LTTP: NES Legend of Zelda

TheKid · Apr 26, 2024

For some reason I could never sit and play this game because it felt so archaic but I finally decided to sit down and push through the first dungeon and holy crap it is AMAZING. I always feel like Zelda games are not at all challenging but they are like, I guess comfortable games. I can really immerse myself in the world and just kinda go about my quest in most traditional Zelda games. This game however feels exactly like BOTW. You're just thrown there and the game is like ok here you go do whatever you gotta do. Finding the first dungeon took me WAY too long and I was killing the first boss within a few minutes of going there. Also the enemies are actually a threat.
I've spent about 2 hours looking for the second dungeon now and I've ran into multiple lynels and have begun collecting items randomly. I got a torch, a power bracelet, bombs, bow and arrows, some potion and a boomerang. I'm basically finding everything but the second dungeon. I accidently went into the 6th dungeon but I couldn't kill the gleeok. Dawg, game fucking rules.

I know some of these old nes games had really weird ways of progressing but i was wondering if I should use some guide in order to find these dungeons? Or should I just keep looking around until I find it?

404LinkNotFound · Apr 26, 2024

You should look up a map of the world at the very least, it came with the original NES game and its intended to be used with the game. Personnaly i used a walkthrough but if you wanna be "authentic" then using a map was the intended experience

SweetBellic · Apr 26, 2024

Could never get into the first one as a kid, but played the shit out of Zelda 2. Check that out next!

Wil Grieve · Apr 26, 2024

404LinkNotFound said:
You should look up a map of the world at the very least, it came with the original NES game and its intended to be used with the game

This for sure. That's all you need, and it is essential.

Unknownlight · Apr 26, 2024

TheKid said:
I know some of these old nes games had really weird ways of progressing but i was wondering if I should use some guide in order to find these dungeons? Or should I just keep looking around until I find it?

The original Zelda was designed to be played with the manual open in front of you, which includes a map.

Shin Kojima · Apr 26, 2024

To be fair, the map was sealed with a sticker and came with a warning. So if you want to be REALLY authentic you do it completely blind.
I broke the seal and used the map though.

But like SweetBellic said play Zelda 2 next. It's fantastic.

Lobster Roll · Apr 26, 2024

TheKid said:
This game however feels exactly like BOTW. You're just thrown there and the game is like ok here you go do whatever you gotta do. Finding the first dungeon took me WAY too long and I was killing the first boss within a few minutes of going there. Also the enemies are actually a threat.

TheKid said:
I've spent about 2 hours looking for the second dungeon now and I've ran into multiple lynels and have begun collecting items randomly. I got a torch, a power bracelet, bombs, bow and arrows, some potion and a boomerang. I'm basically finding everything but the second dungeon. I accidently went into the 6th dungeon but I couldn't kill the gleeok. Dawg, game fucking rules.

Yes, yes indeed. Legend of Zelda and Breath of the Wild very much encompass the concept of the "core" experience of Zelda.

ReyVGM · Apr 26, 2024

TheKid said:
I always feel like Zelda games are not at all challenging but they are like, I guess comfortable games.

Yeah, not in this one. Wait until you get into a room filled with blue darknuts, wizzrobes and that puffball thing that disables your sword.

Lothar · Apr 26, 2024

The world is not so big that it would be unfun exploring and looking for dungeons. So don't look at the map. It's fun to find them

The first Zelda is still my favorite of the series. I love it's sense of freedom and that there's secrets to find in almost every screen.

Silverhand · Apr 26, 2024

Still Top 2 Zelda game. Just hit start and go. No weird story or cut scenes or anime tropes. Just have sword will travel.

platypotamus · Apr 26, 2024

If you think it's hard now, try changing your character name to Zelda and restarting

mael · Apr 26, 2024

ReyVGM said:
Yeah, not in this one. Wait until you get into a room filled with blue darknuts, wizzrobes and that puffball thing that disables your sword.

And then, try the 2nd quest....
They weren't kidding back then when designating something as hard.

Toupee · Apr 26, 2024

Zelda 1 rules. Really happy to have memories of beating it back in 6th grade in the late 90's. Tough stuff.

