Nostalgia Isn't as Fun as it Used to be | 3D Dot Game Heroes Review

ArQuesta

June 1, 2010

3D Dot Game Heroes (3DDGH) stands as an example of ultimate fandom and nostalgia. What it copies and incorporates are all the elements of, well, Zelda, combined with bits of fan-service for those who can appreciate it. Upon beginning my adventure I was greeted by the illustrious polish of old-school in HD. For the first 20 minutes I was bathed in the glory of charm and childhood memories...but that's about as long as it lasted. A lot of online reviews jump right into the insults over the way 3DDGH copies Zelda but that's not really the issue. People can sit and replay an old NES Zelda game because it's nostalgic and holds memories of when they originally played it. This nostalgia allows them to play through the archaic adventure. With 3DDGH there's nostalgia and the same mechanics, but it's not Zelda and the game-play is way too old-school to really enjoy over time.

3dSide (29K) I'm sure the blood is boiling now to tell me that I just don't understand what makes The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past the most epic game of all time. I understand why it's so important to gamers. It was fantastic and amazing for its time, I admit this. But, without the nostalgia of playing the actual Zelda game would you really tromp through it excitedly? I wouldn't and that's my biggest grief with 3DDGH. I will be honest though, I really wanted this to be an epic and amazing game for me, which is why it's important to explain its shortcomings.

First of all, I'll touch on the game-play. Everything works exactly the way it should. The controls are tight and simple. All of the tools, magic and their uses are thoroughly explained and efficiently used in puzzles, secrets and frustration. The bosses all have their unique weaknesses to exploit and the various trophies awarded for finishing a boss without damage makes the effort rewarding. You can change the width and length of the sword at the blacksmith and your sword can, in fact, fill up the screen. All these elements are well utilized within the limits of the game itself which is very linear. Though you can explore the map to its fullest and unlock secrets and greater weapons it is limited by its source material. The games of old weren't the massive and deep territories that we explore today. With the fun had in creating your own 3D pixel character it's almost a crime that a temple editor or some online functionality wasn't utilized. With Sony's campaign to put more creative control in the hands of gamers it's a wasted opportunity that From Software didn't think of joining in on the success of games like LittleBigPlanet. That's why I find game-play to be shallow: simply because it depended too heavily on nostalgia.

The music was cute and bubbly like the simple melodies of yore. Unfortunately, it's like listening to bits and pieces of other successful soundtracks and putting them in the game wherever the developers felt was necessary. This isn't really a fault but just somewhat disappointing. If the songs had all been from the Zelda vein I'd probably be more content since the game was following a set theme; by joining together different soundtracks I felt like 3DDGH didn't have a soundtrack of its own at all. Sound effects are appropriate flashbacks to the good old days where neon lime green and bubblegum pink were matching colors. The charm was all there but 3DDGH didn't incorporate it enough to make me feel like the sounds and music were a part of the game.

The most difficult part of describing the story is that there really isn't one. It borrows its characters, story ideas and events from so many other franchises that it never bothers to give itself an identity. At first, I found the lighthearted approach to be the right way to go. That 3DDGH is 3D and not 2D is because the King wanted to attract more tourists to his kingdom. That's fairly charming and mildly amusing but it doesn't sit well over time. The various one-liners from citizens that parody or mock the lore or franchises it copies get old after a few hours. That no one has a character of their own is disheartening. Though the games it mimics were indeed quite shallow in terms of story depth there was usually a story there. It was extremely difficult to trek through this game with no real pressing need or desire to save a world that only gave me corny jokes and catch phrases from games I loved.

It's important to note that 3DDGH looks really nice. At 720p it looks crisp and the various blur and water effects make me think of toys or dioramas. Sometimes the blocks and their shadowing on your main character can look a bit off but I suppose this is the price for having a character editor. Enemies and citizens are repetitive but the effort put into the various terrains and boss characters usually make you forget about those shortcomings. The greatest effort the game makes is in its looks. The menus and interface are charmingly old-school and there really isn't anything to complain about in the graphics department.

At the end of the day the lesson learned is that nostalgia can't be the only element to your game. If nostalgia is the selling point and what gets people interested in your game, then that's fine, but there was no real effort to make this game stand out on its own other than giving nostalgia a HD coating. I understand remakes and spiritual successors. I even understand the projects undertaken by fans to relive an old classic. What I don't understand is a game that doesn't try to do more than copy. As a simple gamer even I can see the lost opportunities with this game. The developers could have done so much more with what they had but they didn't. All I got to play was a shallow, lifeless copy and I'm very disappointed.

3D Dot Game Heroes is currently available for $29.99USD. For what it is, this is a fair price. With a game like this I really suggest just renting it unless you're a collector. There isn't enough content present to make it worth holding onto longer than the time it takes for a single play through. If you really want to feel nostalgic then fire up your old NES and relive the classics. They may not be in HD but they're definitely more rewarding. Score: 6.5/10