The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is simply one of the greatest games of all time. I can say this conclusive statement in the introduction, because you already knew that. For a lot of people there has been no greater Zelda adventure, 2D or 3D. A lot of people I know who no longer have a Super Nintendo, were ready to jump at the chance to play this game again. The question is, does this cart have a reason for players to pick it up if they already have experienced and still own the original SNES version? The answer is a resounding yes.
" The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is simply one of the greatest games of all time."
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The graphics in this version of the game are nearly perfect in every respect. I can say with complete confidence you won’t complain that Nintendo messed anything up. I can also tell you though, that when compared to the other GBA beauties of today’s world you might remember this game looking better than it does. It’s not to say the graphics are bad, it’s just to say they’re a little dated. It’s better though, that they didn’t update, because it would have ruined some of the essence of the world. The real graphical treat comes in the form of the Four Swords game you can play with other friends. Graphically resembling the world used in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker this part of the game is done with the GBA specs in mind, and it shows. No slowdown when there are a ton of enemies on the screen, and only a slight amount when it gets over crowded with items and other objects.
The sound in this game is most likely, and sadly the low part of the package, mainly because Nintendo thought it necessary to “update” how the sound works. Link now yells and yips after every sword swing, much like the Super Mario Advance games when Mario and co. blather on about how power-ups were “just what I needed.” In fact, most of everything he is capable of is accompanied by some kind of irritating chirp. Maybe if they toned the frequency of them down a bit it would be less irritating, but in this form it’s a little grating. The music also takes a slight hit, but nothing too bad, and all the tunes are accurate, so you’ll be humming along in no time.
I’ve got to say, that Nintendo was able to bring over the world of A Link to the Past in accurate form, with some tiny additions here and there impressively. I really don’t have any complaints, since the quest translates to the GBA exactly the same, with some tiny new power-ups and other worldly features.
" Four Swords... really showcases what’s possible when the Link Cable interaction is more thought through..."
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Such as sparkling rocks that give off rupies when whacked, and other tiny upgrades to Link himself. This game was THE action adventure title to replicate in the early 90’s, and if you haven’t played it, you owe it to yourself to do so now. You’d be surprised what games you see shades of Zelda in. It still stomps out nearly anything ever released on the GBA, and a lot of what’s released on today’s next-gen systems.
Four Swords is an awesome addition as well. It really showcases what’s possible when the Link Cable interaction is more thought through, rather than the after thought it usually is. It’s not quite the full-length adventure most fans were hoping for, but it’s a great little title, and nearly worth the price of admission alone. It’s maybe a little too competitive for me, since I personally like more co-op, but it’s still a blast to play. The puzzles aren’t ingenious; they’re definitely Zelda worthy, but in a different way. It’s weird working together with your friends to figure out how to move a block (even though that’s usually pretty obvious, but I don’t want to give things away). It’s a blast if you have three other friends to play with though; get together and play, it’s worth it.
I was shocked at how well this game controlled in all honesty. Even with 2 buttons missing the controls work just as well as they did on the SNES. I’m sure that if Nintendo managed to mess this up, people would have collectively ended up at Redmond, and the scene would have closely resembled the mall scene from Dawn of the Dead, complete with Rosie O’donnell-zombie’s heads exploding. But rest easy; the controls are flawless.
The story in A Link to the Past is your standard Zelda fare. Zelda is kidnapped, Ganon is out, Link must rescue the princess and secure the homeland, Hyrule. The Four Swords story is very different, and I won’t give anything away, but it’s not groundbreaking. It’s enough reason to play the title though. As for replay, the title will keep you busy for a while. Both aLttP and Four Swords’ data kind of hook up. You’ll unlock more dungeons in aLttP by playing Four Swords and learn new sword techniques and such when playing vice versa.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is probably one of the greatest games of all time, and this package is maybe one of the greatest GBA carts to be released to date. It really brings into the light why the Zelda series is held among the highest tiers of gaming. Pick it up and enjoy the hell out of it.