Zelda 2 also rules (it was my first Zelda), but is such a wildly different game. The recent fan "enhanced remake" is kinda awesome too.

TechnoSyndrome · Apr 26, 2024

Aleh said:
Well I stand corrected then. Still not happy about it though!

404LinkNotFound said:
You should look up a map of the world at the very least, it came with the original NES game and its intended to be used with the game. Personnaly i used a walkthrough but if you wanna be "authentic" then using a map was the intended experience

Wil Grieve said:
This for sure. That's all you need, and it is essential.

Unknownlight said:
The original Zelda was designed to be played with the manual open in front of you, which includes a map.

Did the Japanese version contain a map, or is this like Nintendo including the strategy guide with Earthbound because they thought western audiences weren't ready to play the game on their own

Aadiboy · Apr 26, 2024

It was a lot better than I expected it to be when I first played it, but if you're looking for puzzles then this is not the game for you. The "puzzles" in this game fall into two categories: kill all the enemies in the room or push a block. LTTP really revolutionized the series.

mael · Apr 26, 2024

TechnoSyndrome said:
Did the Japanese version contain a map, or is this like Nintendo including the strategy guide with Earthbound because they thought western audiences weren't ready to play the game on their own

There's a map in the OG Japanese FDS manual but it's certainly different than the one in the international version

https://legendsoflocalization.com/media/the-legend-of-zelda/manuals/ZeldaFDSManual.pdf

Worldshaker · Apr 26, 2024

404LinkNotFound said:
You should look up a map of the world at the very least, it came with the original NES game and its intended to be used with the game. Personnaly i used a walkthrough but if you wanna be "authentic" then using a map was the intended experience

This. I played this as a kid with this map because my older brother had it with the game and I just assumed it was intended.

Goddo Hando · Apr 26, 2024

Unknownlight said:
The original Zelda was designed to be played with the manual open in front of you, which includes a map.

this should be pinned in basically any thread about games this old. Back in the day it was essential you took any help you can get

TechnoSyndrome · Apr 26, 2024

mael said:
There's a map in the OG Japanese FDS manual but it's certainly different than the one in the international version

https://legendsoflocalization.com/media/the-legend-of-zelda/manuals/ZeldaFDSManual.pdf

That is a very small portion of the map, and seems like the perfect slice to lead players for the first couple of dungeons to get a sense of the general flow before cutting them loose. I did a run through of the game for the first time in like 15 years recently and had a fun time just figuring out the overworld and where to go.

super-famicom · Apr 26, 2024

In addition to the instruction manual, I used this to beat Zelda when I was a kid, since it contained a full map of the Overworld and each dungeon. I believe the only way to get this was to subscribe to Nintendo Power. I really wish I didn't get rid of this...

henlo_birb · Apr 26, 2024

Had a very similar experience with the game a few years back and even made a LTTP as well lol. The game is outstanding.

Rellodex · Apr 26, 2024

It's really good.

I always got the impression that you were supposed to draw or sketch your own map. When I did it on Switch I just made a crude map with lines linking pathways together and denoting the one-way zones (if I remember that correctly).

I don't mind wandering and hunting for dungeons, except for the total bullshit level 8 dungeon.

But also now that I Google it this was one of the handful of hints the manual gives you along with a map(?).

I've never played a copy of the game with the manual in hand...but this was the only actual bump that truly truly high-centered me in an otherwise pretty smooth-yet-challenging experience.

mael · Apr 26, 2024

TechnoSyndrome said:
That is a very small portion of the map, and seems like the perfect slice to lead players for the first couple of dungeons to get a sense of the general flow before cutting them loose. I did a run through of the game for the first time in like 15 years recently and had a fun time just figuring out the overworld and where to go.

It's certainly a fantastic game even without maps (on my side, Nintendo was giving small dedicated magazines that basically had the map found in the US manual to give a taste to a player among other things).
I can tell that going at it with no direction is an experience worth having but you can't go in expecting something like Link's Awakening or anything younger than Alttp.
Game is obtuse and revel in it.

giapel · Apr 26, 2024

You don't need a map. Get a piece of paper and make your own map. Game's not that big.
Anyway, this game is like the definition of "ahead of its time". Like it has qualities that are sought after even today. It's not just nostalgia, it's genuinely a fantastic game.

