This was my first time reaching this far back into the Legend of Zelda series. Despite being relentless with checkpoints and occasionally expecting logical leaps, I was pleasantly surprised how well-guided this game was for a newcomer.
The equipment found throughout the game adds some fun and meaningful new verbs, and integrates nicely into all the puzzles. I found that save states were helpful for some of the most tedious "get back to the spot before the boss fight" scenarios (I played on the SNES emulator on Switch), but otherwise the game stands up surprisingly nicely to someone like myself who has expectations that are largely informed by more modern games.
Fun to see the refined concepts from the older titles, the cool graphical flourishes they achieved with the upgrade to the SNES, and the iconic elements that this title brought into the series. Certainly worth playing for the first time today, especially with the reduced friction that comes from save states and having a walkthrough on hand if needed.
The equipment found throughout the game adds some fun and meaningful new verbs, and integrates nicely into all the puzzles. I found that save states were helpful for some of the most tedious "get back to the spot before the boss fight" scenarios (I played on the SNES emulator on Switch), but otherwise the game stands up surprisingly nicely to someone like myself who has expectations that are largely informed by more modern games.
Fun to see the refined concepts from the older titles, the cool graphical flourishes they achieved with the upgrade to the SNES, and the iconic elements that this title brought into the series. Certainly worth playing for the first time today, especially with the reduced friction that comes from save states and having a walkthrough on hand if needed.