The Legend of Zelda Retrospective for NES & Famicom 1986

[@johngordon6792]

I just want to say that Zelda 1 is my favorite video game of all time. It's good to see someone who "gets it" even though they were born after it was made.

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Back when the NES Classic edition was announced it made me realize I really wanted to go through and methodically play through older gaming libraries that I didn’t get to experience. That ended up being impossible to find that year, but it sent me down a rabbit hole of learning about retro consoles through channels like My Life In Gaming which I found very helpful in deciding how I wanted to go about experiencing these games. Thanks for the comment. And it’s too soon to say where it places for me since I need to give it some time to sit, but it is without question the best game I have played on the NES/Famicom so far. Every ten games or so I plan to do a check-in where I kind of stack up what I’ve played and Zelda is definitely #1 for me as of right now.

[@michaelcook6483]

@@HPRshredder i beat this game on a smartphone app using touchscreen

[@peterortiz1160]

Just went back and beat it for the first time. Was amazing

[@ianbattles7290]

Imagine slapping together a song in a single night and it becomes a worldwide icon for the next 30+ years

[@_sparrowhawk]

I believe the song was done earlier, just refined in the last day.

[@icysoull]

Dont lie, your rewatching this for the 5th time. This is one of the best zelda videos on youtube.

[@SeanLaMontagne]

Its like it transforms into a completely different game when you start to learn your way around and by the time you know where you're going and what you're doing, it's not the same game anymore.

[@MegaNancyLover]

Fun fact: You can kill those cat-looking enemies with one hit using arrows. Also: if the enemies called Bubbles hurt you, they prevent you from using your sword but you can remedy this by using the Recorder aka the Whistle!

[@rGGdom]

This review is an excellent reminder of all the things this Game achieved back in 1986. We often take a lot for granted..

[@Matthordika]

Its very refreshing to see a review of this games that's not just reiterating the usual spiel of "great for its time, but has aged." I love this game and its great to see more people who appreciate it for its incredible accomplishments! And yes, the manual comes with the game and is part of the experience!

[@Exmotable]

the amount of effort you put into this is pretty impressive, it's a shame you don't have many views atm

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you so much! And to me it makes sense. I have a limited amount of new content and what I do put out isn’t the kind of thing people are necessarily searching for. But it makes me happy you think the quality is there. My hope is that the videos I do put out are still watchable in the future so that if/when people do find the channel and like the content there’s a lot of good stuff to watch ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Honestly I’m just really happy that the people that have tuned in seem to have enjoyed it. Thanks for your input.

[@weheartcoop]

@@HPRshredder well THAT reply aged well

[@throwbackswiththetechnodrome]

I’m glad you commented on the sound that bosses make when you are in an adjacent role. It’s a very unsettling feeling knowing you are going in to do battle with a beast you can hear from a distance. Cool review, this has been one of my top 3 favorite games since I first played it back in 1989, I’m glad that you gained a true appreciation for it, keep up the good work. -Cast

[@s.bradley6089]

The boss cries in the distance creeped me out a little as a kid...they should have kept that as a signature feature!

[@HPRshredder]

I can definitely see it scaring kids playing this in the 80s lol.

[@junzeroni]

As a kid, I remember taking note that there are different boss cries depending on what boss you're about to face. The dragons and Ganon have a deep dinosaur roar, Dodongo and Gohma produce shorter, higher-pitched screams, and Manhandla, Digdogger, and Patra have this longer, wavy sound that just sounds alien, which fits with how they're the most bizarre creatures of the lot. I was around 8-9 when I got this game, and all of these details made it so immersive and fascinating.

[@Goldnfoxx]

This is one of the best reviews of the OG Zelda that I've watched, man. I would not have expected comparisons to Dark Souls, but I get it. And it's remarkably astute to have pinned the game as a survival more than a puzzle game. I have...SO many great memories tied to this title. I got it for Christmas in 1987, and it instantly swallowed me whole. I still remember devouring the manual and diving in. I remember that it immediately reminded me of the King's Quest games (with which I was equally obsessed), but with more of an emphasis on the action than on puzzles (the real puzzle is just figuring out the way forward). I vividly remember getting sort of stuck early on, hearing my family cooking and preparing lunch in the other room, and feeling warm and excited and completely absorbed in the world. As someone who struggles with major depressive disorder, I don't have a lot of memories that I can say are tied to pure happiness, but in that moment there was nothing wrong with the world. And it's the sort of nostalgia that just remembering it can still reinstill some of those feelings. In the comments to an NESComplex review on the game, I told the story of how I'd not even been aware of the second quest until a friend from school had told me about it. He couldn't find the location of the sixth dungeon, so that night one of us called up the other and we systematically went about finding it and finishing the whole game that night. While trying to warp away from one of the small desert screens east of the first dungeon, I had stumbled across the fact that, in the second quest playing the recorder could open secret rooms on some screens, and that led to finding the sixth dungeon pretty quickly. He's the one who found the eighth, and he beat the game a few minutes before I did. Such an awesome night! I love finding people who can appreciate the first game. I see a lot of opinions that range from unimpressed to complete distaste, often on the basis of not being able to get past the game's age for some reason, and it always breaks my heart to see such a monumentally important, influential, and straight-up _fun_ title dismissed in that way. I respect peoples' opinions, obviously (minus the ones who seem to genuinely believe that it's bad just because it's old), and of course it's a shame-one entirely out of anyone's hands, admittedly-that it's pretty much impossible to experience it the way we did when it was new. But that makes it mean so much more when a player gets past all that to actually *_discover_* the game. It offered so much freedom, and as later games (most of which I also adore) started to feel more and more on rails and hand-holdy, I began to long more and more for a return to what the OG game was doing. I know this is a longer response, and I know I have a tendency to be a bit of a loquacious blowhard, but I love talking about this game and my experiences with it. I wish more of today's younger gamers could see what I saw in it. Now, if I could just get them to discover Starflight and The Fool's Errand... 😃

[@HPRshredder]

Excellent comment! Thanks for sharing those stories, I enjoyed reading them. It's still my favorite game I've played so far for this series. In a class of its own, so far. It really clicked with me this time. And I still have yet to play the second quest. I've kind of been saving it for a rainy-day type of event or for an inevitable video where I get to go through the whole game again or something.

