Legend Of Zelda: A Link to the Past Review

 Ein sehr nettes Review zu Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past (ALttP oder auch Zelda 3), dem glorreichen Spiel fuer das SNES™ - kann man immer brauchen ;^) [...]
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Friday, April 21, 2006
Retrospective: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
They didn't know it back in 1987, but Zelda 2 was going to be the last Zelda game for the Famicom system. Although Sega's Master System posed no threat to the NES dominance in the '80s, Nintendo knew that it had to come up with something new to continue its console gaming reign in the future. With both NEC and Sega nipping at its heels, Nintendo was busy cooking up the Famicom's successor, a powerful console that it claimed would redefine gaming. Not just a puny little Famicom -- a Super Famicom. Whatever concepts were thrown around for a third NES Zelda game, they were quietly converted into an even bigger project for the Super Famicom: a full-fledged sequel to the original Legend of Zelda called The Legend of Zelda: Kamigami no Triforce (The Triforce of the Gods).

While some elements from Zelda 2 would appear in the new game, Nintendo reverted to the overhead view and action-adventure gameplay of the first NES game, much to the pleasure of the waiting fans. When the Super Famicom launched in Japan in November 1990, gamers went crazy over the classic sidescrolling action of Super Mario World and the Mode 7 marvels of PilotWings and F-Zero. But everyone knew that the game that would define the Super Famicom's reign didn't need any fancy 3D graphics. Instead, as the name implies, A Link to the Past went straight for the fourth dimension: time. When it arrived in November 1991 (a full year after the Japanese launch of the Super Famicom), Zelda III would quickly rise to become one of the most popular games in Super Famicom history. US gamers had to wait until April 1992 before they too could get their hands on the coveted game --- disappointingly, not on a golden cartridge. And even though the install base of the Super NES never managed to topple the NES, A Link to the Past outsold Zelda 2 and was played by more than 5 million gamers worldwide. Not counting little brothers who leeched your copy of the game for their own "free" playtime, of course...

Although the Japanese and US manuals of A Link to the Past contain details explaining the myth of the Triforce, story is once again secondary to exploration and puzzles in the game. Taking a hint from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Zelda III's plot revolves around a poem of the coveted item:

In a realm beyond sight,
The Sky shines gold, not blue.
There, the Triforce's might
Makes mortal dreams come true.

Thanks to the added memory of the bigger SNES cartridges, Nintendo could finally afford to incorporate the story into the game, instead of just telling it in the manual.

Watch a Quicktime video clip of the complete story opening right here: A Link to the Past: Opening Quicktime (19.5MB)

The story goes that greedy treasure seekers set out to find the Triforce, but no one ever knew where to find it. A band of thieves inadvertently opened a gateway to the Golden Land of the Triforce, and their leader, through much treachery and even killing of his own followers, finally laid hands on the powerful treasure. Zelda fans of course know who we're talking about here... Ganondorf Dragmire, aka Mandrag Ganon - which translates to Ganon of the Enchanted Thieves. Wielding the power of the Triforce, the King of Thieves assembled a large army and thrust the land of Hyrule into darkness.

From the manual: Black clouds permanently darkened the sky, and many disasters beset Hyrule. The lord of Hyrule sent for the Seven Wise Men and the Knights Of Hyrule, and ordered them to seal the entrance to the Golden Land. The Triforce, being an inanimate object, cannot judge between good and evil. Therefore, it could not know that Ganon's wishes were evil; it merely granted them. Suspecting that Ganon's power was based on the Triforce's magic, the people of Hyrule forged a sword resistant to magic which could repulse even powers granted by the Triforce. This mighty weapon became known as the blade of evil's bane, or the Master Sword.

It was so powerful that only one who was pure of heart and strong of body could wield it. As the Seven Wise Men searched for a valient person to take up the Master Sword, Ganon's evil army swarmed from the tainted Golden Land into Hyrule and attacked the castle. The wise men and the Knights Of Hyrule combined forces to wage war on this evil horde. The Knights took the full brunt of the fierce attack, and although they fought courageously many a brave soul was lost that day, However, their lives were not lost in vain, for they bought precious time for the Seven Wise Men to magically seal Ganon in the Golden Land. All of Hyrule rejoiced at the victory that upheld peace and order over Ganon's evil and chaos. This war, which had claimed many lives, became known as the Imprisoning War in stories told in later centuries.

