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[ggx2ac]

Launch Trailer

FYI: The game is identical on all platforms and runs at 60FPS.

Metacritic Switch score: 78


Metacritic PS4 score: 79


Metacritic Xbox One score: 76


Opencritic score: 79

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Nintendolife: 8/10

It's clear that the team at Lizardcube are massive fans of the original Wonder Boy III, and that affection translates into what is without a shadow of a doubt the definitive version of a game which has previously been ported to the Game Gear and PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16. The new visuals are sumptuous and the soundtrack - which uses traditional instrumentation rather than computer-generated audio - proves just how catchy the original tunes were. Despite the passing of the years The Dragon's Trap remains a perfectly-pitched non-linear action adventure which must surely rank as one of the best of the 8-bit era. Its biggest failing is the fact that like the Master System original, it can be completed in the space of an evening. Still, that evening will be one of the most enjoyable you can possibly spend with your Switch, making this a recommended purchase regardless.

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Push Square: 7/10

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.

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Cubed3: 7/10 / Bronze Award / Very Good

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.

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Spaziogames: 8/10

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.

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Destructoid: 8.5/10

Even though the Master System was an also-ran next to the NES's dominance, there were some real gems created for it, and Wonder Boy 3 just might have been the best game released on the platform. Lizardcube and DotEmu have done a lot of work to bring The Dragon's Trap up to today's standards, and the new version plays as good as it looks. It's plain to see how much effort went into making this into the best possible version of a game that deserves to be a classic, and it's absolutely worth your time.

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PlayStation Universe: 8.5/10

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.

Yes, that is a typo.

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Game Over Online: 90%

Overall, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is 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. Anyone who grew up enjoying the original should check out the remake, while newcomers who enjoy 2D platformers will be right at home here.

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Here's mine! EGM - 8.0/10

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.

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IGN: 7.1/10

I had just as much fun during my six- or seven-hour playthrough of Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap as I have with many of its contemporary counterparts. 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.

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PlayStation Lifestyle: 8/10

As a remake of 1989's game of the year, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a brilliant and beautiful recreation. The SEGA classic has been honored by developers who were clearly a fan of the original game and there's a lot of heart that shows through the hand-drawn visuals and classical instrument soundtrack. There are some inherent flaws that have been present for 28 years which don't explain some of the more vague complexities, and without the nostalgia factor to highlight the classic, it could seem like just another indie metroidvania — albeit an exceptionally exquisite one — but Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a great example of a game made with the kind of passion that sometimes gets lost in the massive productions of modern gaming.

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Nintendo World Report: 8/10

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.

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Hardcore Gamer: 4/5

Despite carrying over a couple of issues from it's early Sega days, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is still a stellar platformer and metroidvania game.

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Gaming Nexus: 8.8/10

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a fun and challenging game that I'm glad to see got a remake complete with optional retro assets. For those who, like me, never had a Sega Master System back in the day, this is a great opportunity to check out the game as well as the series in general. Plus if you have your old passwords from the SMS version and never finished the game, now's your chance.

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US Gamer: 4/5

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is 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.

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Mine, if someone is interested in an Italian review:

Switchitalia: 8/10

Pro: amazing restyle, great art direction, great animations, good OST, challenging without being frustrating, gorgeous Gallery, instant-switch for graphic and sounds
Cons: somehow "archaic" in terms of game structure (non-linear exploration, no checkpoints, weird controls/hitboxes); not too long

Summary: the resolution and the fluidity are able to make the great animations full justice; gorgeous-looking and sounding, it really is a (short) impressive experience.

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Eurogamer: Recommended

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a must-own for fans of the series and old-school gamers in general. For those without nostalgia for 8-bit titles, The Dragon Trap's relative simplicity may not measure up to the polish of modern platforming adventures such as Shovel Knight, Momodora or Shantae (which shares some of Wonder Boy's DNA), but it's a labour of love that sets an example for all retro remasters.

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Jeremy Parish's Retronauts review is fairly positive, making me want it now (on Switch of course).

For OP: http://www.retronauts.com/?p=2255

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Gamekult 7/10

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Slant Magazine: 4/5

Lizardcube has both made The Dragon’s Trap more vibrant and set a fascinating standard for game remakes.

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Mine's a day late. WCCFtech (8.2)

This is only the second Wonder Boy game I've played, but I absolutely loved V when I was growing up. Hope Lizardcube can tackle that next!

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Forbes (Contributor): 9/10

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.

 

[YoshiStrife]

Cubed3: 7/10 / Bronze Award / Very Good

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.

 

[ggx2ac]

Any ETA on when the US embargo ends for reviews?

 

[YoshiStrife]

Any ETA on when the US embargo ends for reviews?

