Guitar Hero

10 Responses to “3D Dot Game Heroes”

1. J. Roberson says:

   October 29, 2010 at 7:20 am

   Rating

   At 35 years old, I have seen my share of video systems come and go, starting with the Atari 2600. Through those years there were many fun games. Some of them awesome for their graphics (at the time anyways) others were just plain enjoyable, but there is one game that has a special place in my memories. The Legend of Zelda on the NES was the game that addicted me to video gaming like none ever has, or probably ever will again.

   When I first read about this game, I got cautiously excited. It looked like my beloved Zelda (only produced in little 3D blocks.) Unfortunately, I have seen my share of disappointments and I was careful not to over react. Yes, There have been a few good games in this style over the years (Zelda for the Super NES rocked!!!), but for the most part, they all seemed to lack that special magic that I so fondly remember.

   Even the new Zelda games, like Zelda Twilight Princess for the Wii, seem to be “the same” as all the other games that flood the market. Yes it was fun, but it didn’t feel like Zelda to me. Perhaps nostalgia has built the original Zelda into more that it was, but in my mind that game will always be the ultimate.

   I now have my copy of 3D Dot Game Heroes, and I must say, to this point, I have not been disappointed. Actually, quite the opposite, I am elated. This game reminds me so much of the orginial Zelda. All of the monsters I have run into are straight out of The Legend of Zelda (only produced in little 3D pixels). Even the first weapon I got from a dungeon was a boomerang! This game keeps bringing back old, welcome, memories.

   Though I have only logged a few hours with this game so far, I must say WOW!!!! I work during the day and have three young children that want their daddy in the evenings, so I only get to play late at night after they go to bed. I will say this, I find myself very excited, even anxious, to get back to this game.

   I would highly recommend this game to anyone who feels as I do about the original Legend of Zelda game.

   I still hope that nintendo will make a new Zelda game in the style of the original Legend of Zelda. The New Super Mario Bros Wii, made in the style of the older Mario games, seemed to be a huge hit. Maybe Nintendo will take that que and do the same with Zelda. Until this GET THIS GAME!!!!!

   Other thoughts: The huge sword you see in all the pictures bothered me at first, but give it time, it will grow on you.

   Reply
2. Melissa B says:

   October 30, 2010 at 4:12 am

   Rating

   Playing through this game, really takes me back years. As I am playing through this, I feel like time has reversed and I’m sitting in my brother’s room playing Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo. The game itself, as many have stated, is very similar to Zelda. I’m about 8 hours into the game. Love it. I have 2 boys, ages 5 and 8 who are playing thru as well. For the price (even if it were more expensive) its worth every penny! (altho, i don’t remember zelda propositioning a ‘poof poof’)

   Reply
3. N. Peterson says:

   October 30, 2010 at 7:10 pm

   Rating

   This is a quick summary of my experiences and thoughts on 3DDGH. I will update for the next few days as I progress further. This is basically to answer a few questions people might have regarding gameplay and other aspects.

   This game is a tip of the hat to all those great old school RPGs like Zelda and Dragon Quest. While some may say it’s a complete rip-off of our beloved Zelda, it’s more of a tribute.

   The graphics are very good, obviously not God of War III quality, however they are extremely charming, I might even say “cute”. All of the environments and character models are built out of little cubes, think LEGOs, but 1×1 size blocks. I was surprised how much detail can be created using simple blocks. There obviously aren’t any fine details, however if you’ve ever played Nintendo or Sega Master System games you will appreciate the graphics. Throughout the world are bodies of water and what appears to be lava, but it’s swirling and not made out of cubes. It’s a blend between 8-bit graphics and sort of hokey special effects, I love it!

   There are a large number of enemies in the game. I’ve come across 8 or so already and I’ve been playing a couple hours. Like games of old, once you leave a screen and come back, the monsters respawn. They appear in small poofs as they get spawned, which is a nice little touch. There are enemies that rush you, throw spears, and other stuff. Some are cute little bunnies but they obviously have a grudge because they will rush! You have classic creatures such as skeletons, scorpions, slimes (a nod to Dragon Quest, there’s a blue slime in the first village), bats, ghouls, and most other creatures you can think of.

   The dialog is extremely humorous! BTW all of the text in the game is blocky just like the days of NES and Sega. Just looking at the menu is enough to bring fond memories flooding back to me. The developers have quite the sense of humor. For instance, you can choose your basic “yes” and “no” responses to questions. Upon talking to the king who asks you to help the kingdom, if you say “no” he says “But that answer doesn’t advance the story!”. Small funny moments like that really make the game special.

