Playing A Link to the Past in 2023 was NOT What I Expected

[@OffbeatDrill]

Link to my Zelda 1 video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGeyZ4qim7JsiNk Link to my Zelda 2 video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYLWkISFm65giMk Link to my Link's Awakening video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5DcaIOfhNh4qac (pun intended)

[@RyuuTenno]

Link becomes a bunny in this game, cause his original form was supposed to be a wolf, but that would've made the players too OP for the early part of the Dark World, so they nerfed him into a bunny. And yes, it's the same (or very nearly the same) wolf we get to play as in Twilight Princess, kinda where they got the inspiration, lol

[@justingumieny]

Wow you went through the whole game without halfing your magic consumption. That definitely makes things a bit difficult.

[@lLIBER4TORl]

As a kid I thought I beat the game when you 1st beat Agahnim. My mind was absolutely BLOWN when I arrived in the Dark World.

[@bobbleton6517]

And the soundtrack.. Wow!

[@molotovmutt3365]

The same here man...and it took me forever to understand I could bounce Aghanim fireballs back to him

[@robertharper3114]

I definitely felt that way as well. I was so excited when I finally beat that wizard and then when I was "drawn into the dark world," I was completely taken back. For the longest time, I felt like the dark world was impossible, especially since I missed the moon pearl in the mountain tower. What I would give to experience this game for the first time again!

[@johnsimpson3483]

First time i played i didnt know you had to follow Agahnim by swiping the curtains with your sword. Took me days of going up and down the castle before I worked it out 😂.

[@Loanwolf387]

So it wasn’t just me lol I wasn’t much of a gamer back in the day. Link to the Past was such an experience. When I beat Agahnim I was so proud, game defeated! Nope. I was a little disappointed and a little pissed! I got over it quickly and now this is my fave game of all time

[@TheSlayneProphet]

So, my mom and I played this game everyday till we beat it(I played while she watched and helped figure out puzzles with me. I was like 8 or 9 at the time, and she was no gamer, but she really enjoyed this game). First: we had no idea you could use your sword on Wizard in the light world. The first few times I beat him and was sent to the dark world, we used the Bug Net to knock the projectiles back. 😂 Your battle with the dw 4th palaces' boss was just to easy. That fire butterfly was probably the hardest boss in the game for me. Though, I've heard you weren't supposed to swing your sword, you were suppose to poke him with your sword extended. Idk if that's true, I've never setup my SNES find out. The bombo's medallion is very useful in dungeon 5: the ice palace or any ice rooms for that matter. My mom passes in 2018, so I will always hold this game close to my heart and for that reason alone, this will always be not only my favorite Zelda game but my favorite game I've ever played.

[@nathanieldotter3717]

You were supposed to use your fire rod against the moth boss, it's the key to beat him, but before I knew this, I actually went and got the black glove from dungeon 4, left got the 3rd sword with it, and then went and crushed the moth boss in D3 with it lol

[@cainanneedham9022]

Thanks for sharing. What a special memory. I’m envious of the experience.

[@doZerBoy]

Very sorry for your loss 🙏. Great story. I can relate.. My mom was an even bigger Zelda gamer then I was...she passed right before Christmas 2021. Totk is the only Zelda game she didn't play and beat

[@-taz-]

Amazing. My mom never even looked at a game, except Munchman (Pacman clone) on the Ti. She never paid attention to one game on Nintendo, and she even called it the "Intendo" for years. But then when it comes to the grandkids, she played Mario Maker 2 and even the old emulated Mario games with them...

[@robwaters2948]

I love this. I played this game with my mom when I was a kid. We got stuck in the intro section , and didn’t realize you could lift a bush to uncover the castle sewers LOL. But we figured it out somehow and played until completion. I remember her crying during the ending cutscene showing all the characters and people we met along the way. It’s one of my most cherished memories. My heart goes out to you because I know how special that kind of experience is. What a blessing

[@secretofmana-ananimatedtri3820]

It seems you missed a few things in the game: - after getting the hammer, you can fall down the well next to the backsmith house. You'll find a weird statue in there. Use your magic powder on it, and a small bat-kind of thing will grant you a nice power: every magic-using item will only cost half what it was costing before :) Makes using the cape way more convenient, which helps in return going through the long spiked room to get the Cane of Byrna, in the Death Mountain. - I think you probably missed the Cane of Byrna - You can upgrade your boomerang to get the Magic boomerang by throwing it into the fairy pond that is hidden behind a waterfall, in the river next to the Witch house. Lot of optional things to do in that game :D

[@spleespleeslacysploo]

Don't forget that every time you come across those flying skulls with the red orbs (dark fairy) thats a free fairy after throwing some magic powder on em

[@Fides_Brunel]

As an add on, if you throw your blue starter shield into the same pond as the one you throw your boomerang into, you can get an upgraded shield that can deflect fireballs in addition to the standard projectiles.

[@JohnDemetriou]

@@Fides_BrunelThis, I basically threw everything I had in that pond with hopes it will do something

[@solearesoul]

True, but figuring that out on your own without looking it up would probably be pretty unlikely. (The powder on the statue thing).

[@56brandonray]

If you throw a bottle in you’ll also get a free green potion

[@bustedkeel]

I was absolutely mesmerized by this game as a kid. The legendary Zelda world I had only dabbled with a little bit was brought to life by the amazing graphics and feel.

[@endthelogin]

That rain in the beginning 😱

[@vildiac]

This is my #1 favourite Zelda title, and my absolute favourite videogame of all time. My first videogame at the age of 6 (the GBA port, which I got for my 6th birthday along with my GBA), and I fell in love with it instantly. 21 years later, and I still love it just as much as my 6 year old self did. Absolute masterpiece of a game in my opinion.

