Intro:

One of the first games developed for the SNES (now available on Wii/Wii U via the Virtual Console, and on PC via an SNES emulator), Zelda: A Link to the Past is a quality title which provides hours of quality entertainment. There is adventure to be had, the plot is good, there’s a large world to explore, there is all kinds of different tools and items – lots of goodies to keep the game entertaining all thoroughout. I will admit though, there is one shortcoming – you may find this game too short. This game could be finished from start to end in a matter of about 6 hours if you wanted to. It is still a good game though. You could say Zelda: A Link to the Past is a game that is “short and sweet.”

In a Nutshell:

The game ‘Zelda: A Link to the Past’ is played in a top-down perspective, similar to the very first Zelda title. The top-down perspective is the most distinctive characteristic about Zelda: A Link to the Past. It is one of the few Zelda games that uses this perspective, and it allows the player to see a lot of detail in the world as a result. You can see everything – the enemies surrounding Link, the trees, rocks, you can see above Link’s head, you can see below Link’s feet, and you can see all these things at all times. If you have never played a top-down game, and you like quest games, you should give this one a try – it is one of the best top-down perspective games ever made.

More about Zelda: A Link to the Past

As for the plot, it begins with Link being awakened on a stormy night by telepathic messages from Princess Zelda, alerting Link that she is trapped in the castle. Link awakens, leaves his home, and heads for the castle to save Princess Zelda. After saving her, Zelda informs Link of the danger engulfing Hyrule – that an evil wizard named Agahnim is planning to break the seal imprisoning Ganon in the Dark World. Link starts his quest by first acquiring the Master Sword, a sword forged to combat evil, in order to defeat his evil enemies. There is more to the plot, but I will leave this part out – I do not want to spoil the game for those wishing to play it!

The main weapon Link uses to defeat his enemies is his sword. The sword swoops at enemies in a swinging fashion, swiping away a quarter-circle in front of Link. This is certainly much better than the thrusting fashion of the original Legend of Zelda, and gives the game much more depth. In addition, if the player holds down the attack key for a small period of time, the sword charges, and can then be released to make a full circular attack against Link’s enemies. Very effective when Link finds himself surrounded!

Besides a sword, Link also obtains on his quest various items to help him along the way – such as a lantern, a boomerang, Pegasus Boots (allows Link to run and charge enemies), a hookshot, and more. These items bring a lot of diverse flavor to the game, giving Link that extra ‘power’ to aid him on his quest.

Another key feature is also the parallel-worlds in the game. There are two distinct worlds – a “Light World” and a “Dark World”. As you would imagine, the Light World is a pleasant world where things are normal, and everything seems to be alive and well. Alternatively, the Dark World is an evil world where grass has turned to desert, rocks are replaced by skulls, water looks green and ‘poisoned’ as opposed to being clear and blue, etc. The player will find himself constantly switching between worlds as well on his quest, being able to ‘warp’ between them at anytime (this occurs later in the game).

Conclusion

Zelda: A Link to the Past is a casual, light game that gives a sense of adventure, and is much like none other out there. It provides a great top-down gaming experience, lots of gadgets and bad guys, and a great chance to find out what retro gaming is all about. Admittedly, you may find this game a little short, but it is still worth playing (even if its just for a short while).

The good things:

• Great top-down action-adventure experience
• One of the best games of its time
• Classic plot
• Classic gameplay

The bad things:

• Pixel graphics might be a little too ‘pixelated’ for some people’s taste

Outro:

Zelda: A Link to the Past is a great classic video game, that really ignites the original roots of the Legend of Zelda genre. It is fun to play, for both casual and hardcore gamers, has a great plot, and is definitely worth giving a try!

Written by ZdoctorZ

 

 

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Published by: Nintendo

Developed by: Nintendo

Platform: SNES, Wii/Wii U (Virtual Console), PC via SNES emulation

Genre: Action-adventure

Release Date: November 21, 1991

ESRB Rating: Everyone