Let's get this out of the way first: if you like The Legend of Zelda, you'll absolutely love Swedish studio Ludosity's new Wii U eShop adventure title Ittle Dew – it's a love letter to A Link to the Past with the cartoony art style of The Wind Waker. With a sweeping soundtrack and a charming, self-aware sense of humour, Ittle Dew is full brain-bending puzzles and a branching, nonlinear gameworld that will have you coming back for more long after you've completed the main quest. Frustrating combat and a few glaring technical issues aside, Ittle Dew is one of the most well-designed download games ever released on the eShop, approachable enough for young players and deep enough for hardcore Zelda veterans.
Like Zelda, the strangely-named Ittle Dew is a 2D adventure game with a heavy focus on puzzles and exploration. You play as the eponymous Ittle Dew, a "bumptious" adventurer (as the game manual puts it... now that's a great adjective!) stranded on a mystical island with her fairy-fox friend Tippsie, who as the name implies gives her tips along the way. Ittle wears a green shirt with blonde hair so you don't forget where the game gets its inspiration from, and Tippsie is basically a less-irritating, alcoholic fox version of Link's flying helper Navi. The only way to escape the island is for Ittle to convince the item shop owner, a mysterious pirate named Itan with a boat for a hat, to build her a raft. But of course, Itan won't just sell her the raft; she must retrieve "The Artifact" from "The Castle" before he'll agree to build one. So begins Ittle Dew's dungeon-crawling, puzzle-solving adventure. This postmodern self-aware style of game is all the rage these days and the concept risks becoming stale; luckily, the warm-hearted humour and optimistic outlook help Ittle Dew feel not like a cynical satire but more like a loving tribute.
Ittle Dew is a striking audiovisual achievement. Everything in the game world uses a shaky hand-drawn animation style reminiscent of Yoshi's Island, and the cute, rounded cartoon characters are equal parts Wind Waker and Costume Quest. A particular highlight is Itan's item shop, known as Itan Shop – rather than the top-down view of the rest of the game, Itan's shop is presented in a cinematic head-on camera angle with a depth of field that lets you savour every obscure item he has on sale, from the swordfish on the ceiling to the magic eight ball in the corner that reads "STOP SHAKING ME."
Accompanying the beautiful item shop is an instantly memorable song. It seems all Swedish video games are required to have atmospheric soundtracks, and Ittle Dew is no exception; the sweeping, swashbuckling music gives the game a melancholy, nostalgic feel that will stick with you long after you've put down the controller.
Ittle Dew handles how you'd expect it to: control stick or D-pad to move, abilities assigned to each of the four face buttons, and the Select button to swap the TV and GamePad screens. You can press the L button for Tippsie to give you a hint on how to beat each room – they're great hints that will help you get out of a bind but don't make the game too easy. If you're a pro, you don't have to use the hint system at all, but if you're less experienced it's nice that the it's only a button press away.
There are no touch screen controls in Ittle Dew, but that seems unimportant. The main screen shows gameplay and the secondary screen shows you the level map, as well as how many of the treasure chests you've collected in the current level; this is helpful for making sure you don't miss any of the extras. This setup has the best of both worlds: it shows different, useful information on both screens while at the same time allowing for easy off-TV play. The problem, though, is that for some reason there's no audio on the GamePad; presumably this will get patched in the future, but it's a bummer for now, as you'll have to either stick to your TV or play on the GamePad in silence.
Unfortunately, these are only the beginning of the technical issues in Ittle Dew. The initial loading time for the game to boot up is uncomfortably long, and once you're in the game, each time you enter a new room it stutters noticeably for a few seconds while all the data in the room is loaded. In addition, audio (both music and sound effects) will sometimes cut out entirely, which is especially heartbreaking since the game's music is so great. Worst of all, in our playthrough we encountered a game-crashing bug three different times, which required us to do a hard-reset of the Wii U system. Luckily, Ittle Dew auto-saves your progress any time you gain a new item, enter a new area, or open a treasure chest, so no progress was lost, but that still doesn't excuse the game-freezing glitch.
