NES Games I Beat #3: The Legend of Zelda 

    In 2015 (the future for those unaware) what the hell is left to be said about this wondrous masterpiece of a classic NES title that not only paved the way for the “Western RPG” (your Skyrims and such which aren’t RPGs but whatever) and the open world sandbox games (your GTAs and whatnot). It is surely one of the most influential and important titles of not only its era but of all time! With such a simple premise as Mario’s “save the princess” this game was so incredibly different that Super Mario Bros. in every conceivable way.
    The infinite amount of possibilities as to how to finish what is the sort of freedom that gives this game and the Megaman titles such a life today, a freedom that was vastly ahead of its time that astounded gamers. See while most games were getting from point A to B and killing all the guys, Zelda was incredibly more free and complex. You could go right to Gannon’s Tower if you wanted (granted you pick the step ladder up from the previous dungeon and obtain some bombs) and while you would eventually need to beat every dungeon, you very well could, with enough skill, make it to Gannon without doing hardly anything else. The dungeons could also be done in any order you chose but the difficulty kept the numbering of each “level” consistent to how the game designers recommended you to do them. This stemmed from the creator Shigeru Miyamoto’s child like wonder of adventures he would have in his backyard going through forests, stumbling across a cave, finding adventure there and is a part I really relate to as well as I used to have adventures in the forest around my house as well. I think this is part of the magic of this game, exploration of the vast and amazing landscapes and atmospheres of Hyrule, discovering secrets beneath bushes, blowing open secret entrances in mountains, stumbling upon stores hidden under armored knights, or even just getting to any dungeon and exploring it’s depths for the plunder of treasures and enemies within. The sheer number of secrets I probably haven’t found yet is mind bending and is what will always make another play through super interesting amongst other things. Exploration is implied to the player through the guidance of the Triforce pieces which are essential to finishing the game but the beauty is the fact you can accomplish this task whenever you feel like it.
    The plethora of other things to do, for the time, was astounding and is a piece of what still makes this game so enjoyable. It’s a game I’m always so invested in like a Persona 4 moment, I never would put it down until I beat it if it weren’t for responsibilities and my human limitations. Anyways, your time can also be filled with searching for secrets that range from additional heart pieces, a new sword upgrade, a chancy shot at opening a hole to a money giver or taker, a gambling game where you bet rupees, perhaps even an old lady who sells you potions, the possibilities are incredible. The vast amount of fun the player can make for themselves is astounding. The game doesn’t force itself on the curious player nor does it kill itself for the player who just wants make it through quickly. The open world aspects of this game are not only so obviously brilliant and influential to modern games but are so well balanced that it’s an enjoyable experience for everyone. That’s the timeless Nintendo charm we all adore at work.
     The design at play here is astounding and the pacing of not only defeating dungeons to “level up” in a sense by gaining a heart container and a Triforce piece even make the rewards for finishing the intended plot of the game vastly more satisfying. This is a short game if you want it to be. It personally takes me maybe 12 hours or so (that’s a very rough estimate) to finish which is very practical for anybody. It’s packed those 12 hours with fun and interesting content as well to where even grinding enemies for rupees for the blue ring doesn’t feel tedious because the enemies are normally right within reach when travelling so killing them for rupees is no problem. Not to mention every tenth enemy killed without being hit yourself nets you a bomb drop and a few more nets you a fairy drop so the game even rewards you more through hidden mechanics of being good at it. The pacing and design are masterfully crafted in a time that had barely mastered side scrollers yet.
In terms of gameplay, the style is that of a top down perspective which for an adventure game is an interesting choice for the time as it adds different dimensions to how you perceive the world versus the standard side scroller. Slashing in all directions with your sword, perceiving the range of your bomb’s blast and how many enemies it’ll hit at once, and the angular ranges of the boomerang at which you can stun enemies. The variety of enemies is also staggering. Not to even forget superficial icing like the beautiful graphics, the lulling soundtrack of high adventure and atmosphere, and the visual flair to the world, enemies, dungeons, and everything else. The fact that so many things exist on such a limited cart and with the technology of the 80s is just mind boggling. It’s a game that’s so well polished to the point where you can just be immersed without the hassle of learning the intuitive controls or tirelessly struggling to hit an enemy.
    The combat is spot on, with a variety of obtainable tools making it even more glorious. Not only is your sword useful but you have bombs that can hurt multiple enemies at once, a boomerang to stun them, arrows to hit them from afar, a candle or a wand to burn them with, and a shield to defend yourself from their projectiles and can be upgraded at shops or stolen by Like Likes! There’s so much to the nuances of possibility and your choice to play the game to your way of comfortablity like the Megaman series that it becomes accessible yet challenging to master. On that note I feel it fair to say this isn’t an easy game but it’s not too hard either. I think the challenge is again very balanced to reflect the wide appeal Nintendo was going for. With the exception of Gannon’s Tower and a few cryptic parts in the game (which nowadays are easily solved by the internet and back then would have driven you insane I’m sure) I’d say the difficulty and pacing don’t really ever come to a halt. Oh and of course this game was one of the first to feature a battery backup for saving thus eliminating that pesky continue and lives system that a lot of games of its time just loved making themselves immensely frustrating and somewhat unplayable in modern standards with.
    I could go on and on about everything from the puzzle solving, to the specific enemies, and the dungeon layouts but it’s truly pointless as there is infinite discussion that can be had about how this game changed everything. Nintendo would go on to make Zelda a juggernaut of a franchise but there’s something magical about this original that can’t be matched. Perhaps it’s the exploration aspects or the freedom it allowed or its high fantasy, living world feeling, or maybe even just that special simplicity of the complexities to the NES and its run that so perfectly makes for such rich, interesting history for gaming. One thing that is for sure though is that this masterpiece of an adventure title will forever stand not only as one of the greatest NES games but quite simply as one of the greatest games ever made. Those who have played it know its magic and to those who haven’t or gave up on it, the internet now has a vast library of knowledge to help you through so there’s no excuse not to. My final score for this game is a 9.5/10 which is my opinion because for me Gannon’s Tower can be a drag. Obviously this is a 10/10 game in terms of gaming history or “objectively” I guess but it’s still nearly flawless for me. I’ve still never beaten the second quest but the replayability is obviously there just for a new game or new game plus if I’m feeling adventurous.