But the story doesn't end there. Many centuries after the Imprisoning War, new disasters began to strike Hyrule. Pestilence and drought so strong, even magic couldn't control them. Worried that the seal on the Dark World had been broken, Hyrule's king ordered an investigation -- but the seal was intact. Luckily, a wizard named Agahnim offered to help and contained the disasters with his powerful magic. The king rewarded Agahnim by making him an advisor and he quickly became known as the savior of the lands by among the common people. But not all was right at Hyrule court... Rumors soon appeared that the king had become nothing more than a puppet of Agahnim's will. The people of Hyrule began to worry that the savior was really behind the evil that had swept the lands. And that's where the game starts.

The one thing that is still alive in the minds of many Zelda players is the sense of atmosphere Link to the Past managed to instill with very simple means. If you've played the game, I bet you still remember the very first scene in the game when Zelda's voice reaches Link in a dream, complete with the solemn music and the sound of rain and thunder in the background. If not, here it is, captured just for you:

Watch a Quicktime video clip of the beginning of the game right here: A Link to the Past: The Beginning Quicktime (12MB)

The basic gameplay of A Link to the Past hasn't changed since the NES original, but the added power of the SNES elevates the exploration and action gameplay of the Legend of Zelda series to all new heights. Nintendo's artists worked overtime to give each and every temple and dungeon its own look and feel. Players accustomed to the simple color palette swaps of the predecessors were in for a real treat when they entered the game's many diverse temples to retrieve amulets or free sages.

Watch a Quicktime video clip of the first temple right here: A Link to the Past: First Temple Quicktime (2.7MB)

And how about that music? The SNES sound chip, courtesy of (now arch rival) Sony, helped set the mood. You don't realize how many of the melodies from this game you remembered over the years until you play through it again. What about the staccato dungeon theme with the realistic sounding timpani? Or how about the enchanting "faerie" theme when you uncover a hidden wishing well? Thanks to the talents of Nintendo star composer Koji Kondo, the game's music affects the atmosphere just as much as the outstanding graphics design. But nothing made the hearts of Zelda fans beat faster than the return of their favorite melody, the Overworld Theme. Do you remember the moment you step out of the church into the sunny day for the first time? Relive it here:

Watch a Quicktime video clip of the Overworld here: A Link to the Past: Overworld Quicktime (5.4MB)

But it wasn't just the music. The sound effects and the short jingles that accompany each major discovery have become permanently burned into the minds of Zelda players. Is there anything better than picking up a bush and hearing you-know-what sound? Or the fanfare when you get your hands on an important item? Do you really need the reminder:

Watch a Quicktime video clip of Link getting the first bottle: A Link to the Past: Fanfare Quicktime (1.4MB)

On the presentation side, A Link to the Past certainly didn't disappoint either. While Nintendo didn't abandon the super-deformed character designs, it combined realism and stylized graphics for an appealing look. At a time when other game creators continued to strive for more realistic graphics, Nintendo preserved a storybook style that could appeal to players of all ages. Even today, the graphics of Link to the Past still look great. And yes, they are clearly the inspiration for the upcoming GameCube Zelda game.

Watch a Quicktime video clip of Link exploring right here: A Link to the Past: Varied Environments Quicktime (3.1MB)

In addition to some subtle Mode 7 effects during cut-scenes, Zelda III also dazzled players with some truly unforgettable weather effects. You remember the rain, but do you recall the translucent "fog" overlays when you first enter the Lost Woods?

Watch a Quicktime video clip of everyone's favorite forbidden forest right here: A Link to the Past: Lost Woods Quicktime (3.5MB)

While great graphics and sound go a long way, A Link to the Past pushed the envelope in the gameplay department as well. The designers actually came up with a way to combine the overhead puzzles of Zelda 1 with the multi-level setup of Zelda 2's dungeons and temples. The rooms were no longer confined to a single screen, but would scroll into all directions. The Super Nintendo's ability to parallax scroll multiple layers allowed Nintendo to put a second level of walkways on top of an existing room, which paved the way for some really ingenious puzzles. Whether it was falling from the third floor into a secret room on the floor below, the discovery of a hidden treasure box below a walkway, or the need to push a block off the edge to hit a switch on a lower floor, Zelda III's puzzles are unforgettable and often copied. Add to that the ability to dash, swim, pull objects, push, and lift up items of different sizes, and you had one satisfying gaming experience.