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

Lol everything you said I'm exactly the same. Except for me it was on the original SNES. It's awesome how Zelda transcends generations.

[@soldatheero]

same here. blew my mind as a 6 year old and still beat it every few years.

[@IndohNintendo]

Question for you; being the version you played first, do you prefer it over the SNES original? Are there things you like better in one version or the other?

[@vildiac]

@@IndohNintendo Honestly, not really. Both versions are practically identical to me. I see no differences between them, at least nothing significant.

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

@@IndohNintendo Personally? I own it for SNES but it's nicely boxed up and I don't love unboxing everything to play it. I prefer my Anbernic 351P handheld for anything Dreamcast and below, I just hit power, choose console, choose game. I know I'm SUPPOSED to enjoy my collection more than I do. It's just a hassle hooking everything up, and a solid emulation device with current firmware (I use 351Elec aka AmberElec) runs pretty much flawlessly.

[@matttyree1002]

Glad you read the manual and resolved not to use save states or look things up. You really are doing your best to have the authentic experience. Much respect!

[@nsnick199]

There's nothing telling you the Silver Arrows are in the Pyramid of Power exactly, but the game does tell you you'll need them to defeat Ganon and there are a couple hints about the Bomb Shop as well as there being something inside the Pyramid: "Hah! Thank you. To tell you the truth, I found incredible beauty inside the pyramid, but someone sealed the door. You can't do anything with a standard bomb, they say... " "Hocus pocus! You will buy a new kind of bomb in the Bomb Shop." "Abracadabra alakazam! You will find something inside the pyramid of the Dark World." "Abracadabra alakazam! You will need Silver Arrows to give Ganon his last moment." Also, a small note: to access the Bomb Shop, you don't need to upgrade your sword to Tempered. You just need to have collected Crystals 5 & 6.

[@Ryujishida]

There's also the fact that you can see that obvious crack in the very different-looking section of the pyramid's wall that your bombs can't do anything to every time you go down it. Which, unless you're playing through the Dark Word in one sitting, should be quite a few times. And the bomb shop guy tells you he is working on a more powerful bomb and to check back later.

[@-wolfpacsnakepit]

Came here to write this. The dude has played through the NES Zelda games and feels that the silver arrow quest is cryptic?!

[@Ryujishida]

@@-wolfpacsnakepit Yeah, I get the feeling that he rushed through the game a bit. Notice he is missing several things, including the Cane of Byrna and half magic.

[@Framed-Naraht]

@@Ryujishida pretty sure tempered is required in the OG game, I do know for the randomizer it only requires the crystals from dungeons "5" & "6"

[@Mike-ge7pe]

The guy at the bomb shop tells you to come back later also

[@amandamatheny3675]

maybe the thief in the secret area that gives you the rupees is doing so in order to keep you from discovering his real stash which is a lot bigger than that. Kind of a bribe

[@erikabutler6893]

17:17 My view on this ever since I played the game as a kid was that the strength and capabilities of your Dark World form are dependent on how evil you are, or at least on how much like Ganon you are. The evidence for this is Link's bunny form, the relatively weak forms of the helpful NPC's in the Dark World, and the powerful forms of the evil dungeon bosses loyal to Ganon (of which, Blind at least was a human in the Light World).

[@84warhead]

Another thing to consider is that this game was made by the Japanese, and if we look at the Japanese view of the rabbit we can decipher that Link is a man of kindness, of sacrifice, a peacekeeper, one who will bring prosperity to the Kingdom of Hyrule. These are things that are associated with rabbits in Japan and it makes sense for the hero to have those qualities.

[@nonamesoandso]

The location of the Sliver Arrows is spelled out for you in another book that came with the game in addition to the instruction book- the hint guide! It’s a small, black book that had a seal you had to break to get the hints. I had LttP as a child, and this little book was essential to that part of the game.

[@TheJadeFist]

You could also use the fortune teller, I think. Been so long since I've talked to the npc, but he probably gives you hints for it.

[@kricku]

I have NO recollection of this and i still have the manual

[@caodesignworks2407]

There was a hint book that came with the game!? Maybe that was later editions? Somewhere in my collection I have a cib copy, but doesn't have a hint guide. Though, that'd be a very Nintendo thing to do

[@AP-eq6fv]

loved video, but lord did I die a little inside when he said "Agahim" instead of "Agahnim" lol

[@dennisferron8847]

I remember playing this in the 90s and my friends and I mispronouncing Sasparilla's, I mean, Sasharalla... Shisharishirish's name differently every time it came up.

[@JeMone]

The uncle is in the end of the game. So they didn’t kill him off.

[@schmaffew2343]

He was revived by the triforce, I was confused by this at first as well.

[@AwesomeHairo]

@@schmaffew2343 You misused a comma.

[@schmaffew2343]

@@AwesomeHairo yeah ur right should've been a period, but doesn't matter

[@gabegibler3393]

The strength of Zelda games (in general) is how free-form they are, and how many fun, hidden things there are to find. Zelda 1 reflects this -- especially for its time period. And this one does so beautifully, too. There are so many ways to accomplish tasks, and so many little hidden things. That makes it always fun to come back and play through. It's especially fun to beat only the minimum dungeons necessary, until you can hand over your sword to temper it, and then go through and beat them (or just go through and get all the major items out of them) without your sword. Creative free-form. It makes this game fantastic.