[@Goldnfoxx]

@@HPRshredder You definitely should try out the second quest at some point. You might well be surprised by just HOW different it is to the first. Most things are in a completely different location, there are mechanics like using the recorder to open hidden rooms, and starting in the second dungeon, an entirely new...type of door. That's all I'll say.

[@noatiendoboludos]

I entered this video absolutely ready to drop approximately 57 insults due to your 4chan ad but I changed my mind halfway through it. Reviewing games from the 80s in depth is pretty interesting

[@HPRshredder]

I’m surprised no one has yet tbh. Years ago when this was a YGO channel I got insults all the time, but the KZbin landscape was a lot different back then. I’ve never advertised on 4chan before but for the bottom mobile ad which is what I picked it’s dirt cheap. I’m glad you didn’t hate it.

[@egonnes]

Thanks for this entertainment when I couldnt sleep. I was introduced to zelda when I was 5 years old, and my mom held a girls only night. So me, my stepdad and his friend were exiled to the bedroom, and then they smacked this one on. Magical experience just looking at the goldeb cartridge. They must have known it was special encasing it in gold. Its been a crazy journey. Now I have my own kids, and just yesterday my daughter wanted me to beat Calamity Ganon, just for the thrill of it. It was a proud dad moment the first time my son did it. He also dressed up as Link a few times at halloween like holidays. Zelda helped me through alot of difficult periods in my life. Im sure alot of people feel something similar. Its just that special. Totk, allthough maybe not the most original comming after botw, but the praise Nintendo got from every corner of the gaming scene was so deserved. Zelda gave us alot. Including z-targeting. "Power,Wisdom,Courage... Gather all three and be granted a wish of your hearts deepest desire" Now aint that the truth ❤

[@gael.aubrit]

I had started to think that nobody could get it if they didn’t play this game as a child, like I did. Watching your video was deeply satisfying, thank you. ❤

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you so much for the comment! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I still think about this game daily.

[@hotdoggington6962]

Yet another old head coming thru to say how great it is that the classics can still be truly and actually appreciated, and how well done this review is. The social aspects of the game were really amazing to go through. Imagine this being your favorite game, you've explored everywhere, you've memorized the map, but you're just a kid so you don't know where most of the hidden stuff is. So you're left trying to trial-and-error brute force your way through this. Bombing every wall, burning every tree, every actual discovery accompanied by jumping up and shouting in victory (followed by a huge letdown when it's just a 10 rupee guy -_-). Then you go to 1st grade at a new school, and you see a kid next to you has doodled a triforce on his book cover. You're instantly best friends, and each of you knows about secrets the other one didn't know about. It was...magical. And we're still great friends today lol

[@user-is4jf8yr4z]

You're putting so much effort in these videos. The editing, everything. Great work!

[@politicaefutebolsediscutem1157]

This is the best review ever of this amazing game. Being reviewed by a young dude makes it the more interesting. BoTW came close to matching this game. But the traditional myths and legends were unfortunately absent in BoTW.

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it.

[@TheBrazilRules]

Prefiro BotW pois realmente é o jogo que o primeiro seria se a tecnologia permitisse. Só me incomoda que te entregam todos os items no começo do jogo

[@TheCrawl]

I beat this for the first time earlier this year. Played on NSO with the NES wireless controller and the unofficial manual/guide/map from Handwritten Game Guides. It was such a great time. I agree that this game feels so much more like a Souls game than you'd think given the series.

[@greystar8002]

Kudos on your well description of this special game. It does my heart glad to see young men like yourself sharing the classics as you do. You get it! And love it! RESPECT!

[@h0lyrs422]

This video deserves SO much more views!

[@HPRshredder]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@nthdgree5078]

I just discovered your channel a few days ago and you are quickly becoming one of my favorite video game reviewers. I am from the NES generation and I really like that you are tackling these great games from my childhood. Watching you play, Zelda 1, Zelda 2, Metroid, and Kid Icarus, and giving these well thought out descriptions in full grasp of these masterpieces really warms my heart.

[@HPRshredder]

Thanks for that - I really appreciate it. I've really been enjoying my time with these games and playing them in order of release date kind of simulates having to wait for them like kids in the 80s did. It was hard to wait for Zelda II after beating Zelda 1 for example. Real excited for Castlevania II coming up.

[@iainmcleod9190]

Really enjoyed this review. I played this game when it first came to the US in the 80s, played it when I was 7yrs old or so. My memories of it are - studying the manual obsessively, making dungeon maps, sharing secrets with friends in school who also were trying to beat the game (under-appreciated by many retro reviews - this was THE GAME, everyone was playing back then), dungeon theme music constantly stuck in my head, trying to bomb every rock and burn every bush, Nintendo Power, and then eventually… the game had no longer secrets to give up and feeling sad about that (still do). As with most things in life, the joy is in the discovery. Look forward to hearing what you think of Zelda II…

[@HPRshredder]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for commenting. Have you played the second quest yet? Because I have heard it is FULL of secrets. If you haven't there may be a good chunk of this game left for you to explore. And I'm really looking forward to experiencing Zelda II as well. It's going to be the finale of season 2 of reviews. episode 20.

