The Retrospective 08.16.06: Legend of Zelda (Part 1 of 3)
Posted by Sean McCabe on 08.16.2006
Debut Column here, so don't eat me! Just let me sooth your soul with some Zelda goodness.
Okay, welcome to my new column here on 411mania, I like to call The Retrospective. I don't think it's hard to work out just exactly what I'm going to be doing week in and week out. I'll explore the history, and the games, of some of the most well known franchises in the industry. I do say most well known because simply, it's not all going to be good. You see, I'd think it would be fun to do one on the Army Men games, just for the hell of it. Then of course, I'll be covering some series that I personally deem to be overrated so if I'm going to cover them, I save some pride by stating that this column is not just about looking at quality games. Oh, how the hate mail will flow when I get to the likes of GTA, Halo and Final Fantasy.
The Introspective
Yep, the puns are going to flow fast here. Anyway, this little part of the column, is really just for me to make some comments on how my gaming life has been over the past week or so. A lot of my time is spent being jealous and spiteful towards Americans for getting games before us Brits. Case in point, King of Fighters 2006, being released on the 22nd this month. If walking out into the street and beating the hell out of a random guy would get me a copy of this game, I'd go out and do it. Now, I know, I could always import, but well… I don't really have the money to buy the game at the moment anyway… come to think of it, maybe it's not so bad that the game will come out here when I likely could afford it. Oh well. Ditto goes to Steambot Chronicles, Rule of Rose and Suikoden V, all on my "buy in the next month or two" list.
For my actual gamesplaying, I have been enjoying myself with Broken Sword 3. I think George Stobbart maybe the driest wit in videogames land. That's not a bad thing to be, and the game itself is very enjoyable with the exception of instant death stealth situations, which really, whoever thought them up needs to be shown some real instant death. I also just picked up Dreamfall: The Longest Journey yesterday. Via trade-in, since as I said, I'm quite broke. Guess I'm in an adventuring mood as of late. I am also, of course, incredibly psyched for Dead Rising. The main reason I am broke isn't so much that I have no money, it's the fact that I need every penny I can muster to buy one of those new fangled Xbox 360s. Just over a month away, before I can take some to those undead bastards! Ash is my hero, so yeah, killing zombies will always get me excited. Think I'll buy Enchanted Arms to since I'm a sucker for Japanese RPGs. Finally, I have been playing lots of Streetfighter and King of Fighters. I am to 2D fighters what Ari is to Ring of Honor, meethinks. Yes I just plugged two other columns in the same sentence. But I don't do it for free; I accept wrestling or anime DVDs as payment.
And to business
Right now, I'm going to the top of the pile, the one and only, Legend of Zelda. Quite frankly, if you don't think Zelda is the greatest game series of all time, then give me your Paypal account address and I'll donate towards the money you'll need to buy some good taste. There's something about playing as a little green-tunic wearing elf that has warmed the cockles of hearts of numerous cold, cynical, jaded gamers. When they've had enough of all the flashy graphics and dynamic lighting of the games of today, the Zelda series is often a haven, games with simpler values and a certain purity that no other series of games can claim to have. It's not surprising really. It's a series that has seen releases in every major generation of gaming since the Second, but even though the series has of course evolved considerably each time, at it's core, it is still the same kind of game that it always was. To understand what the essence of Zelda is, one need only look at the one that started it all.
The Legend of Zelda
Format: NES
Release: 1985
Notes: Released on a gold cartridge; first game ever to use battery backup saving.
Created by the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto, he once explained the motivation behind creating the game was his experiences exploring caves as a child. It's quite clear playing the game that indeed, the sense of exploring new and interesting places is the main attraction of playing the game. One thing about the original Legend of Zelda, was how surprisingly non-linear it was. Despite being built on what would now be considered very simple hardware, Miyamoto crafted a believable world, one with many different environments. Despite the simplicity of the graphics, the sense of exploration is there. And of course, never more so than when venturing into those caves, the underworld of Hyrule.
