Customer Reviews

The Legend of Zelda - Classic NES Series

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was overwhelmingly glad when I heard about Nintendo's release of old classics, however, only one game came to my attention; Legend of Zelda, which literally created new genre in the video gaming history(although Super Mario was pretty good too except I happened to have GameboyColor version, which has this 'another' version for the advanced player). It was truly a GREAT game along with Super Mario and Metroid back in late 80s, and playing this classic once again proved that it still is.

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.

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.

(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.

The first time I purchased this game was for about $55 in Novemeber of 1988 when I was in the 5th grade. It took me till July of 1989 to finally beat this game and then took me till 1991 sometime to beat Zelda II the Adventure of Link. Back in these days the Internet did not exist for the public, and most homes lacked a computer. Back in these days if you wanted tips you needed to buy a magazine or a book. I beat Zelda with almost none of the above. I beat it with nearly pure trial and error. A true and rare accomplishment during the 1988-1989 era in gaming history!

It brought back memories from my childhood when I purchased this game again the other day ago for my Game Boy Advance for $14.99. So far it has taken me 2-3 days to get to level 9. I expect to finish the first quest soon.

My only gripes are really the lack of a "equal" manual to the original, and lack of a "gold" cover. The original I purchased in 1988 included a overworld map, and far more detail about the nasties and weapons. But besides this the GBA version is nearly identical to the original. I did notice some other improvements to the original NES version.

1. Sleep mode
2. A pause text shows on the screen when you hit pause. The original lacked this
3. You can save the game without first dying from the start screen by holding down select and the up arrow.
4. When you turn the power off when the game is playing you do not risk the chance that your file will be erased. The original 1988 version had this problem. But frankly I think the improvement is more due to the advance in computer technology.

Overall a great game. It probably will be difficult for the new kids to get into these oldies, but for us old timers this one will bring back memories. I plan to buy Zelda II next and beat that one again. But I'm afraid I may need to look at the web for some tips, since its been a good 14 years since I last beat that one.

As every other review has stated thus far, Zelda was one of greatest video games to be released in the '80s. I still clearly remember when I had an NES and when I bought Zelda. The golden cartridge amazed me, and I was absolutely enthralled.

There is so much to do in this game that you'll probably never get bored. Every square has the potential to be a secret area - and it's up to you to figure out whether to use bombs or a candle. There are extremely primitive side-quests, such as taking a letter to an old man gives you to an old woman (who, after delivery, lets you buy potions from her).

If the gaming industry put as much gameplay into their products as Nintendo put into the first Zelda, we'd have a much better assortment of games to choose from...

All in all, if you have a GBA and you DIDN'T buy this game, you'd not only be a moron but you'd be missing out on a great classic.

One of my favorite NES games of all time. From the time it was originally released, it spent several years on the top 10 and top 100 favorite games. It remained on the list long after the snes was released.

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.

Never have I been so compelled about a product that I've to write a review of it barely an hour after buying it. I've owned a Game Boy Advance (GBA) for a few years, but I haven't played a single game on it at all. It was a gift from an insurance policy I bought quite some time back, and I wasn't really into hand-held consoles then. In fact, I'm still not into them, or I'd have grabbed the PSP or the DS when I was in Tokyo just a few days ago. Yet, I'm now buying a game for a hand-held console, and playing it with much vigor despite the headaches it gives me. Such is the magic of The Legend of Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda was the first NES game that I completed when I was a youth (I'm still pretty young, by the way). I still remember urging my mum to buy me the cool-looking game in the gold packaging, without even knowing what it was all about. The rest, as they always said, was history. I beat the game in a week, beat the second quest a few weeks later, and started to write my own walkthroughs for friends of mine who haven't completed the battle. Life was good.

18 years down the road, I bought Nintendo's re-release of The Legend of Zelda from its Classic NES Series for the GBA. I've forgotten how to play the game, and I was having a hard time just to get a silver boomerang. Life is not very good now.

Still, I'm thoroughly enjoying the game, which has a rather simple concept. Basically, you take on the role of Link, who has to rescue Princess Zelda from the claws of Ganon. With an array of weapons and items, you must maneuver through various sections on the land of Hyrule to gather eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom, and then finish off Ganon to resume peace.

In terms of gameplay, The Legend of Zelda can never be compared with more sophisticated games from the modern era. However, considering the game's age, the fact that it allows a large variety of combat and puzzle-solving challenges is already commendable. You start off with a wooden sword and shield, but gradually pick up more items like a boomerang and bombs. In underground dungeons, you'll also gather compasses and maps that point you to the location of the fragments of the Triforce. Some of the bosses can only be defeated with specific weapons, so getting a healthy inventory is a must. What's more, you also get life upgrades once you complete a level, which is always welcomed as the going does get tougher as it proceeds. On the whole, The Legend of Zelda has some RPG elements, but a lack of a true leveling up system means that it's still very much an action/ adventure game.

The graphics in The Legend of Zelda did well enough to duplicate the original pretty well. Obviously, it looks rather out-dated, but you can't expect a 1987 game to have the quality of games from recent years, can you? What concerned me is that the screen on the GBA is looks little squeezed. It doesn't interfere with play, but it does affect my eyesight a little.

The audios in this game are also a replica of the original. They hold up well generally, and the sound of Link's sword flying through the air still gives me the goosebumps. The music is also vintage Zelda, and you know I love it when I've it as my mobile phone's ringtone.

Now, the downside. Considering that the game is more than six months' old, I'm a little baffled that it still cost me close to $20 for it. Obviously living in Singapore counts (you know, shipping and all), but over 30 bucks after shipping for an off-the-shelf GBA game really borders on the insanity.

Nevertheless, I'm not one who bothers too much about paying for what I really want. What's important is that I love this game, and you won't be surprised I'm tilting it very much higher than most other people may do. And why not, when I can relive a legend?

The Zelda series is arguably the greatest series of games of all time. Recent releases like Ocarina of Time and Link to the Past are some of the most polished and well made games in history. And it all started with this game...

The original Legend of Zelda still is a blast to play to this day. The graphics are decent, the sounds and music rock, and the gameplay and fun factor are through the roof. This game is still extremely tough and this is what gives it half of its fun. You cant just breeze through this game without some reflexes or care. Just see what happens when you try and rush through a room full of blue Darknuts. ;)

This game has spawned countless other titles over the years and was the first game that actually allowed you to save and continue your game at a later time. This game was absolutely GINORMOUS back when it came out, even though it can easily be beaten in about 3-5 hours today. Plus, picking up the Red Ring, and changing Links color, still puts a smile on my face today.

For this price, it is a crime not to pick this title up for the GBA or DS. The gameplay, fun, and challenge of one of the greatest games of all time should not be passed on by anyone.

I've owned my GBA SP only for a few weeks now (I had completely given up video games after my son was born two years ago) but I have to confess that I only bought it when I realized that the Link I used to know (and sometimes dispise when some boss would keep me under a killing streak) was back. I don't regret my decision at all....IT'S BEEN A BLAST!!!

Everything is back, of course not with the video quality of today and the score could have been a little louder, but still this is one great game to play. I had completely forgotten the intrinsicate delicacies of obtaining a boomerang and toss out the wooden sword or defeating a boss after SEVERAL tries.

Probably those of you young gba-adicts who grew up when this was already a classic will find it plain and simple, but for those of you out there that enjoyed rescuing Zelda in the early nineties...this is a must-have.

Enjoy.