EPTHey guys, as you read last week, I finally beat the monster that is Adventure of Link and am currently working on my favorite Zelda game of all time, A Link to the Past. As you may remember me saying in an earlier blog post, this game is one that is close to my heart. Its one of the first games I remember beating along with Super Mario World. I used to have my own spot on the carpet in the corner at my grandparents place, where I would sit on the floor and play this game for hours and hours on end. Either trying to figure it out for the first time, or just re beating the game/ looking for heart pieces etc.
I didn't play too long this week as you may have saw in a recent blog post I just got a kitty. Ticks me off a bit that a 5 liner, asking for names for my cat and posting pictures, gets way more views/replies than my actual legit blog. But hey, it keeps me into my resolution and its fun to do on days where I have nothing better to do
. Link to Part VI if you missed it : http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?id=314020
Anyways enough with the intro, ima get started with this epic of a game. Turn on this game, and the opening title screen is just fantastic. I can actually hear how epic the opening sequence song is. DADANANA DANANANAN DA DA DAAA DADADADADA DAAAAAA DAAAAA DALALA. (<- not accurate) Hear it here: .
Im fucking glad I didn't grow up in Japan cause this shit of a commercial woulda lead me far away from touching this game.
So I make my file and get into the game. Epic opening, your uncle grabs his sword and shield and takes off. Your like wtf, go follow him, and just to add to the epicness its raining out. (Coolest Zelda moments #1 - http://greatgamingcrusade.com/2011/11/16/25-years-of-zelda-top-5-most-memorable-moments/) This part alone just describes how the graphics are 1000000 times better than adventure of link. So anyways since I've played this before I just go fall down the secret passage into the castle and find my uncle dead. Doesn't even phase me, just steal his sword and shield continue looking for some zelda ass.
![[image loading]](http://greatgamingcrusade.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/LinkToThePastRainingScreenshot.jpg)
Holy shit weather introduced into a game OMG
So I go get Zelda to the church, then start the real game. The whole intro scene is good at advancing the story with your uncle being killed/the castle turning evil etc. It also works as a good tutorial to teach the basics of the game. Using items killing guards grabbing pots etc, because there is load of hearts to be found everywhere.
Next I decide im gunna go rape the first dungeon. So I check my map, and notice something strange the dungeon locations are all marked. Something I did not remember from my childhood. This makes me sad as dungeon searching should be a part of the game. Anyways, I get there and work my way through easily, as you would expect. No real tricks just the basic puzzles. Grab my bow and arrow and make my way to the boss.
![[image loading]](http://oneyearadventure.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/first-boss.png)
Holy fucking shit, this isn't just one boss THIS IS 6.
Link to the past starts out right with an epic boss battle, where your actually encouraged to use your bow. Unlike Zelda 1 where I used my bow after getting it in palace 1 maybe in palace 5 or 6. Also this is the first boss, if I recall, where more than one enemy is in the room! Awesome. You know what else they did right, the music, so memorable, gets you pumped! (Music here) Also, the boss has different stages, which is a reoccurring theme in the bosses of this game. Which is awesome, since it brings a sort of surprise element to the boss / a harder difficulty. Unlike this shit.
So now, I grab the speed boots. Which are in fact one of my favorite parts of this game. Being able to run faster in a Zelda game YES PLEASE. Then I check my map (so lame) and head directly to the next dungeon. What I immediately notice is that unlike Zelda 1, collecting rupees is easy, I'm almost at 400 rupees already. Nice, farming was always something I hated in Zelda 1 and was necessary unless you found the secret rupees.
Go grab the book by knocking it off with my boots and head through the desert, work my way through the 2nd palace, still pretty simple. Grab the gloves and head to the 2nd boss fight of the game. May I note here, how different the dungeons feel, the first one was just a plain blue dungeon, and this one is like a sanddeath trap. Unique dungeons and clever dungeon designs is what makes this a classic. Name 2 dungeons that are similar in the dark world. None! Which is fantastic.
