LEGEND OF ZELDA

You all had to know this was coming eventually, how could I not review my most cherished game of all time? The Legend of Zelda was history in the making and defined the action/adventure genre. This game has done more for video games than any other thing I can think of, it revolutionised the Nintendo Entertainment System and will never be forgotten, well as long as I'm around at least. If a game can make me want to get a tattoo then I think it's doing something right! Going back and reviewing a game like this is a little different to my current day reviews. Assessing something as simple as an 8bit NES game is quite unique, sure there's graphics, music and gameplay to judge but it's a NES game so I have to give it a bit of flexibility given the technology that was around in 1986. Needless to say The Legend of Zelda scores 10/10 for me and here's why...

Let's think back to what games were around in 1986, not many I'm sure. I wasn't around then either but I think it's pretty safe to say that in terms of games there was a very limited choice. Sure we had Atari 2600, 5200, Commodore 64 and all those other amazing consoles we all know and love but nothing revolutionised the gaming world quite like the NES did. Since the video games crash of 1983 the industry within the U.S. and across a lot of the world was in a serious slump but then Nintendo release the Famicom (also known as the NES outside of Japan) in Japan that year and changed the world forever. After the huge reception from Japan the console finally debuted in the U.S. in 1985, Europe in 1986 and lastly Australia in 1987. This in turn redeemed the video game industry post 1983 and put gaming back on the map and in our households yet again. 

So getting back to Zelda, here comes this juggernaut of game with all this content and the promise of a story and the ability to 'save' your game progress, we were all blown away by the mere thought of it all. To me at the time being very young, I didn't fully understand just quite how special it was to be able to preserve your progress through a game. Nowadays it's second nature but looking back now it was a pretty cool thing to have. So what do we know about Legend of Zelda? Well it's pretty simple! You are Link, the Hero of Time who sets out on a journey to rescue Princess Zelda from the clutches of Ganon, the Prince of Darkness. Before Ganon could acquire the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda splits it into eight pieces which are scattered in eight dungeons across Hyrule. Link must then reclaim the Triforce, destroy Ganon and rescue the princess. 

The land of Hyrule is vast by 1986 standards with dungeons and collectibles strew across the land. Those who wish to see a full layout of the map check the link below. The game plays in an overhead style with some 3D elements implemented, such as walking behind trees and rocks etc. Within the over-world you'll encounter many monsters and foot soldiers of Ganon as well as helpful people along the way. Throughout the game you will travel to new dungeons and collect new items to help you along the way. Link can always use his sword but he can collect secondary items to use too such as bombs and arrows. While it may seem bland to some viewers now, the design of the over-world was vast with rocky mountains, forests, lakes deserts and beaches. It's amazing to see just how far the industry and the games itself has progress over the years.

The dungeons themselves is where the game truly shines, each dungeon is different with new and interesting enemies and generally bigger in size than the last. The final dungeon, for example Ganon's pictured below is huge and maze like, so remembering where to go and what you've done is a real challenge. Gameplay was smooth with the perfect balance of puzzle and combat. I remember the game being quite challenging back when I was young but given my years of gaming it's a little easier now but still presents itself as a worthy adversary. Zelda 2 though, that is one of the most challenging games ever, but we'll get to that another day! The music is something of a masterpiece and while there are only a few tracks that play throughout the entire game they really do set the seen. the dungeon music, especially Ganon's is exceptionally cool!

Something that was remarkably awesome about this game was the after you finished it for the first time you could play the second run through! Essentially the game was the same but with all the dungeons in different locations with the layout entirely new. Playing for the second time through was almost like playing an entirely new game and was a great way to add that extra bit of content in an interesting a fun way. To this date I've played through many of the Zelda games countless times but nothing quite does it like the original. I suppose being the first game I ever played, it does have that affect on me but I think many people would agree that it's a flawless piece of art. I know many of you don't have a NES or Famicom but there are always emulators to use so give it a go and have some fun, I'm certain you won't be disappointed! 

The Legend of Zelda Hyrule Map: http://ian-albert.com/games/legend_of_zelda_maps/

Genre: Action Adventure

Platforms: Nintendo Entertainment System

Score: 10 / 10