3D Dot Game Heroes (8/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes is well worth the $39.99 USD, even if you are not a retro-enthusiast. If you are anything like us, and miss the 8-bit days, you are going to love this game and want to share it with all of your friends. The graphics are a delight, the gameplay is simplistic and easy enough not to distract from the relatively dull story and the level creator is pretty interesting. The problems we ran into with 3D Dot Game Heroes is that it doesn’t add much to gaming’s history. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. While it lacks its own identity, we found ourselves giggling with amusement at how it brought us back to simpler days of gaming."

3D Dot Game Heroes (9/10): "There's much to like about 3D Dot Game Heroes, and though it may seem cheap to appreciate a game where so much has been borrowed from games of the past, it's hard to deny that Heroes executes on these stolen ideas commendably. It also doesn't hurt that the experience doesn't seem to lack anything that would be in a sixty-dollar game; Heroes will take a good 15-20 hours to get through -- though there's hours of fun to be had with the deep character creation toolset that lets you design your own adventurer -- which makes it a bargain at its actual price of forty-dollars. Whether you like the game still comes down to your ability to buy into its irreverent and reverential spirit, but it's hard to deny the depth and quality of Silicon Studios' love note to the genre."

3D Dot Game Heroes (9.4/10): "If you own a PS3, live for the glory days of gaming and find yourself needing an action RPG that doesn’t take itself too seriously, 3D Dot Game Heroes is exactly what you need in your life. It’s as though From Software gathered together hundreds of classic game fans, asked what their favorite and least parts of older games were and then created 3D Dot Game Heroes from the feedback. It’s nostalgic, challenging and smart. Best of all, it’s one of the more affordable PS3 games out there."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes might be a blatant rip-off of Zelda, but in cribbing from one of the most enduring games of the 8-bit era — and allowing us to populate a faux Hyrule in a new, tactile way — the game more than earns the right to swipe."

3D Dot Game Heroes (9/10): "Graphically the game isn't the most fancy looking title out there, but nor is it trying to be. It accomplishes exactly what it means to, and it's hard to really ask for anything more from any game. The real highlight of the game graphically lies in its lighting effects, which really add some extra 'oomph' to any enemy death animation. Caves look dark and cave-like, and the outdoor areas are very bright and vibrant; or as bright and vibrant as blocks can appear to be. The game's sound follows the same track as the rest of the game's design, sounding like a higher-quality version of something a NES would have been able to produce."

3D Dot Game Heroes (9/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes is challenging, but it’s nowhere near as difficult as Demon’s Souls - but it really doesn’t need to be. The overall experience is relaxed and humorous, and the retro concept stays amusing for the whole ride. If you’re a fan of the original Zelda or one of the many other dungeon adventures that followed its footsteps, 3D Dot is a great way to experience nostalgia without reminding yourself of all the things that have changed for the better in gaming. It’s a loving homage that carefully picks out the mechanics that made classic games charming, without dumping all the problems of the early 90s onto your plate. 3D Dot Game Heroes is a great genre piece that manages to be good in modern terms, too."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8.5/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes isn't a wholly original experience, but it's appealing enough that anyone with a bend towards the nostalgic - especially Zelda - will want to add it to their collection."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8.75/10): "In its attempt to recreate the experience of the early Zelda games, Atlus has crafted an impressive title in 3D Dot Game Heroes.  It’s faithful to its source material, sometimes to a fault, but it also adds enough depth and playablity to make it a worthwhile title in its own right.  But 3D Dot Game Heroes doesn’t really exist “in its own right”; it’s a pure homage to one of gaming’s finest eras, and it doesn’t make any excuses about it, nor is it in any way ironic in its appreciation and affection for the Zelda series.  Anyone with fond memories of the 8-bit adventures of a plucky young adventurer with little more than a wooden sword and his wits will be well-served by 3D Dot Game Heroes.  For those too young to remember the first appearance of Hyrule, 3D Dot does a great job of translating the experience into a form that’s more easily digested by younger gamers.  And if you have bad memories of playing Zelda the first time around, there’s something seriously wrong with you."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8/8/7/7, 30 points): "The gameplay and so on is one enormous homage to Zelda and there are references to NES games everywhere, making this a nostalgia-laden trip," one reviewer wrote. "The graphics and blocky animations are very pretty, fusing old with new seamlessly, but the game itself is, for better or for worse, pretty orthodox." "The sheer amount of ripoffs...er, homages to other games is enough to put a smile on the face of any thirtysomething gamer," as one put it. "It's a well-made title and fun in its own right, but if you try to evaluate this as a new and original game, then you can't help but start to have doubts."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8.5/10): "It's hard to criticize 3D Dot Game Heroes for invoking Shigeru Miyamoto, widely recognized as gaming's most important figure, as its muse. 3D Dot Game Heroes offers a repackaged vintage gaming experience with obvious, but appropriate, improvements in graphics and presentation while leaving some elements -- like a frustrating difficulty -- untouched. Other Zelda imitators seem to lose sight of the playfulness and irreverence that Miyamoto and others infused classic games with, but 3D Dot Game Heroes never pretends that it's anything but a game, and games like 3D Dot Game Heroes should be played."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8.5/10): "Ultimately, 3D Dot Game Heroes combines the original Legend of Zelda's world with A Link to the Past-style gameplay, which proves to be an absolute blast. What the game lacks in originality it makes up for in nostalgic humor, polished gameplay, and length, clocking in at around 20 hours for non-completionists. No self-respecting Zelda fan or retro gamer should pass this one up." 

