A Retro Review – The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past

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presents a 


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	(SNES)
	(Role playing)
	(Single-player)
	(Coolness not guaranteed)
	(Great game)
	Absolutely gorgeous graphics Innovative light world/dark world design adds new layer of depth Music and sound quality is top-notch
	A little easier challenge from previous entries Many enemies look harmless and dumb Geez, how many faeries are in this game?
	The first sequel in the venerable franchise to achieve unilateral popularity, The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past evolved the original’s already pristine hack and slash formula to an even greater plateau utilizing the increased power of the Super Nintendo to sword-tempered perfection

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Story

On a dark and stormy night, a young boy named Link is awakened by a telepathic message from a mysterious maiden called Zelda that she has been imprisoned inside of Hyrule castle by the dark wizard Agahnim. Armed with nothing more than a lantern, the clothes on his back and a heart full of courage, Link sets off to find the troubled girl and aid her in any way he can. Little does he know, a sinister plot has been set in motion to bring about the greatest evil the land of Hyrule has ever known and now only Link can stop it.

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Overview

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the third installment in the Zelda franchise and a spiritual successor of sorts to the original Legend of Zelda in terms of gameplay and design. Just as before, you’ll take control of Link and set off on an adventure to find and rescue the princess Zelda who has been captured and imprisoned inside of Hyrule castle (this time by the dark wizard Agahnim). The gameplay is similar to previous installments (utilize your sword and different items to defeat enemies, explore Hyrule to progress story, conquer dungeons and bosses, etc.) however this edition adds an all-new “light-world/dark-world” system that sees Link traveling back-and-forth between mirrored but altered versions of Hyrule which changes the layout of the map and opens up new pathways to traverse.

After obtaining the legendary Master Sword, you’ll be tasked with rescuing the seven maidens (including Zelda) who have been trapped inside various dungeons within the dark world by Agahnim. As with previous entries in the series, each dungeon is filled with enemies and traps that must be navigated as well as locating the unique item found within which is needed for progression. Make your way through both versions of Hyrule and use the power of the rescued maidens to open up the pathway to the final labyrinth of the game and defeat the evil that lurks within in the last encounter to complete the game.

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Cast

Link (main protagonist) The ultimate hero of Hyrule returns (technically pre-returns) to hop dimensions and wield the greatest weapon ever forged… the Master Sword

Princess Zelda (in distress) Once again captured and in dire need of rescue… occasionally telepathic when it’s most convenient thanks to her lineage as a descendant to the 7 wise men

6 Maidens (in distress) The victims of Agahnim’s attempt to bridge worlds together (along with Princess Zelda) due to their bloodline relation to the 7 wise men, these poor girls have been captured and placed within the confines of cavernous dungeons for Link to rescue necessitating the grandness of the adventure as a whole

King Of Hyrule (in distress) Reduced to a skeleton once Agahnim began his assault on the Maidens, the former monarch can now only hope that “the legendary hero” will rise to restore him and his land back to its rightful glory

Link’s Uncle (protagonist support) The first to jump to arms after receiving Zelda’s telepathic distress call, this Wilford Brimley ringer starts the game out telling you to stay in bed which you immediately disobey proving once and for all that listening to your elders is an exercise in poor judgement

Sahasrahla (protagonist support) The elder of Kakariko Village and a direct descendant to the 7 wise men who were the first to seal Ganon away in the mysterious “sacred realm”, Sahasrahla (…gesundheit!) provides Link with tons of insight via telepathy which is good since no one else seems to really know what’s going on around here

King Zora (protagonist support) The biggest and presumably the most dangerous of all the fireball-shooting fishmen, King Zora is surprisingly docile compared to his army of acolytes especially when talking business over his glorious flippers which instantly zaps this hideous creature into a savvy salesmen who won’t take no for an answer

Lost Old Man (protagonist support) Encountered initially during Link’s first attempt at scaling Death Mountain, this lost old man turns out to be much more important once he relinquishes the Magic Mirror which grants a way back after taking your first steps in the dreaded Dark World

Ganon (???) Link’s ever-present nemesis… is his spirit dictating Agahnim’s motives or could something even more sinister be at play?