   I’ve played through the first temple. It’s very Zelda-like. There are switches, chests, clay jars to break. Cutting grass with your sword rewards you with random coins. Basically if you enjoy Zelda, you will have a blast with this game.

   The audio is enjoyable. Yes it’s repetitive like old school games, but that’s part of the charm. Some of the music sounds like “modern” 8-bit, I don’t know how to phrase it. Other music is definitely modern sounding.

   One minor issue, and I guess it’s personal preference. I don’t like the swords. If you’ve seen videos where the sword is unrealistically large and takes up a good portion of the screen, well it really is like that. It’s a small problem, but the swords are just lame. I don’t know how else to state it. Maybe it’s a reference to some game I never played, but I think it’s sort of cheap the way swords can be upgraded to be so large that most enemies don’t even have a chance to attack you.

   Funny dialogue, great graphics, and tributes to old school games all combine to give PS3 owners a game worth buying. For $40 you really can’t go wrong. You will get more gameplay out of this than most other big name titles. Yes it’s a Zelda clone (tribute), it was designed that way. Any Zelda fan will adore this game. Most old school gamers from the 8-bit era will also get a kick out of this game.

   One final note, most of the trophies are secret. It’s a great way to prolong the game because you don’t know what you have to do to unlock them. I’ve gotten a fair number in the first couple of hours. Too many games throw it all out on the table so you can just rack them up. This game isn’t like that!

   *EDIT* 5/14/10
   
   After putting roughly 8 hours into the game, I can say that it keeps getting better. Some things of note I wish to add to my review: The character editor as stated in another review is pretty interesting. I am not the artistic type, so I quickly gave up in frustration. You create a few different poses for your character which are incorporated into the game. There are a number of characters to choose from, from a tank, underground ninja (all you see is a snorkel coming out of the ground), two santas, a manager, to other absurd (and amusing) characters. Each of them as a one or two line description to read, also amusing.

   The enemies explode into individual blocks which disappear shortly afterward. It’s a fun way to dispatch enemies. As stated before, I’ve now upgraded my sword and it takes up a large part of the screen and there are still more levels of upgrading available! One further note, each of the MANY swords available have a maximum potential value and a current value. You can obviously only upgrade each weapon to a certain extent so you have to plan in advance which aspects of your weapon you would like to increase before you reach max potential.

   UPDATE: Beware! There is no autosave! I found this out by playing way past the 2nd boss and pausing the game for a few hours before returning to game. I then shut off the PS3 upon going to bed only to find myself back at the first boss. I should know better, being an avid game, just giving you all a heads up!

   Reply
4. WahineX says:

   October 30, 2010 at 10:36 pm

   Rating

   i won’t add what everybody else has wrote except i’m an accountant and work in a huge accounting firm. i’ve always had a very good self-control and a strong will power to stop any time wasting activities. but I DONT KNOW WHAT the heck happened to me with this game. i don’t normally play video games. my spouse got a ps3 as a gift and i’m the one HOOKED on this game and hogging up all the t.v.

   i dont like the violent, evil demon, slashing and gory type video games. the only other game i own and LOVE is Little Big Planet. when i started 3D DOT, i felt a lil ehhh… but as i discovered more, found hidden things, had to figure out this and that… it just got so addictive trying to solve all these mysteries. i’ll admit to you though that i’ve had to cheat a couple of times and look things up in the internet cuz i’m not sure how else anybody can figure these things out. it may be i just almost never played video games my entire life but i did play zelda like 20 years ago.

   so yeah, this game is soooooooo fun and so addictive. i swear i’m going to end up having performance issues because i can’t seem to stop myself from playing this game.

   Reply
5. C. Hodge says:

   October 31, 2010 at 9:06 pm

   Rating

   I have just beaten the game and have started the second quest… Fantastic!!! This game is a complete Zelda rip-off, with a look that is patterned after a Link to the Past. When I say “Zelda rip-off,” I mean this game is amazing in every way!! Of course, it’s impossible to compare with the feel and look of the orginal games; I believe this homage was well-done and respectful of the originals.

   For many years I have thought about how it would be great to start re-making some of the retro games in a retro fashion. The problem with so many re-makes is that they completely un-make the original, losing eveything that made the original fun.

