The Legend of Zelda

The Good
My personal favorite feature in this game was the music. The Overworld (main) theme was great, and the dungeon theme and the one for Ganon's castle were some of Kondo's (Koji Kondo) finest, and first, at that! This game set up a foundation for one of the best game series in all time. It was also the first game that I ever saw where one could be eaten by peanut butter sandwiches. (like-like's) This game featured some Japanese-to-English translation errors that are simply hilarious. An example: in the intro, it goes through all of the items in the game. A certain group of the items has a short text about who they belonged to before. If I remember right it says: "ITEMS THAT ONCE GANON". (please forgive the all caps, that's the way they did it on the NES...) Also, "LET'S PLAY MONEY-MAKING GAME". Truly classic. The Hidden content is also very well done, and the second quest option is quite a cool addition.

The Bad
Difficulty. This is a hard game, and that is one thing that I think Most NES games can testify to. It definitely takes mastery. Also the graphics were somewhat lacking in terms of colors, although it does add some perhaps unintentional humor when certain things have to turn Red or Blue when you get a new tunic. (sigh) such is the nature of the 16-color palette.

The Bottom Line
Go to theZelda Classic homepage now! Oh, it's also a very good game, an enjoyable game. Experience true nostalgia today! (with the above link) or, go to <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3058989571&category=11030"

this lot on ebay.

The Good
Zelda is the very first RPG I ever played, back in the "good ol' days". Aside from "Super Mario Bros." I think this was probably one of the most purchased and loved games on the console.

The gameplay, controls, and story stand the test of time. The game is still challenging and enjoyable after all these years.. and I would even say that from a conceptual perspective, this game is superior to many present-day RPG's.

The Bad
Not much bad with Zelda. The only really disappointing part was that some of the puzzles were so complicated that you needed a guide to find the proper solution.

The Bottom Line
There are few games that can stand the test of time and become classic. This one, I think, was destined from the start. It's in a gold cartridge for cryin' out loud! This is definitely a must-have for the avid collector.

The Good
I liked everything about this game. Graphics, gameplay, sound, music, everything, was ahead of its time. Challenge level is just about right -- each dungeon gets increasingly complex. This is also a great game to explore. There are so many optional places to go, you'll never get bored. Once you triumphantly finish the first quest, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find a second quest! The second quest is far more challenging. Enemies you saw in levels 6/7/8 in the first quest will attack you very early in the second quest.

The Bad
Wish it had a third quest!

The Bottom Line
Amazing video game. It's true that it stands the test of time, and is enjoyable almost 20 years after its first release. Whilst not a true RPG, this game should be the benchmark of all RPG/Adventure games. Too may RPGs today focus on graphics, not gameplay. The balance of great graphics and music, along with just enough control make the Legend of Zelda a "golden" treasure.

The Good
There was never a game quite like the original "Legend of Zelda" for it's time. From the anime-style illustrations that highlighted the instruction manual, to the haunting version of the "Zelda" theme that graced the title screen, the excitement for this game built before the player ever pressed "Start".

The gameplay was so unique. A (then) huge and sprawling world filled with hidden caves and temples, oceans to cross, graveyards to explore, deserts, mountains, forests.... This game was extremely diverse in the terrain Link could cover. There were secrets everywhere, a smart item management system, and just as many different types of enemies to fight.

The music for this game remains one of my favorite all-time soundtracks. The Overworld and Underworld themes are about as good as it gets in the old-school memory department. The graphics for its time were very impressive, and in many respects hold up now. It's a different experience from being a kid when this was the latest technology, but it retains a simplistic charm now.

And who could ever forget the "cool" factor of the gold cartridge, or the Second Quest?

The Bad
In light of today's games, it doesn't quite feel as "epic" as it once did. But this is also an 18/19-year old game now. That said, the gameplay remains remarkably solid.

There were also nothing worse than the shield-eating Like Likes, or the heart-draining Darknuts. Some called it "challenge". I called it "frustrating". There was nothing worse than having to buy a new Magic Shield.... Or having to pay a fine for blowing up some Old Man's door.

If the criticisms seem lame.... Well, there's not a lot of negative to be said about this game, really.

The Bottom Line
This particular entry in the "Legend of Zelda" series remains of my favorite games of all-time. Anyone who needs a lesson of Miyamoto's brilliance in game design should look no further than here. It's a beautiful title that has so many things going for it even now. And while more "charming" than "epic" these days, it still provides solid challenge, and an interesting connected world to explore. No game was like this for it's time, and only Sega's original Phantasy Star contended as a truly worthy rival.

