UNITED STATES—So far in our SNES Chronicles, we have discussed “Secret of Evermore” and “Super Mario World.” This week I want to discuss another game that reminds me of my childhood vividly and is a game that allows one to escape and get immersed into the Light and Dark World. Any guesses as to what game I am referring to? I’m talking about “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.” Oh, how I love this game. When I was like 5 or 6 I got my first videogame system, it was the NES. One of the games I had was “The Legend of Zelda.”
I really thought that was a long game with its countless levels and goodies you had to search and look for. Let me just say this: the game was not easy people. A sequel to the series appeared on NES before the SNES introduced a third chapter that is a favorite for many gamers. So what makes “A Link to the Past” so incredible? Well you get to jump from one world to another and it really requires a lot of memory in my honest opinion people.
The Light World is NOT that difficult in my opinion. It sets the stage for Link, our hero to gather some basic essentials that are ASBOLUTELY needed as you eventually venture into the Dark World (way more difficult in my opinion). Be attuned to things you see in the Light World because they will become vital when you are jumping between the Light World and Dark World. There are certain goodies you can only obtain after you have been transported to the Dark World courtesy of the evil wizard Agahim aka Ganon.
The Dark World forces link to remember key details about the Light World that helps you nab even bigger items that are needed throughout your journey. In particular the countless heart containers that are needed to ensure your survival. Why? The baddies in the Dark World are much hard to defeat and take a bigger bite out of your health if you are hit. I love the Dark World because something I recently discovered is that you DO NOT have to beat the seven worlds in order. You can actually BOUNCE AROUND!
I know that sounds crazy, but it’s possible, but it all starts with the first world, where you obtain that hammer that allows you to pounce stakes into the ground. This allows you to tackle the fourth world where you can obtain that glove that allows you to life heavier rocks and from there you can go to world six, seven, five, two or three, the opportunities are endless. Well, there is one slight hiccup, you can’t go to world five until you’ve defeated world 2 because you need the hook shot to move around.
The evil lairs in the Dark World are way more difficult than the Light World. They are like mazes and these mazes can be so frustrating in my opinion. If I am being honest the Ice Palace is perhaps the most frustrating out of all the lairs. Not only are you dealing with ice, it is an absolute puzzle that can be frustrating to navigate if you don’t know where you are going.
The bosses are a challenge, each different in their own right, you get to play with magic and there are secrets as well throughout the game that allow you to heighten your survival chances and to make your journey to the end a bit easier along the way. The game is a challenge, but not so much a challenge that it’s impossible to be victorious. The one thing I love about this game is it helps strengthen one’s memory. Can you remember where all those heart containers are, how to go from A to B, secrets and such? The more you play the more it sticks with you.
If you’re a Zelda fan, “A Link to the Past” will take you back to your childhood and make you remember why you loved the character and the series for as long as you have. The one thing I’m learning about this column is that video games are quite powerful. They really have the ability to strengthen one’s memory and problem solving skills. Who knew? Um, I did America. Next week, we take a look at another classic, “Super Metroid.”
Written By Davy Jones
