Daily Debate: Does Zelda 1 Have Good Dungeons?
Posted on June 04 2022 by Mike Midwood
The work a trendsetter can be thankless. Pioneering titles like The Legned of Zelda operate at an intrinsic disadvantage. They have to test out new ideas themselves and hope things work out. Being the first in line usually means being strapped to inferior technology. Worse, it means not being able to learn from the mistakes of your non-existent predecessors. While the original Zelda game (“Zelda 1“, for brevity) has aged better than almost anything else from its era, many fans consider it archaic and dated. One of the easiest places to see this sentiment is with the dungeons, a Zelda staple to this very day. The dungeons of that maiden entry are very different from what they would become, yet they formed the mold for what would be possible in the future. Do you think Zelda 1 has good dungeons?
The most obvious difference between the dungeons of Zelda 1 and those that would follow is born of the former’s hardware constraints. On the NES, meaningfully theming a dungeon was nearly impossible. The best Nintendo could do was change the shapes and colors of each one, which leaves a bit too much to the imagination. As early as A Link to the Past, dungeons like Skull Woods, Thieves Town, and Ice Palace would begin laying the foundation for the lavish labyrinths to follow. Nowadays, we have brilliantly realized, thematic dungeons like Ocarina of Time’s Forest Temple, the desert prison of Twilight Princess‘ Arbiter’s Grounds, or Skyward Sword‘s Sand Ship stuck in limbo. We’ve come a long way from green, purple, and white palette-swaps, but Zelda 1 bolstered its dungeons in a way rarely seen since.
With this thematic dearth caused by limited technology, Zelda 1 had only one option when trying make memorable dungeons; the gameplay. It’s telling that they’re often referred to as labyrinths, because these dungeons rely entirely on combat and navigation. There’s a palpable sense of progression as the enemies in each dungeon grow stronger and the layouts become more complex. While many may see The Dragon (Level 6) as simply “the mustard-colored dungeon” I’ve always thought of it as “Wizzrobe Alley”. Despite the lack of visual differences, there’s not denying the singularity of The Dragon. This is where Zelda 1 stops messing around. My favorite dungeon is actually The Lizard (Level 5). This is when we enter the second half of the game, with all overworld secrets available, and the navigation really starts to ramp up. Criss-crossing this dungeon and discovering the secret rooms is always a fun time for me. It goes to show how compelling the simple presentation can be when the mechanical elements are so robust.
What about you? Do you think Zelda 1 has good dungeons? Which is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
Hi, I’m Mike Midwood and I’m a Senior Editor at ZeldaDungeon! Video games and literature are my greatest joys in life. An avid Zelda fan, some of my other favorite games include the Resident Evil and Dark Souls series. I hope you enjoy my content here on ZeldaDungeon!
“The sword has no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.”