If you've never played it, do yourself a favor, and find the Gamecube or Game Boy Advance versions. Without this game, the standard never would have been raised so high for action/adventure games.

In my opinion, the original "Legend of Zelda" stands as one of the most important and prolific titles in video gaming history. One romp through the lands of Hyrule, and you'll see why.

The Good
The Legend of Zelda was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is an action-adventure game viewed from a top-down perspective, and it was the first of its kind. The game was only available for the NES, so having owned a Commodore 64 meant that I had to miss out on how great this game was when it was released.

There is one thing that I really love about this game, and that is exploration. The ultimate goal is to recover each piece of the Triforce of Wisdom, which Princess Zelda broke into fragments when she was kidnapped by Ganon. As Link, you go exploring forests, mountains, graveyards, and the like fending off Ganon's henchman and obtaining items that will help you on your quest. By killing certain monsters, you get a certain number of Rupies, which you can use to buy equipment such as potions, weapons, shields, and whatever items are required later in the game.

Hyrule is divided into two parts. The Overworld is where you spend the majority of the game, and it is here that you are free to explore the sights, obtain equipment and discover many secrets along the way. The underworld mainly consists of dungeons, where you have to retrieve one part of the Triforce. The dungeons themselves are laid out nicely, and by getting the map somewhere within you can see what shape they form. Level Five, for instance, looks like a lizard. There is a certain strategy in defeating certain bosses, and you will see the same ones in later dungeons.

The graphics are great, and the animations of the different monsters are smooth. The screen is laid out nicely, with the top half reserved for the map and several stats, and you will be referring to it more often than not. I like how the inventory appears, appearing from the top of the screen and moving into the center. All your special attacks appear as icons and laid out nicely next to each other. You don't need to press a button on the gamepad to get it into the special attack box. As soon as you move the cursor over it, it is automatically selected, ready to use.

A lot of music is brilliantly composed, but the one most memorable can be heard as you walk around the Overworld. A few sound effects, like the throwing of Link's sword and defeating a monster, sounds excellent. Also, letting the player know when a boss is nearby - with a "roar" sound - is a stroke of genius. (You even hear him when you access your inventory.)

Opening up the box reveals a huge map of Hyrule that players need to refer to if they don't want to get lost. The map goes beyond an A4 sheet, so virtually impossible to photocopy it without great difficulty. It also includes an instruction booklet the game asks you to refer to after you read the brief summary. The booklet is also quite colorful and is worth reading more than once.

One of the other things I like about Zelda is that it can be replayed over and over again, and it is a game that you won't get tired of playing, because you can discover new things that you previously missed. Once you defeat Ganon and rescued Zelda, you have the option of playing “The Second Quest”, basically the same game but the locations are slightly different and the difficulty goes up a notch.

Unlike most NES games that I played so far, Zeldauses a save game feature, which allows players to save their progress rather than start over. This feature is advanced for its time. Another advanced feature is the use of power-ups that enhance the player's abilities.

The Bad
Some reviewers here states that The Legend of Zelda is very difficult, and allow me to provide an example of this. On the very first screen you start on, you go into this cave to get a sword that you can shoot beams out of. But this only applies if you have full health. Come into contact with the monster, and you lose that ability, with the gaming forcing you to come up close to the monster and strike him with the sword, meaning that it is more likely that you lose more health by doing so. Also, you can spend rubies on new weapons or upgrades to existing weapons, but not one of these more advanced weapons is effective on the most powerful monsters.

The Bottom Line
The Legend of Zelda received special treatment over others as not only did it include a huge map and a colorful instruction booklet, but it also came with a gold cartridge. The game has everything that I like - exploration, fantasy, combat, and replayability. Most of Zelda is either spent exploring every inch of Hyrule, going in caves and buying stuff or upgrading weapons, or entering a series of dungeons and stealing one of the Triforce pieces back. The game gets more difficult as you progress, and the music and sound effects are nice to listen to. I am looking forward to playing the next Zelda game, whatever it is called.

The Good
The Legend of Zelda is most noted for its incredible setting in a world known as Hyrule. There are so many secrets and paths to find, including numerous items and dungeons to complete. The difficulty is a double edged sword, what I like about it is the fact that it's tough enough to give you a true challenge. The controls are very simple, The sound effects and music are pretty much classic.