Armos Knights (antagonist support) Guardians of the Eastern Palace and the Pendant of Courage, these knights move in succession attacking Link in predictably formative patterns

The Lanmolas (antagonist support) Scourge of the Desert Palace and defender of the Pendant of Power, the Lanmolas consist of 3 huge sandworms who attack Link by burying themselves and emerging in unpredictable patterns while at the same time shooting projectiles that are difficult to avoid

Moldorm (antagonist support) The Tower of Hera’s head calamity, this wild-eyed silly snake bounces around like a popped balloon making it difficult for Link to stab him in his tail-tip weak spot before giving up the 3rd and final Pendant of Wisdom

Helmasaur King (antagonist support) The boss of the Dark Palace is the royal helmet-wearing scorpion dog known as the Helmasaur King whose face can be revealed with a few strikes from your newly found hammer

Arrghus (antagonist support) The eyes have it in the Swamp Palace where Arrghus, the eyeball-octopus lays waste to any would-be offenders who dare to use the power of the hookshot against it

Mothula (antagonist support) Combining the sophistication of Dracula with the fluttering annoyance of an average moth, Mothula makes its brood within the Skull Woods dungeon surrounded by spikes and treadmills

Blind The Thief (antagonist support) The former leader of a band of thieves who apparently transitioned to the Dark World violently and the patriarch of Blind’s Hideout, Blind initially tries to fool Link with some nifty cross-dressing however his secret is literally and figuratively brought to the light which kickstarts a drag-out battle… (cough).

Kholdstare (antagonist support) Cross your t’s and dot your eyes (…or roll them) it’s Kholdstare… a fuzzy snow/eye ball hybrid encased in a frozen shell who obviously occupies the Ice Palace since he’d melt just about anywhere else

Vitreous (antagonist support) Eye spy (…yikes) yet another eyeball-inspired boss character except this one’s covered in slime and protected by a platoon of smaller eyeballs making your trek through Misery Mire that much more miserable

Trinexx (antagonist support) Waiting for you at the inner crest of Turtle Rock, this 3-headed golem uses fire and ice along with physical attacks to create quite the maelstrom for Link to overcome

Agahnim (main antagonist) Mop-top kidnapping murderer attempting to break the ancient seal to the Dark World for unclear reasons

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It’s Dangerous To Go Alone! Take This Lantern (XL section)

“Your not allowed to go outside and play with your friends… you need to play ZELDA for me!!!” I cannot recall The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past properly without first thinking of my mom. For starters, she freakin’ LOVED this game (who doesn’t)! The colors, the music, the grand feeling of adventure, this game had it all! One little problem though… she never played a video game in her life (at that point) and had no idea how to manipulate Link into doing what she wanted. …This should be interesting.

“Go here… stab that guy… move that thing!” Clearly, she had the right idea but not enough patience to learn so she turned to her gamer son to be a conduit for her desire to see this quest through to the end. I didn’t mind… I mean it’s Zelda! Of course, I wanted to play it too so it wasn’t like it was a chore or anything. Plus, it made my mom speak in gamer talk for the first time ever which still makes me smile. We experienced The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past together from start to finish for our first ever playthrough and it still ranks as one of the happiest moments in my gaming life !   

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the 3rd installment in the beloved Zelda franchise and a role playing/action game that returns to the top-down perspective of the original title after experimenting with a side-scrolling style in The Adventure Of Link. As always, you’ll take command of the plucky young hero Link and dart off into the land of Hyrule to rescue your ever-distressed damsel princess Zelda from the forces of evil that threaten the current status quo. Is this a sequel? A prequel? Do we care? Not really it turns out as A Link to the Past marked the beginning of my confusion in the timeline of this great series and where I started focusing on one entry at a time instead of trying to tie them together (although technically I’m aware that it’s a prequel).

Basically, there’s this wizard named Agahnim (HUGE Elton John fan) who plans on unleashing the wildly powerful Ganon from his imprisonment in the dreaded “dark world”. This terrible realm was once a very different place known as the Golden Land and it was essentially an alternate reality of Hyrule where the Triforce was kept safe until Ganon stole it and shrouded it in darkness with his cruel heart (can’t ever just leave well enough alone). Apparently, this Triforce grants the wish of whoever obtains it regardless of their intentions making it the most coveted object around hence Ganon’s needless desire for it and the resulting chaos that came about once he was able to succeed in retrieving it. Afterwards, darkness spread over the former Golden Land and it took a magical seal from 7 wise sages to lock Ganon away in this realm and thus keep him and his unbridled lust for power from the reality that Link, Zelda and co. inhabit – the “light world”.

When the game begins, Link will start his quest within the light world to rescue the kidnapped Princess Zelda scampering about lush green plains and dusty deserts with no knowledge whatsoever of the prevailing inter-dimensional current that lies before him (and neither did I the first time I played to be honest). Initially, your tasked with the retrieval of 3 pendants with the ultimate goal being the acquisition of the legendary Master Sword after you’ve obtained them however all things are changed in an instant once you reach Death Mountain on the way to your 3rd one. It’s here where your introduced to the dark world for the first time – a mirrored but ominously-twisted version of the light world containing an entirely new set of dungeons and alternate pathways to explore draped in an apocalyptic coat of polish which was equally shocking and impressive! Though you only get to sample this briefly before returning to the light world showcasing your first example of how to use this new mechanic as you approach the Tower of Hera, the experience of this malevolent environment intensifies the already grand adventure that your on adding relevance to the surroundings as much as the characters that exist within them giving gamers their most interesting trip through the land of Hyrule to date.  