[@joeydurant6267]

I remember hearing recently a discussion about games being released in like a tier format that allows for more access depending on what you paid or something to that effect... Like the devs were kind of saying that games should be monetized differently because it's an interactive on going experience etc and like... I get what they're saying kind of but like... The people who paid for the first Zelda game back in the day Dec got their money's worth considering there were still some kind of major discoveries being made in the game decades after release... I feel like wanting to make things like that,that may never even get found much less appreciated... That's clearly a labor of love and when any community is making their content based on that kind of thought process it is always going to be to the benefit of everyone that is involved or cares about that specific thing, be it art or music or video games.... The whole discussion to me felt like devs kind of were looking at things from a perspective of just flat out, what's the least we can give for the most amount of returns or inversely how can we make people pay the most for the same amount of effort ... It was a slippery slope kind of thing cuz of course devs should make a living, everyone should but like.... IDK it was just a wild concept and I believe got backlashed into oblivion almost as quickly as it got brought up but games like this just go to show that people working on a project they were enthusiastic about and really took some personal pride in they seemed to want to pack in as much as they possibly could. Sorry to rant just... An intangible little thought that I've had rattling around for a while.

[@miki_mao]

How many old Zelda games do you have to play until it IS something you expect? ;)

[@AP-eq6fv]

why did I just read that in Bob Dylan's voice?

[@cagtbd]

Fortunately that's the formula with these games. I was expecting all games to be the same hero in different environments and circumstances but I was glad it told a different tale in every game with mostly new Links. I appreciate how they enrich Zelda history, lore and many other aspects with each game. The only downside is you can't play some of the games because of the time and consoles they were launched on.

[@gregh378]

@@AP-eq6fv To be fair, being surprised about ALTTP was the topic of like 6 of his songs

[@jephwahlretrogames9245]

Unless you expect it to be an unpredictable and unique experience, it never happens.

[@KornPop96]

It wouldn't be a good clickbait title if it was lol.

[@davidklein8608]

I thought the reason Link turns into a rabbit is because the moon looks likes a rabbit in some cultures. (Look at a picture of the full moon; you can see the full body of a rabbit in the lighter parts.) You represent the light, so in the dark world you turn into a form that represents the light. The moon pearl helps suggest this if you know about the connection between the moon and rabbits.

[@QuasarEE]

Best explanation I've heard. The game itself sure offers no explanation.

[@84warhead]

Another thing to consider are the qualities the Japanese associate with rabbits. In the story of the rabbit on the moon the rabbit sacrificed itself. They're also associated with peace, kindness, prosperity, and (obviously) fertility. In LttP Link is a man of sacrifice, a kind man who served as a peacekeeper who brings prosperity to Hyrule.

[@spleespleeslacysploo]

And he's also very fertile for Zelda can't forget that

[@gabegibler3393]

That's awesome. And a fun set of things to know or put together.

[@chrislevack405]

The game literally says you take the form of what's in your heart... either you guys are dense or very lazy. No manual or Nintendo Power required for this very obvious answer.

[@BaronLector]

When I play, because I can't be bothered to do the Ice Dungeon puzzle correctly with pushing the block through the floor, I do the dungeon that gives the Magic Cane that creates Magic Blocks and use those to complete the Ice Dungeon.

[@veghesther3204]

Sadly that trick only works on the SNES version that part of the ice palace got redone on the GBA remake that you can't even reach that switch on the GBA version to use the Red cane from Misery Mire on it. Also Tempered Sword before Skull woods would kill the Skull woods boss in like 4 hits use the Magic cape to avoid the damage from the moving spikes in the Background else it takes a little over 20 FIRE rod its to kill that boss. For the ice palace boss 1 use of the Bombos medallion will cause it to break apart into the 3 mini bosses else it takes TOO many FIRE rod hits do to do the same.

[@andywarda1481]

I do one better. After dyngeon 1 I can't be bothered to do the other 6 in order. With the hammer I can get straight to the thieves village. I now have the invisibility cape and third sword. Rest of the game is easy.

[@thajocoth]

I think the cracked wall was your clue for the fairy. That was enough for me to solve it back then. I think the bomb spawns in the shop once you have the dark world's 5 & 6 crystals, regardless of having the Tempered Sword or not.

[@Epic_C]

I think a small edition they should have added would have been if you placed a regular bomb in front of it, it could have changed the crack a bit but then add dialogue saying something like "a more powerful bomb is needed". That would have at least reduced the cryptic part of it.

[@Ken-fh4jc]

This is one of the best games of all time. The music is amazing.

[@bdhuffman42]

The Japanese name of this game is called The Triforce of the Gods.

[@RyanBlazeheart]

If only you found the Mad Batter in the Smithy's Well. If you enter the well from the well, "Well" there's a room to the north and you can use the Magic Powder on the Altar and if you say Yes when he asks if you're ready. He will give you half magic cost, while treating it like a punishment which confused a lot of kids XD

[@gwgux]

I first played this game back a friend's house when it first came out and it made me beg my parents for a SNES for Christmas. Until then I had the NES, played and loved first two Zelda games, but this one has always been my favorite. I like the 3D Zelda games. They're good, but I just loved the formula perfected by this one too much. I've played this game over and over again to have just about everything in it memorized and I like to play the randomizer hacks for it too.

[@illuminated_crown]

Ahhh the good Ole days when you can play a pretty huge amount of a game at a friend's house. 😂😂😂

[@rwlsupersmut]

On your second playthrough you have to skip to the harder dungeons to get the item to free the brother to make the gold sword early. You can also increase your magic meter in a cave in the dark world.

[@thatpaigeperson9877]

i played link to the past for the first time recently (completely blind), and i experienced a lot of similar things! great video!