The Bad
Going back to the difficulty, what I hated about it (when I first played it especially), is that the game didn't give you a direct hint about where any of the hidden heart containers, doors and rupees were...stuff like this would slay beginners to the Zelda series. I highly suggest watching a playthrough of it online before even attempting to beat it yourself.

The Bottom Line
The Legend of Zelda is an overhead view, action/adventure super-saga, pitting you, Link (Or whatever you decide to name your hero!), against Ganon, Lord of Darkness. The objective, go to all eight dungeons and gather the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom, then battle Ganon himself for the Triforce of Power and Princess Zelda. Gathering secret rupees and heart containers, along with sword and shield upgrades will aid you in your battle. This may be a difficult game, but the road to the Triforce is worth it...but when you win...are you going to go for the Second Quest?....

The Good
I find it pretty great how balance this game is compared to others that were released around this time. When you play games from other companies, I find it a little frustrating at how clumsy the balance of those games are. Games like Castlevania or Ninja Gaiden, while still good games, felt unbalanced at how difficult it is to stay alive. On the other hand, I feel like Zelda makes you feel more in control of that factor.

This is accomplished through the exploration aspect of the game. Unlike other games before it, where if you couldn't finish a level you just had to try and try again until you finally got it right. But in Zelda, if you can't finish a level you can go back to the overworld and possibly find a way to extend your life, or buy a better shield in order to return to the level and try again, but this time some factor of that level has changed which makes the game less frustrating to play though.

As I can't be totally sure of this since I haven't played every single game from around that time period, but all the games I played before that were based on "make it through the level" and your difficulty factors were either a time limit, killing a certain number of enemies, or finding keys. (which admittedly Zelda also does but the inclusion of Zelda's item system makes it more interesting.)

I will agree with some other negative reviews of this game that the graphics were very simple even for it's time, but I feel like this was done on purpose. The same reason that there wasn't a town with villagers that you could talk to. The fields were a solid bland color, all the dungeons are basically monochromatic, even the dungeon BGM is very repetitive. I get the feeling that these were mechanisms used to create the feeling of loneliness. Sure, there are some people in the game that sell you items, give you money, tell you a hint, or gamble with you, but the text is so sparse and robotic (again possibly on purpose) that it accurately conveys this sense of loneliness never felt in game worlds before.

The Bad
Some rooms in the later dungeons seem to only rely on throwing more baddies in there as a difficulty factor as opposed to finding a smarter way to create challenge. I also hate the way that they re-use bosses from earlier dungeons and just throw them into the later dungeons. Seems like they just wanted to get the game out so they started to recycle old content to push it out quicker.

The Bottom Line
Zelda is a game about accomplishment. Much like the early Metroid games, it's fun to play through and find an inaccessible area, find an item meant to reach that area, and then it clicks in your head. You really feel a sense of accomplishment when this happens because even though it is a video game and was definitely a pre-determined scenario (by the game designer), you feel much more like you found this item and thought up a really cool use for it as opposed to using it for more firepower or more life. That is really what made this game unique and why it was a pioneer for the industry.

The Good
This was one of the first games I got for the NES. Though the graphics were not particularly good, even for the time, it was designed quite well and was / is highly addictive.

It plays like a cross between an overhead scrolling platform game and an RPG. Its not truly either but borrows from both genres. Its a unique formula that has been copied by many successful games.

The Bad
The graphics on the Legend of Zelda show its 20 year old age. They are primitive, with repetitive sprites. Even compared to later NES games the graphics aren't very good.

The depth of the gameplay and the music more than make up for this.

The Bottom Line
Wondeful game. And there is a 16 bit version of it which is a hacked version of BSZelda that you can find on the internet. It lets you enjoy the game play of Zelda with well drawn graphics. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for the SNES is also something you would probably like.

There are also some other games I'd recommend that are good knock-offs of Zelda: Crusader of Zenty for the Genesis, Golden Axe: Warrior for the Master System, Neutopia 1 and Neutopia 2.

Neutopia 1 and 2 are probably the best Zelda style games around next to A Link to the Past. In fact, I like them better.

The Good
It's amazing how many mainstays of the Zelda franchise originated with this game. From the enemies to the overall structure, it seems that the creators of The Legend of Zelda created a long-lasting formula from the outset.

Boss battles were interesting and not too difficult or unfair unlike so many other games of the time. While not a requirement, the game rewarded exploration and adventure.

In-game music was good if not varied. Similar tracks played at similar times throughout the game, but what was there was good.

The Bad
Playing the game today, the game's graphics are not the best but if you're into retro gaming, it's always interesting to see the choices made graphics-wise. There's a little frame rate lag when too much stuff is going on on-screen.

