The Legend of Zelda (NES) is the best adventure game ever made.
From the moment the intro screen comes on, seeing the waterfall, and hearing the music I knew I was in for an experience. Years later I read an article in a magazine and in it Shigeru Miyamoto-San was talking about the inspiration behind the game. He was the type of kid who liked exploring caves and forests and that's where a lot of the ideas came from is his own personal adventures as a child and the brilliant thing is that it really comes through in the game.
I still have the tunes playing in my head and I can hear the sword being thrown across the screen towards an enenmy, arrows and rocks hitting the shield, the beeping noise when I was low on life, and the music you hear upon entering and traversing a dungeon. Yes, the music that plays when entering a dungeon is probably one of my favorite tunes ever. It's deep, foreboding, and timeless.
The hero, Link, is on a mission to save Princess Zelda from the evil clutches of Gannon. Your adventure starts with a wooden sword that you obtain from an old man in a cave "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." and a small shield. Eventually you'll encounter more caves filled with goodies, but you really obtain items from the dungeons. You can find things like the all-important boomerang, candles, ladder, raft, and magic wand that will help in the quest. In the dungeons there are boss characters that you defeat to obtain pieces of the Triforce. Each boss has it's own weakness that you must exploit to continue. You start off with a small energy bar in the form of hearts and you look for "heart containers" to expand your energy meter.
The Legend of Zelda is not overly complicated and it introduced something that video gamers were not used to: saving. The first thing I noticed (that I still love) is the gold cartridge. I think it's absolutely fitting because it's a solid gold experience. Another interesting thing is that as you're exploring the land you come across places that require a pattern to solve, in a graveyard there is headstone that needs to be pushed to reveal stairs, a bush to burn to reveal a staircase, and walls that require a bomb to reveal a room. There is something to discover practically at every turn.
**SPOILER ALERT**
The interesting thing is after finishing the game you're introduced to a second quest which, to be honest, really surprised me. Any true fan of adventure will relish the chance at tackling this second adventure and discovering everything they possibly can. I took on the second quest and was immensly satisfied.
**END SPOILER ALERT**
I love this game. I believe there are certain video games that are part of your foundation and this is definitely an essential video game in my foundation. The beautiful thing is that even today after all these years it can still be picked up and played. Not only is that beautiful, but it's genius as well. It's just so accessible: walk, aim, shoot, stab, block the controls are beyond responsive. The enemies are of a good variety so you won't be bored. You're able to obtain Rupees from these fallen foes to purchase upgrades and extra items.
Again, as I say in many of my reviews, this isn't really a review but more of a retrospective. The series is adored by millions and rightfully so. I was there at the beginning and I thank God for the experience because The Legend of Zelda has definitely earned a place in my heart, mind, and soul as being one of the all-time greatest creations. If by chance you haven't played this game I highly recommend it whether it's on the NES, GBA, on the Gamecube's Legend of Zelda collection, or the Wii's Virtual Console. It's an epic and timeless adventure.