Ouroboros · Apr 26, 2024

404LinkNotFound said:
You should look up a map of the world at the very least, it came with the original NES game and its intended to be used with the game. Personnaly i used a walkthrough but if you wanna be "authentic" then using a map was the intended experience

I still have my map that my Dad laminated at his school!!

Dreavus · Apr 26, 2024

TheKid said:
For some reason I could never sit and play this game because it felt so archaic but I finally decided to sit down and push through the first dungeon and holy crap it is AMAZING. I always feel like Zelda games are not at all challenging but they are like, I guess comfortable games. I can really immerse myself in the world and just kinda go about my quest in most traditional Zelda games. This game however feels exactly like BOTW. You're just thrown there and the game is like ok here you go do whatever you gotta do. Finding the first dungeon took me WAY too long and I was killing the first boss within a few minutes of going there. Also the enemies are actually a threat.
I've spent about 2 hours looking for the second dungeon now and I've ran into multiple lynels and have begun collecting items randomly. I got a torch, a power bracelet, bombs, bow and arrows, some potion and a boomerang. I'm basically finding everything but the second dungeon. I accidently went into the 6th dungeon but I couldn't kill the gleeok. Dawg, game fucking rules.

I know some of these old nes games had really weird ways of progressing but i was wondering if I should use some guide in order to find these dungeons? Or should I just keep looking around until I find it?

Approaching the game with a BOTW mindset is exactly what I did on my replay and it is SO damn good. Giving yourself time to feel things out and explore is just such a cool experience. While the game doesn't have the modern "bread crumbs" to guide you places, I still felt like I appreciated the design a lot more with this approach. The only thing that maybe holds it back is some of the truly random-feeling secret bomb doors and some of those townspeople clues are tough to figure out. I was running on my old knowledge of playing the game years and years ago (but never beating it) to help me along too.

I wouldn't feel bad about using the map (or partial map like it used to come with). I really tried to stay away from hints but I think I looked up that original map and/or a dungeon location or two on my play through.

Coincidentally, all my time playing hyrule warriors pixel map mode allowed me to pick up on some of the more obscure candle spots lol.

But yeah this game is amazing, even revisiting it, it feels ahead of it's time.

.exe · Apr 26, 2024

404LinkNotFound said:
You should look up a map of the world at the very least, it came with the original NES game and its intended to be used with the game.

I don't think the original Japanese release included it, but it is certainly helpful if you don't want to spend countless hours poking at random stuff.

404LinkNotFound · Apr 26, 2024

TechnoSyndrome said:
Did the Japanese version contain a map, or is this like Nintendo including the strategy guide with Earthbound because they thought western audiences weren't ready to play the game on their own

.exe said:
I don't think the original Japanese release included it, but it is certainly helpful if you don't want to spend countless hours poking at random stuff.

Honestly if you wanna bring that up then youd also have to say that if you really wanna get that "pure" for the zelda 1 experience, then you would also need to get a famicom, learn japanese and play a Japanese copy instead. I think using the American manual provided is okay lol.

Rookhelm · Apr 26, 2024

You can find most things without a map, but if you want to collect everything (and even get to some of the later dungeons), I don't know how you'd do so without a map

TechnoSyndrome · Apr 26, 2024

404LinkNotFound said:
Honestly if you wanna bring that up then youd also have to say that if you really wanna get that "pure" for the zelda 1 experience, then you would also need to get a famicom, learn japanese and play a Japanese copy instead. I think using the American manual provided is okay lol.

There's a difference between text being translated in a game and the actual difficulty/hint balance being changed. Nothing about the actual act of playing Zelda 1 on the NES is different from the Famicom outside of the audio hardware differences and the lack of a microphone, but having 90% of the map laid out for you is a world of difference from being expected to explore it yourself.