The game re-uses some dungeon bosses more than once. I don't know why, it seems like they should have come up with unique bosses per dungeon. But maybe it was a memory limitation or something like that.

The dungeons themselves are a little bit too similar. There's not enough variety in the layout of the dungeons, so things kind of blur together.

The Bottom Line
The Legend of Zelda is a classic retro game. It started one of the best video game franchises of all time. It had exploration, adventure and a new and interesting perspective on video games. I wouldn't say the graphics are timeless but if you are a retro gaming fan, you will enjoy your time with this one.

The Good
I have four reasons why I like The Legend of Zelda:

1. The Graphics, Sound, and Music are so perfect in an Action-Adventure Game because it's such a legendary masterpiece for the NES.

2. You play as the main Character "Link," You have to roam around the overworld map and find dungeons to collect pieces of the Tri-Forces, and rescue Princess Zelda from the evil Ganon.

3. The controls are so prefect is that you can hit the "Start" button to bring up the item screen, hitting the "Select" button to pause the game, hitting the A button to use the sword, and hitting the B button to secondary items.

4. Finding secret areas so that you can get items, hints, or passageways.
   
   The Bad
   I only have two complains about the game:

5. The hardest about the game is to survivd the enemy that you may run into or getting hit by them.

6. Getting your way around into the overworld map like the lost woods, using the fluke to uncover the lake, and trying to figure out what weapons are good for the boss guys.
   
   The Bottom Line
   I really recommend this game to everyone. It doesn't matter if it's all about puzzle-solving, or beating the game in one sitting. It just that The Legend of Zelda Series is such a good idea for adventures and Excuse Me, Princess.

The Good

• Let's not start by overlooking the obvious: this is, if nothing else, a classic, important, and deeply influential game. It could be convincingly argued that every modern fantasy RPG/adventure video game can trace its roots back to The Legend of Zelda; beyond this, it was the first game with an open world, the first game which incorporated a non-linear style of play, not to mention that it spawned one of the most consistently excellent franchises in all of gaming history. Whether you like this one or not, its influence will be echoing down through the corridors of video gaming's future forever.
• Because of the nature of the game, you are forced to explore the world on your own. This brings with it a very satisfying sense of discovery on your first playthrough. With only a very crude map of the game's overworld, you'll find yourself having to memorize the world as you travel through it. You start to learn all the game's secrets; if I'm low on hearts, what's the quickest way I can take with the least enemy encounters to get to the fairy to heal me? Now that I have this item, what parts of the map are open to me that weren't before? I'm just now rethinking that old woman's hint to me; I bet I know what it means and where another secret can be found.
  

  
  The simple, ugly game world slowly comes to life. You start with no idea where to go, and spend the first half hour or so bumbling around, trying to figure out if there's any rhyme or reason to this game's layout. Simply put: there's not (and this ends up being a weakness in addition to a strength). But in a way this just makes it all the more fun to explore. On your first play through, you literally have no idea where you are supposed to be going, what anything does, or where you're ultimately supposed to end up. This is a part of the game's charm, though. It's essentially a gaming trial by fire, and you come out the other end knowing the land of Hyrule better than anyone else.

• This game's difficulty is almost perfect. If you complete the dungeons in more or less the right order, you'll find them slowly getting harder and harder, but you also are getting more and more powerful and there's a nice ramp-up in difficulty where it never really becomes frustrating (except for a few points). Part of this is because of the way the game was designed - essentially, you're thrown into the middle of the game's world with nothing but a shield and told "Good luck!" By its very nature the game forces you to adapt from the beginning, so you start to learn little tricks to give yourself every advantage you can. By the time the game starts throwing new, more difficult enemies at you, you already know how to teach yourself to change your playing style to fit their patterns. It's a lovely mechanic, and it really helps keep the game interesting even later on.
• This is probably in large part due to the hardware limitations at the time, but the game is simple, and this has become (at least for me) one of the Zelda series's hallmarks, and one that I love. The controls are simple, the items you get have simple functions, the overall concept is simple...there's nothing here that will tax your brain - except the puzzles. And this is the kind of game I like, the type that forces me to think. It's brilliantly designed in this sense, and it only got better as the series progressed.

