Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 59 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 59
  3. Negative: 8 out of 59
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  1. GenXY
    Apr 19, 2017
    9
    Amazing that they were to successfully update this Sega Master System original to a viable modern day title. They did a great job with this, also retaining the old school challenge. Nice work, DotEmu.
  2. Frogacuda
    Apr 19, 2017
    10
    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 releaseWonder 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.    … Expand
  3. Paulo-Lameiras
    Jul 19, 2017
    10
    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    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.    … Expand
  4. geoxd88
    Jul 20, 2017
    10
    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 aSimply 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.… Expand
  5. Alecj
    Apr 19, 2017
    9
    Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is one of the best remakes of a retro game ive ever played. It has been recreated with all new artwork and music by a development team that obviously has a love for the source material. It really is top notch work.

    What about the game, you ask? Well, as the retro platformer, with light RPG bits, it still is exactly the same game it was when first    Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is one of the best remakes of a retro game ive ever played. It has been recreated with all new artwork and music by a development team that obviously has a love for the source material. It really is top notch work.

    What about the game, you ask?

    Well, as the retro platformer, with light RPG bits, it still is exactly the same game it was when first released. If you liked the original version, you will like this. It does what it does very well. As someone who had never heard of the game, i was quite surprised by how much i liked it. Wonder Boy seems to be a lost gem in this style of game.

    If you arent a retro game fan than this game wont change your mind. It still has some of the flaws of the era. The controls are a tiny bit loose at times, and the platforming isnt for everyone.

    I still feel this game is worthy of the "9" i rated it. It truly is one of the best remakes ive ever seen or played. The game itself is one of the best of its kind from that era. If you are a fan of the genre, you really shouldnt miss it.

    Plus, the great work by developer DOTEMU, should be supported. Its clear they have a great future ahead of them if given the chance.

    A definite must buy for retro fans. A quality curiosity for others. Check it out on youtube if you are unsure, but its worth your time.    … Expand
  6. SuperkenGaming
    Apr 19, 2017
    7
    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    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 sucks... 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    … Expand
  7. titten
    Dec 3, 2018
    5
    The new visuals are just mindblowing, but on the other hand, the retro graphics are plain ugly. I mean, it looks great on the master system, but this port's "retro mode" is not pleasant on the eyes. Howerver it's great that you can swap between modern and retro on the fly. Some areas are easier to play in retro mode because of clearer distinction of the graphics elements.

    Gameplay wise    The new visuals are just mindblowing, but on the other hand, the retro graphics are plain ugly. I mean, it looks great on the master system, but this port's "retro mode" is not pleasant on the eyes. Howerver it's great that you can swap between modern and retro on the fly. Some areas are easier to play in retro mode because of clearer distinction of the graphics elements.

    Gameplay wise I could never get into the game. The controls and pacing just feels too slow and off. I'm a huge retro fan, but this was very disappointing.    … Expand
  8. frederik1478
    Nov 1, 2021
    7
    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
  9. 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
  10. quakedamage15
    Oct 30, 2021
    9
    Un Remake hecho con mucho cariño. Lo he disfrutado como nunca. A nivel visual es una pasada como lo han hecho. La música también está muy bien. Si quieres revivir esta aventura o te gustan los juegos clásicos es obligatorio jugar este Remake.
  11. Cafe_8bits
    Dec 26, 2019
    5
    The sad thing its that this game is a big missed opportunity. The old game design did not aged well, it does not play as good as it should, but its stylish and kinda fun. But im kinda frustrated with the gameplay.
  12. Ginger_Avenger
    Nov 19, 2022
    6
    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.

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 41
  3. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. games(TM)
    Jun 23, 2017
    70
    A gorgeous but sometimes galling nostalgia trip. [Issue#188, p.81]
  2. Gamers' Temple
    Jun 8, 2017
    94
    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.
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  3. DarkStation
    May 25, 2017
    80
    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.
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