What can I say about the Legend of Zelda. Another game that when i was 6 I bought based on pure observation that the game was gold and bought for no other reason. Even at 6 though, I was able to enjoy and love this game and more than likely Zelda is one of the main reasons I am still a gamer today... First off - this was an instuction book done right. It is very very rare that you get instruction books like this anymore (If you want an idea of what I am talking about, go here.... http://www.m2jstyle.com/other/ib.html). A full story and world all in one little booklet, full with cartoons and even a little model of the world to give your imagination a ton of eye candy, even the directions are part of the over all "wisdom" of the game... and on top of that a full color map of the world of hyrule, leaving out some of the "Unexplored Areas" that you have to eventually fill in on your own.... great job Nintendo for that one... Then you start the game and you get an epic intro - one that slightly introduces you into the story and has a "Cast" that shows you all the items in the game and what to expect - which was also a first for me to have seen in a game. Then you start the game with nothing... and that's it. You are on your own to fully explore the land of hyrule - get your wooden sword and discover what you have to do all on your own. This feeling is a first and very often repeated since my first days of hyrule. There is just something that comes together with the world, the looks, the sounds, and the small steps of discovery that take place that make for a mouth watering experience. There are a lot of obvious places you find while often times there are a lot of hidden places as well. You really need to explore the whole world to find everything and the game gives you a lot of clues to get past the basic core of the game on your own through many of the town folk - "Old Man, Old Woman, Old Lady" etc... I like this game because it is a very basic adventure - yet very advanced for its time. For one thing, you learn and grow with the game. There are area's that are deemed more difficult that you shy to go to (not like classic RPG's where if you are lvl 20 you know you shouldn't be in a level 60 area) but where monsters are just naturally harder so the game pushes you to wait until you really are stronger to get to these places. It isn't until your 2nd or 3rd time around that you can travel up to Death Mountain with 5 hearts and a wooden sword after learning the game, so your even though you have complete freedom in the game, it naturally pushes you around to where you want to be until you feel strong enough to take on the rest of the game. The items all have purpose and use, and finding out all the uses is also part of the fun. The original triforce system is a masterpiece as well, as you know how you are progressing and an idea of how much farther you have to go. Not too many games really mimic this anymore where you have to collect all the parts to somethign in order to be able to complete the final task - and it was another original concept. The music is great as well. Everyone in the world knows the basic Zelda music right along with the basic Mario music... and there is a good reason why - insane that such music lasts over almost 20 years... The best part - is that after you beat the game, there is a whole SECOND game available to you which really tests your skills and Zelda-ness. The first quest almost at every point guides you through the game while the second quest really just tests your patience and logic skills as you need a lot of trial and error to beat, but I found this a great test to see how good i was and at 6-7 years old, it took me a LOT longer to beat the second quest which is another accomplishment I'll always remember. I think in general this game had everything fundamentally right. There was a right balance that allows both new gamers and experts alike try their hand on an original adventure that really makes you feel like you are the hero and isn't too story driven (although there is a base story) . You almost feel like you ARE the story, which is the best part. You are living the adventure just like every great cartoon or movie you have ever seen - and often enough you can use your imagination to get a feel to what it much be like to be link and really save zelda yourself. I am now 23 years old, and I still have to sit down with this game every couple of years (and beat it in one sitting). I still have difficulites with the second quest because i always forget where things are, but the original adventure is still as fun (if not as new to me anymore) and worth any gamers time. I really hope that there are games ahead of us that mimic the overall atmosphere and gameplay that this NES classic does for future generations. Mario - and then Zelda - and then Metroid - I can only say... damn, I'm glad to have been around for this age.
Everyone knows the story already, but here it is again. You play as the elf LINK who is set out to save the Princess Zelda who is captured by the evil wizard Ganon and locked in a dungeon somewhere in Hyrule. You start o... Read Full Review
The first of it's kind, The Legend of Zelda is a highly addicting game were you are confronted with numerous puzzles. You are Link out to save Princess Zelda. You start out with nothing, and must travel through out a lar... Read Full Review
