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[Doubledex]

What, trouble reading? Here it is again: Best game ever, period

So we are still talking about The Legend of Zelda on NES? Not Zelda: LA on GB or Zelda: ALttP on the SNES?

Uhm.... ok,... I'm out of here.

 

[upandaway]

No way.

Well good job outright telling OP the solution in case he didn't get to that point yet.


Also what's with the stuff against people who didn't have an NES or SNES? Suddenly everyone grew in a country where it was released, not to mention they were part of the whatever % of the families that owned the things?

 

[nocode]

When did you guys start playing video games? I remember my parents holding me up to the Pac-Man machine at the arcade and playing like that...

This is the first one I remember......I was amazing at bobsledding!:lol

 

[abstract alien]

Lmao, you should definitely put this in the random pics thread if you haven't :lol

 

[Doubledex]

When did you guys start playing video games?

 

[TwelvGaugeApostl]

Apparently I too played Zelda for the first time this week as I plopped Darksiders into my 360.
Great experience so far, but it doesn't dissolve any of the pain I feel from mistakenly erasing all of my Mass Effect savefiles (lvl 59 with only a sliver to 60) the other day.

 

[bjork]

When did you guys start playing video games? I remember my parents holding me up to the Pac-Man machine at the arcade and playing like that...

2600 for sure, I believe it was Air/Sea Battle. First game I owned was ET.

 

[Y2Kev]

I mean what age, more then when I guess. It is being suggested that four year olds teeth on their consoles

 

[TwelvGaugeApostl]

 

[Borgnine]

welcome to my childhood, enjoy your stay. i got that game when i was eight and it really seemed like a big adventure. all of the different sections of the map really stood out in my mind as distinct places. it was fun to wander around and find yourself in a part of the map you hadn't been to. approaching the game with a 2010 state of mind i can see the random bombing and bush burning being a bit of a chore but man, back then i thought it was awesome, especially when you finally found something. man, i should play through it again soon. really a great game.

This. I remember Shane Bettenhausen saying this game changed his life, and while it sounds a little provocative, it was completely true for me too. I mean it's not hard to have a life changing experience when you're 8, but yeah it really set off my imagination and sparked a lot of creativity.

Also I submit that the mind-blowingness of each subsequent Zelda game is based on having experienced previous Zeldas in their time.

 

[bjork]

I mean what age, more then when I guess. It is being suggested that four year olds teeth on their consoles

I would've been 2 or 3, I'm sure.

 

[timetokill]

Overall, fun experience, but I ended up getting a little bored. Seemed like the game could be completed in a few hours if you knew where you were going. I think it might be pretty frustrating without a guide telling you to bomb random things and throw whatever into various fountains.

I've thought about this a lot, and how gaming has changed a lot to try and avoid this sort of frustration, but I actually enjoyed it all back then. I wonder if your reaction is because you're conditioned to expect being led around, to be shown what to do. When you found secrets, they were actually secrets -- there was a good chance that none of your friends had found that spot yet. Over the course of the game you build up a familiarity with this world that is very open to exploration but also very dense, and you get attached to it. But it wasn't just a familiarity with the world, but with the weapons and items, and how to use them. It became a true adventure because you were exploring a brand new space and you were truly discovering. In the end, it wasn't about just getting all the triforce pieces, it was about the entire adventure itself and exploring it all.

But that's not to say they didn't show you places to go every now and then. In Iwata Asks, they talk about how in SMB1 they made it so you "always" get the mushroom power-up because they make the ceiling low enough so that you can't jump over it. It was a way to make sure players got the mechanic of the game, that not everything was going to kill you on impact.

In Zelda I, just take a look at the opening screen:

When you start off the game, you can't do anything but walk around. You try that out, but looking at that screen, where do you want to go first? That cave! It's the only unique tile on the screen (other than Link). It draws you toward it naturally, drawing you immediately into the overworld's exploration gameplay. Nowadays, games would block off the west, north, and eastern exits until you got the sword, and the sword guy would tell you how to use the sword, and then he'd make you do it a few times to make sure you knew how to use it. And then they would do that with every item.

At any rate, there was a lot to like about the game -- the ability to save!! -- as well as things like really tough enemies, being able to die pretty easily, having a true feeling of being stronger with every heart container, ring, new sword, etc. that you got, and also the ability to kill a lot of bosses with almost anything -- your sword, bombs, arrows, etc.

