|
HHoran's The Legend of Zelda (NES)
|
| [January 18, 2007 01:29:01 PM]
|
I'm now done with my second session of playing the Legend of Zelda for NES. The second session revealed to me the gravity of the complexity of this game. Although the graphics and idea of this game are simple, because it is for the innovator of platforms, the gameplay is quite complex and extravagent. There were a couple of things that made this clear to me. First, the scale of the map. From the start of the game you can go in any direction and I'm sure keep going (I have no idea because I'm terrible at the game). Also, the map at the top left hand side of the screen seems to be pretty extensive, considering your marker doesn't move very much when jump from room to room.
Second, is the fact that there are dark entries into firelit rooms periodically throughout the first level. The first couple of these rooms that you can enter didn't really materialize for me. The first one had two fires but no one and nothing else. The next one I entered had a man sitting in between two fires. This was curious, as he had to have some sort of meaning that I hadn't discovered yet, but I'm not sure what that is. The the third one I entered turned out be a shop, and the foundation of the increasingly complicated gameplay. The shop is where you can take your character to the next level, no PUN intended, by decking him out with a shield, a key, or a candle: all things that are necessary, or helpful, to advancing your character through the game.
Finally, I made it to the fourth level, the farthest point that I got to, and discovered the next complexity fo the game. The dark rooms and artwork to display the proper level of lighting is impressive. Although you can't see the possible walkways, you can see, at the very least, the yellow eyes of you enemies, your character, and the vague sillouette of the doorways. This provides for a new challenge and something to be dealt with. Also, the enemies in the darkrooms that produce to new enemies when killled are a great touch. It is something that I can't recall being done by any other game up to that point.
What I didn't like about Zelda is that sometimes when trying to stab an enemy you get turned the wrong direction on the grid and the enemy, because it can move diagonally, hurts you.
add a comment 
|
| [January 18, 2007 01:03:38 PM]
|
So for the first time in my life, I played the world renowned Legend of Zelda for NES. As soon as I turned on the system, the story line of Zelda came up. I didn't even realize that there was one, but now I see that that is what's so appealing about the game to most gamers. I started a new game and began to learn to the controls. Because it's on NES they came to me very quickly (this is the genius of the NES system; ANYONE can play the games for it). Also, the famous Zelda music started in the background, which has become a staple in the gaming world as an outstanding RPG soundtrack. It has the perfect balance of intensity that it doesn't overexaggerate the situation you're in, but doesn portray the feeling of being on an adventure, or an epic.
When I started to move around and jump from scene to scene, I quickly realized that enemies pop up after a half second delay. This provides a surprise element, absent from most games, that keeps you on your toes everytime you go into a new room. Granted, they pop up in the same places everytime you enter the same room as far as I can tell. The other thing I noticed was that the enemies are very consistently brightly, or noticeably, colored. For example, in the first level, the first enemies you encounter are a reasonably bright red. This is good for a couple of reasons. For one, it establishes a you-against-them relationship because you are more the color of the background and surroundings. Second, they stand out among all the green on the screen and because of this you notice them. I think it's possible that the game designers intended them to stand out to let the gamer know the significance of confronting them. Every attained item, not to mention you're overall success in the game, pretty much hinges on fighting enemies, because if you kill them they occasionally spit up money, health, or keys (all necessities for completing the game successfully).
So I keep wandering around, attacking various enemies, and realize that your sword acts as a projectile or can be used for hand to hand combat. However, I couldn't figure out after how long, or why, the projectability of your weapon runs out. It seemed like for, say, the first fifteen to twenty enemies I could "throw" my sword at enemies, while still retaining the ability to use it by hand. But after that I was unable to use that feature. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or if the makers of the game meant to give the player some sort of a headstart, or advantage, at the very beginning of the game. I don't know, but things were a lot easier with rather than without using the sword as a projectile.
add a comment
|
|
|
 |
HHoran's The Legend of Zelda (NES)
|
|
Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Thursday 18 January, 2007
|
|
