Classic NES Series: Legend of Zelda

I recently finished GameboyColor version of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and was still playing its continuation, Oracle of Ages, when I got this classic (by the way, they are GREAT games!). It became very apparent to me immediately that the series has evolved considerably by comparing with the NES version. I was bit disappointed with its simplicity compare with 'evolved' series, however, playing the first dungeon convinced me that this classic is not about just simplicity; it's actually challenging. It gives out heart or fairy MUCH LESS frequently, meaning that you would have to play every single part of dungeon cautiously (man, I got killed in the first dungeon three times straight!...ok..may be I happen to be a below average player..).

So is this a direct transport from NES counterpart? Yes it is, and I am glad they didn't change or add anything to it. However, I thought the volume of music could've been louder, LOUDER!

I simply bought this game because of nostalgic factor. I still remember vividly how much I loved this game, holding onto the Nintendo Power Magazine with Zelda strategy section; it was my Bible. Finding out about secret stair by burning a tree or finally finding the way in the Lost Wood section... wow...it was an incredible, incredible experience in the eyes of 12 years old boy...

So is this classic worth Five Stars? Definitely. I believe not only just having a classic of this magnitude itself is worths Five Stars but also being able to play this release of retro game, which ACTUALLY provides enough challenge and fun factor at your fingertip is more than enough.

Witness once again the very root of this most-beloved franchise of video games.

PS: starting a game with name 'ZELDA' gives totally new, more difficult version.


Of all the Classic NES series THIS is the one to get!   June 11, 2004
Sean (Aurora, Colorado)
22 out of 23 found this review helpful

Compared to the rest of the Classic NES series, The Legend of Zelda is by far the best to get. Unlike a couple of the other big name classics (like Super Mario Bros.) it hasn't been released an abundance of times. In fact, Zelda has only been re-released once and that was with the limited edition Gamecube. Other than that, this re-release is the one you should be getting!

Journey back to 1986-87 where you DIDN'T have 3D games. Take a look at "The Legend of Zelda". This is THE game that truly defined adventure and was one of the first to allow you to save your game!

Anyone who hasn't played Zelda either because you didn't have it on the NES or weren't around for the NES era should play it. Not just to see how far the Zelda series has come but to see how far gaming has come!

The story is classic! The Evil theif Ganon has come to the land to steal the Triforce of courage. But Princess Zelda broke the Triforce into 8 pieces and hid them from Ganon. Angry at this Ganon kidnapped and imprisoned Princess Zelda. Now a hero must come forth and rescue the Princess, find the eight pieces of the triforce and save the land of hyrule! One of the few early games that had more to it than just "Saving the Princess".

The game is unbelievable and of all the Classic NES release games THIS should be the game to get. This was almost undoubtably the greatest game on the NES and now you've got the entire original ported to the GBA. Keep in mind its a DIRECT port. There are no bonus features and that sort of thing.

Perhaps my only gripe with this game (and it sounds stupid I know) is that the GBA cartridge isn't a Gold cartridge. The original NES version had a Gold cartridge and I was hoping that the "Classic NES Series" would recapture that Gold Cartridge. Either way, this doesn't make a difference to the experience of the game. If there is one Classic NES game you should get... this would be it.


CLASSIC NES's best release. Wish they had included Zelda II   June 15, 2004
Mike London (Oxford, UK)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful

(Four stars for the rerelease. Five stars for the actual game.)

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA, one of Nintendo's most famous NES games, finally sees a rerelease on Gameboy Advance. People have been waiting a long time for this. The Super Mario series got its update (including a graphic overhaul) over a decade ago on the SNES as SUPER MARIO ALL-STARS, including a brand new (for the American market) game called THE LOST LEVELS. The two NES Zelda games, however, never got rereleased until the Game Cube (!), and on top of that, it was a promotional, free rerelease. All this being said, is the long wait worth it?

Well, sort of. Although it's great to play the old school Zelda without hooking up a working NES, it's rather pricy at twenty dollars and the graphics may very well turn off younger video gamers. Not only that, it's very odd NINTENDO gave Zelda fans four Zelda titles in the ZELDA COLLECTION for free, and here they just released the original without any bonus material or extra features. Nintendo could very easily have included ZELDA II on this cart as well. That being said, THE LEGEND OF ZELDA, of all the classic NES games re-released, is one of the few that justify's its pricetag. The rest could easily have been put in an anthology of classic NES games, instead of bringing each one out separately.

The gameplay of THE LEGEND OF ZELDA sets up the template followed by all subsequent games in the series. (Only the NES sequel has any real amount of deviation from the Zelda formula, bring in more RPG elements into the mix). You play as Link, a hero in green, who has to rescue Zelda from the evil megalomaniac, Gannon. Not to much of a story, but about as good as you got in the mid 1980s. You have to rescue eight pieces of the Triforce, which is a mystical triangle (one of three). These triforce fragments are hidden throughout the world map in various dungeons. Items you get in one dungeon gives you access to other dungeons, and as you progress, you get various upgrades for your sword and pick up new items. After you beat Gannon the first time, then a second quest opens up, with items, dungeons, and shops in entirely different locations. I wish they had released a special edition of SUPER MARIO BROTHERS with the Japanese version of SMB II as a `second quest." But oh well. Unfortunately, the second quest never really caught on with other games. The Second Quest is harder than the first. To get to the Second Quest at the beginning of the game, put "ZELDA" as your name.

