Leaping Tektites!
Love old school Zelda and need something to tide you over until Zelda Wii is released? 3D Dot Game Heroes, an action-adventure PS3 game, was released in the US yesterday and will be released in Europe in two days (May 14th).
While some might find it to be a mere “Zelda clone” or a “Zelda rip-off”, the developers of the cumbersomely moniker-ed game insist that it was less about taking something away from our favorite franchise and more a homage to evoke those nostalgic feelings from yesteryear. Specifically The Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past. Everything from the very logo and music of the game right down to the red symbols that act as a life meter at the top of the screen, which, despite being apples, are constantly referred to as “hearts” by the developers.
If that isn’t telling, just have a listen to the music while watching the trailer on youtube. If that isn’t the closest you can come without actually plagiarizing, I don’t know what is.
So what is 3D Dot Game Heroes about, anyway? The story is all in the name. Dotina, a 2D 8-bit kingdom suddenly moved into 3D, and in so doing, brought with it an ancient evil. You play as an 8-bit hero come to life in 3D (which you can customize and cause to look like even your favorite green tunic-ed lad) set out on a quest to find the six orbs which can save this enchanted kingdom. Along the way you will find bombs for blasting caves open, a boomerang, arrows, a hookshot… We swear, this is not a Zelda game!
While this game will not appeal to everyone, I can’t help thinking that all the old Zelda fans from “back in the day” will snap this up–whether or not they yet have a PS3–for a chance to relive those ancient days of the 80s, eating sugary cereal and trying to figure out where in the blue blazes the entrance to Level 7 is. Or maybe that’s just me.
Oh, ye old The Legend of Zelda, how we’ve missed you. We’re glad to see you back. Even if you are coming to us on a rival console and are doing so under a strange mouthful of a name.
The game has earned an impressive ranking of 81.89% on Game Rankings and is available now in the US and on Friday in Europe.
