athenian200
Circumspect
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2010
Well, we recently had a thread regarding the best aspects of the N64 Zelda games, which are some of the most acclaimed games in the Legend of Zelda series. Now, I'm going to take you back a little further, to the roots of the series. The NES games no doubt had their flaws and limitations, but that's not what we're here to discuss. Instead, I'm going to share with you my favorite aspects of the original Legend of Zelda, and Adventure of Link.
First, I'm going to talk about elements that were common to both games. Then, I'll talk about the better features of each individual game.
The NES Zelda games featured a lot of exploration, and were very non-linear in their execution. It was rivaled only by Metroid in terms of freedom of exploration. Yes, you often needed to progress in a certain order to find items you needed, but you could often explore an area or dungeon that you weren't yet ready for, giving you the additional challenge of gauging whether you were overlooking the solution to a puzzle, or whether you needed to come back later, armed with a new item.
The tradition of having optional items that you can choose to play without, started here. In modern Zelda games it pretty much only applies to Heart Containers, but in older ones, it often applied to other items, such as the Cross in AoL, or even the Sword in LoZ.
The NES Zelda games also presented you with a second quest, thus giving you an incentive to beat the game again under different conditions, which increased replay value by offering a new play experience the second time around.
Cinema scenes were nonexistent save for the beginning and ending of the game. It was not clear which NPCs were important to speak with. This encouraged you to speak with everyone in order to make sure you had obtained all available information and items, thus experiencing the game more fully. The lack of cinema scenes also meant that the flow of play was quicker, and that you could move between dungeons more rapidly.
The lack of a complex storyline that presented a lot of information unrelated to playing the game, made the games more accessible to younger players with short attention spans, and those with poor literacy skills.
Now, for the individual features.
The Legend of Zelda
Sure, it's the classic, the original. But let's look past the shiny veneer of nostalgia for a moment, and talk about the game play experience. It's very open, and you can start exploring the map in all directions, right away. Much as in Metroid, it's very easy to miss out on the first item by accident, and wander around aimlessly wondering what to do. Unlike Metroid, however, it is possible (though very difficult) to beat the game without this initial item, the Sword. This is all part of the experience... having to figure out for yourself where to go and what you need to find.
There's nothing guiding you towards any specific dungeon, or any of the places that hold items you may require. This means that you have to explore everything you can reach, and make note of everything... even things that don't seem significant at first. It's possible to complete dungeons and obtain items out of order, which is something that many later Zelda titles (including its sequel, AoL), did not offer to the same degree, if at all.
An unusual characteristic of LoZ was that you could use keys from one dungeon, in another dungeon. If this was done, you might need to go between the dungeons, solving puzzles out of order and providing an interesting play experience. Alternatively, one could purchase keys in a shop, eliminating the need to obtain keys at all. Basically, you were given the option of playing however you wished with keys, rather than being forced to use them in a specific way.
Despite the general lack of storyline, there were a few interesting characters. Specifically, two minions of Ganondorf who betray him and aid you. One gives you rupees, and another can be persuaded to leave his post in exchange for food. There was also a Hylian you could encounter in dungeons, who forced you to leave behind money, or a heart container. Whether this was because he had fallen under the sway of Ganon, or he was just selfish, I don't know. But it does teach that appearances aren't everything.
The Adventure of Link
This game is criticized by many. But that doesn't mean it has no redeeming qualities. Let's look at a few of them.
This is the only Zelda game in which you can actually gain levels in order to improve your attributes, rather than having to find an upgrade. This means that you will spend more time fighting monsters, and less time exploring... whether this is a good or bad thing depends on your preferences.
Speaking of fighting, there's a unique combat system. This may be the game that Skyward Sword will draw some of its inspiration from, as it required you to anticipate/block attacks by moving your shield up and down, and pierce enemy defenses with proper timing and special techniques. No Zelda game before or since has used this, and it does make fighting a bit more interesting... even regular enemies are rarely total pushovers at higher levels.
This is also the first Zelda game to introduce towns, and the only one to include so many of them. The towns themselves made the world feel larger and more realistic somehow, however. The residents gave tips, and occasionally said interesting things, however. You could also find spells, and restore your health and magic for free. Which brings me to another topic.
AoL still has the largest variety of spells found in any Zelda game. You could turn into a fairy, activate a defensive spell, shoot fireballs, increase your jump height, and more. Finding/Earning the spells outside of dungeons, which were still required to progress, was an interesting part of the game. The game also forced you to make strategic decisions about whether to use up magic to get rid of/evade enemies now, or save it for later.
