Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

One of the most iconic games of the 8-bit era has returned to eliminate those platform gamers of yesteryear.

And what is it about? Originally, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap was the direct continuation of the previous game, Wonder Boy in Monster Land, in which the hero faces off against the Mecha Dragon. With his dying breath, the dragon casts a curse that turns him into a lizard. From there we embark on an adventure in which we will have to explore deserts, sea beds and dungeons to find and kill 5 dragons. Every time we kill one, we will be transformed into a new animal:

• The lizard: It is the only one without a shield or sword, but it can call and crouch.
• The mouse: It doesn't do much damage, but it can move along certain walls vertically and even upside down.
• The piranha: It can dive to reach underwater areas otherwise inaccessible.
• The Lion: Deals more damage and can break special blocks that block certain routes.
• The falcon: It is quite weak, but can fly.

By using these skills, we can move through an open world full of initially inaccessible challenges. This leads us to a development similar to Metroidvania, which forces us to visit the same environments on different occasions, to open routes that were previously prohibited to us.

Although the development of Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap mainly mixes jumping and sword attacks, there are certain role-playing touches. For this reason, we have to buy armor and shields that improve our resistance, as well as swords that cause more damage. To acquire these items, we will have to kill the different enemies who will drop us coins and, in some cases, attack objects, so that we can use them when it suits us.

We will also find keys for special doors or heart containers that increase our health. Health… one of the key elements in The Dragon's Trap. If we lose all our hearts, they will return us to the town that serves as our base of operations and we will lose all the attack items that we had accumulated.

As for control, it has its pros and cons. It works reasonably accurately when jumping, but the problem is that our character does not move while we swing the sword. This causes a certain feeling of being petrified before an imminent attack by the monsters and can leave us at the mercy of the enemy on more than one occasion. What is also interesting is the use of the shield. Whenever we face an enemy and we are not attacking or flying, our shield will stop the projectiles thrown at us. In this way, we have to master a kind of choreography when attacking, covering and moving.

That said, it is worth mentioning that, although it may seem like it, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is not a game for everyone. It requires patience, strategy and some skill. If you are one of those who thrive in the face of these types of challenges, you will be in your element. If not, you can always use the easy mode (there are 3 difficulty levels) for a more bearable experience.

Regarding sound and image, a great option has been included that we already saw in remakes such as Monkey Island or Halo: with just the press of a button, we can switch between the original Master System graphics and the new ones, without pauses. The same thing happens with music. Additionally, some variants have been included.

In short, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a dream come true for those who lived their childhood in 8 bits, although it is not exempt from certain problems, inherent to the original game from which it comes.