The story was as simple as you could get, an evil Sorceror, a kidnapped princess. Really it was the basis of Mario Bros set in a more conventional fantasy world. But then it is from the age of when stories were not important, the experience is everything, a mantra that I would say the series has pretty much continued to live up to. Even though there has been attempts to give subsequent Zelda's more complex stories, they never feel very invasive. The focus of the series is always on exploring the overworld, and battling your way through the underworld. It is such an intuitive and effective set up, that it has never changed and to this day, most RPGs and adventure games copy it, with never quite the same levels of success.
In Retrospect: The Legend of Zelda, beyond a shadow of a doubt, single-handedly created the adventure genre as it is known today, and probably is the most important game ever created bar maybe Pong and Super Mario Bros.
Now, with that out of the way I will take a look at all the major releases in the series. I will even mention the Cdi games, since we all need a lesson in why money can destroy even the most sacred of things, but that sometimes it's possible to sweep it all under the carpet and pretend it never happened… which does bring us to the next game in the series
The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventures of Link
Format: NES
Release: 1986
Notes: Followed only a year after the original, and had wildly different gameplay.
Now here's a game I'd like to talk about. It was a bad game, but not for the reason that most people claim. It was not bad because of the fact that it was different. No, it actually played quite well, and was an interesting concept. It's unique mix of top down and side-scrolling gameplay really could have made this game a hit. But, it was way, way too hard. I played this straight after playing through and beating the original, which was challenging enough. I couldn't even complete the first dungeon after a week of trying. A lot of old school games are remembered for being tough, and frankly, some are forgotten because they were just too tough that all of three people beat it and those three people are probably locked away in an institution somewhere. Seriously, if anybody did beat the second Zelda, I'd love to see some feedback so I know you're out there, and what you thought of the game. I certainly believe with a more manageable difficulty level, it could have been good.
In Retrospect: A rare, missed opportunity from Nintendo, but it does prove that they weren't afraid to try something new with sequels.
And now to…
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Format: SNES
Release: 1990
Notes: This game just pwns, really.
After the second Zelda game was so disappointing, it really could have derailed the whole series when you think about it. So, Nintendo did the smart thing. Returning to the gameplay style that made the original so popular, they also used the powerful (for it's time) SNES hardware to craft an artistically rich game. To be totally honest, I can't think much more to say other than this is one of the greatest games I've ever played. Even if the original was more important as a whole to the game industry, this was the game that would cement the Legend of Zelda as a force to be reckoned with. If the SNES didn't have Super Mario World selling it already, then this would have done the job just as well. Many innovations were introduced to the series in this game. A more complex structure where progress is dictated by obtaining the right items, and two worlds that are interconnected yet separate for Link to explore. It stands today as one of the true classic of the 16 bit generation.
In retrospect: Actually an important release for Nintendo, as if it flopped it likely would have destroyed the credibility of the Zelda series. Suffice to say, it did not flop by a long shot.
Now to that other extremely successful Nintendo console…
The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening
Format: GameBoy
Release: 1993
Notes: well it was the first portable Zelda, and therefore a technical achievement on the Game Boy hardware.
Three years after the runaway success of Link to the Past, Nintendo released what could be considered the first side story in the Zelda series. The plot to Link's Awakening can generally not be considered canon to the rest of the series. There are many different takes on precisely what was with Link's Awakening strange plot, and due to both the name of the game and some other things I saw whilst playing the game, I agree with the theory that it's a dream that one of the canon Link's, since don't forget there's more than one of ‘em, is experiencing. Still, the storyline once again isn't too important. This was the first of many portable Zelda's, and the nice, simple clean 2D gameplay of Zelda quickly proved itself extremely suitable for portable consoles. Credit should also go to Nintendo for creating a new game in the series to, a game which, even if it ultimately didn't influence the future games in the series all that much, did nonetheless introduce many of it's own innovations which helped the game feel unique, even if it was the fourth game in the series. In fact it's almost like Zelda II done right in many ways. The game featured a simplified inventory system, which lends itself better to the simple controls of the Game Boy, plenty of new items that allowed Link to do things he never could do before, such as firing bomb arrows, which was one of the coolest things ever, seriously. It was pretty tough to, a return to the difficulty of the original Zelda, rather than Link to the Past, which was somewhat easier.
