Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap | ||
---|---|---|
Composer(s) Shinichi Sakamoto | | |
Series | Wonder Boy | |
Platform(s) | Master System, Game Gear, PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16, Mobile phone, iOS | |
Release | ||
Platform, action-adventure | ||
Mode(s) | Single player |
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, known as Monster World II
The game takes place after the events of Wonder Boy in Monster Land, in which Wonder Boy has been cursed by the Mecha Dragon and must locate the Salamander Cross to lift it. The game is nonlinear and features varying landscapes in which players must navigate. Players find items and clues needed to access different parts of Monster Land, and they can transform into other forms and gain different abilities.
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap received wide acclaim from gaming magazines upon its release. It was praised for its colorful and cartoon-like graphics, rich sound and diverse sound effects, and varied and addictive gameplay. Criticisms include sprite flickering in the Master System version as well as slippery controls. It won
Overview
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap takes place immediately after the events of Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Wonder Boy travels into the Mecha Dragon's lair in order to slay him. (Some sources refer to this creature as the "MEKA dragon".[1][2]) However, upon doing so, he is inflicted by a curse that transforms him into "Lizard-Man". In the game, the player controls Wonder Boy as he tries to undo this curse by journeying across the land, defeating other dragons, and finally defeating the Vampire Dragon to obtain the Salamander Cross – the only object that can remove his curse.[3]
After completing the first level in the game (a simplified version of the final level from the preceding game Wonder Boy in Monster Land), the player begins as Lizard-Man from Alsedo, a town in Monster Land, and the gameplay becomes
In the game, the player uses the
Throughout the game, players go through differently-themed levels: underwater, desert, jungle, cave, and sky. At the end of each level is a different dragon.[12] After defeating a dragon, Wonder Boy changes form, and his abilities change.[5] Wonder Boy begins the game as Hu-Man, equipped with all eight hearts and the strongest equipment.[4][13] He turns into Lizard-Man after defeating and being cursed by the Mecha Dragon in the first level. At that point, he loses all equipment and all hearts except one.[13] Lizard-Man attacks enemies by breathing fire at them and he can duck, but must use his fire breath to defend against enemy projectiles as he does not hold a shield in front of him.[4][5] He can assume other different forms throughout the game: Mouse-Man can walk on walls and ceilings designated by checkered "mouse blocks",[14] Piranha-Man can swim freely underwater and can access underwater places (such as the ship) which the other forms cannot, Lion-Man attacks enemies with his sword by slashing from directly above to directly below him allowing him to attack targets other forms cannot hit because all of them except for Lizard-Man simply thrust their sword, and Hawk-Man can fly freely in the air but takes damage if he enters water.[5]
Development and release
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap was developed by Westone and was published by
Reception
Publication | Score | |
---|---|---|
Mean Machines Sega 95%[29] | | |
Raze | 80%[30] | |
The Games Machine (UK) | 71%[31] | 86%[31] |
Video Games (DE) | 83%[32] | |
Zero | 73%[33] | |
Mean Machines | 95%[34] | |
Sega Power | [35] | |
Sega Pro | 97%[36] | |
S: The Sega Magazine | 92%[37] |
Publication | Award |
---|---|
Electronic Gaming Monthly | Best Game of the Year (Sega Master System)[38] |
Contemporary
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap received wide acclaim from critics upon release. It received coverage in the September 1989 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, where they provided a brief overview of the game and a summary of the events in Wonder Boy in Monster Land leading up to the game's plot.[39] GamePro published a review of the game in its September–October 1989 issue, stating that "it's truly an adventure worthy of Wonder Boy".[26] It received extensive coverage in both the January and February 1990 issues of VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, featuring an overview and a walkthrough of the game. The magazine praised the game for its challenge and overall look, which it says "will have you manipulating your control pad for days on end".[14][40]
Various UK-based video gaming magazines gave Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap significant coverage. UK magazines Computer and Video Games and its spin-off Mean Machines – in the latter's premiere issue – gave the game positive reviews. Computer and Video Games praised the animation in particular and called it the best game of its type on that platform, using phrases such as "familiar air of polish and ingenuity" and "piles of addiction guaranteed".[24] Mean Machines' Matt Regan said it "ranks as one of the greatest Sega Master System games ever!"; he compared the gameplay to the Mario series of video games and praised the game's depth, saying that "there's always something new to discover, be it a key to a previously locked door or even a secret room!" Julian Rignall praised the game's graphics and the huge world players can explore, which he says contributes to the game's addictiveness. He said that "the combination of adventuring, shooting and platform action results in one of the best games of its type available on any console". Collectively, they praised the game overall presentation and graphics, saying that the sprites complement the background. While they additionally praised its playability for being "accessible from the word go" and longevity, they criticized its sound, saying that it "could have been much better".[34]
