The Legend of Zelda
Reviewed by Zach Girkin
Graphics 60 out of 100
The graphics in the Legend of Zelda ("Zelda" from here on out) aren't
near what is expected by today's or yesterday's standards. Many people
and websites proclaim Zelda's graphics to be "outstanding in it's time".
This is simply not true, to compare with other games of it's time: Punch
Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream, Dragon Warrior, and Excitebike. That's only a
few of the games released in 1986-87 (The American release was 1987,
and Japanese was 1986), but I picked out the spectrum, from great to
decent to bad. Now, you're not dumb, so just make the comparisons in
your head, and you'll see that the small, fuzzy, repetitive graphics in
Zelda do not match up. This is all made up in gameplay, though.
Music and Sound 90 out of 100
The NES' sound system isn't capable of much... So it takes talent to
make music worth listening to with the NES. The music in the Zelda
is very catchy, the main overworld song is loved by many. The sounds
in Zelda are also un-advanced, but good enough. The sound when you
kill someone is classic. There's not much to say about sound on the
NES, so I guess I'll leave off here.
Game Challenge 80 out of 100
Well, at the time, games weren't nearly as non-linear, so this game may
have started a new "kind" of challenge for NES gamers. The puzzles, and
huge expanse of world make this game hours of entertainment. The
bosses, and unlimited foes also add to the challenge. Finding items
was also a new challenge at the time, did you ever have to FIND things
that you KEPT (unlike spread fire in Contra =) in a game before this?
Game Play-Fun 100 out of 100
100 out of 100 seems a bit much, eh? But I'm still excited at the
thought of playing this great game 10 years after it's release... That's
a good game if you ask me. I love it, and chances are you do too. The
sheer enjoyment of killing Tektites, and collecting Rubies to buy a
Candle that will allow you to burn trees down is un-measurable. The
ability to get new, stronger, swords and shields and to take on the
monsters and bosses of 9 different dungeons along with exploring the
100 screen overworld was a thing never before seen in games. This
game started a whole new genre, one that I'm proud to say is my
favorite. This game is legendary gold. It's ingenious gameplay that
makes this game, a game that lacks in the technical (graphics and
sound) department so much, the legendary game loved by so many today.
Frustration
The only frustrating part of this game is when your game gets erased by
accident. =(
Replayability 90 out of 100
TWO WORDS: SECOND QUEST!
Game Value 100 out of 100
Nowadays, this game probably sells for about 30 dollars (or LESS)... The game
itself is priceless. So, this game is definitely worth the price!!!
Overall 90 out of 100
Zelda has bad graphics and decent sound. But Mr. Miyamoto's ingenious
gameplay makes up for that ten-fold. BUY IT IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT!, and
PLAY IT IF YOU DO!