[@greenmachine6638]

Truly an all time classic. I still find myself compelled to play the original zelda again every few years at least. And yes, if you're going to play it, you have to commit to this being the one game you're playing while you're in it. Just like it would have been back in the day.

[@BenWard29]

Zelda 1 is underrated and underappreciated. I'm glad you are speaking the good word.

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

This game set so many trends, it's hard to overstate. I'm glad you talked about how many different ways it has inspired games of many different genres, and you're the first person I've heard comment on the similarities to the OG Dark Souls. Thank you!

[@HPRshredder]

Glad you've been enjoying these! This is my favorite game I've tackled so far. It just did things so differently from all the other games I've played and it did them so well. I find it inspiring what it does even today.

[@prdimuzi]

Great point about how particularly satisfying it is to beat this.

[@NyquistMatthew]

This is the best break down of Zelda 1 I have ever seen. Fantastic work. I might assign this to my students in my class.

[@HPRshredder]

Really glad you enjoyed it! I still think about this game all the time. Best I've played for the Famicom so far. It really is on another level.

[@NyquistMatthew]

@@HPRshredder Me too! I first saw it in my friend's basement in 1987 and was entranced by it and Super Mario Bros. I got it within a year and have been obsessed ever since. I spent so much time as a kid just wandering around, and you're experience of trying it a few times and discovering new things here and there really reflects on how many of us experienced it.

[@TheBrazilRules]

This video's thumbnail makes me want to kiss you. Zelda 1 was my favorite of the series before Breath of the Wild released, and I was really sad to see the series become more and more linear with time. I am really happy to know that you are enjoying finding the greatness of these old classics as I once did in my teenage years(mid 2000's)

[@teqfreak]

This game has a special place in my heart. I beat it when I was 7 years old, it is the game that helped me to learn English as well, because in my country there was no localisation for anything at the time. And you needed to understand some of the texts at least to progress (asking my parents for words I didn't get helped me get the idea of where to go, I never realised back then how badly translated it was, to me it all made sense). I have lived this game, this was my world when I wasnt in school. A friend of my had the same, together we discovered all the secrets. I think with have been busy with it for months. Trying everything, burn every bush, bomb every wall. We had drawn our own map with all the secrets. We had our special secret search character on his cardridge, so we always took that cardridge to where we would play together to find the secrets and then progress our own character with all this new knowledge. . What a time that was. Thank you for your awesome vids, you have a new subscriber.

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you for the detailed comment! I appreciate it! I love when people share their stories in the comments. This game in particular seems to trigger a lot of memories for people. I think it speaks to how good it is.

[@teqfreak]

@@HPRshredder Cheers mate, my pleasure 👍Thanks again for the video. It is very interesting to see how someone experiences this game now, and great to see that the magic is still there for everybody willing to look.

[@Arcane_Digital]

You have a killer voice and diction. Keep it up man and you’re gonna go big, I guarantee it. 🤘🏼subscribed.

[@HPRshredder]

Thanks, man! I'm glad you enjoyed.

[@ladams391]

Here I was, having all those warm, fuzzy classic Zelda vibes and then you just had to go and say the words "Elder Scrolls" and it was like my slow, easy ride down memory lane suddenly accelerated to 90 miles an hour and swerved directly into the brick wall of a shop that sells cheese wheels and buckets. Seriously though, this is a great video and I can really appreciate the level of reverence you've shown to this game here, and it's clear that it's genuine because it's also clear that you put in the thought and effort to really experience this game in a way that is as close to the developers' intentions as possible in order to truly understand all the many little nuances that come together to make this game something remarkable.

[@vincentlorusso689]

I don't usually watch KZbin videos twice but this is a really excellent retrospective. I was born in '88 and I first played the original Zelda in the mid-nineties. As a kid, the lack of any information made it a true adventure because i was just enchanted. I didn't even realize there was an ultimate goal when I was 7 or 8. It was a lot like Pitfall for Atari. It was just about managing to survive long enough to get farther and see more.

[@HPRshredder]

That's really cool and feels good to hear - thank you for sharing. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@Detkanin]

Great video - I have seen many Zelda videos. This one stood out as a good review. Love the fact you actually brought the manual in as an important part of the experience. Almost all games today can only be experienced through the screen. Rarely do they offer much of a mystery in the way of old classics... (... to be fair to modern games. The internet and youtube have killed most of the need and possibliity for mystery and speculation.)

[@HPRshredder]

This game really got me. More than I was expecting. It's my favorite that I have played so far in my chronological retro series -- though Metroid is coming up and I'm really excited for that game. It was probably my favorite game I've played this year. Maybe in the past few years -- it's hard to say. Bur it's a masterpiece for sure. Glad you liked the video!

[@jrvbamafan1]

This game was incredible back in 1987....many a day was spent on the playgrounds with my friends talking about what we discovered the previous night. Made an 8 year old feel like I was really on an adventure....fast forward 30 years to breath of the wild, and I saw people talking about it and sharing tips just like they did back in the day. It was the first time since this one I got that feeling of an adventure again. Looking forward to botw2

[@HPRshredder]

I have some reservations about BotW2 but I am hoping it’s something special. My biggest hope for it is a multiplayer mode, both cooperative and competitive. Back when BotW1 was still referred to as “Zelda Wii U” the mission statement was to “break the conventions” of Zelda, and the only convention they failed to break with the first iteration that Aonuma has specifically referenced was that Zelda was a “play by yourself” game. Anyway, it’s been so long I have to hope part of the reason for the king development time is them hashing out how to make online multiplayer work smoothly.

