Never have I been so compelled about a product that I’ve to write a review of it barely an hour after buying it. I’ve owned a Game Boy Advance (GBA) for a few years, but I haven’t played a single game on it at all. It was a gift from an insurance policy I bought quite some time back, and I wasn’t really into hand-held consoles then. In fact, I’m still not into them, or I’d have grabbed the PSP or the DS when I was in Tokyo just a few days ago. Yet, I’m now buying a game for a hand-held console, and playing it with much vigor despite the headaches it gives me. Such is the magic of The Legend of Zelda.
The Legend of Zelda was the first NES game that I completed when I was a youth (I’m still pretty young, by the way). I still remember urging my mum to buy me the cool-looking game in the gold packaging, without even knowing what it was all about. The rest, as they always said, was history. I beat the game in a week, beat the second quest a few weeks later, and started to write my own walkthroughs for friends of mine who haven’t completed the battle. Life was good.
18 years down the road, I bought Nintendo’s re-release of The Legend of Zelda from its Classic NES Series for the GBA. I’ve forgotten how to play the game, and I was having a hard time just to get a silver boomerang. Life is not very good now.
Still, I’m thoroughly enjoying the game, which has a rather simple concept. Basically, you take on the role of Link, who has to rescue Princess Zelda from the claws of Ganon. With an array of weapons and items, you must maneuver through various sections on the land of Hyrule to gather eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom, and then finish off Ganon to resume peace.
In terms of gameplay, The Legend of Zelda can never be compared with more sophisticated games from the modern era. However, considering the game’s age, the fact that it allows a large variety of combat and puzzle-solving challenges is already commendable. You start off with a wooden sword and shield, but gradually pick up more items like a boomerang and bombs. In underground dungeons, you’ll also gather compasses and maps that point you to the location of the fragments of the Triforce. Some of the bosses can only be defeated with specific weapons, so getting a healthy inventory is a must. What’s more, you also get life upgrades once you complete a level, which is always welcomed as the going does get tougher as it proceeds. On the whole, The Legend of Zelda has some RPG elements, but a lack of a true leveling up system means that it’s still very much an action/ adventure game.
The graphics in The Legend of Zelda did well enough to duplicate the original pretty well. Obviously, it looks rather out-dated, but you can’t expect a 1987 game to have the quality of games from recent years, can you? What concerned me is that the screen on the GBA is looks little squeezed. It doesn’t interfere with play, but it does affect my eyesight a little.
The audios in this game are also a replica of the original. They hold up well generally, and the sound of Link’s sword flying through the air still gives me the goosebumps. The music is also vintage Zelda, and you know I love it when I’ve it as my mobile phone’s ringtone.
Now, the downside. Considering that the game is more than six months’ old, I’m a little baffled that it still cost me close to £15 for it. Obviously living in Singapore counts (you know, shipping and all), but over 30 Quid for an off-the-shelf GBA game really borders on the insanity.
Nevertheless, I’m not one who bothers too much about paying for what I really want. What’s important is that I love this game, and you won’t be surprised I’m tilting it very much higher than most other people may do. And why not, when I can relive a legend?