It's a shame all these issues persist, because beneath the technical problems Ittle Dew is a true gem. The auto-saving mechanic and the Tippsie hint system are indicative of its welcoming design philosophy; not only does Ittle have unlimited lives, but when she dies (in an adorable child-falling-over animation) she respawns in the same room, so there's no trekking through the same dungeon over and over. Not only that, but the game's pause menu includes a "Retry Room" option, so if you're stuck on a puzzle or cornered by enemies, you can reset the entire room with no penalty.
You'll need that retry option, because Ittle Dew presents some truly cerebral puzzles; it's a good thing this reviewer played Adventures of Lolo not too long ago, because many of the brainteasers revolve around moving blocks. The four abilities Ittle gains throughout her journey are all connected to this block-moving mechanic in some way: an ice wand that can freeze objects so Ittle can slide them across the room, a fire sword that can melt ice blocks, a portal block that can be placed anywhere, and a portal wand that can teleport enemies (or Ittle herself) to the portal block. All these items have multiple uses, and as you get deeper into the game you'll find all sorts of nifty secondary tactics, like using the ice wand to freeze walls that can then reflect shots from the portal wand, or using the portal block to redirect patrolling enemies in the direction you want them to go.
Every aspect of this action-puzzle gameplay is impeccable, except for one thing: the combat. Ittle must get incredibly close to enemies before they're within range of her melee attacks, so it's very tough to avoid taking damage. Enemies patrol around rooms in a semi-random manner that makes it interesting since they never walk in the exact same pattern twice, but it also means you never know when they'll bump right into you and inflict damage. The penalty for death isn't harsh, but this is still a major annoyance in some sequences of the game where you'll wish the developers abandoned combat entirely in favour of pure, unadulterated puzzle solving.
You can finish Ittle Dew in under five hours, but it has all sorts of replay value. The genius level design allows for branching paths, sequence breaking, and even multiple ways to reach the final boss battle prematurely. Whether you're a completionist or a speed runner, there's something here for you: there are many entirely optional dungeons that exist solely for the dungeon-spelunking enthusiasts, and a wide array of humorous Pokémon-like collectible cards of every enemy in the game for you to seek out if you want to. Once you acquire all the items it gets a bit easier, but experienced players can challenge themselves to finish the game without getting every power-up; the game even offers the option to display a timer at the bottom of the screen so speed runners can keep track of their pace.
In a gaming industry where strong, non-sexualised female protagonists are hard to come by, Ittle Dew is a breath of fresh air – not only is Ittle herself a lady, but almost all the enemies you'll face in the game are female. None of the enemies are very sinister; many of them are just girls wearing animal-suit pyjamas in the vein of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are, nonchalantly trudging around the levels because it's their job. Ittle even finds the bad guys' bedroom at one point in the castle, where she discovers they're just regular people.
Ittle Dew oozes with charm, from the pyjama-clad enemies to the creepy old men littered throughout the gameworld who claim to give you hints; in fact, they're deceptive scarecrows that try to send you in the wrong direction or distract you from hidden passageways. Enemy designs are all quirky, and the dialogue is subversive in a fun, lighthearted way; this is an impressive accomplishment — in the sense of the English translation being so strong — for a development team based in Sweden, which is acknowledged briefly when one of the game's first bosses starts speaking to you in Swedish. Little touches like this make this a delightfully endearing experience.
Conclusion
Ittle Dew is a top-class puzzle-adventure title that Zelda fans will absolutely adore. Even if you're not a Hyrule aficionado, there's enough wit and charm (and one of our favourite soundtracks in the entire Wii U library) to make it appealing to players from all walks of life. Unfortunately, the combat mechanic is sub-par, and most egregiously the game is full of technical issues. They are by no means a deal breaker, though, and you should definitely check this one out; Ittle Dew is one of the most clever, well-designed indie titles on the eShop, and hopefully most of the technical problems will be ironed out down the road if the game gets enough support.
Comments 62
"Wow! Look at all this total crap!" Awesome. I'm assuming you guys either meant for that or that is unfortunately well placed.
And what happens if I absolutely love The Legend of Zelda?
Well, I guess the $10 I won from Mario Kart + Pikimin digital promotion have a destiny now...