TheKid · Apr 26, 2024

Damn thanks for providing that map, that is gonna be super helpful. Can't get over how many times I've owned this game and I s never bothered playing it lmao crazy.

Edit: that map said there's an underworld?!

werezompire · Apr 26, 2024

TheKid said:
Damn thanks for providing that map, that is gonna be super helpful. Can't get over how many times I've owned this game and I s never bothered playing it lmao crazy.

Edit: that map said there's an underworld?!

The underworld is just the dungeon levels.

TheDestructiveSquirrel · Apr 26, 2024

I feel like Zelda would be near impossible to finish without the use of a map/manual, playing blind would just be way too difficult

404LinkNotFound · Apr 26, 2024

TechnoSyndrome said:
There's a difference between text being translated in a game and the actual difficulty/hint balance being changed. Nothing about the actual act of playing Zelda 1 on the NES is different from the Famicom outside of the audio hardware differences and the lack of a microphone, but having 90% of the map laid out for you is a world of difference from being expected to explore it yourself.

Imo you still have to discover secrets like hidden caves and bushes in order to progress and talk to strangers to know what to do in dungeons etc etc. I really dont think it takes away from the feeling of exploration or its the "wrong way to play" having some sort of guidance.🤷

Inquisitive_Ghost · Apr 26, 2024

Yep, Zelda I is still great. I've been a fan of the series for ages, but it wasn't until many years later that I finally sat down and cleared the first game. It still holds up.

TechnoSyndrome · Apr 26, 2024

404LinkNotFound said:
Imo you still have to discover secrets like hidden caves and bushes in order to progress and talk to strangers to know what to do in dungeons etc etc. I really dont think it takes away from the feeling of exploration or its the "wrong way to play" having some sort of guidance.🤷

Using a map is fine if you decide you don't want to play without one, I just think immediately saying "oh just use the map because Nintendo of America decided Americans needed the extra help" before someone's actually expressed their frustration is weird. OP was excited about having to try to find the dungeons himself and the first reply was "Here's what 80% of the game world looks like."

Poppy · Apr 26, 2024

zelda 1 kicks so much ass

404LinkNotFound · Apr 26, 2024

TechnoSyndrome said:
Using a map is fine if you decide you don't want to play without one, I just think immediately saying "oh just use the map because Nintendo of America decided Americans needed the extra help" before someone's actually expressed their frustration is weird. OP was excited about having to try to find the dungeons himself and the first reply was "Here's what 80% of the game world looks like."

The OP asked if he should use some guide cuz and i just gave him a resource if he wanted to use it sheesh. Sorry that i ruined the sanctity of a 1985 game by making a suggestion despite ,most people in the west using said map and they were fine. I didnt even know about the differences between the NOA or the japan manuals but im the wierd one i guess. This is why i cant stand zelda threads on here

Carnby · Apr 26, 2024

Hold on, Zelda games are not challenging? I've only played the first three and could never beat them. (I got close in each of them.) Tell me the newer ones are easier in comparison to the originals, or if I'm just bad at Zelda games.

Inquisitive_Ghost · Apr 26, 2024

Carnby said:
Hold on, Zelda games are not challenging? I've only played the first three and could never beat them. (I got close in each of them.) Tell me the newer ones are easier in comparison to the originals, or if I'm just bad at Zelda games.

The 3D games are considerably easier. The first two are much harder than most of the series.

BotW was noted at release for being considerably harder than the other 3D titles, as you can actually die frequently in it.

Carnby · Apr 26, 2024

Inquisitive_Ghost said:
The 3D games are considerably easier. The first two are much harder than most of the series.

BotW was noted at release for being considerably harder than the other 3D titles, as you can actually die frequently in it.

So they got easier starting with N64?

I "flipped" Zelda 1 and remember the remix dungeons being brutal.

I got the last castle in Zelda 2. And just walking there drained most of my resources. Leading to a quick game over.

As for Link to the Past, I just remember it getting very hard on the mountain in the mirror world.