3D Dot Game Heroes (6/10): "The end result is a game that looks utterly unique amongst modern titles and also works as a perfect celebration of older video game graphics. Visually then the game is perfect, but contrary to our initial assumptions the gameplay is not a pastiche of old school Japanese role-players but instead the early 2D Zelda games."

3D Dot Game Heroes (7/10): "All those who have a sense of nostalgia for the times which inspired 3D Dot Game Heroes or Zelda, difficult to resist its lure. Sure, the game can be seen as a kind of tribute but also as a complete detachment from what was certain sources of inspiration. A clean break with the past that maintains a certain quality, but with a bit more variety and imagination might have been more ambitious ..."

3D Dot Game Heroes (7/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes is a one-trick pony, but it does its one trick very well. Anyone with any nostalgic affection for the era of its inspiration - or for classic Zelda - will find it hard to resist. You could see it either as a loving tribute or a complete rip-off, but even if it is a rip-off, it's a very likeable one. If it were a bit more imaginative and a bit funnier, a bit more openly satirical, it might be brilliant. It's a comfortable and visually stunning trip down memory lane rather than anything more ambitious.

3D Dot Game Heroes (6/10): "In summary, 3D Dot Game Heroes is narrowly focused of players, but he does it with enough offset, references and humor to forgive him his foibles. A little crunchy, but still based, as the bun too long forgotten in the bottom of the closet."

3D Dot Game Heroes (4/4): "The game’s brought to life by a stunning visual style and genuinely iconic design choices that are delivered with a wink and a nod via the game’s outstandingly aware script. Gameplay-wise, the dungeon design can be a little flat, and the game’s a little too self-aware to ever identify a personality of its own – but when that plays into the joke, we’re struggling to consider it an honest criticism."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8/10): "For those that have grown up with video games, 3D Dot Game Heroes is a celebration of everything that encapsulates the concept of retro. It wraps you up in a blanket of nostalgia and whisks you off to a world that just isn't seen in video games today. Emulating the success of a franchise as significant as Zelda is risky business, but through humour, attention to detail and buckets of charm, 3D Dot Game Heroes just about manages to pull it off. Those who base their critique of the game around the word 'ripoff' have clearly missed the point here, and should take their superficial analysis elsewhere. 3D Dot Game Heroes is a game for gamers; a game for those who love the industry and embrace the geekery that comes with it. If you fall into that category, don't think twice about picking it up."

3D Dot Game Heroes (9/10): "I can confidently say that this is, without doubt, the best Legend Of Zelda style game since Link To The Past was released over 18 years ago. It’s a wonderful title that is the absolute pinnacle of the themes and aspirations of this current retro revival. This is very much a gamers game, and one that every Midlife Gamer should experience. 3D Dot Game Heroes is the closest we’ve ever come to giving out a ten out of ten with the MLG rating system and only misses out because it doesn’t, per se, fundamentally change modern game design. What it does do, is provide one of the most refreshing and entertaining experiences of this generation by celebrating and reinvigorating the ones that have gone before it. A true future classic."

3D Dot Game Heroes (4.5/5): "3D Dot Game Heroes is a game that will link veteran gamers to the past and reminiscence from their childhood gaming memories. The classic feel will bring veterans and new-comers together wanting to see what games were like in the 80s and 90s. The ability to create your own character is a nice addition to gamers who would want their imaginary hero to come true. Overall, 3D Dot Game Heroes is a must-have for every gamer who wants a charming retro gaming experience. It’s a great way to bring the past into the present!"

3D Dot Game Heroes (8/10): "Fans of The Legend of Zelda that wish the series to go back to its roots will find plenty to fall in love with here – 3D Dot Game Heroes is an unashamed cribbing of classic 8-bit action role playing games, with stacks of adventure, some decent level design and a surprisingly solid sense of humour and irony.  It might not be original, but it’s certainly good fun, and all credit to Southpeak for picking up the slightly esoteric title for a European release – spread the word, 3D Dot Game Heroes deserves a place in your PS3 this Spring."

3D Dot Game Heroes (7.9/10): "3D Dot Heroes isn't the most original game; it borrows a lot from other, older games seen on previous consoles. You can increase the amount of life you have by discovering lifeshards, many of the weapons and tools seem familiar, and the gameplay is rather reminiscent of other titles. All that being said 3D Dot Heroes does enough new and makes old ideas interesting enough that on its own it is an enjoyable title. At a lower price and a great deal of entertaining content, 3D Dot Heroes is worth your time, especially if you're a fan of old school games with a modern twist."

