Atlus recently has sent me a review copy of 3D Dot Game Heroes so I figured I would share a bit of my experience with it. To begin, 3D Dot Game Heroes is exactly how it looks, like a 3D version of Zelda. So really the only question is, does the game bring enough innovative and uniqueness to this “Zelda upgrade” to make it not seem like a copy and cop out.
The game is really structured like The Legend of Zelda for the NES. You begin, a hero, with a sword (though yours is bigger) and you have to go from dungeon to dungeon collection orbs (Link to the Past anyone?). The dungeons are tile based (in that each room is square) and in the first dungeon, the hero even collects a boomerang. So by now you must be thinking, why don’t I just play the NES version, and this is how I want to defend 3D Dot Game Heroes, the game brings a sort of orginality to the mix. I will say the first dungeon is pretty standard but there is a lot more exploration in this game in addition to the fact that further dungeons become for challenging, present different magic elements, and have a more worldly feel to it. What I mean by that is there is that element of going to towns to collect information, increasing sword powers, etc. It is a lot more of a world experience than a dungeon hopping adventure. All in all though it really is a The Legend of Zelda upgrade with new dungeons, but that is not necessairly a bad thing.
Right now I think the gaming industry is going through “Re-Retrozation”, it is not the playing of old games, but the modern day franchises going back to their roots, i.e. Megaman 9 and 10, New Super Mario Bros. (and Wii), and the 2d Castlevania. Its the idea to use new technology with old retro classics to bring about a good game. And I think 3D Dot Game Heroes balances that perfectly. It does not totally copy Zelda (original level design and mostly original gameplay) and adds a modern age twist to it.
So for now, I would say that 3D Dot Game Heroes is a-go. It also releases May 11th so expect a review before then.