Yeah the first three are tough!

werezompire · Apr 26, 2024

Carnby said:
Hold on, Zelda games are not challenging? I've only played the first three and could never beat them. (I got close in each of them.) Tell me the newer ones are easier in comparison to the originals, or if I'm just bad at Zelda games.

The first game is a fair challenge and then you beat the game and discover there's a remixed hard mode that is noticeably harder.

The second game has a reputation for being "NES Hard."

Link to the Past is noticeably easier than the first two games, but I wouldn't call it easy.

I think Link's Awakening is probably a bit on the easy side.

Ocarina of Time has clunky action gameplay that isn't particularly hard, but mostly it's really easy to get lost or stuck and not know what to do next.

Majora's Mask is well known for being harder than Ocarina.

Wind Waker / Twilight Princess / Skyward Sword - I don't think any of these are especially hard or easy.

Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom are mostly just really long, endurance tests. They're hard if you try to do stuff out of order.

Carnby · Apr 26, 2024

werezompire said:
The first game is a fair challenge and then you beat the game and discover there's a remixed hard mode that is noticeably harder.

The second game has a reputation for being "NES Hard."

Link to the Past is noticeably easier than the first two games, but I wouldn't call it easy.

I think Link's Awakening is probably a bit on the easy side.

Ocarina of Time has clunky action gameplay, but mostly it's really easy to get lost or stuck and not know what to do next.

Majora's Mask is well known for being harder than Ocarina.

Wind Waker / Twilight Princess / Skyward Sword - I don't think any of these are especially hard or easy.

Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom are mostly just really long, endurance tests. They're hard if you try to do stuff out of order.

When you put it that way I guess I did beat part 1. As a kid I didn't consider it beaten until the remixed dungeons are completed too. 🤔

I beat the main game by using a friend's literally hand drawn dungeon maps. I doubt I could have done it without. Sharing game tips pre-internet sure was something special. 😆

Crayolan · Apr 26, 2024

TheKid said:
This game however feels exactly like BOTW. You're just thrown there and the game is like ok here you go do whatever you gotta do.

Yea, that's exactly why I love botw. You just explore in whatever direction you want and eventually, you stumble into cool shit. It's great. You can tell they were looking to Zelda 1 for inspiration. Even now I think Zelda 1 is my favorite 2D Zelda.

JorSneezy · Apr 26, 2024

Play this game once every year. Can knock it out in an afternoon, but I'm also middle-aged and played it as a pre-teen, so everything is memorized. Love this fucking game.

AgeEighty · Apr 26, 2024

Still one of my favorites in the series and of all time. I've loved most Zelda games, but there's only one I'll pick up and play on a whim.

duckroll · Apr 26, 2024

I've been replaying this for the 3534536th time recently as well on the Anniversary Game & Watch portable (which is the best and most definitive way to keep Zelda 1, 2, and Link's Awakening by your bedside at all times!). I finished the first quest pretty quickly and I'm making my way slowly through the second quest now. The second quest in the original Zelda is a real trip. So much harder. The OG Souls.

4CornersTHSA · Apr 26, 2024

One of the absolute GOATs. BOTW channeled so much of its energy and deservedly sold better than any previous entry. I still go back to OG Zelda1 and it holds up brilliantly.

linkboy · Apr 26, 2024

Crayolan said:
Yea, that's exactly why I love botw. You just explore in whatever direction you want and eventually, you stumble into cool shit. It's great. You can tell they were looking to Zelda 1 for inspiration. Even now I think Zelda 1 is my favorite 2D Zelda.

They definitely did use the first game as inspiration for Breath of the Wild.

Official Prototype for Zelda: Breath of the Wild Was Based on NES Zelda

Nintendo held a panel at the Game Developer's Conference 2017 to talk more about what went into creating The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There they ...

www.youtube.com

TheKid · Apr 27, 2024

linkboy said:
They definitely did use the first game as inspiration for Breath of the Wild.

Official Prototype for Zelda: Breath of the Wild Was Based on NES Zelda

Nintendo held a panel at the Game Developer's Conference 2017 to talk more about what went into creating The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There they ...

www.youtube.com

This is so freaking cool

LTTP: NES Legend of Zelda

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