It's all in the jokes
I'm telling you ya don't have to be good at plot, voice, art, or nothing. As long as you make pop culture references. That old guy looked just like the old guy in Legend of Zelda 1. If you would of made a "It's dangerous to go alone!" reference you would of made a lot more fans.
http://sydlexia.com/imagesandstuff/ne s_quotes_you_should_know/zelda_danger ous.png