Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Legends delivers a classic action-adventure experience heavily inspired by the Zelda formula, blending exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving across five distinct time periods. Players cycle through characters—from a Native American warrior in 1400 A.D. to a valiant medieval knight, a skilled Imperial Chinese fighter, an Egyptian acolyte, and finally Billy himself aboard an alien vessel. Each hero comes with unique animations, contextual weapons, and stage-specific objectives, keeping the core loop engaging as you adapt to new abilities and environments.

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Combat feels familiar yet satisfying: you collect coins to purchase swords, spears, bows, or futuristic blasters, then cycle through them using the 1, 2, and 3 hotkeys. Enemies range from tribal foes and mythical beasts to mechanized aliens, each encouraging varied tactics. The health system relies on heart pickups, visible in the top-left corner of the screen, which rewards thorough exploration and skillful play.

While exploration is rewarding, the absence of mid-game save points may frustrate modern players. Instead, Legends uses a password system that appears after each epoch’s boss battle. These codes let you pick up where you left off, but they lack immediacy compared to save files or checkpoints. Nonetheless, classic gamers may appreciate the old-school challenge and sense of accomplishment when overcoming each era’s final showdown without pausing progress.

Graphics

The pixel art in Legends is crisp and vibrant, drawing clear inspiration from 16-bit classics. Each time period boasts its own color palette: dusty browns and forest greens in pre-Columbian America, cool grays and royal blues in medieval England, earthy reds and golds in ancient Egypt, and neon accents in the alien ship. This variety prevents the visual monotony that often plagues single-theme titles.

Sprites are well-animated, especially boss encounters where giants loom and move fluidly. Backgrounds include parallax scrolling in levels like the Great Wall race, adding depth to the scenery. Minor details—such as dancing flames in temple corridors or shifting sand dunes—give each stage atmosphere, reinforcing the sense of place and era.

However, some level designs feel visually cluttered, making it easy to miss hidden items or traps among dense foliage or crumbling ruins. The user interface remains clear and unobtrusive, with the health bar and coin counter positioned logically. Overall, Legends’ graphics strike a nostalgic chord while still holding up to modern standards for a retro-inspired title.

Story

Legends weaves a high–concept yet straightforward narrative about alien ratings, time travel, and a young hero’s soul-hopping adventure. The premise—that extraterrestrial scientists manipulate human conflicts for entertainment—adds a satirical twist to the typical “save the world” storyline. Players witness how modern weapons warp history on five continents, grounding the plot in both fantasy and a tongue-in-cheek critique of media sensationalism.

Billy’s journey unfolds through sparse but effective dialogue with era-specific NPCs who provide clues and objectives. You’ll overhear tribal elders lamenting sudden onslaughts of firearms, medieval peasants bewildered by rocket launchers, and temple priests seeking divine intervention against unknown invaders. While dialogue boxes are functional rather than cinematic, they establish character motivations and hints without disrupting the gameplay flow.

Though the story resolves neatly after defeating each time-period boss, pacing occasionally stalls during lengthy fetch quests or repetitive side objectives. Mini-games—such as racing on the Great Wall or performing ritual tasks in the Egyptian tombs—offer breaks in the narrative monotony, but some players may wish for deeper character development or cutscenes to heighten emotional stakes.

Overall Experience

Legends is a love letter to retro action-adventure fans, combining varied settings, responsive controls, and an intriguing plot about alien interference in human history. Its strengths lie in tight combat mechanics, visually distinct worlds, and the satisfaction of mastering each era’s challenges. Whether you’re dodging mech-infused pharaohs or jousting with medieval knights, the game maintains a solid pace and rewarding progression.

That said, the lack of in-game saves and reliance on passwords may deter players accustomed to modern conveniences. Occasional visual clutter and repetitive secondary tasks can slow momentum, but the thrill of unlocking new weapons and boss battles helps keep motivation high. Mini-games provide welcome diversions, even if some feel skippable on subsequent replays.

For those seeking a nostalgic trip with enough innovations to feel fresh, Legends offers a compelling purchase. It appeals to Zelda devotees, retro enthusiasts, and time-travel aficionados alike. If you’re willing to embrace its old-school saving system and relish a varied roster of heroes across five distinct epochs, this adventure promises hours of engaging, genre-blending gameplay.

Retro Replay Score

7.7/10