The Legend Of Zelda [Game Review]

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Game Review: The Legend of Zelda | Nintendo | NES | NES Classic | Zelda Month | Video game review | DoublexJump.com

Title: The Legend of Zelda
Developer: Nintendo Research & Development 4
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: NES
Category: Action, Adventure
Release Date: February 21, 1986
How we got the game: We have it on the NES Classic

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The original Legend of Zelda video game came out a few years before I existed. Having a chance to play both the Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link were a couple of reasons why we were interested in getting the NES Classic.

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This is a game we’ve heard a lot about and have seen others played, but we haven’t had the pleasure of playing it ourselves until now.

gameplay

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Being a game for the NES, there are only a few simple buttons for a player to keep track of when controlling Link. The A button swings your sword, the B button uses whichever special item you have equipped from the menu that’s brought up with the start button, and you can move in a whole four different directions with the D-pad.

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The controls can be a little wonky at times, but it’s a NES game, so that was kind of expected. A lot of times Link would swing his sword with some delay after we pushed the button which put us in some trouble on many occasions throughout the gameplay. Most of the items you have to buy through random shops you find on the main map while others you get by going through and completing the dungeons.

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Your adventure involves exploring the over world map, finding secret locations and dungeons that hold monsters and pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. Instead of the game having a linear direction, Link is plopped down in the middle of the world and released to go forth wherever he pleases.

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The over world map itself doesn’t show where Link is or where anything is, even if you’ve already been there. You just need to explore, find stuff on your own, and remember where it all is. You can do the dungeons somewhat out of order though you might get stuck needing certain items to get through. Plus, the enemies are tougher later in the game. The dungeons are made up of various rooms with a ton of enemies and puzzles to get through. While it’s pretty simple, the enemies are tough and they can be tricky to get through.

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It was an interesting dynamic where the controls and environment are simple enough, but there were definitely times where we found ourselves dying over and over again to the same bosses or other enemies. While I love a good story-based game, I definitely enjoyed the openness of this Legend of Zelda. It reminds me a bit of how Breath of the Wild is an open world, allowing you go explore the story however you want.

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It’s certainly a fun game and well done for its time. It seems like such a small, short game, but there’s a lot to do, collect, and explore.

graphics-music

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The graphics are nothing to be blown away by these days, but it was definitely charming to see the first appearance of Link and the world of Hyrule as their original pixel-selves. The color palette was enough to be able to distinguish the characters from the environment and it was simple enough to tell what was going on, even if there were a couple of glitches here and there. Nothing to make the game break, of course.

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Yes, we did have a couple of glitches throughout the game, but some of them were in our favor, which was kind of nice. The pixels are great and looking at some of the enemies are hilarious because they look nothing like what they would today. Also, watching Link shimmy on the raft is wonderful.

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The music is fantastic, being the classic tunes that we know and love from all the other Legend of Zelda games we’ve enjoyed playing. It was a treat to hear where the tunes came from, especially the overworld music.

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The music and the sound effects are satisfying. I have the soundtrack in my car so hearing the music and actually playing the game at the same time was great. It was a nice throwback to a game I’ve heard so much about but have never played.
story

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There’s no true introduction to a story in this game. You take control of Link, you find an old man in a cave who tells you to take a sword because the world is dangerous, and off you go. Objectively, you are collecting pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom from the dungeons scattered about the world, presumably in order to rescue Princess Zelda.

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Again, since it’s not really explained at all, Link is exploring the world, ultimately preparing himself to battle Ganondorf and save the world. The story is there it’s just not as flushed out as we know and love it today. Which, is kind of cool in a way. I wonder how we would have felt about it if we had no knowledge of the series when the game first came out?

replay-value

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The Legend of Zelda is an oldie but a goodie. While there’s only so many secrets to uncover, it’s a game with a simple enough premise that allows you to play through it many times without getting bored. It’s a classic.