As you proceed further, this dimension-swapping aspect becomes the central gameplay component to A Link to the Past as you flip back and forth no doubt appreciating the toxic nature of the ‘tudey dark world with every entry. What once was a bright land full of bird-singing innocence has warped into a bleak and demented world full of storms and cataclysms… ROCK ON !!! Seriously though, in addition to the badass tone that accompanies being in this hellish realm is the fact that your surroundings change in different areas which allows entry into previously inaccessible parts of the light world. By using the Magic Mirror , Link can travel back at any point while in the dark world and utilize the warping mechanic to materialize wherever you want and reach areas that seemed impossible to get to before. However access to the dark world can only be obtained by finding one of a dozen or so hidden portals located throughout Hyrule so discovering these will be vital in your quest.

Besides the unique light world/dark world gameplay, most of A Link to the Past feels comfortably similar to previous entries. Link will use his sword , shield and various items to wade his way through a litany of enemies and bosses while solving puzzles and following the story elements to uncover the next objective. The enemy rundown is the deepest yet in a Zelda game and provides plenty of challenge no matter what area your in such as the Deadrock’s  on Death Mountain or the Geldmen in the Desert of Mystery just to name a few. The bosses are fun as well and provide a better challenge than the original game but they’re not as good as the side-scrolling encounters from The Adventure of Link in my opinion however the battle with Ganon in A Link to the Past is the best and most satisfying final encounter of the three games and really stamps the ending of this adventure beautifully. All in all, the gameplay is outstanding here (… it’s Zelda) and has only added to an already successful formula which made this one of the “must have killer apps” on the SNES.
 
When it comes to the controls, it’s hard to find anything that’s worthy of criticism as they handle perfectly throughout your quest in every way. Link moves as tightly as ever and responds to your commands quickly while executing stabs and using various items. Even new additions to Link’s move-set such as the sword spin or the dash feel completely natural when pulling off and compliment the already deep control scheme with even more addictive maneuvers for you to engage Ganon and his minions with. Not to mention, the combination of A Link To The Past with the dog bone-shaped SNES controller certainly felt a tad bit better and more precise than its predecessors adding even more layers of excellence akin to the flavor profile of fancy aged-wine. 

The music is very respectable, even great at times (loving the sound bar at the top of the page) though I do feel that the dungeon theme here is not as good as either NES entry which is a small letdown considering you hear it quite often. The sounds are very mesmerizing and they’ll always spark familiarity with me instantly (such as the na-na-NA jingle from opening a chest or the fluttery noise when obtaining a piece of heart) to nostalgic days of playing this game with mom during my youth. One thing’s for sure, the sheer variety of musical tracks and sound effects heard throughout Link’s journey on the SNES is impressive and serves as a good example of the capabilities of Nintendo’s super-charged 16-bit heavyweight.

Graphically, A Link to the Past is gorgeously portrayed with bright colors and detailed sprites that justified the evolution of the 16-bit era. Comparing this game to its NES brethren is a great way to feature the Super Nintendo’s awesome power and a convincing argument to buy a new console. In fact, I don’t even think my mom would have played this had it not been for the highly accessible cartoon-like graphics that impressed in every corner of the map. From the dynamic and vibrant greens of the Lost Woods to the musty browns and blues found in the Swamp of Evil and everything in between, A Link to the Past is pure eye-candy during every second of gameplay and still challenges today as the best looking Zelda game of all time. 

When it comes to ‘tude, this game couldn’t possibly be any more in the middle considering the alteration of a “light” and “dark” world combined with all of Zelda’s other contrasting tropes such as melee combat, Valentine’s Day looking heart containers, bombs that you can set off pretty much anywhere and of course… FAERIES – the instant ‘tude reducer! While I guess I could be more critical in this department overall, it’s freaking Zelda man!!! The game is near perfection and I’m not gonna harp on it too much just because winged sprinkle girls dot the playing field as far as the eye can see though the ‘Tude Meter calls it like it sees it I suppose. At least you can trap them in a bottle this time !

What else can I really say about The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (…let’s find out)? It has high marks in every category, it’s a total system seller and it brought innovative new gameplay mechanics that have become a part of the franchise as a whole. It even got my mom to want to play it which showcases to me more than anything the grand appeal of this game since she never really showed much interest until this appeared and changed everything. Suddenly, video games weren’t just an annoying barrage of random noises and brain-rotting visuals but a tried-and-true EXPERIENCE that could be enjoyed together with some of your closest loved ones! It’s kind of funny to me that despite the fact that the Zelda franchise is a single-player affair in terms of game design, I’ve seemed to always have my best times trudging through side-by-side with a loved one which is exactly how I would have wanted it anyways. Now that’s playing with super power!

