Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Three Wonders delivers a trio of distinct gameplay experiences, each with its own unique mechanic and pacing. In Midnight Wanderers, players march through side-scrolling stages armed with a bow, grabbing power-ups that enhance their arrow strength or summon a helpful companion. The run-and-gun action feels familiar yet fresh, striking a balance between strategic enemy dispatch and moments of frantic dodging.

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Chariot shifts gears into vertical shoot-’em-up territory, challenging players to weave through waves of elemental and zodiac-themed enemies. Power-ups such as multi-directional shots, lasers, bombs, and shields ramp up the intensity, while attaching extra bombs to your chariot creates a satisfying “tail” of explosive potential. Each boss battle feels like a test of mastery, rewarding quick reflexes and careful weapon management.

Don’t Pull rounds out the package with a polished puzzle-maze experience reminiscent of Pengo. You control a nimble rabbit or squirrel, pushing blocks to crush enemies and clear paths. The introduction of special blocks—like bombs that stun foes—adds depth, encouraging players to plan pushes that chain-react for bonus points. Together, these three modes provide variety that keeps gameplay sessions feeling fresh and challenging.

Graphics

Visually, Three Wonders embraces the vibrant arcade aesthetic of the early ’90s, with bold sprite work and richly detailed backgrounds. Midnight Wanderers features colorful medieval-fantasy stages, from haunted forests to lava-flooded caverns, each teeming with animated hazards and enemy designs that pop against the scrolling backdrop.

In Chariot, the vertical scrolling is smooth and fast, with bright, contrasty enemy sprites and environmental elements that stand out clearly. Explosions and weapon effects are crisply animated, ensuring that the action remains legible even in the heat of battle. The elemental boss designs—sun spirits, water krakens, wind dragons—are distinct and memorable.

Don’t Pull adopts a more minimalist visual approach, but it’s no less charming. The maze blocks and creature sprites are cleanly drawn, with clear animations when blocks slide or enemies are crushed. Special block effects, like the bomb’s blast radius, are conveyed with simple but effective particle animations, making each chain-crush feel satisfying and visually rewarding.

Story

While Three Wonders isn’t a story-heavy title, each segment offers just enough narrative flavor to contextualize the action. Midnight Wanderers casts you as a heroic duo on a quest to reclaim the Chariot from nefarious roosters, driving forward a lighthearted, archetypal fantasy narrative. It’s the kind of whimsical premise that motivates continued play without bogging down the action.

Chariot’s storyline is equally straightforward: pilot your airborne vessel through perilous skies to thwart elemental adversaries and restore balance. The elemental bosses themselves hint at a larger cosmic conflict, providing a sense of progression as you advance through air, earth, fire, and water themes. It’s simple, but it imbues each level with purpose.

Don’t Pull dispenses with overarching narrative in favor of quick, maze-based puzzles. You’re a woodland creature navigating a labyrinth to outsmart baddies; the charm comes from the gameplay itself rather than any grand tale. Taken together, the trio’s minimal storytelling complements their arcade roots, maintaining a focus on immediate gameplay rewards over plot complexity.

Overall Experience

Three Wonders stands out as a versatile arcade collection that appeals to fans of action, shooting, and puzzles alike. The seamless transition between three modes—side-scrolling, vertical shooting, and single-screen puzzling—makes it an ideal pick for gamers who crave variety in a single package. Each mode is finely tuned, offering tight controls and consistent challenge.

The compilation’s longevity is bolstered by its score-attack nature and hidden bonus stages, inviting multiple runs to perfect routes, chain-pushes, or high-damage combos. Cooperative play in Midnight Wanderers adds a social element, while the quarter-munching difficulty curve keeps seasoned players coming back for more. Casual players will find Don’t Pull’s puzzles approachable, offering a welcome breather between more intense sessions.

In sum, Three Wonders delivers an engaging and well-rounded arcade experience. Its blend of genres ensures that no two play sessions feel the same, while its retro-charm and polished mechanics hold up surprisingly well today. For collectors and newcomers to classic arcade compilations, it remains a must-try title that captures the golden era of Capcom’s inventive arcade designs.

Retro Replay Score

7.7/10