**The Bad**

• Similarly to the good section, let's get the obvious out of the way first: the game's graphics and sound are pretty awful. Now, I'm admittedly saying this as a modern gamer (who nevertheless grew up with an NES and Sega Genesis), but I think it's worth mentioning. The graphics are hideous, and it's not even just because of the NES's limitations - the color palate of Hyrule makes it one of the least interesting-looking places in all of video games (although it's still better than Borderlands). Brown, tan, and green dominate the land, and although there are thankfully distinct environments throughout the overworld, the distinction is due less to the color than to the actual scenery. The character/enemy designs are actually nicely detailed, though, and the graphic simplicity never hindered my immersion in the game, so this is a pretty minor complaint.
  

  
  The sound however...well, you're much better off putting this game on mute and listening to some of your own music. Although the overworld music is the Zelda theme we all know and love, it's about a 20- to 30-second piece on infinite loop. After even five minutes it slowly starts to drive you insane. The dungeon theme is just as annoying, and there is really no reason not to mute the TV when you're playing this game. Again, this is forgivable because, let's face it, we're dealing with a game that came out in 1986. But, if you haven't played this game before...you've been warned.

• As other reviewers will repeatedly point out, the game designers reused bosses and minibosses from previous dungeons. For me this wasn't a huge deal, and it didn't subtract anything from my experience. However, I can see how this might be a hang-up for some players, and these situations do point to a lack of creativity on the designers' parts.
• Unless you go out of your way to thoroughly and obsessively explore the overworld, you will likely miss upgrades that would otherwise make your job much easier. There are items which, although you don't NEED them to complete the game, are hidden throughout the overworld, but are not hinted at anywhere else in the game. Although part of the fun of Zelda is interpreting the cryptic clues of the men and women you come in contact with, they won't show you everything. Thus the game can be significantly more difficult if you're not looking at every little thing to get every single item in the game. If you grew up on other Zelda games, as I did, this lack of direction can at times be frustrating.
• Compared to the later games in the series, this game really has no sense of direction, in that it's really difficult to see any kind of pattern to how the world was laid out. As I already explained, I found this more charming than not, but there were times where I had absolutely no idea where to go, and just happened on the next dungeon by chance. This allows you to complete the game in a completely unorthodox way, but sacrifices cohesion and logic in the process.

**The Bottom Line**
In today's gaming landscape, it is easy to overlook the classics. There are some games that can act purely as a history lesson (the original Final Fantasy, for example), and others that are lots and lots of fun, but failed to really add anything to their genre (say, Ristar for the Sega Genesis). The Legend of Zelda walks the fine line between these two extremes. This game not only made history, it paved the way for lots more history to be made. Plus, it's a heck of a lot of fun.

As a result, I really do think that this is a game you need to have played at least once in your life in order to truly be called a gamer. Within this game you see the seeds of so many modern gaming tropes and elements - to the point where even if you've never played an NES game before, it feels immediately familiar. It inspires the imagination, it piques one's curiosity, it thrills with every secret uncovered. In short: it's a Zelda game, through and through.

The Good
The game features many cool things: a large world, a good selection of weapons, a variety of enemies to fight, and fairly large dungeons with cool bosses.

I remember spending a large amount of time in front of the TV playing this game. It came with a map, so that was helpful in navigating in the game.

Pretty much this game is a "old man's game." By that I mean most of the us who played this game as a young child are currently in the 20s and early 30s. So when we play this game, we sort of put a smile on our face and remember the days when we were playing this game.

The Bad
The only issue was that you spent a lot of time wondering around since it was a tad bit hard to determine where you are going since the world was fairly large.

The Bottom Line
We have a semi-generational gap between current gamers and gamers who were around to play NES games. It would be truly a great thing if a modern gamer can take this game and appreciate all the fine qualities of the game without taking into context of the graphics and limited freedom compared to games in the last 5-10 years.

The Good
After having played the dated "A Link to the Past" and the insufferable "Majora's Mask", it is kind of peaceful to go back to basics and enjoy the original Zelda. Simplicity is key and a lot of titles in the 80's stayed simple, but while staying simple, The Legend of Zelda also provided almost unmatched depth.

The part of Hyrule we are allowed to explore is HUGE and filled with interesting locations and secrets that you have to find. It is already rare to see a game that uses a full overworld as opposed to levels, but it is even rarer to see an NES title that does it this well. As you walk around Hyrule, the screens go past you without loading time, if you leave the screen it transitions to the next one just as smoothly as Super Mario Bros.

As mentioned before the Overworld is literally filled with secret areas to be found, some of these are simply filled with some currency, but others can be part of side-quests or reward you with new and interesting items to use in your adventure, I have even seen instances where a secret turned out to be the entrance to one of the key areas.

