THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THEN AND NOW
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For twelve years video game players have been experiencing the captivating magic of the Zelda games. Battles have been won and lost. Dungeons have been explored and conquered. Towns have been visited. Foes and friends have made themselves manifest. The secrets have been discovered and shared with others. Through a hero's eyes we've invisioned a world of fairies, fluteboys, and windfishes. With a master sword forged of an ancient hope, the evil called Ganon has been vanquished---yet he always manages to come back for another confrontation. Only the triforce can see the true nature of its owner desire, and in its Wisdom, Power, and Courage it reveals the ideals that many men strived to attain. Unfortunately, its was the greedy thief's own falibility and corruption that polluted its radient essense and eventually culminated in his downfall. Maybe only Chris Houlihan knows the unspoken secret behind The Legend of Zelda. The lasting memories of adventure and entertainment will remain warmly seeded in our hearts.
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In 1987 The Legend of Zelda made its debut on the NES. This game was the first of its kind, allowing players to explore an expansive world with an overhead perspective. It was quite challenging for its time and required wits rather than purely reflexes to solve the puzzles hidden throughout the game. Although there was little dialogue in the game itself, players could interact with the characters in the environment and saving Zelda was, in essence, the entire focus of the game.
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One of the most anticipated titles for the NES was Zelda II: The Adventure of LInk, a sequel to The Legend of Zelda. It proved to be quite different than its predecesor having both an overhead and sidescrolling element as well as allowing players to travel across the vast world of Hyrule. Players could explore towns, caves, forests, swamps, deserts, and palaces. Link could now use spells and sword moves which he learned from the townspeople at different points in the game.
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With the debut of Nintendo's new 16-bit console gaming system arrived a new sequel (perhaps prequel) to the two successful predecessors in the Zelda series entitled The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Its release in 1992 heralded a new adventure, more puzzles for players to solve, better graphics, and a more immersive storyline. In this game players discovered the early history of hyrule including the creation and exile of Ganon as well as the lineage of Link and Zelda. Many milestones were set in this game that forever changed the way people viewed the Legend of Zelda series. Few video game players will argue that The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is one of the greatest games ever made for the Super NES.
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Perhaps a sideshow to Zelda: A Link to the Past was The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for the hand-held Game Boy system. Very similar in appearence to its counterpart on the Super NES it presented players with a new storyline and new sets of puzzles to solve. This game was able to overcome the limitations of the Game Boy and deliver a formidable quest that rivaled Link to the Past's depth and gameplay. The graphics, even though black-and-white, were the best ever to be seen on the Game Boy. Perhaps it was Link's Awakening that revitalized a lackluster system from imminent demise. This game is the greatest game ever to be made for the Game Boy without a doubt.
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What is the future for the Legend of Zelda saga? On November 23, 1998 (hopefully) Nintendo will unveil The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64. The experiences of Link will be continued in fully rendered 3-D environments with cinemas, new characters, elements of the early period of hyrule revealed, and more dynamic gameplay. The adventure will be reborn for a new generation of players to experience and enjoy while old veterans will relive the magic within themselves. Like ancient myths of heros and villans the quests that we endure are soverign and will exist within us for all time. There are no battles that are trival, or puzzles that are insolvable because we all are on the greatest quest of all, to live and discover the elusive truth about ourselves and the world around us.
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