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I’m happy we finally got a chance to play this game. It wasn’t easy (even though it’s older and I was expecting it to be) but it’s one I’ll definitely play again.

The Legend of Zelda gets…
4-lives
4 out of 5 lives.

Have you played this game? What did you think? Let us know in the comments! 

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Gotta Catch Pikachu [Gaming News]

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Rachel Mii | DoubleJump.comHappy Tuesday!

So, the Let’s Go Pokemon games come out this Friday on November 16. I can’t wait to give them a go. I’ve been waiting for these games for a while.

In the meantime, you can get a bunch of Pikachu in your Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon games.

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Between now and November 30, 2018, we’re able to get five different Pikachu for Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. These Pikachu are wearing Ash’s hat from Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola respectively.

A while ago, a similar promotion was done where you could pick one Pikachu wearing Ash’s hat from Kanto through Alola. I don’t know why Kanto and Johto aren’t available in this promotion, but I wonder if they’re saving those two particular Pikachu for a different promotion… the Let’s Go games, perhaps?

Still, it’s five free, unique Pikachu for two of your Pokemon games. They vary in level, stats, and attacks. I plan on getting them all.

You can find the original post about this promotion and the codes to get the Pikachu here.

Are you planning on getting all the Pikachu? Or just some or none at all? Let me know in the comments below!

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PlayStation Classic

Kris P. Game Collection, Gaming News, Home, Kristen , , , , ,

Double Jump Kris MiiHappy Monday everyone!

I’m amused at all the “classic” editions of consoles popping up. Miniature versions of the original consoles, these classic ones are more Rachel’s and my size!  

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So. The PlayStation Classic. It’s coming out December 3rd for about 100 bucks with 20 games, two wired controllers and an HDMI cable to connect the console to the television. It does not include a USB AC adapter to, you know, power the console on.

(Which I really don’t understand? Nintendo’s NES Classic also didn’t include an AC adapter, which baffled my mind. Granted, we have the SNES Classic’s adapter, but still. Did Nintendo assume everyone would already have that? Does Sony assume everyone would have that? I’m not even sure if the SNES Classic’s adapter would work with the PlayStation Classic–and I’ll stop ranting about this.)

 

We actually had an original PlayStation when we were younger — and still do, actually, it’s chilling in a storage box with a few other decades-old consoles — but it wasn’t a console we used too often.

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I completely forgot we even HAD the Final Fantasy games VIII and IX before I dug all these out for a picture! I have no memory of them.

Our collection of PlayStation games wasn’t that extensive. I’m certain the games we mostly played were the Spyro trilogy (and Peter Pan: Return to Neverland… I seem to remember that one). Taking a look at the list of 20 games that will be on the PlayStation Classic, there’s not much there for us. While there are plenty of titles I recognize — rather, I’ve recognized the titles of their sequels or spiritual successors — the only game on the Classic that I’ve actually tried playing before would be Final Fantasy VII.

We’re pretty certain this is a classic console that we’ll skip. I wonder, how much nostalgic does it have for people who regularly played the original?

Are you interested in the PlayStation Classic? Is it worth it to you?

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The Legend of Zelda: Uno Card Game

Kris P. Board Games, Gaming Merch, Home, Kris & Rachel, The Legend of Zelda , , , , , , ,

djzeldauno

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The Uno card game has a simple enough premise. Each player starts with a handful of cards and you take turns discarding them into the main pile according to either color — blue, yellow, green and red — or by matching the number of the previous card that was put down. The goal is to be the first player to discard all of their cards first. There is apparently a point system that we recently discovered, but our house rules were always, “Whoever has an empty hand first, wins.”

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Yeah, who knew Uno had actual rules with a point system? Anyway, for Zelda Month, I was scrolling through Amazon to find a Zelda game that’s not a video game. Yahtzee and Chess popped up, but then I saw Uno. I love Uno and have a Super Mario Uno game. Aside from the pretty Zelda artwork on the cards, this particular edition has it’s own “Triforce rule” that I wanted to try out.