Embargo ends 18th, with no specific time, so I guess US-based sites are waiting for the clocks to tick over on their side of the ocean to be safe. Some might start trickling in now that UK ones are up, but perhaps others are just being finalised/edited based on their own time zones.

 

[jetjevons]

Is this the Mastersystem Wonderboy? I adore this game!

 

[ggx2ac]

Is this the Mastersystem Wonderboy? I adore this game!

There were a few Wonder Boy games on the Sega Master System.

Wonder Boy

Wonder Boy in Monster Land

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap

This one is a remake of Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Is this the Mastersystem Wonderboy? I adore this game!

The Master System had more than one WB game (three I believe), but yes, this was on that console.

Edit - Beaten!

 

[Oneself]

One of my most anticipated releases this year!! I hopecit will sell well, it's such a great example of how to make a "remake/remaster"!

 

[TheBear]

I don't have any nostalgia for the existing game. Any reviews tackle it from that angle?

 

[ggx2ac]

I don't have any nostalgia for the existing game. Any reviews tackle it from that angle?

Probably have to wait for the US reviews since there'd be more to look at.

 

[Eusis]

I did play Dragon's Curse via Wii VC way back, so I do have something of an attachment myself. I kinda lost interest there though but I'm hoping that this works out better for me just based on the eye candy and the fact it'd be more stuff to play on the Switch.

 

[Firebrand]

There were a few Wonder Boy games on the Sega Master System.

Wonder Boy

Wonder Boy in Monster Land

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap

This one is a remake of Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap.

There's a port of Wonder Boy in Monster World as well.

WB3 is still the best of bunch imo.

 

[mjc]

That Cubed3 review reads higher than a 7...interesting.

I think I'll be getting this regardless of reviews unless they're under 6 or something.

 

[DangerMouse]

Yup, can't wait for this, hope it doesn't review too badly.

 

[ggx2ac]

Yup, can't wait for this, hope it doesn't review too badly.

The most likely criticism for the game will probably be the controls due to how slippery it is when your character moves due to momentum as seen in the OT thread.

And probably the lack of new content since it's seen as a short game in one of the reviews.

Edit: However, Hard mode is new if you want a challenge.

Edit 2: So there might be something new hidden.

 

[@MUWANdo]

I don't have any nostalgia for the existing game. Any reviews tackle it from that angle?

All the reviews around the 7/10 rage are evaluating the game from this perspective, more or less.

 

[drangleic tourism]

Off to a good start.

 

[Buggy Loop]

I seem to recall there was coop? Was there not?

Or it was another wonder boy game?

 

[ggx2ac]

I seem to recall there was coop? Was there not?

Or it was another wonder boy game?

I haven't been paying attention to Monster Boy but that is the other title people get confused with since it's a game based off the Wonder Boy/Monster World series but it is not from the original creators. while being collaborated with Ryuichi Nishizawa and some composers of the previous games.

 

[IrishNinja]

day 1 either way, but i'm liking the positive press here! such an underrated classic, so great to see it get this treatment

 

[Rlan]

I seem to recall there was coop? Was there not?

Or it was another wonder boy game?

You may be thinking of Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair, the Arcade / Megadrive shooter, rather than Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, the action-adventure Master System & Game Gear game.

The naming system for the series has always been garbage.

 

[patrickthehedgehog]

Picking this up as soon as it pops up on the Switch US eShop!

 

[Mega]

There were a few Wonder Boy games on the Sega Master System.

Wonder Boy

Wonder Boy in Monster Land

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap

This one is a remake of Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap.

I'll be getting this for sure.

There's a Monster Land remake coming too, right?

 

[tebunker]

I'm debating, I played Dragon's Curse on TG-16, it was good but I don't have any particular nostalgia for this. I kind of wish there wasn't another Wonderboy styled game coming this year, it's kind of messing with any desire to buy this atm.

 

[AmyS]

I'll be getting this for sure.

There's a Monster Land remake coming too, right?

Monster Boy is a totally new installment, not a remake. It does not yet have a release date. I'm not sure about a remake of Monster Land, though.

The original game was remade though, Wonder Boy Returns, and that's already released.

 

[bounchfx]

Picking this up as soon as it pops up on the Switch US eShop!

Is there an ETA for this? is it 12 EST? or PST?

 

[Mega]

Monster Boy is a totally new installment, not a remake. It does not yet have a release date. I'm not sure about a remake of Monster Land, though.

The original game was remade though, Wonder Boy Returns, and that's already released.

Oh thanks, I didnt the realize that one was all new.

Wonder Boy Returns is terrible, right? I seem to recall it's basically smartphone shovelware.

 

[AmyS]

Wonder Boy Returns is terrible, right? I seem to recall it's basically smartphone shovelware.

Exactly, yeah.

 

[zenspider]

One of my favorite older games I didn't play at the time - as long as it runs well I'm in on Switch.

 

[@MUWANdo]

I'll be getting this for sure.

