The Legend of Zelda Nes

A couple months ago I found myself in a Gamestop and decided that it was a good idea to pay for their yearly membership which includes their own personal monthly magazine Game Informer. I have had Game Informer sent to my house a couple of different times due to the same process and I have found the reviews and articles to be a very reliable source of information. I was intrigued especially from the edition they handed me in the store when I joined. It was their 200th magazine and with that they had made a list of the top 200 games of all time.

If you know anything about me you know that I love lists and when I saw this my eyes popped out of my head. I couldn't wait to read what games were ranked where and why they were chosen. When I started getting down to the 20's I knew what games were uncalled for by my experience and knowledge of video games. There were the usual FF7, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario 64, Goldeneye, and then all the Legend of Zelda games. I started to notice that the original was still missing from the list and although I'm very fond of the Nintendo's original Zelda, I never thought it was better than A Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time. I was surprised to see that it was named the best game of all time. I'm not going to blog today about why I think they are wrong considering it's not even the best game in the series but I'm going to reinforce the idea that it's the most influential game of all time.

I have always had a fond memory of Link. He was an 8-bit pixelated elf but he hold's a strong place in my heart and memories. The year was 1986 and Nintendo had finally broke into the video game community big time with their 1985 smash hit Super Mario Bros. The same creator of that game Shigeru Miyamoto under great scrutiny decided he wanted to create a game not as linear as Mario with a world map concept that made the game larger than it seemed.

To many it's considered the father of western rpgs/action rpgs and it's success paved a path for many games like it along the way. It wasn't the first game of its kind. There was this shit box called HydLide that came out for the PC based operating systems before Zelda and on the Nes a little afterwards and I can't even describe how awful it is. If you don't believe me play it or watch AVGN'S (Angry Video Game Nerd) episode about it. Here's the link for it if you're interested in watching it AVGN: HydLide

Zelda was the first game where you had the ability to find secret rooms and treasures. With accessories like the candle and the bombs you could try to discover items from coins to heart pieces throughout the land of Hyrule. There were so many different options of finding new items that it kept you coming back for more and if you needed help you could always call The Nintendo Power Hotline for help or call all your friends and ask them. In my own personal experience I can tell you that this is the first game I can remember playing. I was about 5 and my dad and brother bought a NES and they got Zelda. I remember how upset I was when my parents told me I had to go bed and I could still hear them playing the game in the other room. The game in video game standards is so legendary that I could recall almost every secret in the game and all the levels and bosses along the way to fighting Ganon. It was definitely a trend setter and who knows where the video game world would be today without the exploits of Hyrule's hero Link, Princess Zelda, and that mean mean Ganon. On a lighter note I wanted to give my couple of complaints about the game that I'm sure everyone else who has played it will understand completely.

1. I can't take the hamburger shield eaters and the fact they are named Like-Like makes me laugh. More like Hate-Hate and I can remember many a night my NES controller being flung at the TV because of this hopping hamburger wannabes
   
   
   
   
2. The appearing and reappearing hands that grab you and take you out of the level are the most annoying creatures in the history of video games and I think I mean it. I can't tell you how many times I was at the end of the level and I had to start it from the beginning again because the "Wall Master" as they are called had to come grab me and send me outside the front of the level
   
   
   
   
3. Those wizards that shot fireballs were so annoying that even thinking about it to this day stresses me out
   
   
   
   
4. The cat like looking creatures with the body armor that you could only hit them when you were directly behind them. No wonder they were named Darknuts lol who thought of that? That was definitely a bad translation from the Japanese version
   
   
   
   
5. Those dogs who while holding a sword in their mouth found a way to shoot them at you. That's a strong jaw let me tell you
   
   
   
   

There's one thing about The Legend of Zelda that not many people are aware of and is something I want to bring to light. The level design for level 3 is shaped in a left handed swastika otherwise known as a Manji which in Buddhist is considered a sign of good fortune. Many western people are not aware of this and took it the wrong way causing a lot of controversy during the game's initial release.

