Long ago, in a distant land of adventure and magic, a young hero brandishes a magical sword and sets out to gather the ancient relics that will save his kingdom from and evil wizard and save a princess. The warrior must journey through forests and deserts and graveyards, must transverse labyrinths and battle the legions of pig goblins, octopi, jumping spiders, skeletons, bats, wizards and other horrible creatures. There are puzzles to solve, villagers to help, and new areas to explore with the aid of firewands, bombs, a hookshot, and more. The adventure that you will set upon in this mystical land will be one that you will reflect on for years to come.

And 3D Dot Game Heroes is pretty damn epic, too.

3D Dot Game Heroes is a game I've wanted since it's release in May of 2010 because I had read that it was a great homage to 8-bit adventure games, such as the original The Legend of Zelda, and even early Final Fantasy games. Despite it's relatively low release price, I was still willing to wait for a bargain. After playing the game for less than an hour, I almost shit a brick over how close to NES/SNES Zelda games 3D Dot Game Heroes actually is:

It's very close to being a carbon-copy, I shit you not.  I'm not sure what obscure loopholes 3D Dot Game Heroes managed to find prior to its release, but it is uncanny how closely the game resembles the look and game mechanics of the classic Legend of Zelda games. And, thankfully, the FEEL, of classic Zelda games, as well.

But 3D Dot Game Heroes never attempts to hide the source of its 'inspiration', but instead it openly celebrates (and occasionally mocks) the Legend of Zelda series by use of quotes, elements, and scenarios. There's even a character named "Moyomoto" within 3D Dot Game Heroes. And because 3D Dot Game Heroes never once tries to claim the Zelda-esque elements as its own, and makes open references to the classic series, in my not-so-humble opinion the game classifies itself as a parody or a tribute, rather than a plagiarism of the source material. Afterall, anyone who has ever written a college essay knows that as long as you cite your sources, the ideas you regurgitate on a paper don't necessarily have to be your own... Or at least that's how I got though college...

But you're still asking yourself, "Okay, so it's an homage and/or parody, but can you explain what elements were 'borrowed'?"

To be honest, 3D Dot Game Heroes borrowed a lot:

Story

3D Dot Game Heroes takes place in the land of Dotnia, previously a 2D kingdom that has undergone a major facelift in order to compete in a world of 3D gaming.

But Dotnia has a familiar legend: In the years past, there were six magical orbs that kept the kingdom in perfect balance. And then, the evil Dark King Onyx stole the magic orbs and plunged Dotnia into chaos. A hero arose, and, using his magical sword to reclaim the six orbs, he challenged the Dark King Onyx, and sealed it within a seventh dark orb.

The years passed and Dotnia prospered thanks to the legend of the brave hero defeating the Dark King Onyx with his magical sword. Tourism was at an all-time high... and then everything moved to 3D. The Kingdom of Dotnia's tourism economy suffered, until the king of Dotnia decided to reshape Dotnia into a 3D world.

But in the meantime, an dark bishop, Fuelle, stole the crystal containing the Dark King Onyx, and monsters began to overrun Dotnia, casting the kingdom into another dark age. But a descendant of the legendary hero of Dotnia has risen, claimed his ancestor's magical sword, and sets out to find the six crystals to defeat the Dark Bishop Fuelle before Onyx can be unleashed.

In addition, the king's daughter, the princess Iris, has run away to confront the Dark Bishop Fuelle, and the king wants you to find her... if you can spare the time.

Gameplay

The similarities to the Legend of Zelda are undenyable. Not only can you bomb cracks in walls, but you can hookshot across gaps and chasms, use fairy ponds to restore your health, and push blocks to solve puzzles. Legions of enemies very closely resemble classic Zelda villains, such as the moblins (pig men with spears), the Tektites (leaping spiders), and Octoroks (rock-spitting octopus). The weapons are pulled directly from The Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past: Boomerangs, hookshots, bombs, bows and arrows, firewands, and so on.

The gameplay is almost as easy and accessible as it was in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which makes for a refreshing change of pace for gamers who have become accustomed to insanely complex video game controls. Anyone who has played an early Zelda game will feel right at home with 3D Dot Game Heroes because, unfortunately, the game doesn't bring a whole lot of new ideas to the table. You still search dungeons for keys, switches, hidden rooms, special weapons, and the inevitable boss fight. On the surface world, you still fight enemies, talk to villagers to get clues on where to go next, and purchase weapons and items. You can even stab a chicken long enough to be swarmed by pissed-off poultry. 3D Dot Game Heroes did its homework on the classic Zelda series.

CHICKEN!

While there isn't a ton of 'new' things, there are some subtle differences that help make 3D Dot Game Heroes stand apart. Firstly, there's your sword. In the classic Legend of Zelda series, having a full life meter results in the ability to shoot energy blasts from your sword; however, in 3D Dot Game Heroes, having a full energy bar turns your magic sword into a blade that would make Cloud Strife feel inadequate. Depending on which magical sword you are using at the time, and any powerups applied to it via the village blacksmith, a single slash of a sword can literally clear out an entire room of enemies. Don't believe me? Look for yourself.

Princess Zelda wants.

The length and width of a powered up sword can be expanded by purchasing upgrades from a blacksmith, but a fully extended *snicker* sword is still limited to the solid objects in a dungeon or a forest, so the most vital upgrade you can purchase is "Pierce" which will give you full 360-degree freedom with your ginormous sword without objects blocking your attacks. And this is unfortunately the one feature that makes 3D Dot Game Heroes almost TOO damn easy: A leveled up sword + Pierce + Full Health Bar will allow you to clear out an entire room of a dungeon with one circular rotation of your character's sword (using the left stick to spin your character with the blade extended).

