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Friday 25 January, 2008
Entry #2
GamePlay
I resumed my adventure after a small break. This game is still able to hold my interest after 2 hours of playing. The exploration of the dungeons is quite interesting. It has split paths that contain hidden treasures and different puzzles that must be solved to unlock the next room. Another interesting gameplay feature is that keys are universal in every dungeon and can unlock any locked door, allowing the ability to hop into one dungeon, grab some keys and aid myself in another dungeon I really want to finish. This game is really nonlinear in that aspect for me and is a nice change of pace from Go to point A and do B and repeat.
One thing that I also like in this game is that Link grows stronger if you take the time to search for upgraded versions of his equipment. After some exploration, I was able to find a better sword and be able to defeat enemies with 1 swing of the sword instead of 2. I found a store and bought a ring that changed Link's clothes color and also reduced damage taken from enemies. When I crush enemies who I've seen since the beginning of my adventure, it makes me feel like I've gone quite a long way since when I first started my game.
Design
The Legend of Zelda is definately innovative for it's time and still is in some ways. There are games that take the idea that you can just start off anywhere and play/explore anywhere you want to go (GTA being the example off the top of my head). The use of a save file is also pretty innovative as well. The makers knew that this adventure was too big to be done in 1 sitting and now every game has a save system of some sort.
The world itself is quite diverse. As you explore the world, you are taken to deserts,mountains,forests,lakes,rivers,plains and dungeons. It allows players to remember locations better and makes the overall journey less monotonous. The overworld is huge and a very large amount of the maps have some secret or challenge to overcome. The game's tone seems to be very happy and bright on the outside as shown with the bright colors used for everything. However it switches to very dark and gloomy once Link enters a dungeon.
The game's reward structure is well done. Link starts off with 3 hearts and nothing else. If the player takes the time to look for things, soon Link will have a sword and shield and plenty of other tools to play with along with more than 3x as many hearts as he started with.
There isn't much I would change to this game. I could only think of adding a slightly more engaging plot that reminds you why you are on your journey. The only thing I know so far is that the triforce is broken and I need to put it back together. What would be good is to add some more to the story after a piece of the triforce is recovered. Besides the weakness in the story telling, there is not much else I could ask for in a NES game. This is one of the best Nintendo games out there and it's innovative design has affected the games after it that we all enjoy today.
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