Pretty good game that could use more…
pretty good players.
The Toon Link world is sweet, and the
3D view is solid and clean (though I'd expect no less of Nintendo... while
appreciating the results of this Co-Developed project. I hope they do more of
them and may they not be centered around working with JP developers for the
most part.)
Zelda Triforce Heroes looks nearly as good in 2D as it does 3D (but I’d be
lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy some of the visual in 3D a lot more). Filling
the shoes of… Toon Link and now Toon Linkle, you make your way into the
Drablands… in style, in the name of fashion (I kid you not).
I say style, because suiting up is a
big part of the adventure, allowing you to take advantage of each suit’s…
ability. Suits don’t substitute one’s ability to play the game though… and
unfortunately I wish it did in some cases. Why? Well… since there isn’t exactly
a practice area, you may find yourself encountering quite a few unknown heroes
who need a bit more experience or at least lack an interest in playing with
progression in mind.
Luckily you have various options of
playing this game, whether it is with unknown heroes, friends, or with… dolls
(yes dolls). I will get back to the dolls in a second, but… I want to speak
about these multiplayer options quickly.
I like the multiplayer options of
this game… and you aren’t just stuck with playing offline or online, or even
with people who have the game… you have the option of download play as well.
Thumbs up to Nintendo on giving gamers the option of adapting to the situation
of multiplayer, because not everyone has someone locally to play with, and not
everyone has internet.
Multiplayer Options are as follows:
Local
Play – Create or Join a team.
Download
Play – Create or Join a team.
Online
– Play with Unknown heroes or Friends.
So you aren’t out of luck if friends
have a 3DS (or 2DS) and you want to kick back locally chomping on some good
eats while slashing your way through the Drablands with one copy of the game
(or even during a long commute)… so game on!
On the single player side… the dolls
are optional team mates when you desire to play by yourself, and the challenge
is increased because you will literally have to control each doll as well as
yourself separately (unless you totem it up). To be successful with the dolls,
you will have to get adjusted to bouncing Link’s soul between his body and the
dolls, and Nintendo knows it isn’t a walk in the park because they give you the
option to skip areas of a level if needed.
Levels are segmented in this game into
areas sending you from start to Triforce teleportation station… and then on to
the next with various puzzle/skill challenges in between. The elements add to
the challenges in a number of Drabland areas, so expect… to experience some hot
areas, cool areas, etcetera.
This game comes alive for me when you
have a great team in a heated battle. One of my favorite moments thus far
(without spoiling it) involves… a battle of the bombs.
Beyond the Drablands, the little
Kingdom is… nifty, with little things that occur as you progress. I would’ve
liked to see more in the area, but for now what they have does the job with buildings
that serve various purposes. Outside of the castle, you have the shops… like
the ever stylish Madame Couture’s boutique where you go with items you obtain
from the Drablands, and enough gems to cover the cost and the creation of your
costumes. You also have the daily prizes in the shop just in front of the
boutique that literally reminds me of many mobile games that have daily prizes…
in the name of keeping the players on repeat. It’s a pretty good incentive,
while the photo shop to me… doesn’t really gain my interest. For fans of
Miiverse and sharing gameplay images though… this is the place to be when you
want to share/show off your adventures in the Drablands.
There are cons in this game… and they
primarily center on fellow gamers who don’t go online with the intent to play.
Yes, bad gamers have also managed to slither their way onto this game also,
doing things like picking up team mates and intentionally throwing them off of
cliffs or trying to stifle gameplay. There are also the players that manage to
sign online to play, and then they just… stand there (perhaps inspired by the
dolls), while others really want to play online but their bad internet
connection makes it a LAGtastic experience. I also… most absolutely cannot
forget about the players that sign online to play, their area isn’t chosen, and
then they leave (talk about annoying).
Another con in some ways is… the
dolls, because the single player experience could’ve been a bit different. It’s
not a mode that I find myself venturing in that often, but another con results
in me utilizing it here and there.
The next con (again) really isn’t a
big con, but when you want to complete all the areas of a Drabland’s location…
sometimes it boils down to you being lucky enough to have your selected area
chosen via a roulette system when the decision isn’t unanimous. No doubt
playing with friend’s locally will allow for an easier choice on the preferred
area… but also playing locally gives way to the potential of even greater
strategy (through your conversion with each other).
I have to bring up the plus of… local
“conversation” because the in game emoticons do a good job, but they still can’t
replace basic communication when you need to explain something. That’s why fans
of the game may be able to appreciate the Friday “Drama’N’Drablands” posts.
Overall, this is a great handheld
game that can be enjoyed by both hardcore and casual gamers that are fans of
Zelda games. It will challenge some casual gamers a bit more than the games
usually considered… casual, but you're able to get in and play a section of an area in a short period of time. If you happen to add this game to your collection, you will be able to enjoy the replay value as well as the fun factor. Trust me, with the various areas you have to access individually... replay value has no choice but to be there if you want to move forward, and even going back to play some of the previous areas can happen so that you get your hands on treasure that you may have missed... not to mention the Drabland Challenges!
(For the record) The audio gets a thumb up also… especially with headphones, and price wise it works… though a sweeter price would’ve been $24.99. Anyway, my 3DS is calling my name (though not really or else I'd be freaked out, but... you know what I mean), game on!
Fun factor: 5
Visually: 5
Replay value: 5
Price: 5
"5 / 5 Mushrooms"