German magazine Video Games gave Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap a positive review, saying that the game gave more weight to strategy and tactics, that it "stands out clearly from the two predecessors", and that its graphics became less childlike but more "spectacular". The review continued, saying that its gameplay is a good example of what makes action-adventure games addictive to play. It complimented the game's depth and wide array of equipment, saying that it "provides an additional touch, which makes [it] the best thought-out game [at the time]".[32]
Awards
In the December 1989 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, in its "Best and Worst of 1989" feature, the game won an award for "Best Game of the Year" for the Sega Master System.[38]
Retrospective
Upon the release of the TurboGrafx-16 version Dragon's Curse to the Virtual Console in 2007, IGN's Lucas Thomas reviewed the game, comparing the opening sequence of the game to the opening sequence of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night; he proceeded to add that the game parallels with games in the Castlevania series, calling the game "a straightforward and simple 'Metroidvania' adventure" but with "several layers of unexpected depth". Thomas noted the game's popularity among fans and that it plays almost exactly the same as the Master System version despite graphics and sound improvements; at the time, there were no Master System games on the Virtual Console. He praised the game's rich sound, gameplay depth, and "colorful and cartoony" graphics, which "was perfectly suited to the TurboGrafx platform".[44]
IGN's Travis Fahs, in discussing the SMS version, offered another opinion, praising the game as "not only the crowning achievement of the series, but perhaps one of the best games of the 8-bit era", drawing comparisons to both Mario and Zelda.[47] Thomas again reviewed the Master System version of Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap when it was released two years later for the Virtual Console. In this review, he compares the gameplay to Metroid – more specifically the need to gather additional equipment and abilities to advance in the game. While he acknowledged that this version from one of the best Master System games as well as for any 8-bit system, he felt that the Master System's Virtual Console release had a reduced appeal. He said that the TurboGrafx-16 version Dragon's Curse had already been out for two years and that there was no difference in gameplay between the two versions, but there were improvements in graphics and sound in the TurboGrafx-16 version because of the system's superior capabilities. He also noted that the Master System version suffers from sprite flickering – something the TurboGrafx-16 version did not have. Despite the small differences in the two versions, he decided to give the Master System version the same rating as the TurboGrafx-16 version.[4]
Remake
In June 2016, indie developer Lizardcube and publisher DotEmu announced a remake of Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, simply titled Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, which was released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One in April 2017, with a release on PC to follow in June 2017. The game supports a different, modern visual style, but retains the same gameplay, level design and story. The game was developed in collaboration with series creator Ryuichi Nishizawa.[49]
A spiritual successor to The Dragon's Trap, titled Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, is also developed by Game Atelier and published by FDG Entertainment for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, and PC. The game is also developed in collaboration with Nishizawa, though does not use the Wonder Boy name due to Sega owning the rights.[50]
Notes
- ^ Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap Instruction Manual, p. 1.
- ^ Dragon's Curse Instruction Manual, p. 1.
- ^ Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap Instruction Manual, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e Thomas, Lucas M. (2009-11-10). "Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2009-11-14. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- ^ a b c d Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap Instruction Manual, p. 7.
- ^ Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap Instruction Manual, pp. 12–14.
- ^ Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap Instruction Manual, p. 17.
- ^ Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap Instruction Manual, p. 3.
- ^ Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap Instruction Manual, p. 9.
- ^ a b Dragon's Curse Instruction Manual, pp. 2–3.
- ^ Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap Instruction Manual, p. 6.