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Aside from regular numbered cards, Uno employs quite a few trick cards as well. There’s the reverse card that reverses the turn order, the skip card so the next person’s turn is skipped, and some cards that make the next person have to draw even more cards from the unused pile. There are also wild cards that allow the person who plays it to change the current color that’s in play, either to give themselves an advantage or to try to give others more of a challenge. This particular deck’s “Triforce rule” involved a new wild card.

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There’s a wild card with a Triforce symbol on it which acts as a normal wild card. However, the next person needs to put down a card of the color that was changed to and that card also needs to have a Triforce symbol on it. The cards that had this symbol were 3, 6, and 9 in all the colors. If the next player doesn’t have a card with a Triforce symbol in the color the deck changes to, they need to draw three cards.

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It’s a bit of an extra challenge in an otherwise normal game of Uno. Uno itself is one of those games where it’s simple to screw other people over in order to be the winner. The more people playing, the more fun it is. Uno was a card game that we used to play all the time when we were younger, so it was fun to go back to it with this Zelda deck and the Mario deck from a few months ago.

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This was certainly a fun edition of the Uno game. While the Triforce rule added a bit more strategy, it didn’t make the game much harder, especially since it’s mostly luck anyway. Still, it was fun and I’m glad we bought it.

The Legend of Zelda: Uno gets a rating of…
Skip It | Try It | Buy It

Have you played this game? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

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Why We Love The Legend Of Zelda

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Why We Love The Legend of Zelda | video games | gaming | zelda month | nintendo | DoublexJump.com

krismii
The Legend of Zelda was one of the first franchises I was introduced to when I discovered video games were a thing. Here was a guy in green with a really cool sword going on an epic quest to thwart evil. I was in love with the very idea of the adventure since I first saw Ocarina of Time.

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I really enjoyed watching Kris play the games when I was younger. The story was phenomenal, the characters were awesome and relatable, and the graphics and music were so cool and memorable. Plus, Link reminded me of Peter Pan, my boyfriend.

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Link and the Kokiri [double-check spelling, please] were based on Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, I believe. It’s a funny origin story. The Legend of Zelda franchise, as a whole, was always able to whisk me away on an adventure, and I loved it. It’s the same reason why I read fantasy novels, ones with magic and dragons and daring heroes. With video games, I’m able to take on an active role, and Link’s fantastic as far as character vessels go.

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Yes, they are based on Peter Pan, which is a cool fact. I love how the series as a whole is intertwined and “linked” together. They’re all more or less the same story, but each one is done uniquely and well. The stories give me all the feels and honestly have the same effect on me as the Harry Potter series does. It’s amazing and a wonderful experience.

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The reincarnations of all the characters always fascinated me as well. They are their Triforce pieces at their cores — Courage, Wisdom, and Power — but each reincarnation has their own personality that helps drive the story forward. Although, I suppose Ganondorf is the same in a few of the games, but his ambition and drive make him a fantastic villain. Side characters and even minor characters enrich the games. I was floored that every single character, no matter how minor, in Breath of the Wild was given a name.

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The imagination that goes into the stories behind the Legend of Zelda series never ceases to amaze me. Of course, the stories are a hug reason why I love the series, but plot and characters aside, I really love the music. I get the music stuck in my head all the time whether it’s some version of Gerudo Valley or Lost Woods.

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Koji Kondo is a god. I know he’s done many of the Legend of Zelda titles as a composer and supervisor on the music. I was thrilled when we were able to see the Legend of Zelda Symphony this past year! One of my favorite aspects of these games is the risks that Nintendo takes on them. I know if something isn’t broken, you shouldn’t fix it, but Nintendo has always taken this franchise, one of their flagship IPs, and tried out something new with Link. The cel-shaded graphics in Wind Waker, the realistic and dark graphics with Twilight Princess, the motion controls with Skyward Sword, a completely open world with Breath of the Wild… At the series’ core, it’s the same story, but there is always something new with each adventure.