[@vanyadolly]

It really is a fantastic game. Even now I can't think of many other games that have managed to inspire the same feeling of awe and excitement in their open worlds. The lack of simple directions made finding every dungeon and heart upgrade an adventure.

[@PaulJarrett]

Great review, Thanks for taking the time, loved this game as a kid in the 80's, love me some NES

[@gtssage]

I was 11 when Zelda 1 came out on the NES in America. This game was so hugely, stupendously, incredibly popular when it came out in 1986. I beat it on the Zelda game and watch last year. There was nothing like it at the time and set the stage for the Zelda series for decades to come. Legendary game for sure.

[@mywiifits8460]

I was trying to finally finish this game on an android emulator, following a walkthrough throughout the entire game until I watched this video. After seeing your similar history with the game and how you came to appreciate it, I decided to start over on my NES Classic using only a PDF of the manual and Nintendo Power Issue #1 for the second quest. Even if the NESClassic's emulation isn't the best, the game immediately felt so much more immersive, I ended up appreciating this open ended Zelda design more than any other game after it, and even inspired me to give Dark Souls another chance after all these years. In the manual, there's a section on how to play with a friend by taking turns with two different save files, so i decided to try that out for myself, discovering and sharing secrets together felt like the way Zelda was meant to be played, much like Pokémon Red&Blue were. All of this changed my view of Zelda 1 from an outdated masterpiece of its Era, to a timeless classic that's often misunderstood at first glance. Your videos really helped me appreciate the NES in ways I never would have before. Keep up the amazing work!

[@HPRshredder]

Love this comment. I'm so glad you were able to get that experience. Once I got really into it this game really surprised me. It's a masterpiece. I still need to tackle the Second Quest myself.

[@mchevre]

You don't have to call them "Rubies" to honor the game. It's actually a mistranslation in the English manual. It was always rupees. I think the original it was spelled "rupies" though which got mistranslated as "rubies." Also, on the whistle warp direction thing - it's not that it takes you to the nearest dungeon you're facing, but rather, it goes in ascending or descending order based on whether you're facing right or left. In your footage, you're facing right and use it a few times in a row, and it takes you from 3 to 4, then 5. If you turned left and did it again it would take you back to 4, etc. And as you mentioned, only the ones you've beaten will be in the loop. Great review, I really enjoyed the video.

[@HowManyRobot]

Someone misread it. In Japanese the two words look almost identical. ルピー vs ルビー

[@nintendianajones64]

Zelda 1 was my first Zelda game in 1987. I was always disappointed with the series since Link to the Past because of how the games got less open until thankfully Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom went back to Zelda 1's original formula. Good video.

[@sillagescents]

This is a legit video my man! It deserves 50k views for sure! Thanks bro, got my nostalgia fix and ready to dive back into this Magnificent classic!

[@SamusGunship]

Thank you so much for being so extremely respectful. I am from the age when Zelda came out, and the game was made for kids my age. The game was absolutely precious to me, and I learned it very well. Now so many years have passed, and I have deeply played so many games, and yet Zelda 1 is still about my 4th or 5th favorite video game ever. I play it often, even to this day. It really bothers me to hear young people disrespect the original Legend of Zelda, or even when they slightly disrespect it. I always know that they simply do not understand the game. It's not just highly influential and trail blazing of a game, as you correctly pointed out- but it is also just an enduringly fun game. It's also not just nostalgic for me. The game is just fun through and through. So thank you for treating it with such respect. I remember how fun it was when I very first played it- back when I was not particularly good at it- and that was insanely fun. Now, I am actually very good at it, and I can report, it's even more fun when you know the game as well as I do. I'm so glad to see that you get it. I think I can tell that you get it. I really appreciated your description of how you should play the game, and I absolutely agree. You should play it with zero lag (personally I believe it must be played on a real NES with a real CRT), and you should play it with real intent to actually play through it (back when we were kids in NES days in the 80s, we didnt have the hundreds of other video games that we could turn to, so we had no choice but to take our video games VERY seriously, and actually learn how to play them, despite how hard they were). But, it is actually rupees in Zelda 1, not rubies (im not even sure what made you think it is called rubies in Zelda 1)- it's rupees. And the monsters in the lakes are called Zolas not Zoras. Zoras were an Ocarina of Time invention. Zolas are from Zelda 1. Great review. Keep playing Zelda, it never ever gets boring, ever. It's a deeper game than you may realize. I am still learning amazing things about it, ever after decades of worshipping this game. And I know that there is more even for me to learn. it's a surprisingly deep game.

[@HPRshredder]

The USA manual for the game from the PDF online calls them Rubies. There are a lot of typos between the games and I ended up diverting to the manual on that one. As for Zora vs Zola I don’t think it matters too much since it uses the ら or ラ character for it which can mean la or ra since Japanese doesn’t have an official distinction between the two sounds. Seeing ゾラ in the Famicom manual you could make an argument for either. Seems they eventually went back to Zora - it may have been intended to be that from the start but who knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@SamusGunship]

@@HPRshredder I just checked my manual, and, holy crap, you are absolutely right. It does actually call them rubies- repeatedly too. You just absolutely blew my mind. I have spent all this time, ever since I was a kid, believing that they were always called rupees. And now after all these decades, I am only now seeing that they are rubies. Well, that is what I am going to call them from now on, since to me, The Legend of Zelda is the definitive Zelda game. Thank you for pointing this out, this is actually really cool to me. By the way, the ruby originally came from Clu Clu Land, where they were called gold bars. Rubies, eh? I like it. That's what I'm going with for Zelda. Cool. I'm now here wondering where in the world the term rupee for Zelda came from, because it doesn't seem to be coming from Zelda 1. This is crazy.

