Review: Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

On the turbulent development of the Wonder Boy series, the complete change of the genre, with the first sequel, the branching into the Monster World series, different versions for different markets, especially highlighting obscure titles that were intended exclusively for the Brazilian market - we could write the whole book. 

 However, Monster Land was still largely a linear arcade, and for the real enjoyment of the adventures of a brave boy in diapers saving the world from the clutches of lovely monsters, it was necessary to separate a huge sum of money for chips, since many ports for popular home computers from that time list were of doubtful quality and only the original slot machine in some of the then popular (and smoky) "entertainment salons" guaranteed authentic experience. Two years later, vunder kind moved to Segina's Master System console and soon became its unofficial trademark, instead of Alex Kidda, who was a favored one, who, despite a number of quality games, was not very "received" by the audience. Dragon's Trap,the third part of this chronologically tricky series has deepened deeper into RPG waters and has introduced a much wider freedom of movement, with frequent (and necessary) return to previously visited sections, whose parts at the very beginning of the game are inaccessible, which (with contemporaries according to which is a subgenre and got a name) ranked in the beginnings of Metroidvania waves.

One of the indicators of the cult status that Dragon's Trap enjoys in all parts of the world is the little-known French development team, Lizardcube, who fifteen years later made a remake of pure romance from pure love. The premise and gameplay remained unchanged, so the story, as in the original, is directly linked to the completion of Monster Land. More precisely, the final level of the previous game and the battle with the last boss represent the introductory level of Dragon's Trap, and after the successful beating of the new-old head, he casts a curse on our hero and turns him into a lizard. An unfortunate boy does not remain anything but smash all the remaining dragons in the world and somehow grabs his human face. By retiring each of these dragons, the boy turns into a different animal, in which the most important characteristic of the gameplay lies.N amely, different forms have their advantages and disadvantages, so the lizard is the only one able to bend and have the ability to attack a large range, but it is sluggish and has no shield. The poked mouse can penetrate through a cramped space and "beautiful" for certain surfaces, reaching platforms that are inaccessible to other animal forms, but the weapon they are looking for in accordance with its dimensions - briefly. When it turns into a fish, the boy acquires the ability to swim (strange miracles), the lion can destroy the blocks above and below it, while the hawk loses energy in contact with water, but it can take and wake the sky under the clouds.



Let's not lie, the graphics were ugly for the standards of the day because Segino was not able to display something better or better, so beautiful hand-drawn sprats that charm the charm and leave the impression of a cartoon first class the greatest advantage of a remake in relation to the original. Old intertextual in text form has been replaced with attractive illustrations, and the background is no longer an empty, monochrome space, but a carefully painted flat decorated with a multitude of animated details. The musical substrate has also been subjected to the treatment of plastic surgery because "live" instruments are now engaged, although, in its original, chiptune form was an absolute hit, so in this case, playing with the updated graphics display and old. Switching between modern and retro display, that is, old and refreshed soundtrack, if desired, is done directly from the game, without the need to call a special menu, which is for any commendation. Apart from technical facilitation, the authors tried not to overstate the novelty, so the newly introduced option of the initial choice between boys and girls is quite acceptable and purely aesthetic. The photo gallery that is progressively unlocked by naming the achievement is a feature of modern games, but it is a side-by-side and completely optional detail, so nobody will be angry about its implementation. Some will contend with a choice between three different levels of difficulty (if you want the real atmosphere of the '80s,' hard 'is the only thing that interests you), although we have to stay objective and accept the factual situation - young generations are simply not accustomed to the brutal weight of games of old boots. If you meet Dragon's Trap again after many years, it will take you a few hours to bring the game to an end, because the gameplay itself, including the layout of the screen, and the entry of old codes, has remained identical. If you are a newcomer ... you will take on your own and envy you, because of the feeling of the first passage through the dragon world and the discovery of numerous secretes largely the reason why the original engraved in the memory of the generation of players.

Whether they are young or old, Wonder Boy or not, you can not miss this retro jewel in your new style. The Dry Wonder Boy is a bright example and a lesson in how one HD update should look, without excessive novelties that would disrupt the core of the source material. If you twitch twenty euros in your pocket - you will not find a smarter investment from the Dragon's Trap remake, because it's about the work of true lover in the original.

Rate:9/10