The game stars Max, a gardener trained by a master gardener named Zoen, who must set off on an adventure to deal with the invasive plant species called Kudzu and rescue his mentor from a threat to the entire world. The use of gardening as a theme for the game is a bit surprising, but it actually fits extremely well with the Zelda formula, and all of your weapons and items are gardening related. From a machete used to fight spiders, critters and more, to a hoe, and a rake, the tools provide an interesting use.’
You will be able to access new areas with tools like special boots, and use your resources to defeat bosses in inventing ways. It is a very unique take on the Zelda formula, and brings a fresh perspective to a tried and true routine. What sells the experience the most though is the environment, which is true to the gardening theme by taking place almost completely outside.
Well, sort of. Of the four main areas to explore, there is one that is indoors. The other four all take place outside, however, and this gives Kudzu a different sense of identity. The screen to screen navigation is smooth, and the various plant enemies and bosses are extremely inspired. You can even use the Kudzu plants themselves in inventive ways to open a path, and the game encourages experimentation.
For a game designed for the Game Boy, Kudzu holds up well with modern indie games. The developers had a lot working against them, and there are some issues to deal with, such as the hit detection feeling a little unfair on occasion, but overall it is manageable. The story is told well and the characters all have their own personalities that stand out, which is a plus.
Kudzu won me over almost from the start, and while the cursors did cause some issues when I was starting, I loved my time with the game and am amazed this is a modern Game Boy game. It never outstays its welcome, and yet feels like an experience that you will want to go back to multiple times. There are some extra features on the Switch such as borders and other QOL touches, but for the most part, this is very authentic to a Game Boy experience. Not much was added from the Game Boy version, which is a good thing.
As you can probably guess, I enjoyed Kudzu and will gladly recommend it to all to play. You will not regret that choice, even if you never played the original version of Link’s Awakening or other games that inspired this title. It can stand well enough on its own.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
