As cryptic as this game is for modern gamers and given how far the games have come along since then, it's important to remember that when this game came out, it was groundbreaking at the time. NES games before this were so much more linear or were arcade conversions. Compared to everything else, this was a game you could really sink your teeth into.
About beginning the game, many don't think of the manual. If you take a look at it, it pretty much includes a walkthrough for the first two dungeons and a bunch of other things.
You can figure out where bombable walls are by looking at the map which shows you where rooms you can't access are located and you just have to bomb the adjacent room and if a room can't be bombed to that means you have to find a staircase. It can be a bit more trial-and-error-y before you get the map, but you usually fill out a good portion of the map before you need to start bombing anyways. Also the shared key system is... actually one of the best mechanics of this game. There are key doors in the game that only serve as shortcuts, especially in the earlier dungeons, allowing you to build up a surplus of keys that can be used to skip particularly gruelling rooms in later dungeons. It rewards players for taking the proper level order and not relying on shortcuts and creates adaptive difficulty by going in a different dungeon order, which other open-ended Zeldas completely fail at doing. Also iirc Level-9 is actually pretty linear with only a few branching paths, which makes the dungeon more of a gauntlet than a navigation puzzle. Also also, you reeeeeeally need to give the second quest another shot because it does a lot of interesting things with its design. There's slightly more linear progression overall, where most the game is locked behind the level-2 item which also gives you a pseudo invisible wall tutorial. It also likes giving hints by having items or even staircases spawn at inaccessible locations, meaning that you have to figure out how to loop back into the same room from a different direction, which often means you KNOW that there has to be a bombable/invisible wall there. The huge problem with the "formula" of later Zelda dungeons is that well... it's way too formulaic. You never get that feeling of exploration or discovery since you know that the game has scripted everything out for you in a specific way, and the only way to get lost is to hide the progress flag into something dumb like having to talk to a very specific npc when you have a specific item.
Keep in mind this was made in 1986. Back in 89, when first I played this, the way we figured out how to proceed was by collectively sharing our experiences in the school playground. I figured out the Grumble Grumble character just by experimenting with the items. And I already had the bait thanks to a friend's advice that pointed me to the Blue Ring shop.
I remember drawing my own map screen by screen. That in itself was a magical experience. I miss games where you had to take notes and draw maps. It somehow made the experience more authentic.
I forget the exact number, but I remember having over 100 deaths on my Zelda 1 character. It really wasn't a game meant to be beaten quickly. We would spend whole afternoons just collecting and buying bombs so we could test out walls for secrets. That was part of the fun - Nintendo games were expensive, and most people only had a few so we didn't mind a game that stretched out the experience. It was a point of pride for little kids when we beat something though. I honestly can't remember if any of my friends beat Zelda 2, I know I certainly didn't.
I really hope that one day the original Legend of Zelda is remade properly one day. Like an ACTUAL remaster/remake. Whether by fans or an official teams
Legend of Doom is a DOOM mod that is a faithful recreation of LoZ1 in the GZDoom engine. It's super immersive and really cool to be able to explore the OG Hyrule in 3D. The 2D sprite based graphics of classic DOOM are perfect for a recreation of LoZ1. I HIGHLY recommend it.
I wish I could play this game again for the first time. It was such an amazing feeling getting lost in this world and not knowing what to do or where to go. I feel like part of the charm is experimenting with bombs and fire to find secrets. As far as this series has come, the original Zelda is still one of the best cryptic adventure games of all time.
I agree completely. Many of today's gamers will never know the feeling that we had back then where you could be truly lost in a fantasy world and have to use your wits and perseverance to find your way. The things we learned in the original Legend of Zelda carried over to every game of the series: push every brick, burn every bush and bomb every wall lol. I remember being so mad when a link to the past came out and they were actual cracks in the wall to show you they could be blown up. It somehow made me feel like the game wasn't just for me anymore because I felt like they were dumbing it down to make it more mainstream. Obviously I love a link to the Past but for some reason having cracks in the walls always bothered me 🤪 I miss getting lost. I almost found that feeling again with Breath of the wild. I wasn't so much lost but I did get the feeling of never knowing what's over the next horizon. Do you know of any current games that give you the feeling of being lost like the original Zelda? I would love to play one.
The bomb walls are perfectly represenative of what this game is to me... I wish I played it when I was still so full of wonder at the prospect of a world full of secrets, hearing about it from friends, and actually putting in effort to find ones myself. Nowadays, I'm way more critical and want the process to be compelling and way less tedious, even if it's just simple hints. I did play other games, so many of us know about that mystical truck in Pokemon, then there's mechanics behind finding roaming legendaries in gen 4 that really made an impression on me, but as a kid... Even just finding legendaries where you were supposed to encounter them felt like a discovery, I can only imagine what this game felt like.
The effects and presentation of this review are great! My only critique is I wish you mentioned the manual. The manual back then was essentially the tutorial of the game, and it explained many concepts that would be explored. It even came with a fold out map of Hyrule that had empty squares for you to fill in. It's like a step below a guide with how much it tells you about the game. I know, it's a separate piece of paper, but back in 1985 when Zelda came out, the game itself could not store that much information on it. Link in-game even tells you to read it.
I sadly never had the manual for this game, so I couldn’t speak to it. I think it was lost in my household long before I was old enough to be able to actually play the game competently.
Would love to see your take on the second quest dungeons since they can get even crazier at times with just straight up walking through walls. Great video!
Many years ago I battled The Adventure of Zelda in Washington state. I'd guess I spent a good year after that trying to 'beat the game' in Montana. I found that playing this game WAS the journey finally.
