Gossip Stone: Should the Zelda Series Go Back to Its Roots?

While I consider myself a life-long Zelda fan, I’m ashamed that at the age of 27 I have yet to completely finish the first game in the series. Thankfully, in the last few weeks I have changed that, and can now say that I completed the entire Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was a long and arduous journey but it was one well worth my time; there were a few gameplay mechanics that really stuck to me and got me thinking. Mainly those that had me asking myself, “Why aren’t these still in the games today?”

While there are a lot of small differences– like your arrows costing one rupee to fire — there were some major aspects in the original game that are not found in recent releases. One of the biggest differences is the sheer fear of death. No matter where you die in the overworld (except inside dungeons), you always respawn at the starting point of the game. When traveling a vast overworld this becomes quite a pain, especially when stumbling on enemies way beyond your ability to fight. Stronger enemies were another interesting factor that I don’t feel have been present in games of late. There were many enemies that, unless you had upgraded health and weapons, would simply tear you apart. Also, in today’s game you also have four to six bottles to stow away potions of various effect; in this game you had a maximum of two potions you could carry, and no other variety of bottled help such as fairies. This caused me, while exploring and finally finding those extra nooks in the far corners of the world, to feel legitimately scared by the beeping of low health.

Not only did these health issues cause the game to feel more difficult, but the clues given in-game made puzzle solving quite the head scratcher. Instead of having your next step spelled out for you by a fairy, you would often times find a random cave where you’d receive a cryptic message like “Secret is in the three at the dead-end.” Some of these messages lead to money on a nearby screen, while others lead to important story elements far on the other side of the world.

Both of these issues are made even worse by the fact that nearly every part of the game is accessible from the beginning (aside from a few caves and islands). You never knew when the next screen would hold powerful enemies or clues to something that you won’t be able to access for another two or three dungeons. Speaking of the dungeons, they were just out of control. Many had mandatory bombable walls to get through, yet there were no cracks to tip off which areas were vulnerable. Then of course there was the confusing ability to use a key in any dungeon, leading to merchants selling keys at high prices in case you just can’t find another one. But later in the game you can find a Magical Key that lets you through any locked door– one of the more exciting items to obtain.

Needless to say, it was an incredible journey that made me feel something I haven’t felt in a long time playing Zelda: the sense that I was being tested! While I like my new Zelda games, I wouldn’t mind the series going back to what was so revolutionary and great about the first. Many Zelda fans, myself included, have been begging for a more difficult and open world Zelda game without fully experiencing one first hand. So, if you’ve never played through The Legend of Zelda, get it on the eShop and enjoy. It holds up surprisingly well and is a great adventure indeed! Oh, don’t forget that even the first game had a second quest, where the dungeons are all in different locations and the enemies are harder… good luck.

What older mechanics do you wish were still part of the series? Which Zelda games do you have yet to beat? Let us know in the comments below!