![[image loading]](http://www.zeldadungeon.net/Zelda03/Bosses/Lanmolas.png)
If your scared of wormy things don't look ^^
This is another classic example of doing it right. Why? Its just a worm boss. Well, ya, but no. This boss, interacts with the environment, a classic thing the Zelda series is now known for. Its a good and creative way to add difficulty to the boss without retarded frustration (see AoL). He jumps in and out of the sand, and while its pretty easy, its cool shit.
So I leave this place get told about that Master Sword and head up death mountain to Dungeon 3. Now this death mountain is not half as scary as Zelda 1, with those bitch centaurs or in Adventure of Link with those bitch everything /maze of death. Which is kinda dissapointing. I expect to feel a bit scared for my life on death mountain. However, I do like being able to see the clouds and the rocks falling, and the artistic style of it overall.
Make it to Final dungeon of the light world. Awesome. A huge fucking tower , 7 floors. Has the crystal ball switch introduced as a puzzle mechanic. Lots of cool new enemies. This just shows where dungeon design is heading in this game. You head through it get the moon pearl and then you reach the boss. Who is arguably the most frustrating boss in this game. Maybe top 5 in the Zelda series. If you haven't played I think you need this video to understand.
Just read the description, everyone fucking agrees with my opinion.
Oh my god. This boss as a kid had me screaming in a pillow. And here 12 years later still has me screaming in a pillow. Fuck this guy is annoying. 6 hits to kill, goes more insane after each hit, and yes interacts with the environment. In a way that total pisses you off! Every time you fall off you have climb up the tower (3 floors depending) and start all over. When I was a kid I honestly was so happy I beat this guy cause I thought he was one of the last bosses. Boy was I wrong.
Now since you kill that crazy worm (centipede?) bitch. You head into lost woods and grab the master sword. Its everything you expect it to be, you pull the sword out of a rock. Classic. Also I would like to mention how cool I though the shadowy art style in lost woods was. Made you feel like you were actually in the woods.
I can feel the coolness of the relaxing shade just looking at this
Anyways I'm getting a bit long here so I'll start to wrap up. You fight agneihm (sp?) at the place you where you began the game. She teleports Zelda away and your like Fuck. You go in and fight what is a decently cool boss battle, but far too easy for the final boss of the light world. At least there is some bad ass lightning graphics here.
Then when you think you beat the game and you say mementoss, this game is way too short. Your in the dark world on a pyramid. Yeah, how cool is that a mutha fucking pyramid. The overworld music is now better than ever. Everything looks the same, except scary and deathly. Even the trees look evil. This is where you realize this: Shit got real.
Quick explanation of the next temples. You get a cool monkey to open Dungeon (I enjoy this concept of needing to do things outside the dungeon to enter it) Get hammer (which doesn't chop trees but actually hammers in pegs) and beat the boss. Who again is epic. He fucking takes up the whole screen is scary as shit. Has multiple stages. And allows some creativity and options to beat him. A) use bombs to blow up his mask, or B) (obvious option) Use your hammer. Hes fucking harder than I remember and take 5 tries to beat him. This dungeon is overall is fairly complex and requires bombing walls, falling through floors etc to get through.
![[image loading]](http://www.zeldadungeon.net/Zelda03/Bosses/Helmasaur.png)
Next you get arguably the coolest item in the series the hookshot. This dungeon also is complex with its raising and lowering water mechanic. But seems easier than the first. The boss is a fuckton of little eyes on a big eye. Overall hes cool cause you use your hook shot to take him down 1 eye at a time, but far too easy. Again he involves different stages of difficulty.
![[image loading]](http://www.zeldadungeon.net/Zelda03/Bosses/Arrghus.png)
Overall Progress
Legend of Zelda (Completed) - 10 Hours
Zelda 2: Adventure of Link (Completed) - 16.5 Hours
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - 3.75 Hours (5 Temples)
Coming up Next
Moar link to the past.