- ^ Dragon's Curse Instruction Manual, p. 7.
- ^ a b Dragon's Curse Instruction Manual, pp. 1, 3.
- ^ a b Walnum, Clayton (January 1990). "Going for the Dragons: A Player's Guide to Wonder Boy III". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (12): 72–79.
- ^ a b c Monopoli, Paul (2010-02-07). "Retrospekt Review: Wonderboy 3/Dragon's Curse/Adventure Island". Retrospekt.com.au. Archived from the original on 2011-03-05. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- ^ a b "Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap for Sega Master System". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2010-08-15. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- ^ "Dragon's Curse for TurboGrafx-16". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2012-02-02. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- ^ "Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap for GameGear". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2011-10-16. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- ^ "Monster World Complete Collection for PlayStation 2". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2011-04-10. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- ^ "Dragon's Curse for Wii". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2011-01-27. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- ^ "Virtual Console". Nintendo.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- ^ "Load Up on Excitebike Action, Musical Plankton and More". Nintendo.com. 2009-11-09. Archived from the original on 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
- ^ a b "Console Wars: Wonder Boy III" (PDF). ACE. No. 26. November 1989. p. 144. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- ^ a b Glancey, Paul (September 1989). "Wonderboy III". Computer and Video Games (94): 104.
- ^ "Guide: WONDERBOY III". Computer + Video Games: Complete Guide To Consoles (4): 110. 1991.
- ^ a b C.A.T. (September–October 1989). "Sega ProView – Wonder Boy III". GamePro. No. 3. pp. 38–39.
- ^ Winstead, David (October 1990). "TurboGrafx-16 ProView: Dragon's Curse" (PDF). GamePro. pp. 82–83.
- ^ "Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap" (PDF). Joystick (in French) (1): 140. January 1990. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- Mean Machines Sega (1): 112. October 1992. Archived(PDF) from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- ^ Newsfield Publications: 60. August 1991.
- ^ Newsfield Publications: 26. January 1990. Archivedfrom the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- ^ a b Gaksch, Martin (January 1991). "Kleider Machen Leute – Wonderboy III: The Dragon's Trap". Video Games (in German). 1991 (1): 78.
- ^ a b "Wonderboy III: The Dragonus Trap". Zero (4): 84. February 1990. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ a b Regan, Matt; Rignall, Julian (October 1990). "Wonderboy III" (PDF). Mean Machines (1): 40–41. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- ^ "WONDERBOY 3: The Dragon's Trap" (PDF). Sega Power (46): 101. September 1993. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- ^ "Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap" (PDF). Sega Pro (6): 31. April 1992. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- ^ "Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap" (PDF). S: The Sega Magazine (1): 4–7. December 1989.
- ^ a b "Best and Worst of 1989". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 5. December 1989. p. 17.
- ^ Semrad, Ed (September 1989). "Sega Masters – Wonder Boy III". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 3. p. 57.
- ^ Walnum, Clayton (February 1990). "A Player's Guide to Wonder Boy III: Part II". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (13).
- CBS Interactive. Archived from the originalon 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
- ^ Allgame. Archived from the originalon 2014-12-11. Retrieved 2010-06-12.
- AllGame. Archived from the originalon 2014-11-14. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
- ^ a b Thomas, Lucas M. (2007-04-11). "Dragon's Curse Review – Wii Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- Nintendo Life. 11 October 2009. Archivedfrom the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- Nintendo Life. 30 March 2007. Archivedfrom the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- ^ Fahs, Travis (2008-11-14). "The Legend of Wonder Boy". IGN. Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
- ISBN 978-1-906078-44-7.
- ^ Stead, Chris (June 4, 2016). "Wonder Boy Remake Finally On The Way". Grab It Magazine. Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ "Two Developers Are Bringing Wonder Boy Back with Two Entirely Different Games | Kotaku UK". 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
References
- Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap Instruction Manual. Sega. 1989.
- Dragon's Curse Instruction Manual. NEC. 1990. TGM052089038M.
External links
- "The Legend of Wonder Boy". IGN. Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2009-12-21. — Retrospective of the Wonder Boy series, including offshoots
- Wonder Boy series at HardcoreGaming101