[@TonyTylerDraws]

8:37 I remember someone online wanting to make a 2D Dark Souls game. While they were mocking it up they realized. It was just a souped up version of Legend of Zelda

[@MrLeFilipfloppyvelarde]

KZbin is on a mission of feeding me all the zelda 1 and 2 retrospectives and analyst videos

[@HPRshredder]

Me too, honestly.

[@robertfranz9646]

With the whistle, if you face up or right, you'll go to the next number dungeon UP (i.e. if you're standing near dungeon 4, it will take you to dungeon 5). If you face down or left, you'll go to the next number dungeon DOWN (i.e. if you're standing near dungeon 4, it will take you to dungeon 3).

[@spudsbuchlaw]

FINALLY! Someone who get's it! People say that this game is dated or flawed in ways it simply isnt

[@SilentxxBunnyTTV]

This is my all-time favorite game. Great retrospective. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it!

[@ChipipoydotcomdotPH]

Playing it right, and wow this game really is an open world classic, loving it so far thank god theres manuals online without those i'll be so lost bruh

[@eliotguerin192]

I first played this game when I was just 5. I’m a 90s kid but my dad had his old NES and introduced us to this great game. At the time, I thought it was a fascinating adventure but I could never get past the first dungeon, haha. Now that I’ve finished it multiple times, I’m sure it was the most innovative adventure game ever made.

[@aortaplatinum]

"Spirit Tracks and Skyward Sword were my first Zelda games" Damn, talk about starting at the bottom and only getting better lol Thank you so much for emphasizing the importance of the manual and map. The manual was included with these old games for a reason, trying to play a game from the 4th gen or earlier with JUST the rom or cartridge would be like trying to play a board game with no instructions and just trying to figure it out along the way. Of course it's going to be frustrating and esoteric, that's not how it was designed to be enjoyed.

[@roccobot]

I was born in 1981 and I played this game as soon as it was available in Italy (early 1987). I wasn't even 6 years old, and the only version available was the North American English NES cartridge. Imagine a little child who doesn't speak a single word of English going around and beating the game. My game companion was my cousin who was 7, and we played a life each. We were mesmerized by the adventure, the feels, the music, the complexity. It is still my favorite game of all time, it's a piece of art. Now I also own the 25th year anniversary orchestral OST. Thanks for this video, I almost got emotional. Edit: I forgot to mention that the NES version was 2 games in one! After beating the game, you had another version of the overworld and the 9 dungeons. Different positions of everything on the map, dungeons shaped differently, but same enemies, same bosses, same kind of mysteries to be discovered (but in different places), same progression and feeling of improvement. We were so shocked and happy that we obviously beat the second quest as well! 😍🗡️❤️

[@HPRshredder]

Thanks for sharing your story, and thanks for the comment! I appreciate it! I haven’t played “Second Quest” yet, but I plan to, and plan to cover it eventually.

[@roccobot]

@@HPRshredder totally looking forward to it!

[@ferdinandcountfathom9298]

Your channel is without question my favorite game channel that I've subscribed to in the past few years. 👍👍👍

[@HPRshredder]

That's really kind of you to say; thank you!

[@ferdinandcountfathom9298]

@@HPRshredder No problem at all! You're quite a bit younger than me, and it's great to hear someone your age not take the common wisdom about all these games being too old to currently appreciate, rather finding out for yourself, and expressing in such an intelligent and entertaining way your thoughts and feelings about all these classics. Zelda in particular for me was the first game that I thought about when I wasn't playing it; I thought about the world and the characters and the secrets, I went to the woods near my parents house and pretended to be Link, looking for dungeons, pretending to fight enemies. This was the first time a game had ever affected me this way. It was really something special. 😊

[@Unquestionable]

This was the game that changed my life and this video did it justice perfectly. Described that sense of mystery/discovery/exploration which lured me into gaming so well, how it sparked my imagination to test every single bush/rock/wall for some kind of secret. Future Zelda games have been hit/miss for me (I think Breath of the Wild came closest out of the 3D titles) but I don't think any will ever top the original in my mind.

[@HPRshredder]

It has certainly changed how I view the series. I still contemplate this game almost daily.

[@Avrysatos]

i didn't realize how many people didn't know they needed the manual to play this game until just a few years ago. It was just one of those things that we always did. Now master quest that had no map help that wasn't behind buying a guide that neither me nor my best friend had access to as we were pretty broke. So we would each take turns mapping out a dungeon in the master quest with all the secrets and such and trade them at school.

[@pugshorty9852]

A job well done! Excellent review. You have a new subscriber.

[@crazipali]

I play with the NES switch original controller. That goes for all the reissues for online N64 or SNES. The are an exact replica

[@DebugOctopus]

Your video inspired me to revisit this game. I had written it off as outdated. I played it for the first time in 1994 when I was four years old. You're right. This game seemed ancient even back then. When I beat Gannon and the music swelled, I just stood there in the silence. As the Triforce sits in the pile of gore there is no music. It was powerful. I couldn't believe I finally did it!

[@HPRshredder]

Congratulations! I’m glad you beat it! And I’m glad you had a good experience giving it another shot

[@kenneth3538]

Very good review! I enjoyed watching it and revisiting Zelda 1. If you want to up the difficulty I recomend the second quest. Harder enemies with different abilities, new dungeon and shop locations. If I remember correctly some of the dungeons also have new maps. You can start second quest right after beating the first quest or by typin ZELDA as your name. One more thing, the cat like enemies you can one shot kill with the bow and arrow. Very useful as they often drop rubies. Looking forward to your Zelda II review, my favourite in the whole series.

