Cleared on March 2nd, 2024

When I saw the character on the thumbnail of the Youtube trailer on the day it was announced, I thought she looked really cool, so I had a look. Without any warning, I was hit with CDi-styled cutscenes with a gameplay that seemed similar to a very particular set of games from that era. For a brief moment, I was like "What the fuck?!", but after regaining my composure, I was all for it.

To give a bit of history. The CDi was a system that a company named Philips developed and released in 1990. It was known as a system that was designed as more of a system for edutainment, but it ended up being well known for its video games with the most infamous being Link: The Faces of Evil, and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. It was an... interesting attempt at the time to make animated cutscenes merge with video games, but as far as I'm aware, it wasn't really all that popular since most people at the time were focused more on the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, and when the Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, and the newcomer Playstation came into play... that was that.

That was until the 2000s when an unknown entity with a bizarre sense of humor got a hold of the cutscenes from the games and some editing software, and started remixing the scenes for comedic effect, and they became notorious to the point where if you've been on the internet long enough, you have already seen clips from the games without even realizing it.

Upon further investigation, you would find that the games these cutscenes came from are actually terrible. I've never played them, so I wouldn't know the full extent of it, but between the scuffed gameplay and abysmal controls, I already know it's a 3/10 game that is only saved by the legacy that it left behind, and that legacy somehow triggered a chain of events that led to the creation of Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore.

Much like the games it was based on, it is a 2D action adventure game where you traverse through the lands of the kingdom on a quest to take down the villain that threatens its people. It's a "metroidvania" style game where you venture into sectioned areas in the game to collect items and upgrades while slashing foes along the way. The game is fun and it actually functions quite well too. You start out with a sword that you swing at your foes, and later down the line you get access to new tools which are used as a means to solve puzzles and whatnot. Most notably, you get a lantern which actually lasts a good length, a ring barrier, and even a gun... a magic gun!

While the game is rather entertaining, don't expect anything to really challenge you. Once you get the barrier, the gun and plenty of rubies, the game becomes really easy since you can just shoot foes from a distance and block their projectiles when necessary. And it only gets even easier the more upgrades you collect such as double jump, sword waves, and increased movement speed. Side note, since it feels like a recurring theme for me to complain about slow movement speed in games, I will go ahead and say that the base movement speed in Arzette is actually appropriate and I would say fair, but the boost you get did feel really good.

Unfortunately, the lack of difficulty extends to the bosses which are quite possibly the weakest part of the game.
All you have to do to beat Klive is just stay in one vine, set off acorns to fall on his head and you win.
Cornrad would have been reasonable enough since he teleports and uses corn projectiles, but I think the issue is that, if I'm not mistaken, you can get the shield barrier before you get to him, making the fight that much easier. Oh and shout-out to getting literally the worst ability in the game after defeating him which is the "Crow-walk". I've only ever have to use it once to collect a coin.
Apatu is the only character that I thought provided some actual challenge although not much. She does teleport around and uses melee attacks, and she does have a projectile, but gives little indication or time to reflect, so you would have to guess and hope on that one. On top of that, at 50% health, rocks spawn to make the fight a little more difficult.
Beeves is a joke. Literally before the fight, you can get access to the reflect upgrade which sends projectiles right back at the foe and since he doesn't teleport until he's hit with an attack, you can just go in the middle platform and just hold LB until he dies.
Nodelki actually does move around, but once again suffers the "reflect" problem.
And unfortunately, the big bad Daimur himself is quite possibly the lamest of them all since it's just a very short chase sequence and that's it. The worst part is that he's the final boss. I get this game is supposed to emphasize comedy, but it felt really anti-climatic.

If this is all I had to say about the game, I would've given it a 3.5 stars or just 3, but what really highlights the game is the presentation which is a hard selling point and what truly defines it. The game looks really good with hand-drawn backgrounds that capture a variety of scenery such as forests, rivers, beaches, crypts, and castles which creates the feeling of a fantasy adventure. The music that accompanies the levels are nothing short of incredible, and I would actually go out of my way to listen to them regularly.

The cutscenes, however, is something special in a bizarre but charming way that takes the unintentionally bizarre style of the CDi games and just embraces the chaos and their ability to play the whole thing straight just adds to the comedy.

Surprisingly, the writing itself is not bad. Other than the colorful cast of one-note characters, Arzette herself feels like a natural fit in the world around her. She isn't as over-the-top and yet is able to show sincerity in the face of all the chaos, and at times, she can have her own quirks that make her just as funny as the rest of the characters. I just really like her a lot.

If you're into Youtube Poops or just surreal humor in general, this game is an easy recommendation. It is a short game, so if you don't feel like you'll get your money's worth, you could just easily watch the cutscenes or wait for a sale on the game.

One last thing. If you have installed the game, all of the cutscenes in Arzette are in the game's files in MP4 format. Do with this information what you will.

Arzette is short, but it's so enjoyable and charming. It had me laughing so much. The voice acting and cutscene animation is spot on for what they are parodying. Also it plays so much better than any of the cdi games it's taken inspiration from. I never once felt frustrated playing it.