   I am so happy with how Atlus handled this game on such an advanced Platform. I was starting to get depressed with my PS3, and actually purchased an old super nintendo to go back to the time when games were a bit mroe simple and fun… 3d Dot Heroes has enabled me to use my PS3 again with renewed zeal and enthusiasm!

   I hope they make a sequal to this, and “rip” more games off!!

   Reply
6. Nikodem Leszek Blach says:

   November 1, 2010 at 6:09 pm

   Rating

   I was surprised how deep the references this game decided to spit out went. Just in the character selection/creation screen they have the President from Metal Wolf Chaos, a game most gamers haven’t even heard of. Later I found a room dedicated to demon’s soul and a town that sounded a whole lot like Corneria.
   
   For the well educated gamer this game will be pure bliss due to the abundant references. For the newer gamers or folks who have fallen out of gaming recently they’ll still get a good chunk of the references since many do come from very popular game series.
   
   In terms of gameplay it’s simple and I’d say as a result of that it’s unquestionably fun. It plays like a classic Zelda game with a few differences. Nothing major to point out, just slightly different. 6 main dungeons, 6 sages to meet, 6 spells to learn, and then the end boss stuff. Plenty of optional locations to visit (even if many of them are simply to acknowledge another game) and plenty of additional items to collect (Like Zelda games maxing out your maximum health and magic will be a priority).
   
   The game may seem very easy in the videos due to the huge sword but you actually will have times when you’re struggling for health. Not saying the game is hard but it has just enough challenges to keep you on your toes. The bosses have all been fantastic so far and they all make you figure out some type of strategy (and the game allows you to easily re-fight the bosses to get extra trophies). The game requires a tiny bit of back-tracking (especially to get optional items) but items can be found or purchases to teleport you around quickly.
   
   The game offers absolute character customization (to the pixel, and easy to use!) a fun weapon upgrade system.

   For its budget price it’s worth the MSRP, which you can’t say about most games.

   Reply
7. Ratchet&Spank says:

   November 2, 2010 at 2:02 pm

   Rating

   I’ve had this game since the day it came out and absolutely love it. If you download a Link mod (or make your own!) off the offical website[...]
   
   and switch the camera to angle B, it’s just like playing an old Zelda game. My only complaint is that if you miss an item in one of the temples you’re going to get stuck and have no idea what to do next. Luckily, IGN has a good walkthrough in case that happens. [...]

   This is a game that was made for the old school gamer, like myself, who grew up in the days when NES & SNES reigned supreme. Ironically, as much as 3DDGH uses old ideas from the past, it’s actually a very unique game in todays market. There’s a whole legion of kids who grew up on Halo who have never played anything like this before. They just don’t make em’ like they use to. PS3 owners should not miss out on this gem.

   Reply
8. Luan Nguyen says:

   November 4, 2010 at 2:08 am

   Rating

   One of the best reasons you own a PS3. A must own if you are an old school gamer!!!

   Reply
9. BruceWayne105 says:

   November 4, 2010 at 3:46 am

   Rating

   Been playing this for a while now…it’s awesome!! it’s pretty funny and it’s like the zelda + a pokemon game put together. lol i just say pokemon because u travel to different citys and at times it resembles it, if you’ve ever played any on the nintendo systems…but this is a fun game! the sword is freakin huge haha and you can upgrade it and make it even bigger its rediculous haha

   Reply
10. Kevin Hartman says:

    November 4, 2010 at 1:16 pm

    Rating

    A fantastic and humourous ode to the old-school 8 bit adventure games. If you liked Zelda on the NES and Link to the Past on SNES, you will LOVE this game. It looks great, and is a ton of fun to play. If you want to spend the time, you can create your own character or switch to one of the many great (and strange – Santa, a tank, underground ninja?!?!) hero templates available.

    I simply can’t get over how beautiful the game looks, even if everything is rendered by individual blocks. The gameplay is familiar and enemies will spawn each time you return to a section of the map. I personally like the rediculously large swords that you can use – as you are only able to unleash it when you have full life or pick up a sword power up, which only lasts a few seconds. They are not shy about making references to “male enhancement” when leveling up your sword either.

    The combat is not terribly difficult other than the main bosses. There is some puzzle solving necessary in dungeons to advance to the next area, so if you are looking for a simple hack and slash, you’ll prob get frustrated by this.

    I can’t recommend this enough for those that are looking for the classic “Rescue the girl, become the hero, save the world” adventure games of yesteryear.

    Reply