The best Zelda ever. With great music, art, and gameplay, no wonder this was the game that made this series so cherished
Gameplay: Okay, you know the routine! Start off as a humble Hyrulian, save Zelda, right? Well, that's only half true. Why? Because in this game Ganon has ALREADY taken the triforce. With that, he has been sealed in the realm which held the triforce. Unfortunately, a wizard, Agahnim, has been capturing maidens (including Zelda) and sending them into the Dark Realm. Somehow, this will free Ganon from his dimensional prison and thus break the barrier between the Dark and Light worlds. Sound simple? Well, it does evolve and become a little more complex, but that isn't the focus of the game. The stories have always taken a close backseat to the classic Zelda gaming that fans has rightfully followed. This game, with some help from the formula set out by the original Legend of Zelda, pretty much creates the most perfect Zelda experience ever created. Yes, the game is much more exploration heavy than the 3D Zeldas and that's a good thing. It gives the game a more RPG feel rather than a story based action adventure title. It gives the player freedom to find the 25 items scattered throughout the two worlds. Oh, did I mention? The game is the one to start the two dimensions gameplay. That's right, Ocarina isn't so original now is it? Indeed, this game also started the idea for collecting three pendants/jewels to get the Master Sword. Also, this game contains the majority of LInk's arsenal that he has in Ocarina of Time. The only difference is that one game's 2D and the other is 3D. And when it comes to difficulty, 2D triumphs. Yes, this is the HARDEST console Zelda game made yet. Instead of losing sissy quarter heart pieces, this game pretty much has the majority of your enemies take half a heart or much more. I've been attacked and have lost 3 hearts from just a normal enemy. Sound challenging? yes. Frustrating? At times. But, the only thing that doesn't contribute to the difficulty is the puzzles. Overall, these puzzles are on the easy side. I really didn't mind since maybe one or two had me take some time to figure out, but they really won't challenge you much. This is really just a small blemish for the people who have started with 3D Zeldas. But, you have to say, this game is a triumph in all aspects of gameplay. This, with out a doubt, is a masterful accomplishment. 10/10
Graphics: Yes, I gave it a ten in this category. Why? The artwork. It is simply some of the greatest (next to Ocarina and Wind Waker) seen yet by Zelda fans. The enemies are imaginative, the environments are bright and colorful, and people are detailed enough to show some expressions. Sure, some expressions isn't that good, but remember, this game is 16-bit hardware. It isn't exactly perfect graphical presentation from the SNES. But from an artistical standpoint it does the Zelda series some great justice. 10/10
Sound: This game is home to Koji Kondo's talent. From the dungeon music, to the overworld themes, to the sounds of Kakariko Village, you feel as though you're in the perfect Zelda atmosphere. I haven't played a game that's musical scores are so amazing that I listen to them on my iPod. And you know what? These songs I've listened to on my iPod. Yes, I can't believe I'm saying this, is the greatest achievement I've seen with such limited hardware creating such beautiful music. This game also deserves a standing ovation for the sound effects as well. They are truly magnificent and fit the mold of the game just right. I just can't say how great this game's sound quality is. Even if it's 15 years old... 10/10
Value: You will be playing this game for quite some time. At least, if it's your first. Sure, this game won't last as long as Ocarina or Twilight Princess but so what? Main quests don't need to be painfully long to be great. In fact, this game almost has the perfect length for a main quest... Oh, and it may even have more sidequests and secrets than both OoT and TP. Truly, this game will last you for quite some time. And you won't regret it. 10/10
Overall, Nintendo made gaming gold with this title. This stands alone when I consider the greatest Zelda game ever. And maybe, just maybe, it could be one of, or even THE greatest game of all time.