The game itself is very nonlinear, which is what made it such a popular game. There was the incredible depth of adventure that just permeated the entire thing. Released during a time when most games were side-scrollers, this set you in a world where you could explore and find items. There is the now standard item list, where you obtain items and use them to interact with the world about you. There are hidden dungeons that you must find, and you can burn bushes and push rocks, etc. It radically opened the power of the NES console up, and the gaming world would never be the same.

Ironically, though, some may find ZELDA too challenging for this very reason. Bereft of any real narrative, ZELDA doesn't give you any real direction where to go next, save for the infamous, sometimes incomprehensible old men who give you `clues' on where to go next. If you don't know where you're going, you'll find yourself wondering around a lot, mostly directionless. That's what made the game so popular in the first place, but for modern games it may be off-putting how difficult it is to find some of the dungeons without some internal direction from the game. (As a perfect example, just think how many bombs you would have to use to find the very obscure ninth dungeon on the second quest.) The SNES installment gives you visual indicators on where to bomb, etc; the original ZELDA does not give you visual ques on anything. So unless you know the game well or you have access to walkthroughs, expect a lot of time just trying to figure out where to go next.

The graphics, while looking rather archaic by today's standards, holds up rather well given its age. The sprites are bright and the scenery is colourful. There's only a few instances where you can tell that the screen was squished to adapt to Game Boy Advance's screen, but this isn't very noticeable. The music is a near perfect port too, making this a very faithful recreation of the original. For those old enough to remember the NES glory days, the graphics will bring back a lot of memories; for new gamers, however, they may find it difficult to get over the primitive graphics and into the game itself. Their loss.

Conclusion: One of the few NES CLASSICS worth shelling out twenty bucks for. Still, it's rather puzzling they didn't include anything extra, or even the second NES Zelda game, given they released both ZELDA and ZELDA II, plus the two N64 games, on one spectacular, free collection for GameCube. For those who never played the original Zelda, this will hook you for life. There's no better way to start playing this historic series than the original. For those of us old enough to remember the NES, this is a great game, and a great way to relive very fond memories. Still, if you don't have the Zelda Collection, this is a very worthwhile purchase.


TOP OF THE LIST for the Retro NES Packages!   June 9, 2004
Brett D. Cullum (Houston, TX United States)
15 out of 22 found this review helpful

Ah! The original LEGEND OF ZELDA for your GBA or SP! Now that's my idea of a great retro package! Here is the original game in all of it's 1987 glory - the simple graphics, the simple music, and the not so simple to beat original RPG. The only downside here is a couple of backgrounds had to be squished a little, and it seems like some of the sound effects are not on here (very minimal!). But most people won't notice at all! They will just be glad to see LINK in his 16 color 2 dimensional original glory! This cart along with SUPER MARIO BROS are the two games to own in the RETRO series from Nintendo. The rest seem to be NES versions of arcade classics - which begs to ask WHY!?!?!? Link is still going strong in 4 SWORDS, and he deserves the look back almost 20 years ago when he first took over our televisions! Welcome back old friend!


Return to the land of Hyrule... For the first time   June 27, 2004
RazorX2 (Redmond, WA USA)
9 out of 12 found this review helpful

I've grown up with an nes even though im 12. My dad used to play this an super mario brothers all the time and so did i later on. Although i never got to beating this game (got bored after beating level 5), its still very fun to play. The only thing i hated about the game was not the challenge, but when you almost die and your life meter beeping like hell. This is my most favorite zelda game because its the only one where it really doesnt tell you where to go next. What i mean by this is after you beat a temple, someone or something doesnt say anything on the next location but dont worry, each temple you enter says what level it is so you know if your supposed to beat it or not *ex: i beat level 1 an 2 but then i find level 6. I turn back because i never beat levels 3, 4 an 5 to aquire the certain items in those temples in order to get past level 6*. There are also caves containing townsfolk where you buy valuable items, information, or free info and tasks. Now, thats just the underworld part, the overworld is a huge map with areas like forests, mountains and such with monsters, caves, temples (levels), and secrets all over the land and like i said, i like this zelda game the most because you always got to figure out where to go next which can take longer than you think if you dont use and guides or FAQS. And thats more than half of the game; wandering in circles, solving mysteries to get to the next location in temples as well as how to find items like maps, compasses and special weapons in each temple, searching for upgraded items such as swords or boomerangs, finding temples, caves, defeating bosses in temples with each boss having its own stragety where you need to figure out its weakness by using countless items on it. Then after you beat the 8 temples and collect the 8 triforce pieces, you can finally enter ganons lair and save the princess Zelda in this fantasy adventure of endless fun. The differences i noticed from this and the nes version is this has a different audio of the same music (so it sounds alittle weird), the sound affects kinda changed, and the controls can be alittle akward so all in all the NES version is better but the gameplay in this is still exciting all over again and i can only thank Nintendo and every customer who supports it. Thank you, Nintendo. and as for the rest of you zelda and non-zelda fans alike, give this game a whirl, I think you will be in for a surprise.