[@PeterAnimator]

I watched your video recently about beating Zelda II. I'm excited to see you're doing more!

[@autumnshinespark]

I'd say there was a volleyball fight in Zelda 2 with the Wizzrobe, but this way's cooler.

[@TheMTOne]

For me it was Ole' Trusty which solved the Silver Arrow issue. To be specific old games, RPGs or otherwise, you often just did everything you could. I can say with certainty back then I through every single item I had into ponds after getting the first green bottle, which of course leads to the boomerang upgrade. With the later Fairy I through every single item I had in the first time, and it takes a while, but so does your bomb/arrow upgrades and by that point it was a habit. It also got me a better sword, so I can't say it was a bad idea. This is what I think many miss about games from back then. Time between game releases was a lot longer, so you had all your spare time on one game. So you ended up trying tons of things to find answers. I don't know how long it took me to beat the first few times I played the game, but I did probably play through it 5 or 6 times that first year. For me I was 9 when it came out, and I had 1 and 2 and had beaten them also when younger, so bombing walls and trying everything wasn't exactly a new mentality. Essentially we just tested everything back then that we could. Some people had money and bought the guides or called the Nintendo hint line (1900 number for help and they charged for it). For everyone else it was just "test everything" which is still a gaming habit really. I check every box in RPGs to this day. You wouldn't believe how long BG3 is with that mentality. Its a hard habit to break, as modern games don't hide as much shit or they expect you to google things to find answers and they do things differently. No need to check every crate anymore. The 'Meta' is kind of annoying, which is also something I hate about games like Elden Ring or others. If I have to Google an answer, when I am the type to try everything, then often there is a problem that only 'Meta' can solve.

[@gabrieladerre2862]

29:07 If you talk to all the NPCs, you'll learn about the thieves' hideout in Kakariko Village! Including the leader, Blind, who was said to hate light! I put it together as soon as I saw the light on the floor, from where you'd bombed the ceiling of that room, that was the floor to the room above. And the fact that chick that, as you said, asked to be lead outside, wouldn't go outside! I was 9-10 when thos came out, and I did so many replays! That, and FF 3 (6) were the two SNES games that I poured tons of time into! Especially FF 3(6!) And they're still two of my all time favorites! With TOTK (I haven't played BOTW, as I got my TOTK Switch, with the game, for Xmas. But A Link To The Past, is an awesome game! And as far as the fun of it, and the features, such as the soundtrack, it definitely stands up, even now! I did a play through on our SNES Mini, and poured about 30 hours into FF6, right after we got the SNESM! Sadly, FF6 glitched, and left me stuck at the Opera House. But still had a great time until then! 😊

[@tiarnanquinn5403]

Talking to everyone, then again in case there's a 2nd dialog, and again after notable events, or if its been a while was a staple of the games of the time. Also Zelda games are about exploration and discovery, that includes the people as well as the places.

[@Kevinsyel]

Like other's have said: - You missed the magic demon beneath the Blacksmith house in the light world. throwing magic powder on the Pedestal in the cave beneath the Blacksmith will prompt a demon to reduce your magic usage of all magic items by half, making Turtle Rock more doable without a green potion - If you do Misery Mire first, and have the Cane of Somaria, the backtracking puzzle in the Ice Palace is trivial. just pop a block on the switch instead of redoing the whole dungeon! - In the Area of Death Mountain in the dark world where the bully is, jumping off a ledge will lead you to a cave full of spikes. At the end is your missing item, the Cane of Byrna, which grants you invulnerability when used - In the Light world, right outside Zora's domain, you can swim into the waterfall for another Faery fountain where you can toss in your boomerang to get the Magic Boomerang. You can also toss in the level 1 shield to get the Magic Shield which can block fireballs. This is one hint about possible other upgrade Faery fountains - The Magic Shield can also be purchased from a few shops in the Dark World. - The skull enemies with the red fireballs around them are called "Anti-Faeries"... as their name suggests, sprinkling them with Magic Dust will turn them into Faeries you can capture and store in a bottle! - You can also store Bees in a bottle to attack enemies - There's also a Golden Bee - You can pick up a fish after draining the dam in the light world, and walk it all the way back to Kakariko Village where you can sell it to the bottle vendor for rupees. - Some bombable walls (circular cracks) can be destroyed by charging into them with the pegasus boots, saving bombs - The game came with a sealed black booklet of "Top Secrets" which when opened will divulge the main puzzle in every dungeon, as well as tell you how to get the Silver Arrows, and other tips from Sahasralah.

[@Docktavion]

Didn’t know about the selling of the fish. Thanks.

[@caodesignworks2407]

One thing I learned today was the fish selling and the sealed hint book. Growing up poor in a poor area, we all pretty much either had used games or rented games. Knowing there was a hint book means what I thought was a "cib" copy of zelda that I had is in fact, not complete

[@GarlicMonoxide]

When you said it was 32 years old...it hit me right in my old ass heart.

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

Also: from what i was told, links pink hair is also technical limitations in the palette set and they couldn't easily set his pink bunny skin and still keep him blonde/brown

[@Raycloud]

The mummies in Skull Woods are instantly killed by the Fire Rod.

[@Robert-nu4vc]

I freeze them with the ice rod then smash them with the hammer. They almost always drop magic refills. Most of the other enemies that you can freeze and smash will drop magic refills as well.

[@wuzi7049]

Things like the lake and superbomb were so obvious. Because things didn't exist without a purpose back then. They had to maximize an extremely limited space. If something like a distinctive and extra sturdy cracked wall. Or a place you can't easily get to, has something you can interact with. They wouldn't be in the game unless they have a purpose. Because they couldn't spare the space back then. The dungeons may have numbers but you can do them in any order. And people were more able to explore and experiment with everything in a game. So that was a more major part of gaming back then.

