Sometimes the best things in life dont need to change.
Story
Not much to say here, but then again the story isnt supposed to be an epic. Mainly whats going on is that the Land of Dotnia is in peril and you as the hero must save them by gathering orbs and defeating the man who has stolen the dark orb.
Visuals
As far as graphics go there as old school as can be which is exactly what they were going for. Sprite like blocks/cubes make up every piece of landscape creature and characters, the only exception would be the water as well as magic effects and certain items. While it may not be visually stunning, the games art style looks great and it is truly unique while it also definitely brings back memories of gaming in the 80's which is something that i cant see could being pulled off very easily while keeping the atmosphere intact. (And seeing the enemies explode into blocks is quite amusing)
Music/Sound
With a great mix of midi music that hearkens back to days gone by, the game has some very catchy and memorable themes that you will be humming for quite some time. Some are better than others but overall they all set the stage very well for each area they are present in. As far as sound goes all the bleeps and old school sounds work well, they are used for visual cues and they all sound great.
Gameplay
And now to the most important aspect, which i can safely say is great. With a number of tools and weapons at your disposal there are many different applications for each one. Your sword will be your most important since its your main weapon and offense, and i gotta say being able to power it up is a lot of fun, using a sword that nearly covers the screen is very satisfying. Other items such as a grappling hook boomerang and the usual "zelda like" fare are what rounds out the other items. There are also magic medallions that you use periodically to solve puzzles as well as many other things. The majority of the game will play out on a massive over world with branching paths and numerous enemies lurking around, this is essentially the bridge between the main goals which are the dungeons. Over the course of the game you will travel further and discover new locations via items that you will gain along the way, this also works the same in each dungeon where there will be countless puzzles that require an item or a sequence to solve. There is also a bestiary or journal of sorts that you can log monsters into once youve encountered them, which adds another layer of gameplay to each fight. As for sidequests there are quite a few and they are all pretty varied and rewarding. My only beef with them is that some are timed and once that window of opportunity has passed there gone for good, or at least until the next playthrough. One other aspect that may put some people off is the difficulty, while it may be easy for more seasoned players it may be a challenge for newer gamers. Your characters hit box is huge and will take hits often so playing it safe during dungeons and using your items well is key. All in all the gameplay is great and works well, of course it doesn't make massive changes to gaming as we know it, and it may be a bit slow and stiff at points but thats part of the old school charm the game is going for.
Customization
One of the best aspects of this game is the character creation system. Given a small grid to create in you can place blocks/cubes and construct your very own characters. By creating each pose such as a stand, walk, walk 2, hurray, attack 1, and attack 2 the player can pretty much use there imagination and go wild. I can honestly say that i had a blast making characters and i must have made a dozen or so along the course of the game. Part of the fun would be that it made me somewhat use my imagination while playing since i had to picture that character traveling through that world and thats something i haven't felt since the NES days.
Final thoughts
All in all id have to say the game is a fantastic experience, it may have its fault's and may not be for everybody but i think its gameplay and old school visual aesthetics can go a long way. For the price you cant beat it, and anybody who's looking for a good experience from days long gone, they can definitely find a good time with 3D Dot Game Heroes.