April 2008 - Link's Birthday

Link's Birthday
*** and a half
(reviewed by Russ)
Please note that this review was written hastly, and I was only able to play through level four before writing this review.

Quick stats:

Gameplay: 8/10. For the most part, it was nice, with the enemies placed evenly.
General design: 7/10. I must say, it was quite impressive. My only complaint is that some of the dungeons were way out of place (the fire temple was in the middle of Hyrule Field).
Overworld design: 9/10. Although it was small, it was very well done.
Dungeon design: 8/10. The dungeons were well done, and kept me captivated for a while.
Music: 9/10. For the most part, the music was very fitting.
Storyline: 3/10. It's basically your standard save Zelda storyline with an added twist of it being Link's birthday. Nothing special here.
Graphics: 7/10. Although the original Pure is overused, I love it, and it fit the quest's theme perfectly.
Bosses: 5/10. They weren't custom, but they always had some fun twist to them, and were enjoyable.
Misc: 5/10. The idea of putting the swords in hidden temples, although good, got tiresome somewhat. But the amount of hidden dungeons was good.
Overall: 71/100. 3 and a half stars. ***1/2

In the game, you basically just have to collect the triforce and save Zelda. Same old thing again. However, that doesn't mean it's not a good game. Quite contrary, it's a great one.

The overworld is crafted very well, and the dungeons will entertain you for a while. Boss keys aren't used, but the dungeons are still very fun.

The items were placed pretty well, and the dificulty was perfect.
Often times, you have to find keys hidden in the overworld. This was a nice touch.

The puzzles were fun, a little challenging, but not so much that you rip your hair out solving them.

All in all, it's a good game, deserving of three and a half stars. Play it if you get the chance.



Please note this review was written quickly (and on Monday morning), so please excuse spelling and gramatical errors.

Looks good. Now you have to start nominations starting with last months overflow :D.

I think you should edit the title however with maybe a simple (April '08) after it for future reference.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bobrocks95

I think you should edit the title however with maybe a simple (April '08) after it for future reference.

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Good idea. I'm just glad I was able to meet the deadline (however poor of a review it might be). Well, I'll start the nomination thread now.

Well, I thought I would take on this quest since it won the voting by such a healthy margin. And after the impression it left on me all I can say, is "How did I miss this?" The best answer I can think of is that it got lost in the shuffle of the more "revolutionary" quests of its time like LEXX, Mario's Insane Rampage, Mega Man Dr. Wily's Revenge, etc. Link's Birthday DX presents as outstanding of a gameplay as I have experienced in a long time. I agree with russadwan on pretty much all of his points, but as I have now played through Level 7, the Fire Water Dungeon, there is room to say more. (Personal note: it would have been awesome if Mr. Z had decided to call it "Fire Water Burn." :cool:)

At the beginning of the quest, the amount of ground you can cover is very limited. As you get items in the early levels, the territory available to you opens up, little by little . . . . and you begin to wonder how much you could do if you only had a certain key item, such as the Hammer, or the flippers. Upon progressing through the levels in the 4 - 6 range, the exploratory possibilities simply explode. You have to take careful note of places you couldn't get into when you first reach them, both in the overworld and in the dungeons, since the acquisition of a critical power-up will let you through once you go back there. This is a very mentally engaging quest.

After you beat each level, Zelda tells you where to find the next one so you're never hopelessly lost. In addition to the regular levels, there are bonus levels and mini-dungeons scattered everywhere. Some of them hold rewards that are more important than others. Note to future travelers - - Fire Gleeok + White Sword = PAIN. Just something to keep in mind right before it is time to hit level 7's boss room.

Wait a minute. Do I need to write a review tomorrow, or is it the first Monday of the month?

You have another week. And if you can't make the deadline, that's fine. I remember how rushed I was to finish it in time.

By the way, I might not be here for the later half of June. So I might need to do the polls again in June, and then write the review twice in a row to make up for it.

Well, we should probably go as planned, but add an extra review to you. So I write the review next Monday, then start the polls, then write the review in June, then, if you're back, you do the polls in June, write the review in June, I do the polls in July, you write the review in July, then we're back on track.

Sounds good to me.