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The Lowdown
Pros: Still as great as it ever was, classic music, nostalgia, reasonably
priced
Cons: Nothing new, for some it may be a little too nostalgic
 Purchase
at Play-Asia
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When Nintendo of Japan announced the Famicom Mini series I was
ecstatic. The idea of having some classic NES games to carry around and
play on your Game Boy Advance was a novel idea. The line up was solid,
Super Mario Brothers, Ice Climbers, Bomberman, but I was most excited
when I saw the Legend of Zelda would be released. Known as Zelda no
Densetsu in Japan and originally released for the ill fated Famicom Disc
System, the Legend of Zelda was released in the US in 1987. Sales of
both the NES console and the game were on the top of the sales charts
when it was released.For good reason too, the Legend of Zelda was a
ready made classic. If you haven't played any Zelda game before you
should pick up the Wind Waker, the re-release of A Link to the Past of
purchase this right away. The Legend of Zelda series stars an elfish
looking, green tunic wearing hero name Link. I'm sure you've seen him
somewhere before on the Legend of Zelda animated series, TV commercials,
countless games, ads, well you get the point. Link's first adventure has
him collect the pieces of a powerful relic known as the triforce. Only
by obtaining the pieces of the triforce can Link bring peace to his
homeland of Hyrule.
Obtaining the triforce isn't going to be an easy task. Throughout
Link's entire adventure he has to battle Moblins, Octrots, and hulking
Armos Knights. Link starts out by getting his trusty sword and soon
after many familiar tools such as bombs, the boomerang and the bow. Link
also has tools that such as the candles, which reduce damage, and the
raft to traverse over water. Unlike other games where you get a tool in
a dungeon, tools can be picked up anywhere at anytime. Some of the
important tools are actually sold in shops, which forces you to battle
enemies in the hope of getting rupees. Another thing to note is that
rupees aren't as plentiful as they are in say, Ocarina of Time or the
Wind Waker. You'll be lucky if you get a couple, which means you'll be
fighting for a long time. Rupees are also important to have during a
dungeon because there are rooms that force you to either leave your
money or a heart container.
The majority of the game isn't battling monsters, its navigating the
world. The world map of the Legend of Zelda is large, its even large
compared to some of the maps of today's games. You'll have to make Link
walk screen after screen to just get to a dungeon. Once you're in the
dungeon you'll have to walk from room to room collecting valuable keys,
finding hidden doors and solving puzzles. Unlike other Zelda games there
aren't as many hints telling you where to go or even what to do in a
dungeon. It's not as easy as get a weapon and use it to complete the
dungeon. Most of the puzzles require you to ambiguously figure out where
to place a bomb or what door to open. Most of the dungeons have multiple
paths, meaning you don't need to enter every room to complete it. This
makes life even more confusing since you could be walking around a dead
end for awhile expecting a way out, when you really just need to go find
a hidden door.
The graphics in the Game Boy Advance version are an exact copy of the
original NES graphics, sans the title screen. While some gamers may
complain that it is a re-release (which it is), many gamers are glad to
see familiar graphics even for nostalgia. When the Legend of Zelda came
out it broke the standard for NES graphics. Fifteen years later in the
world of 3D graphics the Legend of Zelda obviously pales in comparison.
However, if you can appreciate the graphics from the period they came in
you will most certainly see some of the better NES graphics ever in a
game. The sound also suffers from a dated feel. Hearing the old 8-bit
theme on the GBA isn't going to win an awards, even though I was glad to
hear the familiar tune when I turned the game on. It would have been nice
if Nintendo had an arranged version of music such seen in Final Fantasy
Origins. Although it seems like Nintendo's goal was to keep the game
intact, which for better or worse leaves the game sounding a little high
pitched on the GBA speaker.
The Legend of Zelda is a classic and if you don't own an original NES
copy or the collectors disc you should pick it up. This is the game that
started the whole action RPG genre and expanded the audience of the NES.
The game is a great play through and even though it's 15 years old it is
still fun to play. While the game is shorter than many other GBA games
even with the second quest (if you don't remember how to start the
second quest put ZELDA in for your name and yes it does work look at the
screen shots) and it doesn't feature even the slightest remake it comes
at the budget price of 2000 yen. This translates into about $20 US,
where most import stores are selling it for under $30. Under $30 is a
real steal, since a used copy of the original Zelda goes for about $20
and you need a working NES to play it.
Import Friendly?
Fortunately some of the menus have English text with Japanese text,
but the little in game text that exists is in Japanese.
US Bound?
Quite possible, if the Famicom Mini series sparks enough popularity
you can bet on seeing US GBA carts of Super Mario Brothers and the
Legend of Zelda.
Overall
If you've never played this game before you owe it to yourself to play
it. If you've played you already know you want it.
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