Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap

Getting turned into a fire-breathing lizard-man by a robot dragon wasn’t on my to-do list, but here we are. Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap resurrects the 1989 Sega Master System gem with a modern coat of paint so polished you can see your cursed scaly reflection in it. Lizardcube’s remake doesn’t reinvent the beast, but it doesn’t need to, it’s too busy letting you swap between a sword-wielding mouse and a flying hawk-person on the fly, which is somehow both adorable and awesome.

Each defeated dragon mutates you into a new animal form, and every creature comes with a twist, like climbing walls as Mouse-Man or swimming as Piranha-Man, that opens up new pathways in its connected, secret-packed world. It’s vintage Metroidvania 101: fight, explore, unlock, repeat. The moment-to-moment action demands precision, especially with enemies who seem allergic to forgiveness, but each win feels well-earned.

The real showstopper, though, is the aesthetic. Flipping between hand-drawn animation and the original 8-bit visuals mid-game is like watching a Disney movie dissolve into an NES cartridge, and somehow, both are beautiful. The orchestral rework of the soundtrack is just as lovingly treated, giving even the goofiest crab fight a sense of grandeur.

Yes, a few archaic mechanics survived the resurrection, grinding for drops feels like a relic best left in the crypt, but that doesn’t stop Dragon’s Trap from charming the pixels off you. Whether you’re new to Wonder Boy or returning with nostalgic baggage, this is a trip worth taking… even if you have to do it as a lion with a broadsword.