So, what do you think? Did I capture the best aspects of NES Zelda, or did I miss them?
First, I'm going to talk about elements that were common to both games. Then, I'll talk about the better features of each individual game.
The NES Zelda games featured a lot of exploration, and were very non-linear in their execution. It was rivaled only by Metroid in terms of freedom of exploration. Yes, you often needed to progress in a certain order to find items you needed, but you could often explore an area or dungeon that you weren't yet ready for, giving you the additional challenge of gauging whether you were overlooking the solution to a puzzle, or whether you needed to come back later, armed with a new item.
The tradition of having optional items that you can choose to play without, started here. In modern Zelda games it pretty much only applies to Heart Containers, but in older ones, it often applied to other items, such as the Cross in AoL, or even the Sword in LoZ.
The NES Zelda games also presented you with a second quest, thus giving you an incentive to beat the game again under different conditions, which increased replay value by offering a new play experience the second time around.
Cinema scenes were nonexistent save for the beginning and ending of the game. It was not clear which NPCs were important to speak with. This encouraged you to speak with everyone in order to make sure you had obtained all available information and items, thus experiencing the game more fully. The lack of cinema scenes also meant that the flow of play was quicker, and that you could move between dungeons more rapidly.
The lack of a complex storyline that presented a lot of information unrelated to playing the game, made the games more accessible to younger players with short attention spans, and those with poor literacy skills.
Now, for the individual features.
The Legend of Zelda
Sure, it's the classic, the original. But let's look past the shiny veneer of nostalgia for a moment, and talk about the game play experience. It's very open, and you can start exploring the map in all directions, right away. Much as in Metroid, it's very easy to miss out on the first item by accident, and wander around aimlessly wondering what to do. Unlike Metroid, however, it is possible (though very difficult) to beat the game without this initial item, the Sword. This is all part of the experience... having to figure out for yourself where to go and what you need to find.
There's nothing guiding you towards any specific dungeon, or any of the places that hold items you may require. This means that you have to explore everything you can reach, and make note of everything... even things that don't seem significant at first. It's possible to complete dungeons and obtain items out of order, which is something that many later Zelda titles (including its sequel, AoL), did not offer to the same degree, if at all.
An unusual characteristic of LoZ was that you could use keys from one dungeon, in another dungeon. If this was done, you might need to go between the dungeons, solving puzzles out of order and providing an interesting play experience. Alternatively, one could purchase keys in a shop, eliminating the need to obtain keys at all. Basically, you were given the option of playing however you wished with keys, rather than being forced to use them in a specific way.
Despite the general lack of storyline, there were a few interesting characters. Specifically, two minions of Ganondorf who betray him and aid you. One gives you rupees, and another can be persuaded to leave his post in exchange for food. There was also a Hylian you could encounter in dungeons, who forced you to leave behind money, or a heart container. Whether this was because he had fallen under the sway of Ganon, or he was just selfish, I don't know. But it does teach that appearances aren't everything.
The Adventure of Link
This game is criticized by many. But that doesn't mean it has no redeeming qualities. Let's look at a few of them.
This is the only Zelda game in which you can actually gain levels in order to improve your attributes, rather than having to find an upgrade. This means that you will spend more time fighting monsters, and less time exploring... whether this is a good or bad thing depends on your preferences.
Speaking of fighting, there's a unique combat system. This may be the game that Skyward Sword will draw some of its inspiration from, as it required you to anticipate/block attacks by moving your shield up and down, and pierce enemy defenses with proper timing and special techniques. No Zelda game before or since has used this, and it does make fighting a bit more interesting... even regular enemies are rarely total pushovers at higher levels.
This is also the first Zelda game to introduce towns, and the only one to include so many of them. The towns themselves made the world feel larger and more realistic somehow, however. The residents gave tips, and occasionally said interesting things, however. You could also find spells, and restore your health and magic for free. Which brings me to another topic.
AoL still has the largest variety of spells found in any Zelda game. You could turn into a fairy, activate a defensive spell, shoot fireballs, increase your jump height, and more. Finding/Earning the spells outside of dungeons, which were still required to progress, was an interesting part of the game. The game also forced you to make strategic decisions about whether to use up magic to get rid of/evade enemies now, or save it for later.
So, what do you think? Did I capture the best aspects of NES Zelda, or did I miss them?
