2024 nonsense: I played it on switch with nintendo live and the game lags when there are more than 6 npc on the screen...
With a view to playing all the Zelda games, I unsurprisingly decided to start with the first one. Obviously, the game bears the marks of time, but I found it an exciting step back in time. Much of the Zelda grammar is already present: the heart system, progressive weapon and skill unlocks, shrines, etc...
This game also proves that an adventure needs (almost) no dialogue or cutscenes. It's possible to have an immersive experience through exploration and gameplay alone. It's also possible to guide the player through evasive NPCs without taking them by the hand.
Another interesting element that seems to differ in subsequent Zelda games is that the game is almost a survivalist game, given the hostility of the Hyrule universe. If I'm not mistaken, apart from the first panel and the "heart-restoring fairy", all the panels are death traps. Stand still and Link dies.
The game is also brutally difficult, requiring the player to use the full panoply of items to good effect. Two elements are particularly annoying in my opinion: 1) no "invisible frame" after being hit 2) after dying, no matter how many hearts you have, you go back to 3 hearts. The penalty for the last point seems very heavy to me, and it's not unusual for me to have to leave the sanctuary to go and fill up my pv at the fairy. This sometimes creates pacing problems, but also emphasizes that every damage counts and should be avoided. I really recommend doing all the upgrades you can before going to see Ganon.
I also find that the interface borders on a form of perfect minimalism. Everything is clear, immediate and useful. Right from the start, you can sense Zelda's intentions: to bring the RPG genre to a wider audience by simplifying some of its aspects (complicated UI, lots of text and sometimes very tactical combat) while retaining the desire to explore a wide world, to discover secrets on two levels: a rich open world and enigmatic dungeons. It's also a vision of the RPG that places the player as a constantly active actor (sorry for the redundancy): there are almost no pauses, almost no dialogue, no turn-based combat. In short, a clear break with the paper role-playing game. The granddaddy of console RPGs? shit, this game's almost 40 years old...
With a view to playing all the Zelda games, I unsurprisingly decided to start with the first one. Obviously, the game bears the marks of time, but I found it an exciting step back in time. Much of the Zelda grammar is already present: the heart system, progressive weapon and skill unlocks, shrines, etc...
This game also proves that an adventure needs (almost) no dialogue or cutscenes. It's possible to have an immersive experience through exploration and gameplay alone. It's also possible to guide the player through evasive NPCs without taking them by the hand.
Another interesting element that seems to differ in subsequent Zelda games is that the game is almost a survivalist game, given the hostility of the Hyrule universe. If I'm not mistaken, apart from the first panel and the "heart-restoring fairy", all the panels are death traps. Stand still and Link dies.
The game is also brutally difficult, requiring the player to use the full panoply of items to good effect. Two elements are particularly annoying in my opinion: 1) no "invisible frame" after being hit 2) after dying, no matter how many hearts you have, you go back to 3 hearts. The penalty for the last point seems very heavy to me, and it's not unusual for me to have to leave the sanctuary to go and fill up my pv at the fairy. This sometimes creates pacing problems, but also emphasizes that every damage counts and should be avoided. I really recommend doing all the upgrades you can before going to see Ganon.
I also find that the interface borders on a form of perfect minimalism. Everything is clear, immediate and useful. Right from the start, you can sense Zelda's intentions: to bring the RPG genre to a wider audience by simplifying some of its aspects (complicated UI, lots of text and sometimes very tactical combat) while retaining the desire to explore a wide world, to discover secrets on two levels: a rich open world and enigmatic dungeons. It's also a vision of the RPG that places the player as a constantly active actor (sorry for the redundancy): there are almost no pauses, almost no dialogue, no turn-based combat. In short, a clear break with the paper role-playing game. The granddaddy of console RPGs? shit, this game's almost 40 years old...