Watch a Quicktime video clip of a large room here: A Link to the Past: large rooms Quicktime (3.7MB)

Another returning element from the original was the different abilities and behavior of Link's opponents, as well as the strategies needed to defeat them. You simply never knew what you were gonna get. You had to experiment every time you bumped into a new enemy. Some monsters were easily killed with fire, others wore armor and couldn't be harmed by your sword. Coupled with both new and returning weapons and the ability to pick up and throw items, Zelda III managed to expand on the tried-and-true gameplay of the series once again.

Watch a Quicktime video clip of Link attacking some monsters: A Link to the Past: Monster Strategies Quicktime (2.0MB)

Likewise, the innovative "bosses" Zelda 1 and 2 had become known weren't absent from the sequel either. Remember some of these bad boys?

Like with the smaller "every day" enemies, players had to figure out each boss's weakness -- and usually that meant using an item you had just found in that same dungeon. But the great thing about the Zelda games is that you are hardly ever forced to do something one way. Experimentation is a key to enjoying the game. Sure, you can blow up that guy's head armor with bombs, but how about trying the hammer? Will the boomerang stun this enemy or just bounce off? Can you use the hookshot as a weapon on this one? How come I can't hurt this damn turtle? What's that magic powder do when I sprinkle it on this little guy? There was so much to do, so much to try that one had to wonder how any game was ever supposed to top A Link to the Past...

Watch a Quicktime video clip of Link defeating the first boss right here: A Link to the Past: First Boss Quicktime (3.9MB)

While the RPG elements from Zelda 2 didn't make a return in A Link to the Past, Nintendo ported over the increased role non-player characters (NPCs) played in the predecessor. But unlike the generic NPCs Link encountered in Zelda 2, the supporting cast in LttP was made up of unique characters. Hyrule felt like a living, breathing world, not just a map infested with monsters. Some events could only be solved if Link talked to the right person, other characters were just there to add to the atmosphere.

Watch a Quicktime video clip of Kakariko here: A Link to the Past: Kakariko Quicktime (3.7MB)

And although we've seen it plenty of times since then in games like Ico or Pokémon, admit that you were pretty amazed when characters actually followed you around, like Zelda in this early sequence:

Watch a Quicktime video clip of Zelda following Link here: A Link to the Past: Zelda Quicktime (4.9MB)

But arguably the coolest thing about A Link to the Past was the existence of the dark world, as hinted at in the game's back story. Warping back and forth between happy, sunny Hyrule and its dark, parallel world was an amazing experience. By introducing an alternate universe with subtle differences, Nintendo gave players even more places to explore. If you saw a suspicious rock formation, warp via the mirror and see whether it was there in the other realm as well. And when you actually found something on the other side of the looking glass, you felt like the smartest person in the world. The impact the use of the parallel world has had on games in general is significant. Metroid Prime 2 wouldn't be the same without it.

Even more than a decade later, the third Zelda game in the series remains the best one in the eyes of many fans of the franchise. The game was enjoyable from start to finish -- and the closing sequences came together to deliver one of the most satisfying endings in the history of videogames.

Should you go back and play it?
Yes, yes, yes. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is one of those games that you shouldn't just play once. I hadn't touched the game in years before writing this installment of Hyrule Times, but once I started playing I just couldn't stop. Sadly, the battery on my US copy died, so I had to go back to playing my Japanese version again. The great thing about LttP is that even if you've been spoiled by the 3D graphics, the simple, colorful 2D look of the game will still draw you in in minutes. And once the Overworld theme kicks in, you will be hooked once again. One of the best games of all time -- if you haven't played it yet, go out and buy it now. Or, cross your fingers and hope that it'll be one of the SNES games included from the get-go in Nintendo's "virtual console" download roster on Revolution.

Where can I get it?
Zelda III for the Super NES isn't tough to find, but it also isn't cheap if you're buying it in a store -- especially if you want it with manual and box. The game is also readily available on Ebay, but be aware that they're often cartridge-only deals. As with NES games, try to test the game before you buy it. You don't want to end up with a cartridge with an empty battery. Unless you actually like to leave your SNES on for days on end...

A Link to the Past was also re-released for Game Boy Advance in 2002 as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past w/ the Four Swords.
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