiful visuals, that at the same retains untouched the level design and gameplay of the original. It will not please newcomers but those that grew up in the 8-bit era will surely enjoy the faithfulness of the remake. On another level it’s a great study about the evolvement of the platformer genre and the connection between gameplay and visuals.

This game makes the old brand new again. The new style is amazing to look at, and the game is still as amazing as it used to be. Be warned though: the gameplay can be tough to get through.

For the three to four hours that it lasts, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is a largely pleasant return to a series that deserves a bit more attention. With that said, although the gorgeous art and the other updates are welcome, the game has too many points of frustration to rise to a truly great level.

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.

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.