Just when I got over the initial surprise the Overworld had in store for me, I ran into the first temple/dungeon which introduced me to the actual goal of the game. As Link you are tasked with tracing down a number of hidden temples and obtain the pieces of the Triforce that are hidden within, this Triforce is the key to defeating Ganondorf, a monster that is holding the princess of the kingdom prisoner. These temples are very entertaining because they are all sprawling and full of monsters and best of all, it doesn't take too long to get through them once you went into all the side-paths found all the keys (take note, ALttP).

There is a huge amount of enemies that you can encounter on your travels and most of them require a different approach or weapons to beat. The Darknuts for example require that you stab them from the side or back, but a bomb would be more effective while a standard blob (no idea what they are called) just require a bit of timing when they are stabbed, but a boomerang should not be used against them. Enemies also make frequent reappearances in later dungeons and the bosses are very challenging (plus they turn up again in later dungeons as mini-bosses, just to punish you).

The difficulty curve is really well mapped out, as you progress through the story both your health and items improve, plus there are secret areas where you can upgrade your sword for better models. However at the same time the enemy ranks swell too and not only do they come in higher numbers, but they also start working together to form deadly combinations and some of the later enemies can kick your ass faster than you can run back to the exit.

The Bad
I have to admit that while A Link to the Past's interaction with characters was absolute crap, here there are barely any characters at all. There are a few people hidden in caves, but they act even more demented (read: out of place) than the ones from Ocarina of Time. I lost count of how many times I walked into a room and some old lady sat there with important information, that she forced me to pay or play a game for. Sorry lady, but a few rupees aren't going to help you much while you are stuck in a cave surrounded by monsters, demanding payment from the only one who is doing something against them.

There is little to no information regarding the location of the temples, I respect the game for been the first ever popular sandbox game, but unless you find a map somewhere in a game store, you are going to have a tough time getting anywhere. The first few temples aren't too bad and just demand a bit of exploration, but later ones will need you to use certain items in very specific locations. There were also annoying locations that refused to let you leave the screen unless you did a very specific cycle of entering and leaving the area without giving you any indication that you are doing it right.

The Bottom Line
The Legend of Zelda's legacy should be enough to tell you that the original was quite a hit, while I prefer Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time, it is still a very decent adventure. While the story is kind of flat and the Overworld might be a little confusing, I feel comforted by the richness of the experience and the enjoyable gameplay that keeps me hooked for hours.

Playing it anno 2011 is limited to the nostalgia-fans and collectors, but if you are interested in gaming history, it is a stop worth taking. Skyward Sword is one the way though, so my advice is to keep your money in your pocket for that first!

The Good
I liked that they brought back an old classic without trying to add to it or make it better because that never works. I like that they put this game on GBA because now I can play it anywhere.

The Bad
I didn't like the fact that it took them so long to put this game on GBA or any of the Gameboy systems.

The Bottom Line
The NES Classic, The Legend of Zelda, is a great replication for GBA. If you like any of the Zelda games, you'll love this one. The original is always the best, proven by this game. And now you can take it anywhere.

The Good
The Legend Of Zelda is often acclaimed. As the best game ever. Or the best rpg. Or best Nintendo game, or some such. Yet I have always thought it was overrated. Even Nintendo Power rated it higher than Super Mario Bros. Yes somehow Zelda is better then the game that made Nintendo.

The upside to the Zelda series is that the games got better. (Zelda 64 anyone?) And it helped spawn better games. I.e. Landstalker.

The Bad
The downside is just about every thing else. The Graphics are lame even for a NES game. How many colors could the NES display like 4? Because this is not a colorful game. And all the colors are bland. Compare Super Mario Bros. to Zelda and you’ll see.

The Sound/ Music well the sound effects are nothing special. And the only tune I liked was the main theme. Which would sound better in latter Zelda’s.

The Gameplay is as liner as it gets. You go from dungeon to dungeon with no villages to break up the tedium. If Hyrule has no villages who does Zelda rule over? They could have at least had one town, I mean come on. Oh yes and the dungeons have to be done in a specific order, making the game even more linear.

The Storyline is for the most part non-existent. For some reason an old man gives a little kid a sword and tells him to save Zelda, a Princess without a Kingdom, so not only is it stupid, but the player never feels that they must save Zelda.(How come Nintendo can’t get over the “save the princess” thing?)

The Bottom Line
The Bottom Line is that you should skip this one and play The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awaking. Or Zelda 64.