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A fun 20-minute prototype

One of the games created for the Crash Course contest, "The Legend of Ace" is an attempt to recreate a Zelda-like game using the RPG Maker VX engine. The attempt is largely successful, but limited in its execution (no doubt because the time constraints imposed by the contest deadlines), with only two dungeons and a limited world to explore.

The game uses the RTP, but, as far as I'm concerned, it uses it to its fullest. The maps are neither too busy nor too bare and are easy for a player to navigate. It garners an average score in this regard.

The writing is silly and incredibly basic, but intentionally so, with the fairy-accompanied hero being sent on a clichéd and self-mocking quest to rescue Princess Sasha from the evil wizard, Malvagio. The writing is playful: some scenes are direct homages to the Zelda series, and dialogue between the hero's fairy companion and the inhabitants of the world seems to be drawn from the anti-Navi sentiment amongst “Ocarina of Time” players.

Gameplay should be familiar to anyone who has played a game in the Zelda series: press button to swing sword, kill monsters, find chests with items that help you proceed. The one Zelda staple it lacks is Zelda's trademark puzzles, meaning that most of the gameplay is combat. It is fun, but lead this viewer to question what else the engine could do. Would special melee attacks be implementable? I learned a firebolt spell during my playthrough (casting it would launch a projectile at an enemy), but would the engine be able to support anything beyond it? Area of effect spells, for instance? What of spells that aren't geared towards simply doing damage? The enemies, including the bosses, seem to come in two forms: enemies than run up to you and attack you, and enemies that stand back at throw things at you. Could the engine support any more advanced kind of enemy behaviour? It seems unfair to grate on so short a game for features that it lacks, but given that the game is essentially an engine demo, I feel my criticisms are not without merit.

But let's focus on what "The Legend of Ace" is rather than what it's not: a fairly fun (albeit simple) prototype of an engine that could be used in a fuller-length, more developed game. It is not without flaws: the way that the collision boxes/movement system works makes it difficult trade blows without getting hurt yourself, and the abolition of the grid-based movement system meant that my hero got stuck in walls on a couple of cutscenes.

My overall verdict is this: although essentially a prototype, "The Legend of Ace" is enjoyable to play through despite its brevity and shows off its engine quite well. Worth a playthrough, but do not expect a full-length game.