This is my first blog and I wanted to end it by telling you that I will have guest bloggers on every blog that I write. I have four bloggers to introduce you to right now with their opinions or nonsense about this topic.

Stingray

"What a way to jump start my childhood. The original Zelda for Nintendo is a game that pins up in entertainment history. The Beatles had 'Hey Jude', Spielberg had 'E.T', and Nintendo had "The Legend of Zelda."

Leave it to Beaver would have invented fireworks if Zelda was made around his time. This single video game gets the credit of advancing 1990's culture internationally. It was released in 86' and I swear that Link was the reason I began solving puzzles and simple equations (I was great in math!).

The replay value of the original Zelda gets like four and a half thumbs up. It was the most played game on everyone's television up until sega genesis came out in 89'. Freud would have written a personal agreement that my developing mind from 4-7 years old was highly influenced by nine underground dungeons and the Triforce.

The music was exceptionally diverse and just dark enough for a child to know that they were entering a serious adult realm. I'm sure if I heard the music right now, my hypothalamus nerves would set me in a glowing sword throwing trance ... OMG the boomerang even had my oldest brother appraising the young elf-looking adventurer, and he was 7 years older than I was. Australia should be proud to be a part of every living adult today. Zelda is the fundamental structure of facebook and every other technological advancement designed by a person alive in 1986. I will even go as far as saying Lebron James momentarily had an image of Link's large shield when choosing Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

No video game will ever do for mankind what The Legend of Zelda has accomplished. Shigeru Miyamoto designed a game that was a decade ahead of its time .. in a time when the youth first began saying 'no' to manhunt so they could waste limited energy exhilarating their imagination.

Good Luck and Good Night"

Fuzure

About Link all he said was "Fuck him lil prick"
Very insightful

Stuck Up Rich Boy

Personally I prefer a short game of golf against 2 or 3 steadily accurate opponents when the leaves first begin to orange, or a long cool windy afternoon on the dock hammock with half a book left to read by Addison-Wesley software security series .. but this next hour I will ponder a good portion of my thoughts onto The Legendary Legend of Zelda.

Writing is one of the weakest attributes I can lend to the world. Give me all Three Pillars of software debuggery and debauchery and dawdle the dogs drumstick while I Internally destroy your internet reputation worldwide. That is who I am. Now about why this type of person is sacrificing precious zero's and one's to speak precious insights on a video game.

I will tell you why.

Ganondorf was the first and last villain to impress me. It took months to finally meet the trident wielding blue pig. I remember playing differently in each of my three profiles and having the freedom to select or stumble upon any of the 8 dungeons obtaining the 3 triangles we all know as the triforce. You can ask anyone on my yacht about the triforce and the even the whole polo team will erupt on their stallions at the mention of such an empowering symbol. My favorite item in the game is the recorder. This is the English Flute and all seven holes resonate differently as the net scoops you away. It always made my belly button tickle.

When I had six years of earth knowledge, my facial and skin properties matched closely to that of Link. I did attend a whole day of school in a green hat and wooden sword after finally making it to the 'second quest'. Now we are entering into a new legion of gameplay for the more advanced gamers. It was my launch into self consciousness. The reason I respected the tooth fairy so much that I would provoke the tougher boys in class. The reason why I wore matching socks and beat my mom in the card game concentration. The 2nd quest to Zelda only began my adulthood. The navy swept my focus and now I am the person who boomerangs multiple viruses onto your girlfriends WOW account and virtually steals your identity.

It's fun being me

SeXXXyBeLLa

I never played Zelda as a kid but I do have a Zelda covered pillowcase with Mario on the other side and it's very comfortable to sleep on

Right lol as long you sleep on the Zelda side we are ok

Well that concludes my first blog and I hope that you enjoyed it and follow me on here. It's going to be a couple of weeks before I get to my next blog but I will post it once I have finished it

Thank you for your time
Brian