Review: Lil Gator Game captures the best of The Legend of Zelda

At first, it may seem that the sneeze is a bit pronounced. Lil Gator gameLooks like a zoomed and smoothed version of This is a Short Hike. While the game does certainly appear to be heavily influenced by the indie darling — from its adorable animal characters to its larger park setting — it was also clearly influenced by another set of games: The Legend of Zelda.

MegaWobble’s developers have developed MegaWobble. Lil Gator game The game is brimming with Zelda-related references. The game literally starts off with a conversation between two characters about a “legend of hero” game, and one of the first items you get is a T-shirt turned glider with a design that looks just like Link’s paraglider in The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. But Lil Gator game isn’t just a transparent ploy to appeal to longtime Zelda fans through references; it’s the Zelda-like I didn’t know I needed. It blends the exploration aspects of Breath Of The WildWith a charm and sincerity that reminds of It is important to note that the word “you” means “you”. Wind Waker, telling an overarching story that’s a joyous ode to those of us who grew up playing Zelda games and wanting to be Link.

Lil Gator game follows the story of a little gator — I named mine Ham — and their older sister. When you start, you see the two as kids as they decide to make their own version of a “legend of hero” game that they can play outside with two players. The older sister is grown and has gone off to college. To Ham’s delight, she returns home for fall break, but he’s soon sad to find she’s glued to her computer as she works on a group project. Ham then takes it upon themselves to create a game that’s so cool that their sister can’t help but want to play again, just as the two did as children.

MegaWobble/Playtonic Friend

It is a simple game. In your imaginary game, the little-gator runs around in search of friends to complete their tasks. There are additional features that I’ll let players discover for themselves, but the bulk of the in-game action involves climbing, gliding, and collecting cardboard scraps from cutout props of enemies to craft new items and outfits. As you explore the forested island park, you’ll venture up and around waterfalls, weave your way through playsets, and take in the fall hues of the yellow, orange, and red trees.

The gameplay is more influenced by Breath Of The Wild, what stood out to me, and what I truly love about the game, is how it balances the childlike veneer of the protagonist’s perspective with a poignant emotional core that’s reminiscent of Wind Waker.

The Legend of ZeldaWind WakerFollows a young Link as he embarks on a quest to rescue his sister, who has been kidnapped by Ganon. It’s the first Zelda game that made me cry; the clip of Link waving goodbye to his granny against the big blue sky permanently seared itself into my childhood brain. This game has the same somber theme as many Zelda titles, yet it features an animated cel-shaded style and a whimsical world and dialogue design. Link not only fights enemies, but also comes across eccentric characters. One of these is a man wearing an all white fringe jacket who performs dances night and day. Another character includes a group schoolchildren who are bullies but challenge Link to hide and seek.

MegaWobble/Playtonic Friends image via Polygon

Lil Gator gameThe game has a sense of humor that I’ve missed in recent Zelda titles. The game oozes with childlike playfulness; some characters will burst into rainbow confetti to make an exit, and the scrawled text doesn’t have proper capitalization or punctuation. Turning a corner, you might see a monkey in a tux with colorful bracelets reaching their armpits. Or complete a quest to activate the splash pad.

It’s the same as in Wind WakerThe childlike quality of the game is complemented by its emotional depth. As you explore Lil Gator game’s world, you’ll find that the island is imbued with the memories of adventures past; you’ll occasionally see grayed-out versions of you and your sister that connect to that past. If you interact with these silhouettes, you’ll get to see all the previous memories of your character and their sister — from the two sharing a quiet moment between sheer cliffs to the pair joyfully bounding down a hill.

MegaWobble/Playtonic Friends image via Polygon

You can play the game of stakes Lil Gator gameThese are significantly smaller than the ones in Wind Waker; you aren’t saving your sister from Ganon, but instead from the stress of a group project. The emotional aspect is equally important. The gator will send a silly selfie of themselves to their sister whenever you finish a quest to let her know how awesome everything is. In their enthusiasm, they often send their sister multiple texts. However, the responses are usually muted. The gator’s earnest love for their sister feels almost sad, but also moving, as it neatly captures what a one-sided relationship can look like when people are at different stages of their lives.

It’s a lovely gem of a game that touches on my nostalgia for Zelda but still managed to tell a unique story through the gator and their sister’s relationship. It’s a story about the little gator’s deeper desire to connect with someone again in the present, and how games facilitate that. So if you’re looking for a charming pick-me-up before Tears of the Kingdom – The Legend of Zelda comes out, don’t ignore Lil Gator game.