Those who grew up in the 80s and 90s know it, two schools clashed in the playgrounds. On the one hand, those who showed off with their NES and Super Mario Bros. 3, and on the other, the owners of Master System who tried in vain to explain to them that Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap offered an adventure as rich and thrilling as the new adventures of the mustachioed plumber. It must be said that the SEGA game also allowed its hero to transform into different creatures with very specific skills. A gameplay feature that we obviously find in this remaster, which shares a lot in common with the original game. The French at Lizardcube were so keen not to want to distort the source material that they made a game that was almost identical in every way. All you have to do is press the slice button to switch from the reworked game to the 8-bit version, without any latency. The change is immediate, almost instantaneous, so that it is quite possible to play normally by switching from one version to another. The developers have pushed the delirium even further, since it is indeed possible to change the soundtrack on the fly, allowing you to listen to either the re-orchestrated music or the vintage sounds of the time. Delirium.
MASTER EDITION
But despite this striking resemblance, the restoration work is of quite incredible quality. The 2D drawings are stunningly beautiful, whether it's the different sprites or the environments that have suddenly gained in richness, depth and life. But that's not all because Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap also benefits from a very successful artistic direction, keeping the Japanese style specific to the original game, while infusing a beautiful Franco-Belgian influence inherited from the DNA of the developers. The game is certainly full of colors, but the choice of a fine pencil stroke and a pastel palette gives it a certain charm. It's simple, everything has been visually transcended, so much so that we wonder if this is not one of the most beautiful remasters we have ever seen. Because beyond a noble graphics, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap also enjoys a great job in terms of animations. The movements of the hero and the enemies have been detailed in order to give them flexibility in their movements. Visibly very keen on attention to detail, the little guys at Lizardcube also didn't hesitate to add facial expressions to the different characters according to their actions. Facial expressions that make each situation unique and often endearing.
If we could almost speak of a faultless visually, on the gameplay side, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is also remarkable, especially with regard to the feeling, faithful in every way to the playability of yesteryear.
If we could almost speak of a faultless visually, on the gameplay side, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is also remarkable, especially with regard to the feeling, faithful in every way to the playability of yesteryear. So yes, said like that, offering 30-year-old gameplay is not necessarily a positive argument, but that would be underestimating the handling of the game, which is still very significant today. The jumps remain indeed millimeters, the precise actions and only the inertia of the jumps can however hit the system. Well, it is true that the attacks are still quite rigid with sword strokes that lack spontaneity and that you often have to anticipate so as not to find yourself at the mercy of an enemy who will hurt you at the slightest contact. This is all the more true since the game does not offer any protection, even if our hero walks around with a shield. A certain time of adaptation is therefore required before being able to get used to this return to childhood. In any case, the gameplay of the game remains basic as possible, despite the few transformations that allow the gameplay to vary. On the other hand, if there is one aspect of the game that allowed Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap to be considered a great platform game in its time, it is the Metroidvania side. Unlike other games in its category, the player can roam almost freely in all the tables, with the added bonus of areas that become accessible depending on the equipment that is unlocked thanks to the coins collected here and there during the adventure.
LET THE CHARM WORK
The only big downside of Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap remains its lifespan. In a straight line and if you know the original game, it won't take you more than 3 hours to scroll through the end credits. But because it has retained its feeling of yesteryear, the title reviewed and corrected by Lizardcube displays a difficulty that reminds us that the games of yesteryear do not give many gifts. Die & retry, so you're going to eat a lot of it if you discover the game with this remaster, especially since the checkpoints are spaced out enough to annoy young players who aren't used to the mechanisms there. is 30 years old. However, it would be a shame to miss out on this pretty nugget just for this obstacle, especially when you know that the game is only sold for €20…