[@striderchris]

Life pro tip: Using the magic pouch on the pink skulls turns them into fairies.

[@not2tired]

Yep, also works on their yellow siblings as long as you sprinkle powder before they start moving

[@GamingJoey]

My first Zelda game and still one of the best! Surprised you didn't find the 1/2 Magic powerup. Also, always get the cane before doing the ice dungeon so you can skip the annoying puzzle and just activate the switch.

[@The_Pariah]

I'm really enjoying your video format. Watched 3 of your videos in the last 2 days and I like all the little tidbits you add. Cheers.

[@Garb815]

I always found it really weird that the game tells you to get the ice rod way before you actually need it.

[@timbrosius]

I hated that because I kind of overlooked it and by the time I fought the boss that requires it later I had no idea it was even an item in the game. I had to look up how to beat it and it turns out there is an otherwise seemingly optional item in the overworld that is required to beat the boss in a dungeon. I was not a fan of that lol.

[@kitbct1444]

You actually even need it lol

[@wuzi7049]

​@@timbrosiusI don't think you actually need it. I remember when i first beat the game as a kid i had barely any items. And i think i just got the first gloves. And i never really used the bombs because i was afraid of them. i think i might have even lost my shield. From what i remember you could just brute force pretty much everything except the land barriers.

[@veghesther3204]

Actually you do need it the boss of Turtle Rock has 2 heads and in order to get rid of Both you need to use the Fire rod on the Ice head and the Ice rod of the FIRE head in order to attack the 2 heads with normal sword hits so until you kill both heads of that boss it will never die.

[@briandear1401]

It's actually very effective against the second dungeons bosses.

[@sheven18]

Back when this game came out along with the instruction booklet, it came with another book called Top Secrets that would tell you some of the cryptic stuff that you might have missed.

[@QuasarEE]

I feel like you really lucked out finding good strats for some of the bosses immediately. My memories of dying a dozen times to Mothula and Vitreous back when I was 12, in 1992, will stick with me forever.

[@hurktang]

the skill gap also, between an adult professional gamer and a 12yo kid who barely start to assimilate the concept of the directional pad. I certainly died a lot in the time.

[@thajocoth]

For the ice stairs, the Pegasus Boots will adjust your aim if you're close enough, making it a lot easier to go down them. It's rare to get that on the first playthrough though...

[@TheJadeFist]

You can also swing your sword to control yourself better, but I like rapidly taping the A button to use the boots. You'll stick in place for a moment as Link begins to charge the dash up.

[@thajocoth]

@@TheJadeFistYou don't even need to do all that. Just charging straight at it with the Pegasus Boots will cause the game to push Link over up to half a tile so he enters the stairs, widening the potential region to aim for by about a full tile in total, so you no longer need to be pixel perfect for it.

[@joshuaturner1072]

One of my favorite Zelda games for sure. I still play it on occasion.

[@frozenaorta]

Activating use of the Cane of Byrna against Blind the Thief turns the fight into an unloseable cakewalk.

[@Robert-nu4vc]

The Cane of Byrna makes easy work of Mothula too. Throw in some sword strikes and Mothula is finished in even less time.

[@AP-eq6fv]

31:00 you can also use the hookshot to stop your sliding. That's what I do to get to the stairs: as soon as I'm "on top" of the stairs, I shoot the hookshot, which immediately stops, link, then I walk down. and, yes, please make a video of Chris Houlihan :)

[@MikeThePsykat]

Here's a fun fact for you, the GBA port of this game removed that block pushing puzzle from the ice dungeon (the one where you had to push a block down some floors to get it to stay on a switch). I guess they thought it was just too much for people. Threw me for a loop the first time I played that version given how used to the SNES original I was. Also, the GBA port added a 3rd lumberjack brother that gives you some quizzes if you've gotten 15 courage medals in the Four Swords mode. Doing this added side quest gives you the Hurricane Spin Attack. Beating Four Swords at least once on your file also opens a new super Dungeon in the Pyramid of Power. Other then those things, and the Young Link voice clips, the GBA version is largely the same. Heck, it even has an option for a dark color pallet which makes the colors the same as the SNES version, great for GBA SPs, or TV play via the Game Boy Player!

[@Jatheus]

I grew up on these Zelda games, and this one in particular. I don't remember having trouble finding the silver arrows... but... we spent hours wandering around and trying stuff, and when my brothers and I saw a crack that couldn't be bombed, we obsessed about it... the moment we stumbled onto those super bombs, we took them straight to that crack. Great games, thanks for the video. :0)

[@MatthewFutrell]

Fun fact, the enemies you can't hurt that drain your health and magic (see 30:22 's frame for a reference) can be turned into a fairy with the magic powder. As a Zelda fan from all the way back when Zelda 1 came out I'm embarrassed to say it took me nearly 2 decades to learn of this.

[@ericevan12]

I didn't know that either until I watched a playthrough and someone did that trick. Then I learned they're called anti-fairies. It makes sense now.

[@MatthewFutrell]

@@ericevan12 Ah yes, I keep forgetting they're called that. Thanks =)

[@not2tired]

You can also powder the yellow ones in the dark world that turn you into a rabbit if you touch them. As long as you powder them before they start moving.

[@MatthewFutrell]

@@not2tired Oh wow, still learning new stuff after all this time.