In Retrospect: Another important release for Nintendo, giving buyers of their Game Boy something compelling to do with it, and give Tetris a break for a while. It would also be the first of many great portable Zeldas as well.
And now, last game to end this first part, but you know what they say about last and least…
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Format: Nintendo 64
Release: 1998
Notes: Probably the most anticipated game in history. The sexist ad campaign is still worth a laugh to. Single-handedly made the N64 not a failure. Well, maybe with a little help from Goldeneye and Mario 64, okay? Was in planning stages in 1991! Three year programming schedule. See, time does equal perfection.
Ah. I remember this game. This is really the first game that I took an active interest in before its release. Although I started playing games in 1994, I wasn't really a "gamer" until 1997 and this was the game that made me one, even long before it's actual release. First off I need to stress how absolutely freaking beautiful this game looked, at the time not long after the PSX and N64 had been released. People look at Crysis and gasp, this was Crysis back in 1997. On the day of its release, it was a game that was pretty much guaranteed to sell out. I was of course at School on that Friday morning, and so it was up to my Mum (yep, I am British you know) to go and secure a copy for me. That she did, and I'm eternally grateful for that. Sometimes you know when playing a game your playing a piece of history. Super Mario Bros, Tetris, Streetfighter II, the original Zelda, and Ocarina of Time goes straight onto that list. Mario 64 may have created the 3D world, but Ocarina perfected it, and unlike Mario 64, introduced the one major element that pretty much all 3D games had lacked up until that point, and that was exploration. Never knowing what was around the next corner, the game sees players take Link through forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, deserts and caves, all in beautiful 3D. I don't think the graphics are even ugly now, there's a certain timelessness about them. A myriad of colourful characters peppered the way, and the game was also the first Nintendo game to not be afraid to be dark at points. Lets face it; both the nightmare intro and meeting Ganondorf for the first time put a shudder through your spine. It had to; it was such a memorable yet creepy moment. This game sold a lot of N64s and made Nintendo a lot of money, and I think more importantly, proved that a game with exceptional craftsmanship and time put behind it can still sell in today's impatient world. Hence why Nintendo have never been shy about delaying games, and a delay from Nintendo usually means good news, not bad. The impact of this game is still felt, and will likely never be forgotten. It took me three months to beat this game. And that isn't because I suck. This is perhaps the only game I never really wanted to end. But oh well, there's always replaying it.
In Retrospect: Often called the greatest game ever, and totally deserving of that title. However, even Nintendo may not have what it takes to replicate the greatness of this game. But they are more than welcome to try, because frankly, a game that's even anywhere near as good as Ocarina of Time is destined for greatness. That is the majesty of this game. If Final Fantasy is the Hulk Hogan of videogames, Zelda is the Ric Flair of videogames. And no matter what people claim, not matter what they say, true quality will always stand out and shine through the annals of time clearer than any flash in the pan success. People will eventually forget about games like GTA and Halo, but I believe this is one game that will never be forgotten.
And there kids is the end of part one. Because even though Ocarina of Time may be Zelda's finest moment, it certainly was far from it's final nor it's last great moment by any stretch of the imagination. In fact Nintendo would come 2 years later with a game that was damn near as good!
This was the very first Retrospective, I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed putting it together, and now I have a long journey ahead of me, to trawl through game history like a Salmon looking for some action. Any and all feedback is welcome, as long as it is of course on the topic at hand. I am pretty bad with deadlines, but I'm going to try to make sure I have a column every Monday, so… hopefully, you can join me here next week, same 411 time, same 411 channel.
