The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Reviewed by Patrick Thatcher
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the only Zelda game for the
SNES, and, in my opinion, it is the best. It has a lot of hidden items,
several unexpected game twists, and excellent control and gameplay.
Unlike many other role-playing games, past and present, you do not gain
levels by fighting enemies: in fact, you do not gain levels at all. You must
gain new powers by finding magical items, gain health by finding hearts,
and gain magic power by... well, that would spoil It, so I won't tell.
Graphics 5 out of 10
The graphics are not as good as later games, such as Chrono Trigger or
any N64 game, but they are fairly good and enough to keep you playing.
Music and Sound 5 out of 10
The music is interesting, but gets repetitive after some time. The sounds
are not very high-tech, but they are fitting and they don't make the game
any less desirable.
Game Play-Fun 10 out of 10
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is one of the best games I have
found in a while. It is challenging, but not overly so, and crams quite a
few secrets into its plastic casing. For those of you cheaters out there
(like me), there is no end to the walkthroughs, and there are even Game
Genie codes that give you almost infinite health and magic.
Frustration
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was not as big as I wished it was,
nor were the graphics and sounds utterly impressive, but other than that,
slashing Ganon's thugs apart with the Master Sword alleviates much tension.
Replayability 4 out of 10
It doesn't present much reply value by itself, but you can make it interesting
by say something like, "I vow not to use the (magic object) on this game."
Game Value 7 out of 10
In anticipation of Zelda 64, many people are revisiting The Legend of Zelda: A
Link to the Past, and you might want to, as well. Or, you could save your
money and wait for Zelda 64. It's your choice.
I personally enjoyed The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I think you will
too. It is definitely worth renting at least once, and some people might
want to buy it. In any case, it is an impressive successor to The Legend of
Zelda for the NES and a worthy ancestor of Zelda 64.
Overall 8 out of 10