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Overall, this entire series is a god. We have yet to find a flaw in these games. There are definitely some mechanics we enjoy more than others, but have a good time all the same. These are the kinds of games that even though we know the outcome, we’ll play them over and over again until the end of time.

Do you love The Legend of Zelda? What’s your favorite part? Let us know in the comments below!

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Friday Favorites: Versions of Hyrule

Kris P. Friday Favorites, Home, Kristen, Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda , , , , , ,

Double Jump Kris MiiHappy Friday everyone!

World building is important to me in video games. I love being invested in the land and the people in it whenever I play. The Legend of Zelda games tend to take place in Hyrule and there are plenty of fantastic versions of the land.

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Ocarina of Time’s Hyrule

Mainly for nostalgia purposes, Ocarina of Time’s Hyrule is one of my favorites mainly because it was my first introduction to the world. I was amazed at the different races of people and monsters that populated the land, as well as all the different landscapes and dungeons that were available to explore.

Skyward Sword’s Hyrule

Technically speaking, Hyrule doesn’t really exist just yet in Skyward Sword’s time. Instead, it’s called the Surface (or Grooseland, according to one character) since the kingdom isn’t established. I was in love with the graphics of this game and seeing the potential kingdom was fun, even if there were parts of the Surface that I wasn’t too fond of.

Twilight Princess’s Hyrule

If the competition between Wind Waker and Twilight Princess still existed, I would be on Twilight Princess’s side. Twilight Princess probably has some of my favorite graphics when it comes to the Zelda games, and I loved the expansive world I could explore while riding around on my horse. Twilight Princess probably also has one of my favorite versions of Kakariko Village — it’s sparse, but I adore the NPCs.

Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule

A desolated version of the kingdom, Breath of the Wild’s enormous map ensured that there was always plenty to explore and discover, especially with all the Easter eggs from previous Zelda games. It has one of my favorite endgames as well. True, the final boss was a tad easy, but it was in proportion to how hard you worked in helping the rest of Hyrule. The more Divine Beasts you freed, the more help Link had from the previous Champions in defeating Calamity Ganon. The more shrines you discovered, the more stamina or hearts you had for health in the final battle. The better prepared you were, the more skills you practiced, the easier the final fight. Jett, I wish I had this answer when we were talking about it during my Deltarune stream!

What is your favorite version of Hyrule?

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Costumes For Super Smash Brothers Ultimate

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Rachel Mii | DoubleJump.comHappy Thursday!

So, I came up with a cool idea when I was thinking about Zelda and Smash the other day.

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We’ve had a wide variety of Zelda characters in the Smash games. For Ultimte, we’re going to have three different Links. We have a different Zelda this time than we have before. All of this is cool and I’m looking forward to it, but I had a thought and I wonder how well it would do if it were true.

I think it would be cool for each character to have their own costume set.

Hear me out…

Most of the characters have different versions of themselves along with different powers or move sets. You can change the colors of their costumes, but what if, instead of just having a different color, their costume changed?

We could have Twilight Princess Link, Toon Link, Young Link, Breath of the Wild Link, etc. We could choose between any kind of Zelda and they can each have their own unique move or two.

Mario, granted one of his costumes kind of looks like the fire flower, but what if he could only shoot fireballs in that costume? We could have ice Mario, Tanooki Mario… Tanooki Mario is in Mario Kart, why not Smash?

Luigi can be himself or have his Poltergust 3000.

I get the characters would be uneven in this sense and a lot of those mechanics are in the game anyway. I’m happy with the way the game is, but I think it would be cool to have a bunch of different Marios duking it out. The same character with the same move set other than one or two unique moves or powers.

Does that even make sense? I’m not sure if my explanation did my idea justice. Again, I don’t want Smash to change and I bet this idea would be really had to program in, but… I think it’d be cool to see all the variations of the characters nonetheless.

What do you think of this? Do you have any ideas you’d like to see in Smash? Let me know in the comments below!

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