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| GENRE |
| Adventure |
| DEVELOPER |
| Nintendo |
| PUBLISHER |
| Nintendo |
| NUMBER OF PLAYERS |
| 1 |
| CONNECTIVITY |
| No |
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Legend of Zelda
When Nintendo brought Super Mario Brothers Deluxe to the Game Boy Color, the big question on every Game Boy fan's mind was, "When are we going to see Zelda?" Unfortunately, the game would have to wait for a portable system with an aspect ratio more fitting for its epic adventure. But, at long last, The Legend of Zelda has been emulated on the Game Boy Advance. The end result is probably the richest, deepest game in the initial Classic NES series.
visuals
I've played a lot of NES games on my GBA through the e-Reader and Animal Crossing downloads, so I'm familiar with the tricks Nintendo's pulled to squeeze these older games into the smaller aspect ratio. However, I was pleasantly surprised with just how good Zelda looks on the handheld. In a side-by-side comparison with the original, I'm hard-pressed to find any difference in the character graphics, and the differences in background textures are more or less inconsequential. That said, the game is nearly twenty years old, and it looks like it. But you weren't expecting anything jaw-dropping from the Classic NES series, were you?
audio
All of the original tunes are well-represented on the GBA -- yes, all four of them. And after all these years and countless remixes, it's surprising how well that classic overworld theme still stands up. Sound effects are largely unchanged and unremarkable, apart from the occasional terrifying roar from a dungeon boss.
gameplay
This is as plain and simple as Zelda gets. Eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom are hidden in eight dungeons. Find them all, then head to Death Mountain to slay Ganon and rescue Zelda. Looking back, it's remarkable to see how open-ended the first Zelda really was. Almost every part of the overworld is accessible right from the start of the game, and you're free to take on the dungeons in just about any order you want. Very few obstacles require Link to have a particular item -- indeed, many items are completely optional. It's quite a bit of fun just to roam around the overworld to see what you can find. This game is also quite a bit more challenging than modern Zeldas, especially at the beginning of the game when Link is underpowered. If you don't know where you're going, it can be easy to accidentally wander into places where the monsters are too powerful. Up to eight enemies cover the screen at once, some of them firing projectiles; if you aren't careful, you can find yourself cut to ribbons in a matter of seconds. Puzzles are fairly simple, but occasionally unintuitive. Friendly senior citizens will offer cryptic advice to help you on your way, but newcomers to the Zelda series may need a walkthrough to get through some of the more obtuse parts. And if you manage to defeat Ganon, a more difficult second quest becomes available, with a subtly rearranged overworld and nine new dungeons. It's quite a bit of bang for your buck. Nintendo was kind enough to add a button sequence to bring up the save menu at any time -- the original required a second controller -- but Link always starts over from the beginning when you continue. Thankfully, Sleep mode is also implemented, and it helps to make The Legend of Zelda appropriate for a portable audience; there's no need to start all over if you need to take a break in the middle of a dungeon. But it has to be said: for a collector's game, this is a pretty no-frills package. The cartridge is grey to match the rest of the Classic NES series, not golden to match the original Legend of Zelda. The instruction manual is in black and white, and the original artwork and text is sorely missed. Also, the original included a partial map of the Overworld and the first two dungeons as well as a booklet of last-resort secret hints, neither of which made it into the new package. It's kind of a small nit to pick, I'll admit, but if I'm going to pay twenty bucks for nostalgia, I expect the whole bundle.
multiplayer
N/A
overall
Some people will call this a lazy port; I prefer to think of it as unblemished. Zelda has aged rather gracefully compared to some of the games from its time, and it's worth picking up for the portability factor alone. This is a must-own for all Zelda fans and anyone with any sort of interest in the Classic NES series. It could've been better, but it was never that bad to begin with.
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