Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Ambitious"

This gem of a game really does hold up quite nicely across its own adventure of time. It is one of those games that gets a lot more entertaining once you steadily master the mechanics and dungeons of this quite difficult game. It's fun the first time around and once you finish it there is still plenty of things to notice in Hyrule, with all the hidden items and such. You won't get bored of this game easily that's for sure.
It has a nice charm and adventrous feel to it once you start it up. You got an expansive world to discover and learn right from the start, but it can also cause frustration and many deaths trying to find out where the heck to go next. There are some great hidden secrets along the way like heart containers and different items you can use to aid you on your quest (which I highly recommend getting) to save the once-great Hyrule from becoming even more ridden with evil by Ganondorf (also you gotta save a princess while you're at it, no pressure).
The story is still simple, just like many of the adventure games back in the day (not including those PC RPG's like Ultima and such) the experience is what mostly matters in the game. Gameplay is simple yet it is satisfactory nonetheless especially with difficult enemies and bosses. It gives you a feeling of being a hero and slaying all kinds of monsters and finding your way through the underworld dungeons which progressively gets more difficult, but it gives off a sense of accomplishment like other Zelda games do.
Of course this one started it all with the series and it was quite revolutionary and innovative at the time during its release especially with the console market. It did have a great, memorable world to venture through, but is it REALLY what it's cracked up to be? For many people sure, but for me I guess its in the middle. I think this game is a flawed gem especially during its segments of where your next task was since you weren't given any or no clues as where to go next. It's recommended to use a FAQ, map, or walkthrough to find out where you had to go next. I wish the combat in the game was a lot more smoother than it was given and would have prevented it from becoming too cheap at some points during your fights with the real tough enemies (darknuts anybody?).
The music is quite memorable honestly especially with the iconic theme and the dungeon music. They all loop though, but it never ever got repetitive for me. It creates a mood for the game and does a fine job of it. The sound effects do what they do and not much to be seen in it.
It doesn't ruin the game immensely, but it was annoying to go back from the very beginning of the dungeon with only 3 hearts to fight off some tough enemies again and it's even more annoying to travel back to get more equipment in order to have a chance to complete the dungeon. I'm not a master at the game and not do I care to be. That frustration has always lingered in my experience with the game and blocks me from giving this game a better score.
It's a great game even with its flaws intact. Sure exploration on to your next task can be a frustrating and annoying journey due to very little explanation on where to and sure the enemies can be cheap and such, but it doesn't ruin the game's fun factor. It never gets old or boring with continuous playthroughs and sooner or later you'll learn a bit of the game by heart. It's a great experience and it should be played by all generations no matter how much it ages. It's a great starting point for the series and it got better and better since then. Gamers should respect what this game has done for the past 25 years since its ambitous release on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Go ahead! Give a try and form your own opinion about it! It's available on the Virtual Console and the 3DS e-Shop! It's cheap and it's well worth your time for a playthough or even two!