If this game gets its bugs ironed out, I'll give it a try.
Never really bothered to look at this, but I think I want it now. Haha
An 8 with those major technical issues? So if those are patched is this game worthy of an 9 or 10?
"many of the brainteasers revolve around moving blocks."
Walks out the door
I know I want it. Sadly, it won't be possible to display it in my Zelda collection, with the other Zelda clones or -inspired games...
"Okay, that's just sick. Is that a heart? Where did you get that?" Love the humour. I hope they can patch those technical issues, by the time is available in Europe.
I finished the main quest this morning and I absolutely adore this game. Hit the system freezing glitch once, but haven't encountered the audio issues at all. And the combat becomes much more enjoyable once you discover the joys of the ice wand. I was going to attempt the Master Cave until I was completely stumped by the second room and decided I should probably give my brain a rest first. I truly hope this does well because I would love to see more from Ludosity on the eShop.
I may have to consider this one now. Maybe after my Mario kart 8 interest wears down a little
Hate the art. Hope the people in charge of the illustrations weren't paid much. Can't believe the review compared it to Wind Waker.
After it gets its bugs fixed and i get to play the oracle games, links awakening, albw and minish cap i may give this a try.
I prefer the 3d zeldas, yet i beat alttp
Sweden is the best.
@Ralizah That's an insane suggestion. You need to be able to distinguish between an art style you dislike and just badly drawn art. I don't like the art style either. But it IS very well done for what it is. And whoever did it should've been well paid for their work!
Looks better in person.
Played this at GDC w/the Dev watching. I was "killing" monsters in one room and he asked me why I was doing that. It was a great question and feeds into the sensible intelligent approach to game development that the game has.
I was ready to buy it day one, but boy was the timing wrong. I'll pick it up this summer once the newness of mk8 has worn off.
Gimme a price cut and I will buy it
i want this game so bad, it shows up on my WaraWara Plaza but when i check it up on the eshop it says "There's no information regarding this title" and it was in the "coming soon" area last week... sigh
@Gen0neD
Haha! If this message was placed at the head of many a comments section, it might prepare me for what's to come.
@Shambo
You could always make your own case....
Looks like a very cool game! It is definitely on my future purchase list!
I'll buy it if it gets those glitchy problems patched. Those sound annoying. And no sound on the gamepad sucks. I like to play games on the gamepad at night in bed and I use headphones so no one else in the house wakes up.
I really dig this game and recommend it very highly, but oh man does it need a patch. I never found one of those game-crashing bugs, but the credits sequence bugs out pretty hardcore for me every time. Who ever heard of buggy credits?!
Wouldn't it more accurately be described as "the cartoony style of Minish Cap / Four Swords"? Those games were closer to the "LttP in a more cartoon style" than WW and its followups.
@Emblem If it weren't for the technical issues, I would've definitely given this game a 9.
@Dezzy Seriously, some of that art looks like doodles. Jesus Christ, if only I could pass off my doodles as a "style", maybe I could get paid like that guy.
@CanisWolfred Just give your doodles a control scheme and a fairly decent plot, and watch the money roll in.
when i heard tippisie's name i immediately thought alcoholic not that she gives tips! lol classic! then you all confirmed it for me! hahahahaha I gotta get a wii u!
@Dezzy
It looks like something from a 12 year old's deviantart page. Perhaps I was a bit hyperbolic in my suggestion, but it DOES NOT compare to the beautiful style of Wind Waker.
It's a shame it has so many bugs right now, or I'd be very sorely tempted to break in on all my Mario Karting and pick this up. Instead I think I'll hold off.
Excellent review. I've been enjoying this game. I just got the Ice Wand, so I'm fairly close to the end (I think). It reminds me very much of a combination of Zelda (obviously) and the SNES game Goof Troop. There were a ton of moving block puzzles in Goof Troop. The technical issues are a little annoying, but they certainly aren't reason enough to pass on this game.
Think some of the posters are missing the boat on the whole "art style" thing honestly, from what I can tell a lot of the flourish that I would associate with the Wind Waker is coming through in the animations. Just looking at stills or even the scenery I would agree, but this seems to be an attractive game in motion.
