While not as high in "Fun factor" as Mario or Kirby; the degree of immersion is unmatched.
The issue here with so many new 'wanna be retro' gamers is that they keep their heads in the same mental state as when they play their new games like Halo, Wii Sports, Fable, the list goes on. These games are good; don't get me wrong, but with classic gaming, people need to realize that at that time period; games were mostly about one thing: Gameplay. No fancy graphics, (though the NES-era did have some fine looking games, like The Megaman classic series) storylines were mostly simple.
Which leads me to explaining why Zelda for the NES got such a high score by me. Most NES games were all gameplay; and Zelda exceeded this notion; forming a game that is well ahead of its time.
GAMEPLAY:
Zelda is played in an overhead display; giving the closest to an illusion of depth you'll find on an 8-bit console; this also lets you be able to see everything around you. You play the role as Link, (or whatever you name your character) a young man with pointy ears trying to rescue the Princess Zelda from Ganon's evil. In doing so, you must go through eight dungeons, and eventually face off against Ganon himself.
But first you have to get to and find these dungeons, which can be some of the hardest parts of the game themselves. You start off unarmed in Hyrule; a large vast area composed of forests, deserts, graveyards, and the like. The whole area is massive; and definitely worth praise. There are tons of hidden locations tossed into the maps, hidden shops, and enemies. Enemies are well diversified; even with 8-bit graphics.
As you travel, you can collect a variety of items, and make Link into the hero you want him to be. There are many weapons to collect; from a collection of swords, a bow, boomerangs, candles, anything collected can basically be used in combat. This makes battling an experience that doesn't bore, as you can always switch up how you do battle. Some enemies have to be killed by certain items; which makes strategy an intigrated experience in Zelda. The Dodongos were particularily fun to finish off.
What I love best about the games was solving the many dungeons; as they all differ and form the shapes of certain animals or symbols. Here you must explore the dungeon, find maps, kill bosses, and the like. Such diversity and puzzle-solving is a very fun, fluent part of this game, and the pacing is top notch. The whole game sucks you in like no other game of this time.
STORYLINE:
The beginning of the Zelda saga... A simple tale pitting good against evil, with the very atmosphere seemingly influenced by similar fantasy media such as Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. While the story is of a young man saving a princess; the whole world is so vast, that the landscapes and locations themselves seem to be telling an unspoken story. I would like to give a ranking on how the storyline judges; but with a game of this sort, it is hard to categorize storyline.
GRAPHICS:
Keep in mind that Zelda is a massive game. So very massive, it was the first NES title to have a save system integrated. So come models aren't as well detailed as say; Super Mario Bros 3 or Megaman 2. Many characters besides Link only have two or three colors total. But what redeems this is that the enemies are well drawn out in pixels so they are instantly recognizable. Mummies LOOK like mummies, bats like bats, it all works well towards the immersive setup of the game. Bosses look very nice and powerful, and some enemies do stick out as being particularly stylish.
The best piece of graphical work in this game goes out to two parts. First is Link himself. He starts off rather drab. Pointy-eared in a green tunic and hat. But as the game progresses, he gains a variety of different looking weapons, new swords, (that actually show on the in-game sprite) and even a new tunic that sports an entirely new color! This really gives a sense of progressive characterization that is very much appreciated for a NES title.
The next part would be the environments. The grassy bushes have leaves! The dirt has rocks scattered about, waterfalls drizzle! Everything in the surroundings looks very great for 8-bit graphics. When you bomb a hole into a mountain by bomb, cracks actually form around the hole you can walk into! This is even more prevalent in the dungeons; in which statues greet you at the entrance in intricate detail. Simply flawless.
SOUND
The music is composed mainly of two tracks; the Zelda theme and the dungeon theme. These both are outstanding, and set the bar of just how great midi-music can get. They are on repeat; but are so catchy they never get irritating. The main theme has also stuck around for just about every Zelda game afterwards; and a worthy stay too.
Sounds effects are many. Roars let out around boss rooms, happy jingles when a puzzle is solved; this is one of the first gaming examples of ambiance. Also; all of Link's weapons make unique sound effects, and most bosses have their own sounds too. Overall; this is some of the best variety one can find on the NES.
As for extra content; there is a totally different gameplay mode with altered dungeons after the first game, but I still haven't beaten the first one, so I can't review it.
All in all, this is one of the best NES titles of all time, and is worth purchase, be it the NES title, GBA, or Virtual console. It won't be regretted!