[@DB-bt3cd]

i just finished all three videos, great commentary and editing, i guess ill be watching the next ones too

[@BradfordRMcKnight]

Man I miss it when my mom took me to the game store to buy a game and reading the manual all the way home. Just getting super pumped all the way home. Those were the days.

[@Panzer_the_Merganser]

It’s funny you mention that. I remember sitting down one afternoon and happily reading the entire guide to Phantasy Star III.

[@rossconrad9665]

The old man who gives you the mirror also heals you when you talk to him in the cave (after you rescue him).

[@magicbud]

There were Zelda help lines in the 90's. I spent a fortune on my parents phone when I was 12/13 years old to complete this game. It was well worth the slapped arse i got. Most of the phone cost came from trying to explain exactly where I was in the game.

[@StewNWT]

Ha I did the same thing when I was 12 and I was hungry to play FF6 My grandparents were not happy with the $100 phone bill

[@GodleyX]

"potions aren't worth it, fairies are free" you have the max 999 rupees lol. Also potions heal way more. That makes it worth it

[@sleepytatertots]

Omg this video is so good!!! I think you’re the best video game reviewer on this platform! Can’t wait to watch you play the rest of the Zelda games!!!!!!

[@YoshiTheOreo]

I remember when i was young and i had to go to work with my grandmother at a hotel. They had a Super Nintendo demo system in every room where you had 15 mins before veing ejected to the demo menu. This game was one of them. I spent so much time trying to go as far as possible into the game. Thanks Mr. Wlison for making Wilson World Hotel.

[@fusionspace175]

Actually many items return as better versions or you'll get more back from the chunky fairy. We mostly got the silver arrows by throwing every item possible into the fountain. The blacksmith rescue isn't random though, that's already how you got your sword tempered before. And that cracked wall in the pyramid stood out the moment we saw it, so when the super bomb does show up it wasn't hard to figure out. The thing is, other kids were the internet before there was one, so if any kid knew a secret in Zelda it had a chance of becoming well known, like that's the only way we got through 1 and 2 on nes was as a community.

[@not2tired]

Yep, outdoor recess and talking with other kids... that was the internet for game tricks, well, it was the internet for everything.

[@nelsoncabrera6464]

I remember playing TLOZ on my small bedroom TV while trying at the same time to watch Star Trek TNG on the living room TV (through my open bedroom door) while my mother danced with a mop trying to clean during commercials so she wouldn't get in the way, I even remember the song was "Use it Up and Wear it Out" by Pat and Mick . Now I have this super funny memory amalgamation of TNG/Zelda/Mistolin Floral/Pat and Mick which means every time I hear that song I'm back in our tiny apartment in 1993. I even remember the TNG episode was the one were Troi gets turned into a Romulan. Honestly I'd almost give anything to return to that childhood.

[@foxdavani4091]

Watching or in my case, listening to you play since I’m actually doing stuff while I listen to your videos, reminds me of being a little kid and playing these games myself. I love your videos. You almost have a child like perspective with an adult wisdom when you play your games. That’s awesome.

[@WolvesBaseballNine]

The boss of the fourth dungeon is actually named Blind and hes the leader of the thieves. The game gives you hints of his existence and whereabouts. He definitely is really hard and can be unforgiving. Fortunately, thanks to the game allowing player freedom, its possible to fight him with much better equipment and ore hearts if hes kicking your butt too much. You can always return with the orange sword and the cane of Byrna and thats usually what i do before fighting him to make sure i can beat him first try. I actually find the crabturtle that you almost died to to be harder because theres really not much you can do except fight him with 3 bottles of fairies or potions and you usually only have like 10 hearts so you can't tank much against him.

[@evilskunk1]

I'm surprised that you didn't find the magic upgrade in kakariko village in the dark world. If you get it, it cuts your depletion of magic in half making turtle rock a lot easier.

[@hellsdemongaming]

This is my far my all time favorite zelda. Its also the one that introduced me to randomizers, throwing an amazing but sometimes irritatinf challenge and twist on ALTTP

[@DeconvertedMan]

Zelda: Kill everything. Bomb everything. Push all blocks. Talk to everyone. Push yourself into walls. :D

[@sheltongolden4394]

I mean, that is what they teach you in hero school.

[@songsan807]

This is probably the 1st snes game I played when I first got the snes. Hell I was so broke then as a high school student that I couldn't even afford to buy the game but borrowed from a class mate. I finally did got the game from an ebay snes game lot. Definitely one of my favorite games and one of the best games ever made.

[@andywarda1481]

I got this when it first came out. I am 42 now, and I still play it several times a year.

[@Ichthyodactyl]

With the Super Bomb thing. I don't remember ever getting stuck at that part because, for me at least, revisiting places later that seem pointless now is a core part of the Zelda experience. Because of this, I found the super bomb shortly after it was available and, because the bomb crack on the pyramid was just such a blatant and obvious tease, knew exactly where to take it. That is to say that I found the silver arrows before I even knew I'd need them just because of the way that I learned to play the game. Not defending the choice to make something necessary to beat the game so obscure but if you play the game in the way that I think was intended, you'll probably end up with them before you need them.

[@fuzzypicklesgaming439]

Very insightful

[@idgamingfederation202]

apples can be found in Twilight Princess, but not as usable items.

[@OGNephai]

The silver arrows, I figured that one out. I never forgot the cracked wall when I saw it and spent a lot of time trying to pen it so when I discovered this golden bomb would follow you, first thing I tried was bringing it to the cracked wall. Loving your videos, any chance you can post the full playthrough for all of your Zelda videos?