Im still not enthralled and I feel any game with system haulting errors needs to be dropped more than one point
Sounds like Ittle hardly Dew for me with all those issues. Bummer.
Looks like I'll be getting this after all.
Really, really tempted to jump on this, but I'll wait a bit and see if they fix the bugs.
Just watched an early part of the game in motion. The actual in-game graphics remind me of The Binding of Issac, actually.
I'm always for a good Zelda-like but I'd prefer to wait for it to be less buggy.
played on ouya - while it was plenty technically solid (from a mechanics / presentation perspective), it's leagues away from Zelda. It was all block puzzles and duping for several hours - I was bored before I cleared the first dungeon. Can't say I agree with an 8 here unless all Zeldas are 10+s (and even then) - it's just a nicely animated million-hour block puzzle with largely absent combat.
... this art shouldnt be compared to wind waker .-. got my feeling of annoyance out now. gona buy this as soon as i get more money
Too bad they didn't cross platform this to the 3DS.
I have played this on ouya its been on there for a year or so, it sucks. I wouldn't compare this to Zelda, if so it doesn't stack up
Nice review and nice score. A pity about the technical difficulties though, especially the crashing (I hate that). So I wait untill they solve those problems!
Some of the game design sounds too easy. You have unlimited lives and when you die, you just respawn in the same room? What's the point of even having a death system then?
Anyway, intrigued, but will wait to see if a patch comes to fix the technical issues.
@JakeShapiro Interesting, think I'll check this out when it gets patched.
Why on earth isn't this on 3DS?
It's really sad to see people hating on the game before even playing it. I have been having a blast so far! And yes there are some bugs here and there but honestly it doesn't happen that much or they are so small that you can barely even notice they are there. If you're on the fence it's definitely worth the $10.
I would never tire of Nintendo or Zelda if they just release a LttP/LBW title every other year ^_^
Let the pro's do what they do best.
I'll buy this the second they fix the freezing issue. I've had my Wii U since day one have had to cut the power about 6 times. I really can never have that happen again as it breaks my heart
Right after patch to fix glitches I will buy
@Mrclaycoat I feel the same way
I want to like this game but the combination of loose control mechanics and crap attack distance means it's just too frustrating for me to want to continue, which is too bad because the puzzle mechanics are done really well. Nintendo could learn a thing or two about varying their design mechanics from this game.
^ I felt precisely the opposite way about the puzzle mechanics - I think Nintendo's "blast through new mechanics at a breakneck pace" thing is a BIT light on reuse, but hell if I had the resources I'd do it too. This game is precisely the opposite - beats me over the head with the same mechanics until I loathe them. Dear developers - go back and play Lufia 2 again please. That pacing / feature-rollout was spot on!!
I intended to get this, but didn't think it would amount to much. Glad to see you guys like it, and it makes me all the more excited. I'll probably wait a bit, however, because Mario Kart 8 is on my way and there's still Scram Kitty on my backlog. Hopefully the bugs are quashed until then!
This game is Dew to get my $10 LOL
Got this for my Pc for around £3 along with many other decent titles and also its become available for my Note 3 included in the price in the latest Humble Bundle.
@XyVoX Yeah, me too. That bundle's still going on for the next 6 days or so if anybody else is interested.
@Linkuini I also got it via the Humble Bundle. Played through the first cave today. Fun little game.
This game is like a bowl of soup on steroids. 11/10
i reviewed this game awhile back! check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBoKT6IK0ak
This game is currently on sale in the eShop, and if you read the review, no doubt you're wondering about the technical issues. I just wanted to let you know that the game has been patched since release:
http://ludosity.com/category/ittle-dew/
@burninmylight
Cool. Thanks for letting us know.
@burninmylight That is exactly what I wanted to know, and exactly why I scrolled through this comments section. Great job, thanks - and for the link too.
"In a gaming industry where strong, non-sexualised female protagonists are hard to come by, Ittle Dew is a breath of fresh air."
I'm sorry to say that I feel it slightly hurts the image of a game when a review isn't exactly the most objective, but I'm sure it is a wonderful game still.
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