Nintendo released the latest installment in the popular “Legend of Zelda” franchise Oct. 22 with a special handheld release on the Nintendo 3DS titled, “The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes.”
However, the new game is not the usual dungeon-diving solo adventure. The new entry is intended to be enjoyed with a trio of heroes who each have the game and system.
Since the game is focused primarily on multiplayer adventures, it requires having a total of three users and separate internet connections in order to experience the game with multiple people.
With three friends online, the new entry is satisfying, but it can be difficult without three people communicating on applications like Skype. It can be difficult to tell other players to trigger a certain puzzle in order to advance further.
The developers are able to have chat functionality built in, but it is unclear why the game makers chose not to include the feature.
Eight emoticon buttons located on the bottom screen can help players give hints to each other, but they ultimately lack essential pieces of communication, especially when commands like “stay” are lacking from the selection. If a player is looking to collect each item in the game, the extra challenges are difficult with online strangers.
In the online setting, it can be complicated to tell other users they need to pull a certain lever to finish off the latest puzzle.
The single-player option is fun, on player controls three different characters for short bursts of time, but players likely will not be spending too much time on it, as it lacks the epic design seen in solo Zelda console titles.
The game is an better than past Zelda multiplayer entries. The 3DS Wi-Fi capabilities make it easier to connect with friends than ever before.
