They say that you never forget your first, and I’m pretty sure this particular saying is about your first Zelda game. For me this honour goes to The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, the Game Boy title that packed all that Zelda goodness into a portable package. It started off my love of a series with dozens of fantastic titles, and because of this it’ll always hold a special place in my heart. I’m talking about the original portable Zelda today because of Ratcheteer DX, which is the perfect Link’s Awakening replacement for those looking for something newer to play.
You may notice that this sounds like a deluxe version of another game, and that’s because you’re very clever and very correct. The original Racheteer launched on the Playdate, that kooky little indie console with a crank on it. Like most people I’ve never owned a Playdate, and without this port I would’ve missed out on Racheteer alongside all those other titles.
The setting of Ratcheteer DX is pretty novel for a retro Zelda style game. The game takes place almost entirely underground, because an impact winter has made the surface of the Earth almost entirely uninhabitable. You’re an apprentice mechanic in this world, and when you wake up and the power is out it’s time to get to work. It won’t take long for you to discover all sorts of other issues to fix with your trusty wrench, so get ready for a retro adventure across many biomes.
At the start of the game you have nothing to help you survive in this world, and even after that the only tool in your belt is a lantern. You’ll use this a whole lot though, as beneath the crust of the planet there’s not a whole lot of natural light. It’s an oppressive place that I must admit feels a bit daunting to explore at first, but you’ll soon realise that your lantern is a decent deterrent against some of the other creatures lurking in dark corners.
It thankfully doesn’t take too long to find your main weapon, a big ole spanner. You pretty much use this as a sword to take on enemies, but it’s also helpful for activating various mechanisms. As Ratcheteer DX progresses you’ll get more bits of kit that enable you to explore new areas, and with plenty of hidden chests to collect that means lots of lovely backtracking with your new abilities.
There’s a nice variety of gear to grab on this around six hour adventure, from a simple jump (which comes in the form of mechanical spring shoes) to a drill shield you can use to block incoming attacks and also burrow through walls. I loved that each piece of kit has a few different uses, be it against enemies or environmental blockades.
One of my favourite things about Ratcheteer DX is the structure, because it’s pure uncut classic Zelda. You spend a bit of time exploring the overworld then dive into a dungeon, and that dungeon has some puzzles and a new piece of equipment to test out. You then use it and you’re gaming prowess to take on a boss, and the loop continues. There are even keys, boss keys, and hidden heart pieces to find in these wonderful mazes, and the whole experience hit my nostalgia weak spot with perfect accuracy every time.
There’s more than just copying Zelda that makes Ratcheteer special though. One of the types of optional collectibles you find are runes, which translate letters of another language. This language is used by another surviving race, and by finding most of the alphabet you’ll be able to translate conversations and text logs you find for a bit more lore. It’s really cool, and I enjoyed puzzling over half translated sentences to try and figure out the backstory of this world.
Ratcheteer DX is a really fun Zelda style nostalgia trip, but it does have a few small issues that hold it back from hitting like those stone cold classics. The visuals are sometimes so lo-fi that they aren’t fit for purpose, like in the snow area where a few dotted pixels is supposed to translate into a pit of death. These visuals also make dark areas more of a chore to explore than they need to be, and with the underground setting they’re pretty plentiful. As much as I like the setting, I must admit I’d enjoy it much more if the NPCs had any semblance of personality to go along with it. It’s not the biggest issue when the nostalgic gameplay is the focus of the game, but the narrative behind it all really could be fantastic with a bit more character.
Racheteer DX is a throwback to simpler times, and if you loved Game Boy Zelda games you’ll likely love this too. That dungeon exploring loop is as intoxicating as it ever was, especially because the gear you discover on your expeditions is so great. I’m glad this Playdate title got a chance to shine outside of a niche console, because a lot of retro minded folks will really enjoy it.
