The Legend of Zelda. A link to the Past

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

It's hard to believe that the 16-bit version of Link is aged 23. 23? Yes we first cast eyes upon Link in 1991 with Japanese release of The Legend Of Zelda A Link to the Past, followed closely by the European and North American release in 1992. He's old enough to vote and buy a house by modern standards! We're not here to talk about a modern Link no. Today, as I flick that switch up on my Super Nintendo and hear the familiar and mystical song as the Triforce comes together I can't help but feel like I am 10 years old again. The truth is that this is now a link to my past. 

It's the top down view that made me smile all those years ago. I still feel a glow in my tummy when I start a new quest. Link is asleep in his bed. Pretty quickly it became clear that our quest was to save the picturesque land of Hyrule from Agahnim's evil forces. Stepping out of Link's house for the first time felt great back then. The rich colours of foliage, water and deep blues of the castle absolutely memorised my eyes. I think that The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past really showed off what the Super Nintendo could do back then. 

On the plains of Hyrule, our hero, Link fights on

16-bit dungeon crawling at its best

Playing The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past for the first time was my first experience of dungeon crawling and this game is probably responsible for my absolute devotion to RPG's today. In the early nineties I'd always get lost in the dungeons in A Link to the Past but I envied the challenge to progress. I fell in love with Hyrule from playing this game so much which made me ever more determined to be the strongest Link (oh yes you saw what I did there). 

Kakariko Village was always a place that intrigued me. I remember stumbling upon this small cluster of buildings and wondering "what's this?". Do you remember the guy that would run as soon as you approached him in Kakariko Village? And the guy that you purchase the empty bottle from that reminds me of snake charmer? I loved these little quirky aspects to this beautiful game. As I have gotten older I found out lots of cool extras that Kakariko had to offer. In the South West side of the village there's a building with no door. Drop a bomb at the back of it as the hole will reveal a secret room. Retro gaming always throws these little surprises towards me. 

Kakariko Village in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Defeating a boss and saving a Sage

Flicking to the dark world and the light added a little twist to my Zelda experience. The parallel world and the idea of transporting between the two made me feel a little confused at times. But hey, I was ten years old by the time I played this game (in 1993). Nevertheless, I respected the depth that Nintendo had gone to to provide me with such an epic game. Dare I say my favourite Super Nintendo title of all time? When I had my first play through, I never saw the Dark World coming. I anticipated a shorter game. All of a sudden Link is transported to another realm and WHAM it felt like I was in a different game. Again, I'd like to point out that this added a lot of Depth to The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past and what's more, we were able to continue our journey with some fantastic weapons and armour. The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past really made a positive impact on my gaming brain as much today as it did back in 1993.

Weapons, abilities and armour. The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past had/has it all.

Back in 1992, I believe that Nintendo Power Magazine rated A Link to the Past a 4.675 out 5. In 2014, I'd override that and place a solid 5 out of 5 on this amazing 16-bit experience. Now it's your turn. Tell me about your memories from you playing The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past. If you want to support me further then it'd help me out a ton if you subscribed to my Youtube channel. 


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