Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap is one of those weird, charming Sega Master System gems that somehow blends platforming, RPG elements, and a bizarre transformation mechanic. You start off as a sword-swinging hero, but after getting cursed by a dragon, you’re stuck as this weird lizard thing—and the whole game becomes about hunting down other dragons to undo the curse. Each one you beat changes you into something new, like a mouse (weirdly good at climbing) or a piranha (suddenly the water levels aren’t so bad).

The Turbografx-16 version (Dragon’s Curse) looks a little sharper, but the SMS original has that chunky, colorful charm. Either way, it’s got that old-school “figure it out yourself” vibe—no hand-holding, just exploration and the occasional “wait, how was I supposed to know that?” moment. If you like Metroid-style backtracking with a side of 8-bit quirkiness, this one’s a blast.