Dragon's Curse

Turning into a dragon, a mouse or a piranha and reshaping your path through the world accordingly - that was the wonderfully fresh idea brought by Dragon's Curse, the 1991 PC Engine port of the classic Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, made by Hudson and the developers at Westone. Under a different name and with a tweaked presentation, it is the very same superb action RPG that genre fans fell in love with.

At the heart of the game lies its ingenious transformation mechanic: after your hero is struck by a curse, he gradually shifts into various animal forms, each with its own abilities. The dragon form breathes fire, the mouse form squeezes into tiny cracks, the lizard can swim and climb - and it is precisely the switching between these abilities that unlocks new paths in the interconnected world. This structure, where you return to previously inaccessible places armed with a new ability, foreshadowed what we now call the metroidvania.

Beyond its inventive design, Dragon's Curse offers pleasant action gameplay, exploration of a sprawling world, gear collecting and battles against bosses who guard the transforming curses. Everything is delivered with the lightness and charm that made the Wonder Boy series famous - colorful graphics, catchy music and a sense of discovery that keeps pulling the player onward.

The PC Engine version ranks among the very accomplished conversions, and for owners of the platform it was a full-fledged way to enjoy this classic. To this day the game is considered one of the gems of the action RPG genre with platforming elements, and its legacy is confirmed by the fact that the original Wonder Boy III received an acclaimed remake in the modern era.

For anyone who loves exploration, the gradual unlocking of the world and cleverly designed abilities, Dragon's Curse is a must. It is timeless design that works just as well today as it did decades ago.

Why play it: An outstanding action RPG with an ingenious animal-transformation mechanic that opens up new paths - a timeless forerunner of the metroidvania.