As a big Zelda hater as a kid, I skipped the series completely. I’ve been going through to experience them all in order now. I really enjoyed the first two games of the series so I expected to like this one too. What I didn’t expect is was that it really is one of the best games on the Super Nintendo if not one of the best games of all-time.
Yes! Link to the Past is a brilliant game - definitely one of my favorite games of all time.
I second the recommendation of Link’s Awakening and Link Between Worlds since you liked this one so much.
Definitely check out Link’s Awakening when you get a chance! It has a really cool mechanical evolution beyond LttP: you have 2 equipment slots that you can swap independently! So instead of always having the sword + 1 item, you can have 2 different items with no sword!
That’s one thing I always like about handheld games during that era especially the Zelda and Mario Land games. They weren’t under the thumb of the original developers that created the series so they were willing to take more risks.
I read in some interviews about the development of A Link to the Past they wanted to allow the player to map any item to either Y or B but Miyamoto made them change it back to just allowing an item equipped to Y and the sword always being equipped.
Link’s Awakening is next on my list, I’ve just started it and I’m looking forward to the rest of it!
Don’t sleep on Oracle of Ages/Seasons and Minish Cap either!
The top-down zeldas are golden
My entire life I’ve been avoiding Zelda games thinking they just weren’t for me. But when Nintendo added Link’s Awakening DX to Nintendo Online I decided to give it a try.
It’s just a lovely game. I love the graphics, the way it holds your hand a little more than earlier games, that feeling when the puzzles “click”, everything about it. It has turned me around on Zelda games and I intend to play the Oracle games when I get a chance.
I just beat this for the first time as well. Please keep us up to date on your Zelda saga. I look forwards to see your reaction to OoT.
I’ve played through all the 2D Zelda games. Then the DS games and GameCube versions. Somehow I’m not a fan of the N64 Zeldas.
So interesting! I can see the merits of 2D Zeldas, but to me the N64 Zeldas were what really elevated the series (LttP is a great game, sure, but I’m in love with OoT and Majora’s Mask).
I think they are really different experiences despite the shared DNA and so will appeal to different people differently.
I never had an N64 and played one for maybe 10 hours (predominately Mario Kart) in high school/college. Still have never touched a GameCube.
The N64 Zeldas felt awful to play with the camera and controls and I could never get into them.
I think I just like the cartoon Zelda’s more. That’s why I gravitated towards WindWaker and the DS sequels (Phantom Hourglass was awesome!, I’m finishing spirit tracks now and it’s one notch under, the trains feel more restrictive than the boat)
By the way, I’m playing the DS versions on my iPhone and it’s the perfect platform for it. Vertical screen covers the dual screens with touchscreen (add a touch stylus if you want). I use Ignited emulator loaded with SideStore (no jailbreak)
I have to admit I loved Phantom Hourglass too when I was younger and never came back to replay it. I need to give all of them a revisit with a new perspective. I’ve been meaning to play LttP again anyway, so I might do a series-wide marathon in the future!
Oh god I hated PH
I mentioned elsewhere in the thread, but I tried playing OOT for the first time somewhere in my 20s. I hated the camera and controls and gave up on it pretty quickly. I never played any GameCube games, so I’m not sure there.
Wind Waker is really nice. Much better camera and controls. Also if you have the ability to play the Wii U version go for it! Otherwise there is a HD textures pack available for Dolphin which makes it look beautiful in 4K.
Good job, DAD.
ALTTP is still my favorite of all time. I didn’t try OOT until I was in my 20s because a roommate wanted to play it and it was on the wii shop. Hated the controls and everything. I’m watching someone do a blind playthrough now and I like the ideas, but hated actually playing it.
OP, you should also check out ALTTPR – there are many randomizers to get tons of playtime out of the game.
Another game I personally loved was SoulBlazer (SoulBlader in Japan and maybe other areas).
If you liked LTTP the best don’t sleep on the other titles in that world/style. ALBW, Links Awakening, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons and Minish Cap are all great.
I played Link’s Awakening on GameBoy back in the day. I’ve never checked out the Oracle ones or Minish Cap. Thanks for reminding me.
I’ve been playing a tune from links awakening in my head for over 25 years without knowing where I knew the tune from (I had completely forgotten I even owned it in game boy)
Now I have the sheet music. And I can play it for real.
Oracle combined is my favorite Zelda hands down. You have to try it.
I definitely will hit up a randomizer when I revisit it again. One of my first thought after beating it was “I should find a randomizer and play again”
What’s the R stand for in alttp?
Not that I have time to get into the triple zero club again.
The final R is for Randomizer :)
I wrote a pretty hefty review on my blog if you would like to read more of my thoughts.
This game is literally the reason I bought a SNES. Heck, I bought the game before the console even
Definitely check out Zelda Minish Cap, I think it’s up there with Link to the Past
I really liked a lot about the minish cap but the gacha game heart piece and the fact that you leave one of the three goddesses unhoused felt very antethitical to Zelda. Almost perfect otherwise.
I also played it recently for the first time and my impressions are that it is too damn hard lol.
Previous Zelda games were:
Majora’s Mask 3DS
Ocarina of Time 3DS
Twilight Princess
Phantom Hourglass
So maybe ALTTP is harder than all of those combined lol.
This has been my experience with it. I really struggle with games where your directional inputs are just up, down, left and right because the attacks and blocking are based on what direction you’re facing. Funny thing is that I grew up with a mega drive and ps1 plus an old Compaq pc and I had a game boy colour and advance as well as a ds so I should be ok with four direction based movement games.
Yeah definitely the 4 direction movement was a big player in the difficulty scale for me.
I can see that, especially with the early game when you don’t have heart containers and you don’t have the master sword either. No shame in playing with save states if you have access to switch online or an emulator.
All-time for sure. Amazingly solid game.
If you liked it and have access to a 3DS, you should play “A Link Between Worlds”.
It uses a very similar overworld / “dark” world but a different story/time period. It’s not quite a remake, has some cool mechanics, and is a spiritual successor. Definitely recommend it if you like LttP.
I need to get a new battery and backplate as my 3DS battery has bloated but I definitely will be playing a Link Between Worlds soon. Every retrospective I’ve watched since beating A Link to the Past recommends it as well.
Link between worlds Is easily my favorite zelda game. The new mechanics make it a joy to re-explore a familiar world
+1 for LbW. Great game and the 3d feature is actually well used. Now I need to find my 3ds and mod it to replay the game lol
I played it on a 2DS. Now I’m curious to play it in 3D.
It’s not like other games where it’s gimmicky. It just adds a cool layer of immersion to an otherwise great 2d zelda
