The game is not at all shy in directly copying concepts and presentation from the Zelda series; most every aspect of the gameplay is very much a Zelda game. The main attack is a sword stab and you always have some manner of shield. Your hero ventures through an overworld and dungeons to find artifacts of power. Life & magic containers and life container pieces (represented by apples) can be found hidden throughout the game world. There is an inventory of items, selectable through a menu or quick select, that include Zelda classics such as a boomerang, hookshot, bombs that can be used to open cracks in walls, and a bow & arrow. There are enemies that look suspiciously like Moblins, Tektites, and Octorocks; many of these enemies even behave like their genuine counterparts. The game has shops that sell items in a typical Zelda fashion. There are bottles (but I don't believe you can catch anything in them), the hero has a Navi-like fairy counterpart, he even spins around when he dies! I could go on and on.
Perhaps most importantly, the game works very well as a Zelda clone. Overworld & dungeon design are interesting and fun to experience. Enemies are exciting to fight, from bosses to weaklings and the controls are perfectly responsive. Perhaps the secrets are not as cleverly hidden as in most Zelda games, comparing most to the original Zelda, once again. The core design is definitely more reminiscent of 8-bit titles, don't expect elaborate storytelling or wild variations in gameplay. The interest of exploration is not as rich as many modern games. It is clearly and powerfully retro in every aspect. If you're interested in reviving that old school feeling while playing an unoriginal yet delightful Zelda clone, I can thoroughly recommend picking 3D Dot Game Heroes up whenever it is released in the West.
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