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you for the tip about the arrows! And I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’ll be playing Zelda II somewhat soon. I have a list! There are a few others ahead of it as I’m going based on interest and release date. But Zelda II released pretty close to Zelda 1 so it shouldn’t be too long before I get to it. I also plan to revisit for second quest at some point but for now I’m saving it.

[@cjeelde]

These "cat like" enemies that you get rid of easy with the arrows... if you have the actual Famicom with a microphone on one of the controllers, you can get rid of these enemies with your own voice! I've never had the chance to try that out but it's a cool thing. The european and american NES got no microphone on the controllers so this will not work. You have to use the arrows for the fastest and easiest way. You can use a sword but you will need to stab a lot :) It's weird and non-logic thing that you can shoot arrows with money, but I'm used to how it is and it's a part of the game design and it's actually a great solution. How could they make this great game and release it in early 1986 in Japan? The european and american version got some tweaks, mainly the sound/music and of course translated text. Zelda 1 is really a 10/10 game! I can write so much more about Zelda 1. It's such a great game! And there's this 2nd Quest also!

[@palamabron2481]

Weird to think Zelda has literally been around my whole life since I was born a month after the first one came out. It's one of the earliest games I remember because we would rent it, screw around a bit and never get very far. It was just enough to get a sense of the epic scope of that world and the artistic interpretations that accompanied those first two games made a deep impression on me. I went back to play it as an adult and got to Ganon but didn't have the special arrows to beat him. Unfortunately, I was playing on an emulator site and it got taken down before I could complete it. I definitely want to go back again and do the game justice with a legit version.

[@HPRshredder]

I definitely still recommend trying to beat it! It's very satisfying to reach the end.

[@oscarglezs]

Aca en mexico a la mayoria nos toco jugarlo en la nes sin el mapa ni guia y lo mas loco era que en muchas ocaciones la pila fallaba de modo que tenias que iniciar todo de nuevo en cada jugada aun asi lo tengo muy presente como uno de los mejores juegos que jugue. increible reseña

[@rsalek]

I played it when it was new. Was groundbreaking and amazing then. Still awesome!!! True classic

[@beastonrye]

I beat this game a few years ago on my 2ds xl. At the time I didn’t like the game cause I was used to playing wind waker and twilight princess. After beating the game I was so happy that I beat it. It wasn’t till recently I looked back and remembered playing this game and thought to myself it’s not as bad as I remembered and someday soon I’m going to replay it after I beat some other Zelda games. I think I have six Zelda games under my belt now and looking to beat all of them. Enjoyed the video!

[@pentelegomenon1175]

Most people believe that Shigeru Miyamoto made this game, it's rare to find a video where the game's other designer Takashi Tezuka is credited. Also, I think this game could work with just a d-pad that isn't horrible, a screen with very low input lag, and no save states. And remember: if you feel lost or overwhelmed, that's intentional.

[@HPRshredder]

Tezuka is someone who seems to have been involved in a lot of earlier projects with Nintendo. He seems to be kind of like the Woz to Miyamoto’s Jobs (maybe not the best analogy). But he seems to be under appreciated as a developer. I think he’s been on Yoshi projects most recently which seems like not the best use of his talents. But maybe it’s where he wants to be ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@pentelegomenon1175]

​@@HPRshredder Tezuka doesn't really have much to do with Miyamoto, their boss Hiroshi Yamauchi teamed them up to make three big games for the purpose of driving NES sales in the West (Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros 3), and besides that they worked together maybe once or twice.

[@HPRshredder]

@@pentelegomenon1175 Maybe not in the total number of games, but at least in the ones they’re credited for it seems like Tezuka continued to work on every Zelda & Mario title on the same team as Miyamoto through the turn of the century. But with Miyamoto being a producer on most of those, I’m not entirely sure his involvement level. But it seems like Tezuka is also often credited with “producer” or “supervisor” roles

[@pentelegomenon1175]

@@HPRshredder they worked together on Super Mario World, and Miyamoto worked on Ocarina of Time and was designer of Super Mario 64 and the first Super Mario Galaxy, Tezuka was designer of Link to the Past and worked on New Super Mario Bros Wii but usually he didn't take a very active role in development later on, he was basically kicked upstairs and Miyamoto would then start working more with Yoshiaki Koizumi, and even early on Miyamoto often worked alongside Gunpei Yokoi.

[@TheBrazilRules]

From my understanding, Tezuka offered more of a theme contribution(he loved The Lord of the Rings for example) while the game design itself is pretty much only Miyamoto's

[@Sammydx1]

I'm so happy the younger generation is finding these old games. I didn't beat it until the early 90s. Maybe when I was 10. SNES Link to the past was a complete masterpiece

[@ashcliffeable]

Great stuff, man. We're about the same age and I've had similar experiences going back to retro games. I loved the editing and narration. I really enjoyed your insights and the fact you shared your previous experience with the game. And even with all your "like..." haha, you've got a good voice for narration. Keep it up. Subbed. Btw, what did you think of the music and sound effects? (I found this video from Sean Malstrom's blog too. It's a great read for insightful and contrarian opinions on the state of modern gaming and Nintendo.)

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you! And I’m trying to get better about that. When I start recording I don’t have a script or anything like that - just some bullet points so there’s a lot of filler words. This most recent one I tried to avoid it more, but I’m still pretty new so it’s difficult. And I liked the dungeon music and death mountain music more than the overworld theme I think. The music is great though because I can play it without feeling like muting the game lol. Some of these early titles have grating music like Dragon Warrior which I’m editing now. Sound effects, I loved though. I checked out the Disk System version on my Switch to see the different sound effects and music and I actually prefer the sound effects of the NES cart. Thanks for the comment! Really thankful he linked me on his blog. I should thank him - or whoever the person who somehow found my channel that sent it in. He has a dedicated following it seems.

