Metroidvania games before the genre existed: Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap
Sega Master System
A franchise that was always fun to play was Westone’s reinvented Wonder Boy series. I say reinvented because I am not talking about the “Adventure Island” looking games that kicked off the series but instead the Medieval-ish side scrolling adventure: Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap and even Wonder Boy in Monster World which were all released on Sega platforms from the Sega Master System to the Genesis/Mega Drive. The last two of which were Metroidvania-ish before the genre was ever created. Sequels did exist and ports were made across multiple platforms but those didn’t see US releases, so, I did not get to experience them until much later through the “black art” of emulation.
Although, I am not here to talk about the series. I am here to talk about what I believe unknowingly kicked off the Metroidvania genre: Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap. I say unknowingly only because in many ways, Sega and its library of often excellent games did not get the recognition it deserved. This is especially the case for the company’s 8-bit console, the Sega Master System. If you were lucky enough to have either owned or played a Master System, then you would know that visually, it far surpassed the Nintendo Entertainment System BUT because of Nintendo’s strong influence over software developers, Sega did not have a large library of games for the console.
Plot
Considered to be the third installment in the Wonder Boy franchise, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap immediately follows the events of Wonder Boy in Monster Land. Literally. The game starts with our hero fighting the final boss of the previous game.
Wonder Boy travels to the castle of the Mecha Dragon and upon killing him, the creature inflicts a curse on our hero, transforming him into “Lizard-Man.” You then spend the rest of the game journeying across the land (underwater, in the desert, jungle, cave, and sky) trying to undo this curse by obtaining the Salamander Cross.
And during your adventure, you learn to turn into other creatures, each with their own abilities, unlocking new areas of the game (e.g. the Metroidvania component). It definitely did have its challenges. Such as the boss fights and figuring out where to go next. I will admit that I did not beat the game until many years later, when I was mature enough to appreciate such games.
Mini-Review
Despite the cartoonish look, this game is a ton of fun. It definitely feels like you are going on an adventure. The visuals are clean and crisp. The music is great with catchy tunes that fit the environments. The controls are good. Overall, The Dragon’s Trap is definitely something you should give a chance.
And if you don’t want to play the original for the Sega Master System, it was ported to the Sega Game Gear (which is essentially the same as the Master System version but adapted to smaller screens) and to the Turbo Graphx 16.
Although, in 2017, indie developer Lizardcube and publisher DotEmu published a complete remake of the game which I will admit, was extremely well done.
My Memories…
I originally played Wonder Boy In Monster World and Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap for the Sega Master System but because of how WB3 felt more like an adventure, it appealed to me more. And as I mentioned above, the game did have its challenges and I would end up completing it many years later.
It was Wonder Boy In Monster World for the Sega Genesis that really sealed the deal for me. I found the game in a bargain bin at Best Buy sometime in 1993. The Sega Genesis did not have very many titles in the category of Adventure or Role Playing Games. Most titles were either in-home ports of their arcade classics or sports games. So, having already known the earlier installments of the series, I was excited to purchase and play this one.
It took me some time to get through it and I eventually did. I really enjoyed and appreciated the variety of scenery. One minute you are in an Amazonian jungle venturing through a lost temple and in another, you are making your way through a maze inside a pyramid in the middle of the desert. These levels just appealed to my love of ancient history.
The only thing that irritated me about In Monster World was the very end of the ending. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you.
And I definitely did appreciate the remake of Dragon’s Trap for modern consoles, released in 2017. I bought it for the Nintendo Switch (and again for the iOS). The artwork is absolutely amazing and the game gives you the option to revert to the original 8-bit skins / sprites. The music also sounds amazing. The controls are solid. The game was very well done.
Anyway, out of the three listed, it was both The Dragon’s Trap and In Monster World that really got me hooked to the series, with RPG like elements and a story that just pulled you in.
How many of you grew up playing The Dragon’s Trap (or any of the other titles in the series) and what are your memories or thoughts?