[@dannykent6190]

I think a lot of people these days don't realize how gaming used to work. There was no internet. If you saw something like that, you remembered it. You didn't need a guide to tell you something was there. You just went back to that screen every time you got a new item and tried it. I made a similar comment on a video about the flute-hidden level in the original game. It wasn't "near impossible" to figure out without a guide. It was one of the very first things you tried. Ah, nostalgia.

[@TheRealNintendoKid]

I didn't have a guide or a Nintendo Power subscription... I did, however, have a friend who knew this game like the back of his hand somehow. And when I actually played it later 100% on my own as a teenager, I just remembered enough to get thru it all.

[@Singmen64]

I can remember it clearly how Helmasaur King (the first Boss in the Dark World) was my first major wall in this game. He does a pretty big amount of damage compared to the previous enemys and i was not prepaired for that. You`ll drop like 4 Hearts each hit. I dont remember how i made it through the first 3 Dungeons, but the fourth was the end of my playthrough until some years later when I was a bit older. Such an amazing experience.

[@robart1979]

Best one in my experience. Always gives me chills, the story is superb

[@noble_wine]

The boss of the Dark Palace name is Helmasaur King. You can use bombs to destroy his mask btw. Good video. There is a fairy fountain hidden in a waterfall near the area where you get the flippers. You can upgrade your boomerange (it goes further than the blue one) and shield upgrade (you can reflect fireballs projectiles). Also tossing empty bottles in the water earns you a free potion (per bottle)

[@adrianbailey4281]

13:33 So as not to disappoint ;P In addition to upgrading bomb and arrow capacity, the fortunes given at the Pond of Happiness also affect a hidden "Luck" stat. The middle two options of "A Little Luck" and "Good Luck" have no apparent effect, but getting "Big Trouble" will cause the next 10 enemies slain to not drop items, whereas the "Great Luck" fortune will guarantee that the next 10 enemies slain will drop items.

[@Robert-nu4vc]

Fairies are good to have bottled up early in the game when you have less heart containers to fill. They only fill up to 7 heart containers, though, so later on, it's better to have potions, which will fill you up all the way. Near the end of the game, I like to have mostly all blue potions so you can completely fill your health and magic a few times.

[@spencerstevens2175]

If you do the mushroom quest in the lost woods you get the magic dust. You can sprinkle it on enemies for different effects. The skull guys that spin around the dungeons turn into fairies

[@mandeepgandhi151]

I love how the storyline in the manual of A Link To The Past lines up so well with the new Totk story in 2023! The murals showing the Imprisoning War.. Dark world == Depths, 7 wisemen == 7 secret stones / sages .. and probably more .. 🤯

[@King_Luigi]

26:00 - Little Known Fact: You can actually talk to those trees, though only after they spit out those bombs at you. (Understandably, they reversed that when they ported it to the GBA, so they'll talk 1st _then_ spit bombs at you.) 27:25 - Funny Detail: You can catch a bee and use it against this boss (all others are immune to its low damage). There's also a rare one known as the Golden (or 'Good') Bee which can _almost_ solo this boss in 1 go. 43:11 - Short answer: Censorship. // Long answer: The original Japanese name for this game was "Triforce of the Gods". Back in the 80's and 90's Nintendo of America was pretty strict about showing/mentioning stuff like religion, so having "Gods" mentioned in game, let alone in the title, wasn't gonna fly. 43:41 - In Zelda 1 you were only putting together the pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom (that Zelda broke so Ganon couldn't get it). Then after beating Ganon you get his Triforce of Power part. (That both you and Zelda hold up at the end.) In Zelda 2 you still have those parts and are trying to collect the Triforce of Courage part that's hidden in the Great Palace.

[@ProtoDemnProductions]

31:00 for anyone that hasnt played this game yet, or has and hates that staircase, there's an easy way to get down them. Don't walk into the staircase normally, instead use the Pegasus boots to run towards them. That makes it much easier to get down the stairs

[@TheBency]

I was a kid when this game came out. I saved my allowance money to get the game and played the hell out of it during the summer break. Worth every penny of my allowance to have that memory.

[@MrMikey1981]

Turtle Rock is much easier if you were able to find the 1/2 Magic Bat near the blacksmith's hut in the Dark World. Sprinkle a weird statue and it doubles the magic powder in your bag.

[@rinnshotin1874]

Don't know if it was said, but something you missed in your adventure through Link to the Past: Hitting the post down beside the Blacksmith Brother's shop and going down the well, you can encounter the 'Mad Batter'. After waking him up he'll 'curse' Link, saying he cut your Magic in half, but in reality he cuts your Magic Consumption and effectively doubles what you have to work with.

[@Nazo-kage]

Do you know a funny thing is, if link had not obtained the moon pearl, and the twilight mirror before fighting Agahnim. Then when he transport you to the twilight room as his big FU move. Would’ve led to being stuck in the twilight, realm and stuck as a pink bunny. So while his particular attempt doesn’t pay out and actually ends up helping you in the long run if it hadn’t been for miscellaneous items you gathered through your travels you would’ve been screwed.

[@lostnumbr]

There's a fairy behind a waterfall earlier in the game that will upgrade your boomerang and your shield. The fire shield blocks fireballs and the red boomerang flies farther.

[@bazdaniels7420]

You got that right about the Dark World, that was amazing. I really had a fantastic time with Link to the Past. I must say though, I didn't feel like replaying it very much & only re-finished it once, whereas I kept replaying the first two for years after.

[@bradjohnson5643]

There is one thing you missed. there is a room where you throw magic powder on a shrine and it awakens a demon that curses you. This cuts down your magic usage by 1/2. makes using magic more useful.

