Lil Gator Game is the Zelda-like I didn’t know I needed

blushing for the first time, lil gator game looks like a zoomed-in and smoothed-out version of a small increase, While the game certainly draws heavily from the indie darling – from its adorable animal characters to its large park setting – it was also clearly influenced by another set of games: The Legend of Zelda.

Megawobble’s developers have packed lil gator game To the extent with Zelda references. The game literally begins with a conversation between two characters about a “Legend of Hero” game, and one of the first items you get is a T-shirt glider with a design that looks like Link’s paraglider. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, But lil gator game The passing of references isn’t just a transparent ploy to appeal to longtime Zelda fans; It’s like Zelda I didn’t know I needed. It combines the exploration elements of breath of the wild with a sense of charm and sincerity that reminds me wake up windR, telling an overarching story that’s a delight for those of us who grew up playing Zelda games and wanted to be Link.

lil gator game Follows the story of a little alligator – I named mine Ham – and his older sister. When you start out, you see the two of them as kids as they decide to make their own version of the “Legend of Hero” game that they can play outside with two players. Fast forward a few years, and the older sister has grown up and gone off to college. To Haim’s delight, she returns home for fall break, but he is soon saddened to find that she is glued to her computer because she is working on a group project. Then Hamm takes the lead in creating a game that is so good that his sister can’t help but want to play again, just as the two did as kids.

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -

Image: Megawobble/Platonic Friends

The overall premise of the game is simple. As the little alligator, you run around looking for friends and fulfilling their requests as part of a game you create. There are additional features that I let players discover for themselves, but the bulk of the in-game action consists of climbing, gliding, and collecting cardboard scraps from cutout props of enemies to craft new items and outfits. As you explore Wild Island Park, you’ll venture around waterfalls, weave your way through playsets, and take in the fall colors of the yellow, orange, and red trees.

while gameplay seems to have more impact breath of the wildWhat stood out to me the most, and what I really love about the game, is that it balances the childish veneer of the protagonist’s perspective with a poignant emotional core that’s reminiscent of wind Waker,

the Legend of Zelda: the wind Waker Follows a young Link who sets out on a journey to rescue his kidnapped sister from Ganon. This is the first Zelda game that made me cry; The clip of Link saying goodbye to his grandmother against the big blue sky seared itself permanently into my childhood brain. That game, like many Zelda games, has a sad story at its center, but it also has a cartoony, cel-shaded look and frankly whimsical dialogue and world design. Link battles monsters, but also meets eccentric characters, such as a man who wears a white fringe jacket and dances all day and night, and a group of school kids who bully Link but then challenge him to play hide and seek. gives.

Image: Megawobble / Platonic Friends via Play Gamez

lil gator game Something I miss seeing in modern Zelda games. The game oozes childlike playfulness; Some characters will explode in rainbow confetti on their way out, and the scattered text doesn’t have proper capitalization or punctuation. You might turn a corner on a hill and see a monkey wearing a tux and colorful bracelets run up to your armpits, or head to the local splash pad to complete a whole quest line to turn on the water.

but as in wind WakerThe childlike nature of the game combines with its deeply emotional story. as you explore lil gator gameIn the world of, you will find that the island is filled with memories of past adventures; You’ll occasionally see grayed-out versions of you and your sister who connect to that past. If you interact with these silhouettes, you’ll get to see all of your character and their sister’s past memories – from the two sharing a quiet moment among sheer cliffs to the pair happily climbing down a hill saw.

Image: Megawobble / Platonic Friends via Play Gamez

bet of lil gator game are clearly smaller than wind Waker, You’re not saving your sister from Ganon, but the stress of a group project. Regardless, emotional drive seems to be just as important. Whenever you complete a quest, the alligator sends a goofy selfie to his sister to show her how cool everything is. They often text their sister twice and thrice in their excitement, only to receive a muted response. Gharial’s genuine love for his sister seems almost tragic, but also moving, as it neatly captures what a one-sided relationship can look like when people are in different stages of their lives.

It’s a lovely gem of a game that touches on my nostalgia for Zelda but still manages to tell a unique story through the relationship of Gator and his sister. This is a story about a little alligator’s deep desire to reconnect with someone in the present, and how games facilitate it. So if you’re looking for a charming pick-me-up first The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom comes out, don’t ignore lil gator game,