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
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 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.