This was the game that made me want to be a game designer, way back when, so I could probably go on about it forever. I was totally obsessed with it and I still go back to analyze it all the time today. It's a classic! Also, the title screen has the best music ever - still gives me nostalgia chills :lol

 

[TwelvGaugeApostl]

This is really the game that sent me off to Nerd-hood with all that followed in the form of role-playing games (D&D), Sci-Fi etc.
Luckily I was also good at beating kids up so noone bothered me much

 

[Fixed1979]

When did you guys start playing video games? I remember my parents holding me up to the Pac-Man machine at the arcade and playing like that...

This is one of the first games I remember playing at home...I was all PC for a long time.

Bouncing Babies is a computer game developed in 1984 by Dave Baskin for MS-DOS. The player is in control of a two man team of fire fighters who rescue babies thrown from the windows of a building in flames into a bouncing stretcher and safely into an ambulance

EDIT: I've started about 4 different Zelda games but have never finished the (including Legend), not sure why I keep buying them.

 

[madara]

Overall, fun experience, but I ended up getting a little bored. Seemed like the game could be completed in a few hours if you knew where you were going. I think it might be pretty frustrating without a guide telling you to bomb random things and throw whatever into various fountains.

Thats the problem with missing games during their time period you end up taking it out of context. Try as you might its not the same. Be pretty funny to see someone play Pong now and expect a reaction anywhere near what it was then.

 

[Rupt]

over the summer i downloaded all the old zelda games I haven't played. I liked the idea of the world being open and being able to go everywhere but not when the secrets were really obscure. I preferred the secrets in link to the past

 

[kikanny]

I've never played a Zelda game either. Would definitely like to try it someday...

 

[bjork]

over the summer i downloaded all the old zelda games I haven't played on Virtual Console. I liked the idea of the world being open and being able to go everywhere but not when the secrets were really obscure. I preferred the secrets in link to the past

fixed for account savior purposes

 

[Borgnine]

Do all the younger guys in here know that the cartridge was gold? That was like at least 50% of the experience.

 

[bjork]

Do all the younger guys in here know that the cartridge was gold? That was like at least 50% of the experience.

They might've got the reissue on a grey cart, though.

 

[Taurus]

Do all the younger guys in here know that the cartridge was gold? That was like at least 50% of the experience.

I was about 7 or 8 years old when my dad decided to get me my first console, NES for a birthday present. He traded some fox fur with a local merchant who ran this toy store (also sold souvenirs which explains the fox fur), which also carried Nintendo consoles and games at the time. I had no idea about the games and all I had was this store's toy catalogue which had some NES games, so all I did was choose the games by their boxart. Here's what I chose:

Unfortunately they couldn't agree about the trade (the merchant wanted more fox fur) so I had to scrap two games from the list. So afterall, I got NES with 2 controllers, Super Mario Bros as a pack-in and Batman + Zelda. Yeah, I was the most popular kid in my town for the next couple of months.

What a surprise it was to find out the gold cartridge... Good times.

 

[WillyFive]

I've tried getting into the NES Zelda games, but they are primitive to a fault. I couldn't get into them. They haven't aged as good as Super Mario Bros. or Final Fantasy.

 

[rhino4evr]

The second quest is even cooler
the first time I walked through walls my 10 year old mind was completely blown away. I remember screaming for joy my mom thought I was in trouble ha ha

 

[cooljeanius]

I downloaded this from VC and have been playing it for the first time. I didn't really like the openness of the world because I couldn't tell if I was doing the dungeons in the right order, but then I found out they had their number in the corner. It's really hard. I keep dying. Stuff I miss from more recent games:
• Being able to start from where you left off when you save.
• The sword swinging diagonally
• Walking diagonally
• Cracks in the walls showing which ones are bombable - it's going to be a pain once I have to go and bomb every single wall to find all the secrets
• Towns - I need some respite between danger areas
• Puzzles! So far it seems like the dungeons mostly just consist of defeating all the enemies.
• Edit: Thought of another one: no real overworld map
Also, it's weird having items available randomly in shops or in the overworld and stuff. I almost didn't pick up bombs when an enemy first dropped them because I thought I needed a bomb bag. Also, the way to get the bow and then the arrows was kind of weird. Anyway, despite all this, I'm going to stick with it. It's not as hard as Kid Icarus, which I had to give up on.