There's a Monster Land remake coming too, right?

Nope.

There's a new game called Monster Boy that's in the style of the later action/adventure games but Monster Land was a linear arcade game so they're not really comparable.

 

[Felensis]

One of my favorite older games I didn't play at the time - as long as it runs well I'm in on Switch.

This. Day 1. Um or at least day 1 as of when my Switch returns from repair.

 

[AgentOtaku]

One of my most anticipated releases this year!! I hopecit will sell well, it's such a great example of how to make a "remake/remaster"!

Mine as well (^_____^)

 

[ggx2ac]

Finally, a new review appears.

Destructoid: 8.5/10

Even though the Master System was an also-ran next to the NES's dominance, there were some real gems created for it, and Wonder Boy 3 just might have been the best game released on the platform. Lizardcube and DotEmu have done a lot of work to bring The Dragon's Trap up to today's standards, and the new version plays as good as it looks. It's plain to see how much effort went into making this into the best possible version of a game that deserves to be a classic, and it's absolutely worth your time.

There's also a new review on the PS4 metacritic from Cogconnected but it seems to be giving a 404 error on the link.

 

[mollipen]

Here's mine! EGM - 8.0/10

 

[1upsuper]

I only played through the original for the first time within the last year so I probably won't get around to this remake anytime soon, but it looks great. I'll definitely want to play it someday. It's a really nice, tight metroidvania experience with little fluff.

And yeah, the naming system for this series could not be worse. I think my favorite part is that the original Wonder Boy birthed the Adventure Island series, and the TG16 port of The Dragon's Trap, which is called The Dragon's Curse, is called Adventure Island in Japan. What?

 

[mollipen]

And yeah, the naming system for this series could not be worse. I think my favorite part is that the original Wonder Boy birthed the Adventure Island series, and the TG16 port of The Dragon's Trap, which is called The Dragon's Curse, is called Adventure Island in Japan. What?

Even the smartest minds of our species can't keep the Wonder Boy series straight. So, my advice is not to even try.

 

[jonno394]

Glad this is reviewing well. Will pick up soon!

 

[Sword Of Doom]

This seems pretty cool. Saw them play it on GB a couple of weeks ago and it looked like a great effort on the developers part. Glad it's getting good scores

One of my favorite older games I didn't play at the time - as long as it runs well I'm in on Switch.

Yeah i'm going to wait and see how it runs first


My one complaint so far is that I wish the game looked more like the promo art

 

[Stairouais]

This seems pretty cool. Saw them play it on GB a couple of weeks ago and it looked like a great effort on the developers part. Glad it's getting good scores



Yeah i'm going to wait and see how it runs first


My one complaint so far is that I wish the game looked more like the promo art

2 hours in, It runs perfectly on switch.

 

[F0rneus]

Pretty good reviews overall. My kind of game, but the furry aesthetics are pushing me away. I'll probably get it in the future, when it's cheaper. So glad to see a female protagonist.

 

[Effect]

Any word on how long the game is suppose to be? Could be?

 

[mollipen]

Any word on how long the game is suppose to be? Could be?

It took me about seven hours to beat, but that was with trying to find things and get all of the equipment before I beat it (since I wasn't sure if you could still play post-ending). I'd think it would take 4 to 5 to play through if you're playing regularly.

 

[Meffer]

Any word on how long the game is suppose to be? Could be?

Likely as long as the original.

 

[ggx2ac]

Just bumping with whatever new reviews in the OP I could get off of opencritic.

 

[firehawk12]

Hah, you can use the codes in the SMS version and vice versa? That's cute.

 

[Skeletos311]

Go Nintendo review - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50QAOhT8BiA&t=904s

 

[Gambit]

Reviewing decently, I see. Will be a nice purchase on Thursday.

Just read the IGN review and saw this quote:

"With limited health, I had to attack cautiously, striking at just the right moment after learning and avoiding enemy attacks, which made combat feel more like Dark Souls than Donkey Kong."

Enough with the Dark Souls comparisons already. Striking at the right moment and avoiding enemy attacks is not exclusive to Souls games!

This should be obvious even to IGN, especially with this being a remake!

 

[Captain Europe]

Go Nintendo review - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50QAOhT8BiA&t=904s

Oh wow, I really want a 2D Mario that looks like that now! That is frickin gorgeous.

 

[correojon]

I could never manage to beat this on the Master System, if the price´s right I´ll give it a go on Switch. Crazy how it´s only taking people 6 hours to beat it when I remember spending weeks playing it and getting lost.

 

[Freeman76]

This is so good. If you liked it back in the day you will love this. I see some of the younger generation struggling because the checkpoints are so few and far between, one person gave up already because they failed the underground part of Lionman too many times and got sick of it. This is a reminder of how games never used to give a shit about quality of life or holding your hand. Classic.