[@SnowmanTF2]

On top of what the manual told you, this seems also around height of the Nintendo Power magazine distribution and production budget. Which was a mix of advertising Nintendo's newest games, articles about popular franchise games story and features, and typically decent amount of level maps (composed of screenshots scaled down to fit on one to few pages) and sometimes partial strategy guides. With this property likely getting more than average coverage. So even pre internet, information on what to do to average player was night and day way more than had at time of the original zelda game. While the original zelda got covered at some point, the magazine only started being published a couple years after the game released, and likely was covered when it barely had subscriptions/distribution. Compared to the coverage for Link to the past which came out before the game as part of hype for release.

[@jeans1515]

You have really good pacing in your videos!

[@TBoneTony]

Didn't play Link to the Past until the GBA version with 4-Swords. I enjoyed the game and appreciated how many of the stuff in Link to the Past went on to inspire elements in Ocarina of Time. The Imprisoning War given the context of the time the manual was written, foreshadowed the events of Ocarina of Time really well in my opinion which leads me to believe that someone from the Japanese Nintendo side of things was already planning Ocarina during the time of Link to the Past's development.

[@uroborous01]

dude how on earth did you NOT get the red shield and the red boomerang, or the magic meter doubler!!?? did you not explore around at all!?

[@tetravega567]

2:42 Agahnim casually wearing a TOS Starfleet badge

[@slipperynickels]

stumbled onto this in my recs. i’m old as fuck in youtube terms, played this game new on snes as a kid, and i still regularly do randomizer runs. absolutely magnificent game, and easily my favorite of the 2D games. looking forward to the video and seeing what you struggle with, lol. and of course how you feel in general.

[@toxickandy9669]

Just a tip to make one of the most unnecessarily frustrating parts of the game much easier. In the ice palace, the stairs, line yourself up at the top of the screen then go down when the fireballs pass. You have enough room to position yourself without having to run back and forth. Makes it a lot less annoying

[@kimikokiyumi3672]

Actually... we all have met Link's Mother in Ocarina of time. (From what I remember) Link is actually a hylian child and was brought to kokiri forest by his mother during the war in Hylia. Unable to handle the woods magical effects, she became the tree he wakes up in after asking the great Deku Tree to raise Link as one of the Kokiri. ((This is why he never gotten a fairy and partially the reason he can wield the Master Sword. (Some even say he's actually a prince but I dunno about that part xD)

[@schwindsichtigaderechte5293]

A link to the past was the game that pulled me in and turned me into a gamer. I have some notes on the things you noticed that might help clear some things up: 1.) Dashing makes walking on ice oddly more controlable and helps a lot with those stairs. 2.) The crack in the darkworld pyramid bothered me and my friends so much back in the day, we constantly sought for a way in and if you talk the fortune teller a few times, he wil mention a new type of bomb at the bomb shop being available soon, so I don't think the location of the silver arrows seemed cryptic back then, but I can see how one could miss the fortune teller's message. 3.) I'm not entirely sure, but isn't the dark world a past version of the light world? I thought that made sense with the name, and makes it a double-entendre, as it could be read as a literal link to the past, or it could mean it's link being sent to the past. But I could be entirely wrong here.

[@aworldwithoutzinc3828]

The biggest mistake ppl make with LTTP is conserving magic. There are so many great items like the medallions, or the cape, that are crazy effective but ppl dont use them cuz of the drain on magic. Stock up on green potions, get the double magic meter and youre invincible. Dont fuck around with your sword in the ice palace, bombos medallion to clear the room immediately, youll get the magic back

[@sheltongolden4394]

For anyone who enjoys this game, check out BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets. The "BS" stands for "broadcast service," not... the other thing it could mean. It's basically a kind of remix of A Link to the Past with timed events and voice over narration. It's not as good as the original game, and you may have to jump through a couple hoops to get the narration working, but its still a fun experience. If you're like me, you've played the original game so many times that's is a pleasure to get that same nostalgic feeling but while experiencing some official new content.

[@TBoneTony]

I went as far as the 4th DarkWorld Dungeon before resorting to a Strategy Guide. That Kakariko Village boss with her cryptic wording of where she wanted Link to take her got me stuck for a fair few months before I simply went to the Strategy Guide online to finally find out the solution. So when I got up to fighting Ganon, I already read ahead to find the Silver Arrows.

[@skins4thewin]

Once you have a lot of hearts & are facing later dungeons, it's a good idea to buy a Blue Potion so you can heal both your Magic and Health to Max. Fairies are of course great for the auto revive effect, but they only heal up to 7 hearts at a time.

[@Steelilbies]

It is possible to beat Ganon without the silver arrows. If you hit Ganon right before he teleports then you will damage him. It is easier to hit him with spin attacks. It takes 12 spins with the tempered or gold sword and 24 spins with the master sword. If you fight Ganon with the master sword, then you can only damage him with spin attacks. The master sword silverless Ganon fight takes 52 spins total.

[@skins4thewin]

It's kind of funny how the Vitreous (Dungeon 6) Boss is actually one of the tougher bosses when Speedrunning the game, as he's significantly tougher if you have a weak sword and don't have the Bow or Magic Cape/Cane of Byrna yet. It hits like a truck & has more health than any other boss in the game besides Ganon himself. Trying to fight it with nothing but the standard Green Tunic & Level 1 sword can be fairly challenging. Just standing in the corner is indeed a good strategy if you're not worried about speed.

[@Raycloud]

I think it is one of the most influential and iconic Zelda games, but the series has long since evolved beyond it, in many cases taking its ideas and greatly expanding them. A lot of classic Zelda tropes began with ALTTP. It's a good game, great even, but simple by modern Zelda standards.