[@ashcliffeable]

@@HPRshredder As you said, it's early days. These things take time. Believe me if I made a video, I'd be a stuttering and a stammering like crazy. I can tell you put in a lot of effort with the background research, nice one. I look forward to the DW video when its up.

[@TheBrazilRules]

That ending must be the understatement of the century. Either way the thing about the Level 7 dungeon is that there is an old man that gives a hint that there is something to be found on the nose

[@Gigabowser4]

Really interesting video! Keep it up

[@HPRshredder]

I appreciate that, Alicon! I'm planning to review the second Zelda soon. I'm excited to finally beat it!

[@ProJatior]

I played this on the GameCube with the stick and not so great pad. I broke the stick or wore it out the rest of the way. Got a wave bird. Played Zelda II on the 3DS and eventually decided to Gamegrumps to help me out. I pushed back on help for a while until I think the second to last dungeon to find needed things in the over world. I didn’t get I needed to give the note to the old man because the game itself doesn’t remind you of objectives.

[@HPRshredder]

My first few times playing this game I ended up giving up because either the controller, input lag, or screen were getting in the way. That’s really impressive if you beat the first one using stick controls! I can’t speak to Zelda II as I haven’t beaten that game yet. I have tried it on my 3DS as well, but I feel like the 3DS isn’t the best place to experience it. At least it wasn’t for me. Using original hardware made things feel a lot better in my experience

[@krisfrederick5001]

As a kid, I completely identified exploring with Shigeru Miyamoto, but at the time I didn't even know. "Take this it's dangerous to go alone!"

[@vincentlorusso689]

This is an excellent video. Thank you.

[@NESADDICT]

Love your channel dude! Been watching all these classics!

[@HPRshredder]

Thanks, man! Glad you’ve been enjoying the videos!

[@NESADDICT]

@@HPRshredder even told some people from my podcast platform “The Weekly Warp Pipe” about you coming in an episode next week!

[@HPRshredder]

@@NESADDICT Dang, that was kind, man! I appreciate that. I’ll have to check it out. I took a peak at your channel yesterday but didn’t get a chance to delve into anything quite yet. I did see you’ve been making videos for at least ~8 years though I think? That is some dedication!

[@NESADDICT]

@@HPRshredder awe man, yea I haven’t been as active lately. My Nintendo oddities series is my favorite, but it’s mostly about Nintendo merchandise from the 80’s and 90’s. But yea man keep up the good work!

[@manleeman5212]

This is a super fun video. Also born in 92 this is my favorite game of all time. You captured the vibe and feel perfectly. I'm pretty sure even the first boomerang can kill the bats and tiny goo monsters. Also I'm pretty sure only the manual said rubies and even this early game had rupees in the text in game. I could be mistaken on those facts its been a while. I have a cool gameboy advance version.

[@HPRshredder]

Hell yeah, ‘92 😎 Thanks for the comment! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@konpaaku]

It’s funny seeing a guy 5 years older than me played an older zelda so much later. I was born in 97, first saw Zelda 1 in the fairy minigame in Warioware Touched on DS, then played some of it on Zelda Collector’s edition for gamecube in like 2007

[@dannykent6190]

So your statement about how you get to be able to recognize when something seems off (why is there no fairy in this lake?) is exactly the reason that you would have found level 7 even without previous knowledge. Speaking as one of the lucky ones who lived this game when it came out, when you found something like that, and you knew there was something hidden there, you would go back to that spot every time you got a new item and try it out there. Memories are hazy now, but I'm fairly certain I made a bee-line to that exact screen when I got the recorder.

[@HPRshredder]

I love hearing stories people have with this game. Thanks for the comment!

[@o_o_o_o_o-o_o_o_o_o]

Well also there's an old man in level 6 who explicitly says that there are secrets where fairies don't live. (He says that in the English version, at least.)

[@DragonRaiderX9]

Just found this video, and I'm glad I did. It was a great watch. By the by, I didn't see anyone else mention it, apologies if someone did, but the cat-like enemies "Pols Voice" dies in one hit to the arrow in the English version. Hell, a single arrow can clean through a line of them. They're good about dropping rupees, too.

[@HPRshredder]

I did not know this -- but will try it soon lol. I used arrows very sparingly since they came with a rupee cost, but it's a small cost compared to bombs, so it's something I should probably learn to get over in future playthroughs

[@Angya_Channel]

I'm using the zelda game & watch and I like it. It's my favourite game. ❤

[@JasonJrake]

Great review! I had to buy Zelda 2 as my first NES purchase, because 1 was out of stock all of the time. It was waaaaaaay different, but after beating both (took over a year each for me due to lack of guides) I prefer 2 as a game, but definitely get a different kind of special feeling from 1. 1’s lack of complex art was somehow more immersive to me, like reading a book. Whereas 2 and later games brought a complexity to combat that moved the series into the “action game” or “interactive movie” part of my brain. Both are classics and since you could see past the “antiquated” bits of this one I think you’d get a kick out of 2 as well. Don’t be afraid to use a guide though.

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed this. I have a video on Zelda II actually that I published on this channel just a few months back. I really enjoyed it. It's probably my most polished project to date and it's a pretty beefy 55 minutes long lol. Let me know what you think if you check it out. I think that's an interesting point you make about there being a sort of line with art and complexity that, once crossed, changes how you view a game.

