Like with every other form of art, the real test when it comes to video games was, is, and always will be time. It was time that left so many titles and franchises behind no matter how successful they were back in the day because time is relentless and doesn’t care about sales or nostalgic feelings. Time is the ultimate game critic, so when something has managed to stand its test, you know that it is something special. Case in point, Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda. Many are now thinking “That has stood the test of time!? But it’s so…old!” Well, yes…and no. Like with almost every NES classic, it’s hard to go back to it, no matter how much you loved it back in the late ’80s or early ’90s – yet people still enjoy it, and not only those who grew up with it. The Legend of Zelda has been surpassed by almost all subsequent instalments, and yet it has a kind of magic that still holds up after almost four whole decades. The one writing this once believed that time eroded that very magic. The following will try to explain why he was wrong all along.
It was hard to press Start back then, and it still is after so many years. The title screen, where all that can be seen is the name of the game and a waterfall, is minimalistic beyond belief, yet it still manages to create an intense feeling of wonder – as if you are on the threshold of another universe, right before a grand adventure. The epic theme helps quite a lot.
After naming the hero (hmm, ‘Link’ sounds nice), players are thrown into the medieval fantasy land of Hyrule and left to discover things on their own with no handholding whatsoever. Shigeru Miyamoto, the genius behind this, described it as an attempt to capture how he felt while exploring the Japanese countryside. Hyrule offers the same kind of excitement. Each screen amongst the 128 available offers something new: a forest with a weirdly placed bush, a waterfall, a large hollow tree, a small lake where a fairy lives. The design of each scene is simple just like the title screen, but at the same time beautiful in its simplicity.
While not the first of its kind, The Legend of Zelda is the archetypal action-adventure experience. Link is tasked with exploring an overworld and completing dungeons where better tools can be found, which in turn enable Link to explore even more, or handle the various baddies that are scattered around more easily. From 1986’s Metroid, to the triple-A, modern action-adventures and RPGs, the recipe hasn’t changed that much because it works – but there is a great difference between most titles and the original Zelda.
Time to address the Dodongo in the room: this is an old, old, old NES title, and as such it plays a lot differently than what most are used to nowadays. If there is a hot take in this article, though, it is that, while plenty of far better Zelda entries have seen the light of day, they could all learn a thing or two from the original. It’s no wonder Breath of the Wild was heavily inspired by it, after all.
Once the adventure begins, the hero has four options: three paths, and a door. There’s no arrow pointing the way, no annoying sidekick to scream, “Hey, listen!” into Link’s ear, no blinking cursor on the map. Nothing. The main character is supposed to enter the cave first and grab a sword. If he doesn’t… Well, he won’t survive for long. Bad design? No! This is your adventure. You are in charge of your fate, not a semi-invisible guiding hand. You are free to choose a direction and follow it, and that freedom is such that one can accidentally find the entrance to the penultimate dungeon, reach an area with enemies that can one-shot Link, or meet an old lady that stares at you silently, with no hint of what to do hidden somewhere close. Yes, The Legend of Zelda is open-ended, as well as cryptic. Almost way too cryptic at times.
You’ll get lost, confused, and annoyed. That’s a certainty. However, The Legend of Zelda manages to become the exact opposite of what is expected from something that has you lost, confused, and annoyed. It becomes an extremely immersive experience, especially when compared to most modern titles, where all you need to solve a puzzle is usually a few steps away from you.
There are old men hidden around Hyrule, in and outside dungeons, who can provide subtle hints…but one still must actively search for them. Don’t expect to receive solutions on a silver platter. Although way more into combat rather than exploration, a classic like Dark Souls pretty much follows the original Zelda’s anti-handhold-y ways, which is definitely part of its charm. Why does it get a free pass and this doesn’t exactly?
Oh, it’s not perfect. Sure, there are moments where you are simply left to discover things by “chance”. Many will point at how A Link to the Past (arguably one of the best in the series) does things better, in the sense that it provides more obvious clues. For example, instead of asking the player to bomb a random wall, small cracks can be seen that indicate that this is the correct spot. The right way is probably the middle ground, though. Don’t have cracks in bombable walls, but have a wall look suspiciously “clean.”
The Legend of Zelda usually stands on that middle ground. The entrance to dungeon #8 is a good example, as it’s basically a tree that stands out from the rest. Of course, there are moments where all that is left to do is to leave no stone unturned. The Power Bracelet, for instance, is an item that you basically find at random. Yes, this can be irritating, but again, it’s all by design, and it enforces that feeling of being on an actual adventure with actual secrets.
It’s very important to note that the way one approaches this can greatly influence the fun factor. You are supposed to open up the manual, as it acts as a sort of tutorial, offers some beginner (and not only) tips, and is generally a great part of the experience. Apart from that, it is a joy to read because of the colourful and charming artwork, and the fact that it offers enough information to create the necessary incentive and mystery, but leaving quite a lot to your imagination, especially when it comes to the big bad cheese Ganon.
Additionally, great pleasure can be had through creating your map with pen and paper, and even taking notes. In fact, this can be so enjoyable that any new Zelda entry would greatly benefit from a method to create notes in-map. For those who haven’t played this and are wondering, there is indeed an overworld map, but it’s basically a rectangular box that simply shows Link’s general position. Thankfully dungeons do have maps, and they are very helpful…
Gameplay-wise, while very into exploration, The Legend of Zelda is also quite combat heavy – maybe more than all other instalments bar Breath of the Wild. In dungeons, which are undoubtedly where it is at its best, you will be tasked to find your way, but also survive numerous foes; foes that are simple in nature, but excellent in their simplicity. Like in Doom, another classic with simple-yet-genius enemies, these force you to always be aware of their placement, make the best of your equipment and environment in order to exploit their weaknesses, and handle a bit of multitasking, as more often than not you will be thrown into rooms with various types of enemies, and must then prioritise targets, and carefully handle positioning. No need to mention that you will die. This is the NES. Pity isn’t part of the deal.
While far from a piece of cake, this is nowhere near the hard-as-nails challenge of other titles of its era – or its sequel. The challenge is almost perfectly balanced. Now, those spoiled by later instalments, especially the most recent ones, might find this too simple in terms of content. It’s true. The Legend of Zelda offers a small variety of enemies, items, puzzle types, and so on, and once it’s all over, all there is to do is to try out the second quest, which is basically the same world all over, just with the map and dungeons not being the same as before. Well, the thing is that this is actually not a flaw. There’s no extra fluff here. Every item and enemy has its purpose, and there are no arbitrary “Collect X number of Y to get Z” tasks. Finding something of value is a rare occasion, making it more rewarding, whereas in modern games there’s something shiny under every frigging rock.
As a final note, The Legend of Zelda is beautiful. This might sound like nostalgic ramblings (and they partly are) as it looks old even for NES standards, but old doesn’t necessarily mean bad. There’s a reason why many remember the look of it, and that’s because it is striking. Like with the critters and levels of Super Mario Bros. there’s no pixel wasted or colour wrongly chosen. The sound effects are top-notch as well – many have been reused time and time again throughout the franchise.
The soundtrack might be one of the tiniest in the industry, yet each tune is p-e-r-f-e-c-t. So much so, that while most are 15-second-long loops they rarely get repetitive. The contrast between the melodies is awesome. When Link explores the sunny outdoors the theme is optimistic; when inside a dungeon it gets moody and mysterious; the final dungeon’s music is ominous. No, The Legend of Zelda isn’t perfect, and, yes it’s super old, but it’s an experience like no other. Do give it a try, no matter your age.
The start to one of the most iconic franchises!