Originally released in 1989 for the Master System and PC Engine, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap was a highly ambitious title. Featuring several different playable forms, a focus on exploration and puzzle-solving, it has a lot in common with what’s regarded today as a Metroidvania title. While it never became a huge hit, and the series’ backstory is really weird due to it also spawning the Adventure Island franchise, the game gained a cult following over time.
Fast forward almost 30 years later and Wonder Boy’s third adventure is being remade for PlayStation 4 by French studio Lizardcube. It’s a really weird and interesting choice for a remake, which is why I asked the developer about why they would choose to remake a game without a sizable following. Lizardcube said that The Dragon’s Trap was one of the team’s most beloved titles from when they were kids, and that it was a dream come true to get to work on it. This really is a labor of love, and it was thanks to the publisher DotEmu that they were able to secure the rights to the license from Sega. Gorgeous Style
Before getting into Wonder Boy‘s gameplay, I have to talk about what stood out the most about the remake. It wasn’t the surprisingly advanced gameplay, but the game’s tremendous art style that had my jaw dropped. The Dragon’s Trap features completely hand-drawn animation, and it’s one of the best looking games I’ve seen on Play...