Also some of the characters are legitimately designed so well. And even the boss fights can be hilarious at how you beat them.

Very very good and unique little game.

🇬🇧 full review | 🇧🇷 resenha completa

Os fãs sempre fizeram o que as empresas não querem fazer. ROM hacks, ports, fan games, sucessores espirituais: não importa se é um jogo famoso das antigas ou um clássico cult, as pessoas se lembrarão dessas histórias para sempre. Mas Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore não se trata de lembrar o que foi bom, mas de imaginar um futuro onde as coisas ruins nunca aconteceram. Eles não apenas entenderam o que os jogos Zelda do CD-i tinham a oferecer, mas usaram isso como base para construir uma aventura original e impressionante. Se é isso que podemos conseguir dando uma segunda chance aos jogos ruins do passado, estou totalmente a bordo para mais redenções no futuro.

Simpático es la forma perfecta de definir a este jueguito. Un buen homenaje al humor y a los buenos ratos que Zelda-CDi nos dio (porque lo que los juegos en sí... )
Como acción plataformero, hace una de mis cosas favoritas: empiezas super inútil sin poder avanzar casi a cualquier sitio y terminas imparable. Si tu juego tiene esa curva tan bien definida, es que es un buen juego.
El humor, una vez más, es increíble. Ya desde la propio Arzette a los MUCHICIENTOS personajes que son tan variados y fascinantes.
Es un juego cortito pero siempre el ir a completarlo, el modo heroíco y el boss rush hacen que la vidita del juego se alargue
En resumen, es un juego que si tienes la oportunidad de probarlo, hazlo. Vas a salir contento. También, si eres streamer, yo le daría un ojo porque seguro que tus suscriptores y tú os vais a descojonar.

What a lovely time this was, you don't often get to play a game where it's styled entirely after the old Philips CDi games. It's like the Cuphead of its generation in where we haven't seen someone try to replicate something like it. Still for 20 dollars you're getting a fairly good 2D Adventure Game, it plays exactly what its referencing and quite honestly just the animation quality alone is enough of a reason for you to pick it up. The only reason its not a 5/5 for me is simply because of how easy it is to get lost, and that can have you end up wasting a few minutes searching for what to do next breaking the games overall pacing, other than that I mean it runs well, looks well, and plays well.
Definitely something you should look into if you're ever curious.

I don't think anyone could have expected for the CD-I Zelda's of all things to get some kind of Indie retro revivial and I for one was genuinely surprised at how much fun I had with it.

I has this worry going in that the "Haha lol it's a CD-I" game concept would lose its charm and I'd be left with a kinda meh game or that this homage would be done in bad faith and be really cynical. But no has a genuine appreciation for its inspiration and manages to combine that with some really fun mechanics to give it its own unique feel amongst the countless Indie 2D Metroidvania Platformers.

Really enjoyed myself with this and from how the game ends... I am extremely excited about a potential sequel

I had SUCH a good time with Arzette, and found the entire premise insanely charming. I've never played the Zelda CD-i games, but I've watched people play through them, so there's probably (definitely) things that were referenced that went over my head, but the many I did catch never failed to put a smile on my face. The entire game is clearly filled to the brim with love for their reference: getting the original voice actors, finding humor from the original plot, and the obvious amount of time put into their reminiscent art/animations. I liked all the obvious love "Seedy Eye" has for the "CD-i", rather than choosing to make the game point and maliciously laugh at it, which wouldn't have been half as fun. My biggest complaint is that the game is too short! I finished it all on my 4-hour bus trip, though it made it a short + fun ride. Honestly, the Zelda CD-i games were also very short, so it's fitting. I highly recommend Arzette: The Jewels of Faramore to fans of older games, indie platformers, and/or youtube poops, you'll have a blast.

3.5/5

Wow just…..WOW! If I had a nickel for every time a 10/10 silly indie game was released around the beginning of the year and just so happened to use Microsoft paint in its art direction, id have two nickles. Which isnt alot but its weird it happened twice right? Well I definitely aint complaining! Here we go!


The Good
- Great level design
- Vibrant visuals
- Excellent Music
- Humorous Dialogue
- Levels weren't too long, so backtracking was never a chore
- Lively characters that took over every cutscene they were in.
- Vibrant cutscenes that gave me flashbacks to when I would mindlessly watch YTPs all day long.
- A great love letter to the Phillips CDI. More than just the obvious inspiration from the Zelda CDI games.


The Meh
- The backtracking can be frustrating at times if you dont know where youre going.
- If youre not in on the joke, a lot of what this game throws at you will feel hallow.
- Bosses wernet the best, but if youre aware of how the Zelda CDI games handled, bosses you get why that is.

The Bad
- N/A


Conclusion
If you would have told me that an indie game that served as a spiritual sucessor to the Zelda CDI games would be one of the best video games ive ever played anytime before February 14, 2024, I would have told you to get your head examined. The amount of charm and dedication to the past really elevates the experience in a way I've never seen before. Taking something that has been considered a laughing stock for the past 30+ years and turning it into a fun, silly, and refreshing experience that I wont forget anytime soon.

