RPG Backtrack: Episode 52- The Land of Hyrule

[JuMeSyn]

It involves unusual names for otherwise-ordinary creatures, the collection of artifacts to enable travel elsewhere, and one of Nintendo's most well-regarded series. Join us in a trip back to the time when Hyrule was a new place to be.
Gosh, what could this be about....

[Shaymin]

I haven't played Zelda I yet, and I'm waiting until I have it portable with save states (read: Ambassador) to try it. Sounds like a real pain in the rear, though - I've read quite a bit about it.

Zelda II... I never beat it, and got to the Great Palace maybe once. The thing I hated most about this game is that if you get the 5 1ups the game allots, they do NOT RETURN AFTER YOU RELOAD A SAVE. You pretty much have to ignore them until you go to the Great Palace. A close second is the townsfolk that turn into bats, though.

I love Link to the Past and I've beat it several times, but you either get the broken lives counter or Link yelling like an idiot every time he swings his sword depending on whether you play the SNES or GBA version. I did appreciate the ability to sequence break in the Dark World, though - I was never able to beat the 5th (ice) dungeon without going to the 6th, getting the Cane of Somaria that allows you to make blocks, and return to solve the puzzle in 5.

I'm replaying Link's Awakening now on 3DS, and I've found that the game throws enough money at you that you shouldn't have to name yourself "Thief". Then again, I've always been obsessed with getting 0 counters in Zelda games - largely because of the bonus ending - so I stopped stealing when I was 9. Also, is this the only game that features a regular jumping item, or does it pop up in one of the Oracles later on?

My secret wish is that they'd port the Satelliview games to WiiWare/the eShop, but it's probably not going to happen. /le sigh

Edit: Couldn't you play Crystal Chronicles with 1 Gamecube controller (main screen) and 3 GBA cables? I never tried it but it should work.

[Clix]

Oracles do have jumping items. Also, no, Crystal Chronicles won't work that way. We tried.

[Strawberry Eggs]

There is a strange, and rather annoying way to use a GameCube controller in FFCC multiplayer, but it requires the use of a GBA anyway. To do it, set up the game for multplayer and have two-to-four GBAs and cable links. However, when in a dungeon, switch out one of the GBAs for a GC controller. It'll work up until you leave one areas for another (when it fades to black, then back again). Then the games asks that you put a GBA in the slot again. My sister attempted this because she didn't like the GBA, but stopped because the constant switching was irritating and time-consuming. Obviously, this method can't be used completely replace a GBA with a cotnroller.

The original Zelda is not nearly as much as a pain as Zelda II is. :P

[silktail]

The first Zelda does have an NPC who gives you directions through the Lost Woods. But you have to pay him the right amount of money.

Talking about how sharp those Rupees are: I always thought it was amusing that you use up rupees to shoot arrows in the first Zelda, almost like you are using them as arrowheads! :-)

I think you are mixing up ALttP's masked boss (1st dark world dungeon) with the two headed turtle boss (turtle rock dungeon).

ALttP came out before Link's Awakening, so I guess it took about 2 years for the "next one". (Then 5 years.)

I haven't played Zelda I yet, and I'm waiting until I have it portable with save states (read: Ambassador) to try it. Sounds like a real pain in the rear, though - I've read quite a bit about it.

The first time I played with guides and all, but in the end I found I just needed an Overworld map (with the hidden entrances highlighted). So maybe try that if you are still worried.

The next time, I did just bomb/burned/etc everything!

I was never able to beat the 5th (ice) dungeon without going to the 6th, getting the Cane of Somaria that allows you to make blocks, and return to solve the puzzle in 5.

I loved that puzzle, partially because you could just get the cane and partially because I could actually do it without. Shame they removed it in the GBA version.

That version also removed the arrows from the shop. But what else would I do with my excess money? I might as well throw it all in a pond! ;-)

I'm replaying Link's Awakening now on 3DS, and I've found that the game throws enough money at you that you shouldn't have to name yourself "Thief".

I believe Link's Awakening DX had photos of your actions, added to it (which you could print on GB printer). I heard one of them was of you stealing, but maybe that one is optional.

Also, is this the only game that features a regular jumping item, or does it pop up in one of the Oracles later on?

Jump items are in the Oracle games, the Four Sword games and Minish Cap at the very least.

[Ombres]

So Phil, since you asked for it, here it is, my tale of playing the first Zelda on the Nintendo. I remember that I did play that game a lot, I was like 13-14 years old, having nothing better to do. With the game came a map of the world with some blank square in it too.

So I look for all by myself, I burn every tree, with the darn blue candle that you could only use once per screen until you get the red candle in like the 6th dungeon, but it’s was too late I did all the world map, burn a tree, wait to see if anything happen, change screen, go back… Once I find a tree, I put it on my map, I even draw on the blank square the map so it’s would be complete. I also make a map of every dungeon, from the first and second adventure, in each one I bomb every wall and did save a lot of key that way, since you could use key on the other dungeon!