 

[thetrin]

over the summer i downloaded all the old zelda games I haven't played. I liked the idea of the world being open and being able to go everywhere but not when the secrets were really obscure. I preferred the secrets in link to the past

uh oh

 

[beelzebozo]

one of maybe ten nes games that i feel stand up and maintain their status as playable classics. it does unique things that no zelda after did, which makes it still very worth playing.

and i still get chills looking at the overworld map. look at this cool hand-drawn one that i found a guy did on the internet:

 

[Nostalgic Nightmare]

I think it's a bit of a shame when people cant get into the older classic games based on graphics. Sure we've also gotten used to better mechanics etc, but does it really ruin the fun? It's like games are drifting towards the most ultra realistic graphics possible, but in a way it takes some of the "game" out of the game. I know that some games having close to life graphics is essential for the experience, racing games being a prime example, but I hope people give them a shot regardless. I'm sure it's just my age/nostalgia talking, but there's still great gaming to be had.

 

[Struct09]

I've never played a Zelda game either. Would definitely like to try it someday...

I think it would be best to start with Link to the Past. It's aged really well, and would be a great way to get a feel of what makes a Zelda game.

 

[Scythesurge]

They might've got the reissue on a grey cart, though.

This is unfortunately what I have, as I seriously envied all my friends with the gold cartridge!

 

[Nostalgic Nightmare]

one of maybe ten nes games that i feel stand up and maintain their status as playable classics. it does unique things that no zelda after did, which makes it still very worth playing.

and i still get chills looking at the overworld map. look at this cool hand-drawn one that i found a guy did on the internet:

Hot damn, thanks for posting that, really brings back some memories.

 

[fugimax]

I just replaced the battery in my NES cart and played up to level 3 yesterday.

I have to say, I miss this kind of Zelda. There is only one like it. Even Zelda II, you got help from the townspeople, and it's been like that since.

Things that I love:
- Lack of guidance; cryptic hints are your only guide.
- Feeling of isolation; there are very few actual people and many many monsters.
- Non-required items; magic boomerang, red candle, upgraded armor/swords.
- Non-linearity; you don't have to beat dungeons in their labelled order.
- Length-control; you can play-through quickly or very slowly, each are satisfying.
- Real secrets; non-essential things that are very hard to find without knowing.
- Lack of any kind of "town"; no helpful hints, kids, town-quests, etc. It's You vs. Evil.

 

[Grampa Simpson]

The NES came out 2 years before I was born. The first console I got was an SNES on my third or fourth birthday.

No excuse. My brother was born 87, and I started him at age 2 with a NES and a TG16.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

So we are still talking about The Legend of Zelda on NES? Not Zelda: LA on GB or Zelda: ALttP on the SNES?

Uhm.... ok,... I'm out of here.

It really isn't that outlandish.

Yes, the game may be older than the older Zeldas(And noticeably so), but it's considered one of the greatest games ever made for a good reason.

The later games in the series did improve on a few things. But they also changed a bunch of other things as well. The original Zelda is still unique amongst the rest of the games in the series.

I think it's still the best one myself. I never did care for the 'epic story' direction the series went into. Just give me a sword and a huge sandbox filled with secrets and discovery!

 

[cooljeanius]

So things people like about this game I don't really like:

Things that I love:
- Lack of guidance; cryptic hints are your only guide. This just leaves me feeling stranded and lost
- Feeling of isolation; there are very few actual people and many many monsters. I don't really like this, it's comforting to have other people around, and plus if you don't have people to save, why bother saving the world?
- Non-required items; magic boomerang, red candle, upgraded armor/swords. I'll admit I like these
- Non-linearity; you don't have to beat dungeons in their labelled order. This kind of overwhelms me, because I find it hard to decide where I want to go
- Length-control; you can play-through quickly or very slowly, each are satisfying. Maybe after a few times, but not on your first time
- Real secrets; non-essential things that are very hard to find without knowing. Which is annoying for completionists because then it becomes a chore having to bomb every wall and burn every bust
- Lack of any kind of "town"; no helpful hints, kids, town-quests, etc. It's You vs. Evil. I like having a zone of safety to go back to to recharge after adventuring, and plus having a safe zone makes it feel like I have something to protect

 

[Agent Icebeezy]

My critiques of games pretty much comes from the perfection that is in Zelda games. Gameplay wise, generally nothing better, but the stories can improve to be honest.

 

[HYDE]

I can still feel the chills down my neck thinking about level 9's music, each tense battle with your heart gauge beeping(remembers zelda being tougher) and how my heart jumped at the sight of a fairy to replenish. I then remember battling all those enemies to get to a dead end or realize I'm in a maze level. After that the sheer excitement of finding the red ring/silver arrows to this day is still amazing. While finally reaching Ganon, to have epic music and an unforgettable fight engraved in my mind. To this day, I get excited to reach the climax of Ganon fights with every installment. Wind Waker was for me what Zelda I and ALLTP were to me a a kid. The music on Ganon's stage and the fight was just as epic to me.