Though it does get a little too fetch questy at times, having to do multiple runs of the same stages depending on how inefficient your backtracking is... Arzette is nonetheless a charming love letter to the CD-i Zelda titles, with lots of cool level backgrounds and silly cutscene animations to watch. I was pleased by the fact that Arzette's writing does not heavily rely on its influences for memetic value. Just about all of it is going about and doing its own thing, with only the occasional nudge and wink, naturally interwoven to work even without knowing the reference.

The game feel is an obvious step-up from the CD-i titles. Everything runs smooth, feels right, and remains simple to play. The simplicity in itself, lends to its cozyness. It'll only take you about 4-5 hours to 100%, and it'll be hard to get lost, as quest items have helpful descriptions to indicate what you should be giving to who, alongside levels being marked with exclamation points if there's something important you can go back for. There may be some optional collectibles that might trip you up without a guide, but even those I felt a little silly for not noticing myself. There are visual clues for every secret as long as you're paying attention towards anything suspicious looking.

I do kinda wish it was a little harder, especially because initially it begins as such. The three hearts you start with incentivize you to stay careful as you move throughout the level. But eventually, as you obtain heart containers, and the shield, you can easily tank your way through most of the whole thing. The upgrade to the shield that lets you reflect bullets is especially broken, turning every boss into a game of "hold down the shield button and wait." And the final boss is just straight up taking cues from Spyro 1, "the evil threatening villain that spends 90% of his fight running away from you." I suppose the game compensates for this however, by letting you play a harder mode upon completing the game once.

With all that said, if you've got 20 dollars to spare and are looking to take a break from some of the more complex games out there, Arzette is a highly accessible experience for everyone. I've enjoyed exploring every nook 'n cranny to find the next cutscene, or special Metroidvania-like move. I've laughed, I went "oooo", I vibed with the music (the river theme is stuck in my head aaa), and overall felt very relaxed throughout the whole thing. The developer deserves every bit of support he can get for creating a game that is so unabashedly sincere, loving, and catered for such an overly specific niche of fans. "Arzette will return..." I sure damn hope so. But even if not, I look forward to anything this developer does next.

An absurd and absolutely charming Zelda CD-I tribute. Thankfully the developer, Seedy Eye, did not go 1:1 on the recreation. The controls and level design are good this time. This type of action platformer with metroidvania elements is very rare these days. A reason for this could be that its a drag to replay levels several times when you acquire new weapons, abilities or need some type of item. The pacing is awful when you need to go thrice or even more times through levels. It is excessive padding. Even it those CD-I games had this structure, it is no excuse and a blemish on a good game.

Fortunately the action can be fun, level design is varied, characters are the good kind of weird and the Secret of Mana inspired OST is a banger. Most impressive are the cutscenes. All the charm and weirdness from the russian made animations on the CD-I Zelda has been recreated to a surprising degree. The game is worth a play through for them alone.

I am surprised at how legitimately good this is. But it reminds me more of Shantae than Zelda CD-i. But thank you for retaining the creepy charm of Faces & Gamelon while making the writing stronger, to the point that Arzette makes quite a transformation through the game.

I would suggest going for 100%, because of how cool the unlocks for finishing everything are. Easy recommend. I can only hope this is sourced in future YTPs, as most people have said.

Also, as much as I don't like Limited Run, they made a replica CD-i controller that works on PC and Switch. And god bless them for doing that, that's brilliant.

Arzette is a really, really good game. It's an homage rather than a parody and I'm happy it exists this way. It shows us in an alternate timeline, the Zelda CD-I games could have been great & that there was something special about them

Put aside how they "ruin" the characters, add just a little polish & you can see how charming they could be. Make the levels more intuitive to navigate and you can see that the levels were always beautiful. And if the CD-I soundtrack just added... Actually, that was the one thing that always slapped about the CD-I games, but Arzette's OST rocks, too!

But even on its own merits the game still succeeds. It's almost like a mini-metoridvania with a level selector rather than an interconnected world, but you still get that same gameplay loop of starting out weak, getting the hang of the game, and by the end you're crushing every enemy on your path to the end.

Arzette is a short game, but well worth every ruby you spend on it. If I had to sum it up in one word it is, unironically, good.

Had a good time with this game. Zelda CD-I but made good. They do their best to emulate the cutscenes, which is obviously one of the main draws. They do a good enough job emulating the style where it matters most although it's clearly not the same. You can tell when cutscenes were made by different artists. It doesn't matter much but the few cutscenes that are obviously traced 3d models were really distracting. References to CD-I and other video games were eye rollers at times.

The gameplay is inoffensive enough that I wasn't getting bored. Going for 100% will have you revisiting stages many times which isn't optimal, but they're short enough that it's not a major waste. Only a few secrets were a bit more troublesome to find. Sucks that all achievements requires multiple playthroughs.