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Critical Analysis

5/5 There’s no denying A Link To The Past’s contribution to the Zelda franchise as a whole with so many fun new mechanics that became series mainstays (such as collecting pieces of a heart container, throwing bombs, swimming, etc.). While the overall pathway is more linear than the original game’s adventure, the feeling of freedom to explore your surroundings is as good as it’s ever been here especially when you pair it with the very interesting light world/dark world design that literally doubles the size of the map and adds many more potential hiding spots for all the elusive treasure chests lurking around Hyrule. As with most Zelda games, the gameplay in A Link To The Past alone is enough to warrant a must-play and we haven’t even touched the other aspects yet but hang on for a sec… let’s see what else this game’s got in store!

5/5 The controls feel great in A Link to the Past in every way which is nice considering all of the additional new items you’ll be using as you plod your way through this dungeon destroying adventure. Whether grappling like Batman with the super-awesome hookshot (BOING!!!), picking off enemies from afar with the old faithful bow or landscaping the infestation of bushes in Hyrule with your trustee sword, the controls execute smoothly and respond in unison to your button presses at the speed of thought. Additionally, Link feels perfectly as you guide him from screen-to-screen and reacts as quickly to your commands as he ever has which means that you can’t blame him (or the game) if you wander into any nearby holes.

5/5 No great Zelda game is complete without an awesome rating in the ear department and A Link To The Past delivers with a beautifully varied musical track combined with some of gaming’s most memorable sound effects EVER. From the instantly nostalgic over world theme to the regal sounding riffs in Hyrule castle, the music brings the most variety heard yet in a Zelda game and accompanies Link’s adventure like a baked potato next to a perfectly cooked steak. The sound effects in A Link To The Past belong in the video game hall of fame (such as the always exciting jingle from finding a hidden object, the happy “sprinkle” sound from touching a fairy or the satisfying “pluck” noise your hammer makes when you pound down a stake just to name a few) and provide even more brain relaxation throughout your journey.

5/5 WOW does this game look amazing! While every other aspect mentioned previously has been rated at the top of the scale, it’s the visuals of A Link To The Past that made the biggest jump when the series made its first release on a new generation console. From the highly-detailed sprites to the amazingly bright colors found in every corner of Hyrule, the graphics are absolutely magnificent and serve the eyes like a masterpiece at an art exposition!

The ‘Tude Meter rides the middle on this one and it’s logical considering the light and dark worlds (makes sense I guess) and the differences that they represent. Additionally, the rating reflects the yin and yang of stabbing enemies in the face while also fretting around in a wooded brook with fairies which is always a deterrent from a maximum score. Link may be traveling between good and evil dimensions but unfortunately, we’re playing in a moderately cool one (just like in real life… meh).

Great game One of The ‘Tude Dude’s personal favorite SNES games of all time What a tremendous introduction into the 16-bit generation as The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past provides both a faithful reverence to the NES titles (top-down gameplay of the original/magic bar from the second) and innovative mechanics that would become franchise staples (collecting heart pieces, keeping items in bottles, etc.) showcasing exactly how a sequel is supposed to be done! Pretty much every aspect is perfect or near-perfect and the feeling of quality permeates at all times during your bush-whacking, chicken-chucking journey through Hyrule’s 16-bit iteration. Besides A Link To The Past’s tangible qualities though, its VAST reaching power to the masses was/is beyond measure and I cannot thank it enough for being able to persuade my mom into giving gaming a chance during her “don’t-rot-your-brain-phase” which helped us bond in a special way. To this day, the very mention of A Link To The Past and we’re both instantly transported back to the times when she would point at the screen and shout out orders to me in restrained frustration since she had absolutely no controller comprehension whatsoever but a fervent and admirable desire to see the quest to the end. It’s memories like these that have seemed to correspond with my experience playing Zelda games (whether playing with friends or family) and quite frankly, I wouldn’t trade em for all the Triforce triangles in the world! Utilizing the magic mirror magnifying glass, only a few flaws are noticeable on this precious gem but they certainly do little to tarnish the shine any overall. My 2 biggest complaints center around comparisons to its predecessors, feeling a little less linear than the original (I mean you get full reign to the surrounding world but not at the beginning) and not quite as challenging as The Adventure Of Link (the blue iron knuckles OWN just about anything here). Not to mention, many of the enemies look ridiculously G-rated (cower in fear to the evil jumping sack of french fries) which does little to instill any fear in your chances at overcoming them. Overall though, there’s simply no denying the masterpiece that is A Link To The Past acting as a true cornerstone to not only the brand it’s attached to and the console it’s associated with but to video games as a whole brandishing all that’s RIGHT within the medium. Now that’s legendary!

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“Eyegore … more like eye-sore am I right?!”

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