Nostalgia at it's finest. 3D Dot Game Heroes has to be one of the most pleasurable games I've played in a very long time, simply because it speaks to the Zelda nerd in me. Once I initially heard about this, I figured that Nintendo may reign down some sort of C&D letter upon Atlus, but, alas, they didn't and we are able to partake in such a wondrous entity that is 3D Dot Game Heroes.From the logo to the title screen, the music to the action, the characters to the enemies, this game epitomizes what it is to be a Zelda clone. There are some faults in this game, and with that, I can safely say that, to many, 3DDGH is to The Legend of Zelda as Heavenly Sword is to God of War. Both entries pay their homage-dues to their respective fathers in many ways, and it's here that 3DDGH excels at having it's way with your emotions, as if you were 5 years old again playing through the first Zelda game, aimlessly wandering around an unfamiliar land without any sort of direction.
Well, I should back up a smidge. There is a sense of direction in this game, as it does give you a map, something Zelda didn't. It's not as flourished as one would expect, but venture into the areas enough times, and you will start to see the environment in it's 1/8th size. The gameplay is your classic top-down camera view, looking around, swinging your sword at anything with - and without - a pulse, mowing your way through the game. It's hard for me to paint a picture of this game, because, as many gamers, including myself, have said before, all you have to do is picture classic Zelda gameplay, replace the names and you've got it.