After I gather all these information, I could start a game and I knew where to burn and bomb, and of course where not to do it too because they were making me paying for their door…, I could gather money quite fast that way, get my first ring update before the first dungeon, I think you needed a certain number of heart to be able to get the magic sword.

The hardest part of the game was the beginning, since you have nothing, the boss were for most of them quite easy, the dungeons were harder.

I don’t think the lost forest was that hard too, it’s was something like go twice left, twice right, twice up, or was it in metal gear… I don’t quite remember, but with some running around it’s was not that hard to find.

As for the final dungeon, it’s was on death mountain, and there was a big rock in the middle, it’s was almost like there were big sign showing this is the entrance of my lair, do not bomb!!

As for the second story, well there were a trick that you could start right from there, just name you character, Zelda and you start in it, but once you finish the game, your Link have his sword out to show you that save is in the second adventure. So for me it’s was not that hard to find everything since I knew what tree to burn and what wall to bomb even if everything were somewhere else, but indeed it’s was harder, but still fun time.

[Shaymin]

Good news, everyone! Zelda II's an Ambassador game for the 3DS!

Maybe I'll be able to beat it now.

[Ombres]

So all in all, Zelda are a great Adventure game.
But no I won't buy the CD-I, I don't why, but something tell me I won't enjoy these game, maybe the challenge seem too high for me...

As for the ending of the Link's awakening, at the end you see a seagull, if you finish it without dying, instead it's Marin with seagull wing, nothing special beside that, but yeah I did it

[silktail]

I don't know about the DX version, but you only hear the seagull in the original's (imperfect) ending.

The perfect ending shows that Marin's wish had come true.

As for the second story, well there were a trick that you could start right from there, just name you character, Zelda and you start in it,

There's a nod to that in Link's Awakening. Do the same and you get an alternate version of the title music.

[jcservant]

Wow...Ombres! Thank you for the story!! I am sooo sharing that on the next show!!

And...stay away from the CDi games...stay FAAARRR away!!

[Wheels]

Surgeon General's warning: CDi games may cause insanity, even if ingested indirectly. Use at your own risk.

[Ocelot]

Surgeon General's warning: CDi games may cause insanity, even if ingested indirectly. Use at your own risk.

[KisakiProject]

Is it wrong listening to this really makes em want to play the CDi Zeldas. Call it morbid curiosity?

[jcservant]

Probably Check out the Angry Video Game Nerd's video on those games at Gametrailers.com first. It will give you a much better picture of the games. Let me know what you think!

[Strawberry Eggs]

This is largely unrelated, but I discovered another Famicom RPG that used passwords instead of a save function -- Digital Devil Monagatari: Megami Tensei. That's right, the game (based off of three novels, in case you weren't aware) that started the (Shin) Megami Tensei franchise gave you passwords instead of having a battery to save your game. Like many other games in the franchise, this one has you recruiting and fusing demons to fight with. Just imagine what the passwords are like for that game!

[Ombres]

I don't know about the DX version, but you only hear the seagull in the original's (imperfect) ending.
The perfect ending shows that Marin's wish had come true.
There's a nod to that in Link's Awakening. Do the same and you get an alternate version of the title music.

Hey thanks for that info, been so long I play that game, it's might have been the same with the game boy one, for the (imperfect) ending

Wow...Ombres! Thank you for the story!! I am sooo sharing that on the next show!!
And...stay away from the CDi games...stay FAAARRR away!!

I am glad that you like it

[JuMeSyn]

Never having completed the second quest in the original game, I don't know how demanding it is. Any volunteers for describing its intricacies?

[jcservant]

I wish I could give you details...It was sooo long ago...I remember the dungeons being harder to find, as well as some of the items. Everything was in different places just about and dungeons themselves had re arranged layouts. I don't recall the actual combat being TOO much harder, though... Hmmmmm

[ThouThou]

Second quest of the original Zelda I believe wasn't only more difficult but like mentioned everything was in different places. Almost like, or perhaps actually was, an entirely new game. Dungeons in new locations with new layouts, bosses (e.g. the later harder bosses in the early dungeons), and items. New hidden wall "holes" that you just have to find by walking against the wall. I think there were even one-way paths between rooms too. I never beat nor have gotten far in the second quest so I'm not sure if the ending is the same or not.

[XR2]

I remember kids at school talking about Zelda, and just hearing the directions about how to find things, and the crazy things that could be found. This is one aspect of gaming that I miss. Sure, we have online communities, but playing a game, getting stuck, and discussing it the next day at school, getting and giving tips, and making it a little bit further is an experience lost in time. Now we look to guides or gamefaqs if we get stuck. Back then we had to collaborate, and work together to figure it out. I met new people both getting and giving advice about Zelda, and helping people with the game.