While I can certainly appreciate the scale and beauty of modern Zelda games, I do miss the old school style of dungeons and power upgrades on a 2D plane. This always draws me to games that are influenced by the SNES era of Zelda, and I’m happy to report that Under the Island is one of the most polished and successful in quite a while. The atmosphere, puzzles, level of challenge, and story are all satisfyingly designed to produce a game that wears its influences well.
Nia has to move to Seashell Island where her parents are to spend the summer researching the unique folklore and archaeology. Initially reluctant to leave her friends and home behind, it isn’t long before she is immersed in an epic adventure to save the entire island from an apocalyptic threat. The fact that this chain of events is set off by her casually ignoring the clear advice not to touch the offerings on a sacred alter adds some impetus to her actions too.
Aesthetically, Under the Island is a real treat, with modern pixel graphics that successfully ape the original influence with a welcome modern level of polish. The various areas of the island are visually distinct and navigating is made so much more enjoyable by the clarity of the designs. Characters are, well, characterful, and even enemies are cute enough that you’ll feel a slight moment of guilt after smashing their little heads in with your hockey stick. Even traps and environmental puzzles are so clearly visualised that you never feel that it’s the game’s fault if you get caught or stuck.
Straight after Nia desecrates the alter and is dropped into the caves beneath the island (giving the game its title), you and your new frenemy, Avocado, meet a strange bird-like being who warns you that the island is built upon an ark and that four gears must be found to prevent it sinking beneath the waves. Nia then sets out to explore the island and retrieve these gears – with each one taking you to a different corner of the map. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Zelda-like without things getting more complicated as you progress and this is the case here too.
To aid you in your search, you are offered a weapon from a chest but, upon opening it you discover that somebody has got there before you and switched the sword with a hockey stick. This remains your main weapon throughout the game, but it can be upgraded for extra damage by trading it crafting items to an NPC. There are a decent number of island residents to talk to in order to complete quests, get hints for progress, or just for the fun of the writing. An early quest involves you clearing out a beach so that a girl can trick her father and uncle into sharing a picnic, helping them put aside their petty differences, which perfectly exemplifies the way that the game focuses on community and kindheartedness.
As well as your hockey stick, which can be used to activate switches and levers in addition to attacking enemies, you gain items which can be used to light fires and bombs that can destroy rocks and cracked walls. These combine to open up areas that are initially unavailable in classic Zelda fashion and the level design is a real highlight here. Shortcuts and hidden areas abound so that by the end of the game you’ll be zipping around the map to mop up collectables quickly.
The classic dungeons are equally well designed as multiple routes narrow down as you find keys and solve various environmental puzzles. The eventual boss fights are also great fun, with the usual mix of puzzle solving and out-and-out combat. The final boss in particular was a great challenge with multiple forms testing various abilities as well as your reactions. I finished the game missing just a few of the heart containers (unlocked by finding heart coins and turning them into another NPC) and was glad that I had explored enough to be that powered up for that battle especially.