In Zelda Wii, I just want a tougher Zelda game with an everlasting artstyle. (The only thing I can't stand about OOT/MM/TP is the visual aging). Muddy textures and choppy graphics are an unfortunate damper on longevity for me. All Zelda (canon)games except those three are timeless for me in regards to the graphics department.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane op.

EDIT: And please Nintendo, bring back the projectile sword.

 

[Rpgmonkey]

I thought the dungeons were kinda dull (I think there were some where there was more than one way into a room though, which was cool, and some of the bosses didn't seem to have such a generic "puzzle" to defeating them, which was also pretty interesting).

I had more fun in this game just running around the world and doing stuff (and getting easily killed by overpowered enemies, lol). Really enjoyable to just walk into a forest, then travel through some mountains, then suddenly wander into a graveyard.

 

[gamergirly]

In Zelda I, just take a look at the opening screen:

When you start off the game, you can't do anything but walk around. You try that out, but looking at that screen, where do you want to go first? That cave! It's the only unique tile on the screen (other than Link). It draws you toward it naturally, drawing you immediately into the overworld's exploration gameplay. Nowadays, games would block off the west, north, and eastern exits until you got the sword, and the sword guy would tell you how to use the sword, and then he'd make you do it a few times to make sure you knew how to use it. And then they would do that with every item.

At any rate, there was a lot to like about the game -- the ability to save!! -- as well as things like really tough enemies, being able to die pretty easily, having a true feeling of being stronger with every heart container, ring, new sword, etc. that you got, and also the ability to kill a lot of bosses with almost anything -- your sword, bombs, arrows, etc.

This was the game that made me want to be a game designer, way back when, so I could probably go on about it forever. I was totally obsessed with it and I still go back to analyze it all the time today. It's a classic! Also, the title screen has the best music ever - still gives me nostalgia chills :lol

It would be great if we could get a Zelda that was a mix between the hold your hand/hint system and the figure it out yourself system. A Zelda where in the areas you need them, you would get hints(I mean you dont want it TOO oblivious to where it's more frustrating or takes a week to figure out). And other areas where you just had to figure it out. I mean, they could present a cave/dungeon entrance and item-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-that-you-use-in-an-unknown-area-of-the-dungeon. I really like games that give you items at various times and then you realize later on what you were supposed to do with it.

 

[KevinCow]

I suppose it holds up pretty well despite its age, but I'd kill for a remake that includes:

- Diagonal walking
- Sword slashes like LttP and on, instead of the crappy poke
- Enemies dropping stuff more frequently and in larger quantities, because grinding rupees and bombs one at a time isn't fun in the slightest

Just these slight changes would make the game far more playable.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

I got to dungeon six with the help of a very good guide and a patient girlfriend, but it simply got too hard for me. I guess I'm not made for these hardcore NES games.

I've always wanted to try Zelda II, but I know that it would frustrate me no end and I'd probably make very little progress, so I never have.

 

[Red Scarlet]

2nd quest is more puzzle-y, to me kev. But I doubt you'll play it.

Cool thing is I found the 1st and 2nd quest overworld and dungeon maps I hand drew a couple days ago again.

 

[bjork]

I've always wanted to try Zelda II, but I know that it would frustrate me no end and I'd probably make very little progress, so I never have.

It's the best one in the series.

 

[BravoSuperStar]

I liked Zelda II, but damn is it a tough game.

 

[p_xavier]

It's the best one in the series.

It's only great if you got a game genie.

 

[Chris R]

Second quest is the real meat of the game. The first quest is there to introduce you to the different elements then second quest cranks the difficulty way up :lol

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

It's only great if you got a game genie.

Pfft. I beat that game without a Game Genie when I was a kid. Before Game Genie even existed. It's not that hard.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

It's the best one in the series.

I just don't see the point in trying when the original game, which is almost certainly cited as being much easier, defeated me.

 

[uh uh no way]

It's funny how resistant some people are to the idea of being plopped in a world with no signs about what to do, considering that every game is bloated with tutorial content for the first half of the game nowadays. I wish some games would do this nowadays.

 

[Carnby]

thanks to the "box sets/trilogy" thread, i learned that Legend of Zelda 1 and 2 were on the Gamecube, in a collector's set. so i plan on buying a copy of it and playing through both in the near future. i am in the minority, as i prefer part 2 to part 1. But the original is still near perfect.

my favorite moment of Legend of Zelda; the old man in the bush who demands that you fix his "door" because you burned it down. :lol

 

[out0v0rder]

you forgot ITT in the title