I'll never forgive Level 7 for having hidden the upper central room within the "eye" of the demon-shaped map. That alone was the reason why I didn't know how to clear that dungeon for 10 months, and it's a clear testament of why the original LOZ has aged so poorly. -_-
Aw man...I'd be one of those people that would prioritize shaping the map like something cool over making one that's actually fun to get through. On behalf of my theatrical brethren, I apologize.
Maybe not the best design for new players but it was from a generation that focused on challenging games and you felt good about knowing all the tricks and secrets.
I played this game when it was new and it was amazing for it's time, I stopped playing Zelda games after the SNES and Gameboy version because I got a PlayStation instead of an N64 and never owned a Nintendo system until many years later when I got a Wii for my kids around 2009 or 2008 I think can't really remember, and never got back into playing Zelda games, but maybe it's time.
I feel like this game doesn't stand the test of time, while games like ALttP do. If things like the bomb drops were easier to understand, so that when you use all your bombs on one screen, you can find more easier, or it was faster to get money for the ring, and shield, 2 bomb upgrades, and then anything else, it might be more fun to revisit. Last time I did a play through of most major Zelda games, that was the end of my caring about this game. And I'm saying this being 42 and having grown up with the game. It's one of my less favorite Zelda games, with my favorites including ALttP, TP, BotW, WW (except the ocean), and Link's Awakening (thanks to the remake).
when talking about a 40 year old game and the VERY FIRST zelda game in a monolithic franchise, can we REALLY blame it for being the way that it is especially for fans in 2024 that a LARGE chunk of us werent even born when it came out?
1:30 I actually disagree with this. The Sega Saturn has an INCREDIBLE 2-D controller. It’s the culmination of 2-D console manufacturing, which is actually why it failed so spectacularly here in the states, everyone was into the new hotness that was 3-D. I do really like the SNES controller, it’s great for sure, a little small for me though, because I’m like a giant.
i should also add that while i am ware of the shortcomings with many of its dungeons such as with door logic and enemy placement, these flaws are easily fixable if z1 ever were to have a pixel remaster in the future. i also don't think the combat is bad tbh and if anything can be more engaging compared to many of its other top down successors because the simplicity can result in a less is more philosophy where combat does not feel like a chore.
the other thing about the goron mines complaint also applies to that one spider in the deku tree and the two in dodongo's cavern. then you have tail cave in LA's remake that requires bombs (you can obtain them in the original before the dungeon).
in defense of level 9, i do think it delivers well as a final dungeon but i cannot deny it has some door logic problems such as the infamous northwest room with the locked door facing east and the south shutter door that does not open while not giving the player a small key to access.
awesome video! One tip from the NSO though: it looks a lot cleaner if you remove the side bars that have this weird pattern on them I gotta say though those 3D maps are incredible. Did you make them?
Thanks! I did make them in blender, yes! I also kinda like the weird side pattern hahah. It isn’t very intrusive and then you don’t have empty blackness. I guess it’s a preferential thing hahah
Been a big fan of your dungeon design series for a while! Came back to this bc a friend is playing LoZ for the first time and doesn't want to use a guide (tho backseating is welcome). This a fantastic starting point for a newbie - gives some tips without handholding like a walkthrough guide
started watching this during the preview period but then had to wait for the actual premier to finish >D whoops Totally agree about the overworld map. I played this game for the first time (all the way through) during lockdown; made it a point to play some Zeldas I had never actually played or fully finished (NES, LBW, Minish Cap), and I played the NES LOZ (both quests) on the Wii U. But, admittedly, I ordered a poster of the overworld map and hung it right next to the tv, so I effectively had a map for reference and that made a HUGE difference. I also allowed myself to use a walkthrough to find some of the dungeons themselves, but not for working through the actual dungeons. A great game, an inspired concept, and it's so fun to see so many of these visuals/ideas come back in later games, in particular Breath of the Wild. Awesome video Burger
While Zelda 1 is near and dear to me, I'm inclined to agree with most criticisms you bring up from a modern design perspective. Made me think about how difficult remaking it would be. Maintaining the cryptic vibe of Zelda 1 is somewhat essential, but tips were spread by word-of-mouth then. Now the game would have to provide more hints, without being too obvious. Would be quite the design challenge!
Cryptic isn't the word for it, badly translated more like it. I'm sure a better translation, if even possible, would have went a long way. Then again, I don't know that English on the NES could ever explain the 10th enemy and bomb drops.
@@CaptBurgersonnah nice try buddy. You are criticizing it using a modern lens which you should not be doing with a game that was the first game in the series. Makes you sound like a whiny entitled gamer. 😂
@@HipnotikHylian I offer the game a healthy balance of praise and criticism. Having critiques about a game doesn’t make me entitled or whiny, but saying you can’t criticize something sure does make you sound like a fanboy who just loves things blindly. I love Zelda. I love how every game in the series differs and how the series changes and evolves. That doesn’t mean I’m ignorant to their flaws. It means the good things outweigh those flaws. But you can focus on the few complaints I have here and there and ignore all the magic I compliment the game for sure! That’s totally rational and normal of you!
You seem to be enough of a video game enthusiast nearly gamer girl status, so I ask you. Do you think this blossom Tales knock off series has enough legs to it to stick around and become popular outside the indie genre?
All the thing you criticized Zelda for were designed for kids to talk about the game on the playgrounds and help each other with hints. Some of the newer games feel linear and with a lot of hand holding from developers. At least with Zelda 1 different people playing a different way would be beneficial to getting genuine excitement and not just going through the motions of playing a scripted movie.
Yeah the social context surrounding the game was a big part of the experience. I remember waiting for school to end with so much anticipation, wanting to go home and try out the new tip I heard on the playground. Lol Sadly there's no way to replicate that now.