3D Dot Game Heroes (6/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes does have its moments and fun features, like a cute little avatar editor (guess what I made), and the ability to take screenshots and save them to your PS3's photo gallery. But every one of the problems it suffers from elsewhere is something that Legend of Zelda, through its longevity and the massive expertise of its designers, has either long since overcome or never had to worry about anyway. More or less everything 3D Dot Game Heroes does well, meanwhile, is something Zelda has already done better."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes is well worth the $39.99 USD, even if you are not a retro-enthusiast. If you are anything like us, and miss the 8-bit days, you are going to love this game and want to share it with all of your friends. The graphics are a delight, the gameplay is simplistic and easy enough not to distract from the relatively dull story and the level creator is pretty interesting. The problems we ran into with 3D Dot Game Heroes is that it doesn’t add much to gaming’s history. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. While it lacks its own identity, we found ourselves giggling with amusement at how it brought us back to simpler days of gaming."

3D Dot Game Heroes (9/10): "There's much to like about 3D Dot Game Heroes, and though it may seem cheap to appreciate a game where so much has been borrowed from games of the past, it's hard to deny that Heroes executes on these stolen ideas commendably. It also doesn't hurt that the experience doesn't seem to lack anything that would be in a sixty-dollar game; Heroes will take a good 15-20 hours to get through -- though there's hours of fun to be had with the deep character creation toolset that lets you design your own adventurer -- which makes it a bargain at its actual price of forty-dollars. Whether you like the game still comes down to your ability to buy into its irreverent and reverential spirit, but it's hard to deny the depth and quality of Silicon Studios' love note to the genre."

3D Dot Game Heroes (9.4/10): "If you own a PS3, live for the glory days of gaming and find yourself needing an action RPG that doesn’t take itself too seriously, 3D Dot Game Heroes is exactly what you need in your life. It’s as though From Software gathered together hundreds of classic game fans, asked what their favorite and least parts of older games were and then created 3D Dot Game Heroes from the feedback. It’s nostalgic, challenging and smart. Best of all, it’s one of the more affordable PS3 games out there."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes might be a blatant rip-off of Zelda, but in cribbing from one of the most enduring games of the 8-bit era — and allowing us to populate a faux Hyrule in a new, tactile way — the game more than earns the right to swipe."

3D Dot Game Heroes (9/10): "Graphically the game isn't the most fancy looking title out there, but nor is it trying to be. It accomplishes exactly what it means to, and it's hard to really ask for anything more from any game. The real highlight of the game graphically lies in its lighting effects, which really add some extra 'oomph' to any enemy death animation. Caves look dark and cave-like, and the outdoor areas are very bright and vibrant; or as bright and vibrant as blocks can appear to be. The game's sound follows the same track as the rest of the game's design, sounding like a higher-quality version of something a NES would have been able to produce."

3D Dot Game Heroes (9/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes is challenging, but it’s nowhere near as difficult as Demon’s Souls - but it really doesn’t need to be. The overall experience is relaxed and humorous, and the retro concept stays amusing for the whole ride. If you’re a fan of the original Zelda or one of the many other dungeon adventures that followed its footsteps, 3D Dot is a great way to experience nostalgia without reminding yourself of all the things that have changed for the better in gaming. It’s a loving homage that carefully picks out the mechanics that made classic games charming, without dumping all the problems of the early 90s onto your plate. 3D Dot Game Heroes is a great genre piece that manages to be good in modern terms, too."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8.5/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes isn't a wholly original experience, but it's appealing enough that anyone with a bend towards the nostalgic - especially Zelda - will want to add it to their collection."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8.75/10): "In its attempt to recreate the experience of the early Zelda games, Atlus has crafted an impressive title in 3D Dot Game Heroes.  It’s faithful to its source material, sometimes to a fault, but it also adds enough depth and playablity to make it a worthwhile title in its own right.  But 3D Dot Game Heroes doesn’t really exist “in its own right”; it’s a pure homage to one of gaming’s finest eras, and it doesn’t make any excuses about it, nor is it in any way ironic in its appreciation and affection for the Zelda series.  Anyone with fond memories of the 8-bit adventures of a plucky young adventurer with little more than a wooden sword and his wits will be well-served by 3D Dot Game Heroes.  For those too young to remember the first appearance of Hyrule, 3D Dot does a great job of translating the experience into a form that’s more easily digested by younger gamers.  And if you have bad memories of playing Zelda the first time around, there’s something seriously wrong with you."

3D Dot Game Heroes (8/10): "Any type player will probably have fun with 3D Dot, but at the very least you’ll need to be familiar with the source material, or else so much of what the game does so well will be completely lost on you. Otherwise, you probably don’t have the time or inclination to play through thousands of hours of ancient games just to understand what’s awesome about this one."

3D Dot Game Heroes (9/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes is a fantastic game that can scratch the Zelda itch for PS3 owners looking for some retro sexy action. Though we could see the main story being beaten in about 12 to 15 hours if you declined to explore the world, we explored enough that it took us 25 hours to beat the game and complete a number of side quests. There’s enough replay value here to make it easily worth the $40 that Atlus is asking for the game."