THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST
REVIEW BY VIDEO GAMER X
© 2005 Video Gamer X Publications

I can remember when the rumors of the Super Nintendo began. Originally Nintendo Power published some screens of the early games for the Japanese version of the Super Nintendo, called the Super Famicom. At that time the only games hinted at were Super Mario Brothers 4, Pilotwings, Final Fantasy IV (This game is Final Fantasy II in the US), and Populous. Of course there was no Zelda game in that line up but by the time the Super Nintendo debuted at the end of the year in 1991, there were already rumors that another Zelda game was in development and soon to appear. In 1992, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past debuted in America, and I can remember how badly I wanted it, having thoroughly enjoyed the other two games for the NES. I worked outside mowing lawns and doing a lot of distasteful chores to save up enough money to buy the $59.99 plus tax game cartridge. I can still to this day remember the joy I had upon getting that game and wallowing in the pride of my accomplishment. The first time I put it into the SNES and saw the 3D Triforce displayed on the screen was simply euphoric. It was a magic moment inculcated into the essence of my memory. A Link to the Past was Link's only adventure on this console, and I had hoped that Nintendo had plans of making another Zelda game for the SNES however this did not occur, moreover Nintendo opted for releasing a side story sequel to this classic on the GameBoy in 1993 as The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Had Nintendo been making plans for a sequel to A Link to the Past, they instead postponed development on a sequel, and opted to develop their next generation console the Ultra 64, later to be called Nintendo 64.

This third game in the Zelda series featured impressive graphics for it's time and some would say that it carries a similar quality to things seen in The Wind Waker, as the appearance of the graphics would hint at the idea of cell shading long before consoles were capable of this type of visual rendering. (Earthbound did this as well) The style and appearance of the game was entirely new, and different from other RPG's of the timeframe. The designers used the SNES's vast color palette, as compared to consoles of competitors, to craft a diverse and beautiful world of Hyrule. There were cobblestone streets in Kakariko, fog and parallaxing backgrounds in the Lost Woods, flashes of lightning, and weather events like rain.

Utilizing more separate background music themes than both of the previous two games combined the game set the mood and ambiance of this world of Hyrule. Some of the most memoriable pieces composed by Koji Kondo for this game include the The Opening Credits, Hyrule Overworld Theme, The Theme of the Lost Woods, the Dark World Theme, Hyrule Castle Theme, the Prologue, and the Ending Credits. Many of the game's themes have been reused and translated into other games. Most recently the Hyrule Castle Theme appeared in The Wind Waker. However, there were some that I found less than favorable, like the minimalist and repetative dungeon music. Zelda II's dungeon themes were more palatable to the ears than this game was in that regard. As well some of the themes inside of stores and the fortune teller were more or less cocophanous dins of noise than any music. Some RPG's of this era were exceeding the breadth and quality of music composition that was seen in A Link to the Past, however by very nature the music does well to craft

A Link to the Past returns to the traditional third person view of link seen from overhead, similar to what was in the first game for the NES. None of the side scrolling components of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was used in the game, moreover Link could not jump horizontally. However many new gameplay additions made up for any shortcomings. Due to the expanded buttons of the Super Nintendo Controller compared to what had been available on the NES, Link gained new more versatile abilities. Many new an interesting items were introduced in the game that gave Link more abilities than ever before. Link could now use an grappling item called the Hookshot to cross chasms or reach distant objects. Three new medallions were created that allowed Link to create RPG-like spells, called Bombos, Quake, and Ether. Two canes were created, one that created a dummy block, The Cane of Somaria, and a second that created a damaging forcefield, the Cane of Byrna. As well Link could use a Magic Cape to render himself invisiable or invulnerable to damage. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past set many of the technical and gameplay standards that would last for the rest of the series.

There are actually two major environments in A Link to the Past, two distinctly similar yet different overworlds, The Light World and The Dark World. In many instances Link must teleport transdimensionally between the two worlds in order to accomplish certain tasks or find a special dungeon. Both overworlds were inhabited by many characters, and contained various tasks Link could complete. The game itself features a total of 13 Major dungeons and dozens of hidden caves and and treasure troves. Many of these dungeons featured intracate puzzles to solve in order to progress from one area to the next. This game was a masterpiece and prime example of Miyamoto level design and gameplay that was only ever seen in The Ocarina of Time.

This game was the first in the series to feature a fully recognizable storyline during the actual game, that described the history of Hyrule as a nation that had once been torn apart during the Imprisoning War by a leader of a gang of thieves named, Ganondorf. Ganondorf with the desire for conquest found a way into the Golden Land and discovered the Triforce, but before he could cause more havoc he was sealed in the Golden Land by Seven Wise men or Sages to remain there for what was hoped an eternity. It describes the times that followed and the drifting of those events into the mists of history and legend, as the Kingdom of Hyrule changed and new kings came to the throne. A Link to the Past is a pivotal game in decerning the timeline of events in Hyrule and the interrelationship between characters and events that are portrayed in the Zelda series of games. It sets the basis for the Nintendo 64 game, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, whose plotline has numerous similarities to those things discussed about as prior history in A Link to the Past.

If you have never played this game, I would seriously recommend that you take the chance to do so. So many kids these days, many of whom are visitors to the Odyssey of Hyrule, are so young that they have never played any of the NES or Super Nintendo games and are only aquainted with Link's modern adventures. Nintendo has in the last year or so re-released this game as A Link to the Past: Four Swords for the GameBoy Advance, however in many ways there are aspects of this game that have been altered from the original SNES game, including the mindnumbingly annoying noises Link makes every time he jumps, falls down a hole, or swings the sword or something similar. As well some of the text of the storyline has been altered from the original. I suggest that you play the original on a good TV to see what it really was like, and this will give you an opportunity to experience the game in its original brilliance and patina unspoiled by unnecessary modifications. I consider The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past to be one of the gratest video games of all time, on the top of charts for the past 14 years, I recommend that you experience this great adventure in the land of Hyrule.

THE ODYSSEY OF HYRULE