The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords

Now I do realize in my The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages blog I mentioned the next game I’d play in my journey to complete all of the Legend of Zelda games would be The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker… BUT I couldn’t start (much to my brothers aggravation) Wind Waker without first completing a game that was released a mere month before Wind Waker. A re-release of a Super Nintendo classic, the much referenced, and very first Zelda title completed by me, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

After defeating Onox, the General of Darkness in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, I learned that my quest was just beginning and that Onox was a mere pawn in a larger plan crafted by the witches Kotake and Koume, collectively known as Twinrova (remember them from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time?). When Onox fell, the flame of Destruction was lit and Twinrova was one step closer to their goal of resurrecting the Evil King, but two flames were still unlit. That was until I used the password I earned from beating Oracle of Seasons to then play The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages as a sequel.

The Legend of Zelda: The Oracle of Seasons

It’s Zelda Day! That’s right kiddos, it’s now been 26 years since Shigeru Miyamoto first unleashed The Legend of Zelda into our collective consciousness and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate then filling you all in about my latest conquest, The Legend of Zelda: The Oracle of Seasons. I managed to catch a nasty head cold (speaking of changing seasons) but still fought through for another Zelda victory that unfortunately will be my last official one of The Legend of Zelda’s 25th anniversary, but since Nintendo is going to keep celebrating so will I with future victories to come. But before we move on to that, let’s talk about Oracle of Seasons.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Dawn of The First Day -72 Hours Remain

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was originally released for the Nintendo 64 October 26 2000, just two short years after The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It was another game I sadly missed on the first pass. Probably still a little disgruntled over the whole Ocarina of Time incident (I was a grudge holder) and not currently living with my brother due to moving to Woodstock, Georgia after completing high school (a whole other story, although slightly related because that is where I first beat The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past I wasn’t really exposed to Majora’s Mask like I was to Ocarina of Time. I do remember trying it out briefly (most likely during my Thanksgiving visit) but didn’t really make it anywhere and I was kind of shocked that I was stuck as a Deku Scrub at almost the very beginning of the game. Fast-forward twelve years later to my recent victory over The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS and it was time to give Majora’s Mask a second chance. Unlike the first time I attempted to play, I had a goal in mind (to complete all of the Nintendo Legend of Zelda games) and I wasn’t going to let a little thing like starting as a Deku Scrub deter me. I downloaded a copy Majora’s Mask from the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console and I was off and running… Or was I? I knew that The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask had a reputation and it wasn’t just me saying that it wasn’t as accessible as its predecessor, but I had also heard great things about Majora’s Mask. In fact, after the successful release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS I’d heard that fans of Majora’s Mask were petitioning for a 3DS release of the game as well (Check out Operation Moonfall for more info). So with mixed expectations I started up the Wii and began my journey. Writing about this particular game is going to be impossible without spoilers so I’ll just get this out of the way now…

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS

Fourteen years ago I stared at the load screen for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D with a look of disbelief. Where my saved game state was originally stored was a new file, a smaller file: my game was gone.  After already logging hours of play and reaching the Water Temple, I returned to my brother’s copy (I didn’t get my own Nintendo 64 until the Donkey Kong 64 Jungle Green console was released but that’s another story) of Ocarina of Time to find that a certain someone (not my brother, but my brother from another mother) had saved over my game. With a heavy head and an even heavier heart I tried to restart my quest, but at the time the task just wasn’t enjoyable. I was too bitter at my loss of time and loss of in game items; I was adult Link working my way towards my confrontation with Ganondorf, then I was just a small Kokiri child (ok, I know I was really still a Hylian but Link doesn’t know this at the start of the game, just go with it) trying to learn my destiny from The Great Deku Tree. It was just all too much; I didn’t want to re-accomplish the quests that I had already completed. I just wanted to restart the game and find it was all some kind of sick joke and I was really still ready for the water temple, but alas this was not the case, so I did the only thing I could do at the time. I walked away from Ocarina of Time, and for a time The Legend of Zelda completely. It wasn’t until late 2000 when I played a Legend of Zelda game again and that was to finally fell Ganon in a Link to the Past (I know I owe a blog on that one, but I still have a lot of Zelda to play) something that I was never able to do when the game was first released.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

And the legend continues... 

Growing up, I have a stronger memory of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link than I do of its predecessor. I remember being quite young (guessing by its release date of December '88 most likely 8) and being watched by my Uncle and his friends that were very much caught up in the world of Hyrule. The exact details are a little fuzzy but I remember there was some kind of hint guide (most likely the newly released Nintendo Power Issue #4) and my Uncle and his friends sitting in front of the TV for hours trying to navigate the map and dungeons. I was caught up watching them play, ignoring their multiple offers of going outside. No, I wanted to see Link complete his quest, I wanted to see the sleeping Princess Zelda awaken. It wouldn't be until 23 years later that I finally saw this feat accomplished (and by my own hand at that).

The Legend Of Zelda

A victory 25 years in the making, the wizard Ganon has finally fallen… Okay I’m not sure it’s as exciting as all that but Goddamn, I needed to grab your attention didn’t I? So let me back track a little bit… A long time ago in the year nineteen hundred and eighty-six, a new technology was invading our shores, a new wave of entertainment that would eventually change not only how we spend our free time, but drastically change our lives all together… 

I’m talking about the Nintendo Entertainment System (affectionately dubbed the NES). That year also brought us Link’s first journey in the form of The Legend of Zelda. Now before I continue waxing nostalgic, let me explain that in February of 1986 I was only five years old; I had no concept of videogames yet. It wasn’t until probably ‘89 or ‘90 that I really came into my own as a gamer. So the first wave of the NES craze sweeping the nation (Oldies think Beatlemania, newbies, Justin Bieber? Okay maybe the release of WOW I don’t know) kinda passed me over without a bang, maybe just a whimper. Now I’m not saying I was without videogames before ’86 I’m just saying it was an Atari 2600. And before you hardcore mofo’s get on my case about what a great system the 2600 was, let me ask you this: DID IT HAVE SUPER MARIO BROS??? And please, before you get up in arms with your “Yes” retort, understand I don’t mean Mario Bros. the original game with the aforementioned brothers. I mean Super Mario Bros. the game that made you a social leper if you didn’t know how to play it. Yeah I had Berzerk, Haunted House, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Galaxian amongst a plethora of other titles, but it was no Super Mario Bros. and no Legend of Zelda. It wasn’t until that magical Christmas of ’89 that things started to change, and yours truly was one of the first kids on the block to have the newest in handheld technology, the Nintendo Gameboy. And it was because of the Gameboy that I had my first real Zelda experience with The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Note: this wasn’t until four years later but I’m trying to build a time line here).