Game

The Legend of Zelda a Link to the Past is a classic action, adventure, RPG.

How did it feel?

During my time playing the game it felt simple yet difficult. The game was simple compared to games today as enemy movement patterns could easily be analysed plus many of the game mechanics and controls are easy to figure out. Plus the story was made clear at the beginning of the game and what the objectives of the villain were. Also when you would get stuck or if you found a new weapon or item the game would give you a hint of where to go or how to use the item you gained.

First time Zelda gives you a hint on where to go.

However, the game became difficult as you could only attack in 4 directions unlike Zelda in the present which has 8 directions to attack. Also when attacking enemies you would be unable to move and you could only attack in the direction you were facing.

Screenshot of Links attacking animation in only one direction.

In addition the enemies are very similar to link in the fact that they can only attack in one direction but however if you do manage to walk into one from any direction you will be damaged, also there are a variety of enemies to face, during my time playing I went against five types of enemies, green guards which are the basic soldiers with low health and a simple pattern to their movements.

Screenshot of Green guard charging link.

Then there are the blue/purple guards who are slightly more advanced in terms of damage dealt to link.

After making your way through the dungeons to Zelda you go against your first main boss whose attack movements and mechanics were fairly simple yet difficult to get around plus his health was double the amount of a basic guard his damage dealt by his attacks were also increased. Later on after defeating the boss and freeing the princess I had to take her through a secret passage which contained snakes which were quite weak but fast and rats which were just as weak.

The Story

The story of Zelda is like many other games in its genre you save a princess, defeat a villain and then save the world. The main plot in the third game in the Zelda series, the land of Hyrule is thrown into turmoil. Ravaged by disasters and pestilence, the country quickly embraces the wizard Agahnim when he uses his magic to restore order. But not all is at it seems. A Link to the Past begins with a distress call from Princess Zelda, who speaks to young hero Link through his dreams due to her being imprisoned.

Screenshot of Zelda contacting Link through his dreams.

Link then sets out to save her and begin a long quest that takes him through countless dungeons, two distinct worlds, and has him face off with countless monsters and oversized bosses, you will discover more about the plot and characters later on in the game as you progress through the story.

Evaluate

This classic Link adventure is seen from the typical bird’s eye view perspective. You'll have access to a map screen and a subscreen where you can manage your inventory and choose from any items you may have collected. Each dungeon contains a new item to add to your collection, and eventually you'll have all the standard Zelda items, including a boomerang, bombs, a bow, a hammer, and jars to catch fairies in, the grappling-hook-like hookshot, and more.

Graphically, A Link to the Past was great during the time. There are a few bits here and there that aren't quite as smooth, but they're very minor. The soundtrack is also fantastic but can get repetitive and occasionally will get annoying, and the game has some great sound effects. Like Nintendo's other ports, some speech has been added in some areas, in this case, Link now screams and yelps as he attacks. Some players may find the addition annoying, but it's really not that big a deal.

The style of the game was very simple and general for a game being 16-bit at the time it was released to compared to other Zelda games today the same can be said as to the perspective at which the player plays from, as most games in the era would show a side view like sonic or Mario which are side scrolling plat formers this made it a unique game but this view of the character wasn’t only used in Zelda many other games did use a top view of the game such as Final Fantasy VI.

I was only able to play for 30 minutes so I did not have time to play through the whole game (however I have played the game once before) but I noticed that the early dungeons are pretty straightforward, but as you progress, they become more and more puzzle-filled, forcing you to really think as you try to find the right path through each dungeon's labyrinthine design. The game's bosses are also well done, making for some exciting encounters. Overall as it is, it's an indispensable game, combining arguably the finest RPG/adventure the 16-bit era ever produced (even compared to the likes of Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy VI).

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