Hydlide Reviews (NES)

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Hydlide is a good game with graphics that are average and music that is not too terribly annoying. 90% of the game is comprised of building up energy to play the other 10%. A good alternative to Ultima, Zelda, and other quest-oriented RPG games.

Trust me it is a decent game, but it isn’t great. If you are in the mood for a unique battle engine with a lot of grinding, give it a try.

Like I said, the overworld is small, so it stands to reason that the game isn't particularly long, which is true. You also have the option to save your progress at any time. By the time you have beaten this game, however, you will likely wish you had spent the time playing something else, although it might entertain you for an hour or two if you are into this kind of game.

Games as bad as Hydlide are rare. Hydlide is worse than most of LJN’s licensed titles and is one of the worst NES games of all time. Ridicule it from afar; don’t spend your money on it. It is not worth it.

In the long run, Hydlide is a game you don't want to play. If you want a game that looks like Zelda, and plays like Zelda, you might be better off with Zelda.

If you do decide to play the game, turn down the limited sound effects and repetitious, high-pitched, unimaginative music.

You could say Hydlide was some kind of prototype, and under such rough circumstances I guess I could say it isn’t the worst game I’ve played. But its status as a “Before Zelda” adventure title can’t save it from being a convoluted bore to play today.

I’ll take the outdated, but still playable Dragon Warrior and Zelda over this misguided, well-meaning piece of dump. Even if Hydlide contained an interesting plot with memorable characters and unique locales, I still wouldn’t want to sludge through its worthless combat system in order to experience it.