EvilAvatar:

3D Dot Game Heroes (7/10): "There's certainly quite a bit to do if you want to explore the land of Dotnia (including a new game plus mode), but I found that after a half dozen hours the charm had passed and the dated adventuring mechanics had turned the title into a rather short-loved trip down memory lane. If you're really into the old school then you may want to grab 3D Dot Game Heroes, but if you've never touched anything from days past, you should certainly steer clear. Its main draw is nostalgia, and even that fades quickly."

There's certainly quite a bit to do if you want to explore the land of Dotnia (including a new game plus mode), but I found that after a half dozen hours the charm had passed and the dated adventuring mechanics had turned the title into a rather short-loved trip down memory lane. If you're really into the old school then you may want to grab 3D Dot Game Heroes, but if you've never touched anything from days past, you should certainly steer clear. Its main draw is nostalgia, and even that fades quickly.

Digital Chumps:

3D Dot Game Heroes (8.4/10): "I think anyone who enjoys the older 2D RPGs from years ago will quickly fall in love with 3D Dot Game Heroes. It successfully blends tried and true RPG themes from yesteryear with a great new look and includes the ability to create and share your characters -- all for an excellent price."

GoFanBoy:

3D Dot Game Heroes (8.5/10): "I suggest looking at 3D Dot Game Heroes as more than a highly polished Zelda wannabe with novelty graphics, because it’s a lot more. PS3 fans are lucky to have a title like this all to themselves and should at least check it out. If the PS3 is your only console, this is the closest you’ll get to Zelda."

CommonSense Media:

3D Dot Game Heroes (10/10): "The wonderful thing about 3-D Dot Game Heroes, though, is that it works as a fun adventure of its own, even if you have no idea who Zelda is. Everything that made Zelda games so enjoyable -- epic quests, puzzle-filled dungeons, hint-giving villages, a spunky fairy guide -- are in full effect here, too."

Giant Bomb:

3D Dot Game Heroes (6/10): "If you look past the tricky visuals, something that's admittedly pretty hard to do, you'll see a game that's operating on a lot of borrowed charm. There are differences, such as the fact that, when you're at maximum health, rather than shooting out an energy projectile with your sword, your sword becomes comically huge in a way that would put Cloud Strife to shame. It's different, and in an absurd way, but 3D Dot Game Heroes is still so deeply referential that a lot of it doesn't really work if you're not already in on the joke."

News10:

3D Dot Game Heroes (9.5/10): "3D Dot Game Heroes is an adventure that should be enjoyed by any fan of the NES generation, and should be played by younger gamers who missed out on the 8-bit times."

PopMatters:

3D Dot Game Heroes (8/10): "If you ever enjoyed a Zelda game before Ocarina of Time, there’s no reason for you to avoid this. At worst, it will feel like a mere imitation of a time gone by. At best, it’s throwback gaming bliss."

Gaming Hexus:

3D Dot Game Heroes (6/10): "Looking underneath the surface, 3D Dot Game Heroes is actually a fairly solid game. The combat works, the bosses are well-designed, and the graphics are great. The real problem for me is that it’s too bogged down in its retro roots. Considering what effect that tag had on the game, all I see is dodgy humour, a rubbish menu system, irritating map scrolling, boring puzzles, and an incongruous set of weapons that paid homage to everything from Zelda to Bomberman in preference to actually being useful. Had the aim been to fuse fresh ideas and modern features with the atmosphere and feel of the 8-bit era, I think this could have been a really great game. As things stand though, it comes across as a sticky lump of confusion."