[@lennonrocks100]

Zelda 1 is on my top 5 list of all time. Love love love it

[@itsasecrettoeverybody]

The reason I think we don't feel a story is needed in this game is because it has a sandbox feel to it, even without randomization and complex Interactions modern sandbox games have. The game is the same every time, but everyone creates his on personal adventures and stories playing it. I love to hear the experiences of someone who just finished it for the first time. Makes me notice how immersive this simple game is because of its amazing design.

[@HPRshredder]

This is still the best game I think I have played for this series so far. An absolute masterpiece.

[@itsasecrettoeverybody]

@@HPRshredder it is indeed. It's not very complex, it easy to understand and play, but his level design and the combination of gameplay elements make it very deep and immersive. It is a true classic, extremely influential, that remains relevant to this day.

[@rogerdudra178]

Greetings from the BIG SKY. That's the same word I'd use, too.

[@partlyawesome]

Absolutely agree. Such a good game, hell, even the manual isn't necessary as the game naturally lends itself to that exploration mindset and the dungeons do things which should make any curious player do stuff in the overworld.

[@religion15]

Awesome video. I'm tired of people claiming this game "aged badly" and needs a ""better"" version. It's true adventure, and discovery, what it lacks in narrative compensates in adventure (something that Skyward Sword represents the opposite of everything in favor of a "good" narrative). And second quest dungeons are HUGE as dungeon 9 omg.

[@HPRshredder]

I still need to play the second quest... I might have to do a video about it when I finally get around to it.

[@Bizarb]

Well done brother. I never knew the bait actually attracted enemies. Only thing I saw you missed was the bunnies are one shot with an arrow.

[@TheBency]

I grew up playing this game. I loved it every since.

[@Xalmuster]

I don’t know if anyone else has mentioned it in these comments but the 2022 video game Tunic is the only game I’ve played that comes the closest to what it’s like to play the original Zelda for the first time, I absolutely recommend it

[@HPRshredder]

I've had a buddy of mine tell me I should check it out. I plan to, eventually, but I probably won't get around to it for a little while.

[@ianmatthewkline8279]

While I think it's cool a younger generation is getting to experience these retro games, I'm not sure you will ever truly experience what it was like to grow up with this. I was born in 86 and fondly remember my mom in the early 90s playing this with her friend on the phone.

[@politicaefutebolsediscutem1157]

After seeing all the Elden Ring hype and enthusiasm online I had to comeback here to watch this epic review once more. This is the game that started it all. Breath of the Wild borrows a lot from this game, but it seems that Elden Ring borrowed everything.

[@HPRshredder]

I'm glad you like it! Kid Icarus will be up in a few days. I'm excited for that one. Putting a lot into it. I wish I had a way to play Elden Ring, but I don't right now. I want to get an Xbox Series X to play it eventually. I've played Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Dark Souls II, and Dark Souls III. I love all of them. I'm glad you still like this video. That makes me happy.

[@bigdeagle1331]

I like how “the binding of Isaac” revamped the dungeon stages!

[@UncleTamir666]

My favourite game of all time. I know all of it, all discovered by spending full weekends playing for months back in late 80s.

[@edgc0921]

I completed this game for the first time this year (2023) on the Game & Watch released in 2021, before that, I didn't really care for it. I wish I had, because I enjoyed it thoroughly. It has its weaknesses, sure, but it's a great way to pass some time, specially on such a portable format. It became one of my favorites not long after I started playing, it hooked me more than I ever thought it would.

[@mielthesquid6536]

The bait also serves as a way to draw monsters, especially overworld monsters, put it on the group and the monsters will be attracted by it.

[@tinkerer3399]

It's definitely in my top 3 NES games. My only real complaint is actually the grid. I probably died more to the grid than any other reason, like I'd be fighting a boss and I'd turn south to dodge a fireball but the grid would snap me a half step to the side and get me hit.

[@DanielLopez-me9mh]

Legendary game love the dungeon soundtrack 👌

[@tonymastro42]

Fantastic video of my favorite game of all time. Since you have a working Famicom disk system I’d say try to get your hands on a copy of the mysterious Murasame castle. It’s to Zelda what Kid Icarus is to Metroid

[@HPRshredder]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I gave Marusume a brief try but didn't get very far. I think my approach was wrong. I watched someone play a bit a few months ago and they were just running past most of the enemies as I was trying to defeat most of them. I think it is a game I'll return to eventually.

[@tonymastro42]

@@HPRshredder I look forward to your review when you do!

[@NBExplorer]

LoZ was the second game I got on NES, (counting the super Mario/duck hunt that came bundled) and it blew me away. I spent months beating that game. The manual advised not to use the map which came sealed with a sticker and I refused to use it. I fell in love with the series and have been a fanboy ever since playing every title I could get my hands on.

[@TheRedSoxMan]

Don't sleep on the second quest. As mind-blowing as the dungeon designs are in the 1st, they are that much more in the 2nd. It is an absolute treat (aside from two completely obscure dungeon locations....)

[@HPRshredder]

I plan to go back and play it at some point. I don't doubt that it's good. I look forward to it.

[@Milamasylum83]

It's crazy beating this game before Internet cheating was a thing. Before Internet was even a thing. All of the secrets that you spent days finding... Just an epic quest. Still to this day I've never researched any "help" to any game. It takes the thrill of surprise away and it kills the good feelings you get when you find something awesome. It took me 4 years to finish BotW 💯. Now, I'm currently 100+hrs in TotK and I'm probably 10% finished...

[@justintime5375]

I wish they'd make more 2d but updated Zelda games which are more like tloz and link to the past. As much as the 3d games are great the 2d versions are what I first played.

[@itsasecrettoeverybody]

Finally I got here.

[@napkinx4341]

i think i think zelda 1 is best experienced with a guide after the second dungeon at that point to got lost for a couple hours and had a lot more fun following a rough guide