But probably the greatest difference between Zelda games and 3D Dot Game Heroes is the ability to CUSTOMIZE your character. The character customization features are akin to building your very own 3D Dot Game Hero using individual blocks. Do you want to make a Santa Claus character? Or maybe Sackboy? Or maybe Link, himself? Or maybe you think that Count Dracula or a Japanese mech should save Dotnia? The possibilities are only limited by your own imagination and some general block-building motorskills. In addition, you can also import other people's creations and take them out for a spin.

Because there's nothing quite like Santa Claus wearing sunglasses and bebopping as he kills pig demons with a 50-foot long Buster Sword.

But probably the most important element of a successful Legend of Zelda homage/ripoff/knockoff/whathaveyou is that the game must FEEL like a true spiritual successor of the classic overhead Zelda games, and I haven't felt this enchanted with an adventure game of this type since The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Is 3D Dot Game Heroes as good as A Link to the Past?  
Oh God no.  A Link to the Past was an amazing game in every conceivable way, but nothing since then has really captured the 'flavor' up until 3D Dot Game Heroes. And considering how closely 3D Dot Game Heroes is riding on the coat tails of the classic Zelda games, it's not hard to see why.

Replay Value

But not all is good in Dotnia, because regardless how blissful the nostalgic value of 3D Dot Game Heroes is in the beginning, it does quickly wear off. However, that's not to say that the entire game is relying on a nostalgic factor alone, because even after the nostalgia has faded, there is a solid puzzle adventure game, complete with interesting dungeons and fairly solid sidequests. There are up to 30 swords to collect, and countless items that I haven't even come close to collecting, and there's even a secret Princess you have to save.

While there probably isn't a lot of replay value (outside of earning Trophies), the main quest is expansive enough to keep you entertained for dozens of hours.

So, if you are waiting for a new official Zelda game from Nintendo, 3D Dot Game Heroes is an inexpensive temporary fix.

Graphics

OMG THE GRAPHICS ARE BLOCKY!

Yeah.... congratulations, "You found The Goddamn Joke!" (dah-na-na naaah).

Like I mentioned in the story, the kingdom of Dotnia used to be a 2D world that people used to love to visit. But then, games went to 3D and Dotnia was left in the dark. Until the king decreed that Dotnia be 3D and... to some extent I guess he got his wish.

The entire world is, indeed, in 3D, but the graphics remain just as blocky as its 8-bit and 16-bit counterparts. All of the enemies move in stuttery motions, and the colors are even slightly limited. In fact, the only thing that was actually 'updated' are the water effects. But regardless of the simplistic approach, the worlds themselves are as equally expansive and well designed and diverse as the best non-3D Zelda games, and better yet the worlds aren't carbon copies of previous Zelda games, keeping the adventure relatively fresh and interesting.

For looking like "Lego Zelda", the graphics of 3D Dot Game Heroes are actually very sharp and environmental elements like trees and deserts are well designed. If the concept was to take classic 8-bit sprites and simply make them 3D, then 3D Dot Game Heroes gets a gold star for retaining a classic look in a 3D world.
 

Sound

Just as the graphics have a slightly updated, retro flavor, the same can easily be said about the music and sound effects. A lot of the themes are close to the Legend of Zelda themes, yet they do have enough of a twist to keep the lawyers away. But there is one theme that feels oddly out of place: The title screen theme, which sounds eerily similar to the original 8-bit Final Fantasy "Crystal Theme", just off key. But regardless of the 'closeness' of 3D Dot Game Heroes' music to other 8-bit franchises, it couldn't be more fitting to this adventure. The overworld themes are just as triumphant and spirited as the source material, and the story and title themes are equally great to listen to (if you can actually appreciate 8-bit soundtracks).

Multiplayer

There was no multiplayer in The Legend of Zelda, so feck off!

Overall

Video games have evolved faster than almost any entertainment medium ever seen by the human eye. In less than 40 years, video games have become more than just a quick quarter-a-pop thrill to get the highest score at a local arcade, and they have become realities unto themselves, complete with expansive worlds, amazing stories, and levels of physical interaction that was once only dreamed about. Games that had outcomes based on a player's choices are commonplace now, but in the early years they were the Holy Grail of the industry where making the most basic of emotional connections to the player was an equally sought-after accomplishment. And while games continue a relay race where the finish-line is creating reality, itself, sometimes it's good too look back and appreciate the great games that made the present state of the industry possible.

My original impression of 3D Dot Game Heroes was that it was a blatant ripoff of the classic The Legend of Zelda franchise, but as I played it I felt things that I haven't felt in a game since I was 9 or 10 years old. There was a spark of my imagination, and a charm to this game that I hadn't felt in recent years. 3D Dot Game Heroes is a fantastic nostalgic reimagining within an updated, yet easily familiar world. The sounds are simple and 8-bit but the great old-school music lends itself well and only heightens the spirit of this adventure.

While 3D Dot Game Heroes doesn't really bring anything 'new' to the table, if you sat and played it for fifteen minutes, I guarantee that you will instantly remember why you ever played video games in the first place.

3D Dot Game Heroes is not a complete Zelda ripoff, but an homage to the great, timeless video games that should never be forgotten.