Game Data:
- Review Date: May 22, 2021
- Release Date: April 13, 1992
- Platform: SNES
- Developer: Nintendo
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Genre: Adventure
Anecdotes: For 15 year old Super Mateo, life was starting to pick up steam. There were all sorts of teenager things going on, but this game was worked into my busy schedule whenever I could play it. I was glued to this game. Between the church youth rallies and other things, my time was starting to be limited. It got closer to Halloween, and my dad and brothers wanted to do a haunted house with the church. I hated every minute of it last time I went, so I stayed home. I was home all alone for two hours and got through the Tower of Hera in that time, most of which was spent trying to defeat Moldorm.
For those that have watched this game on the excellent SpeedGaming channel on Twitch, first off, welcome, and second, take note that I’m reviewing the original SNES game. It’s the North American version and not randomized, plus there is a decent amount of text. I’ve watched many runs of the ALTTP Randomizer, but sadly I have never played it. They are amazingly skilled players that can routinely complete the game in 90 minutes, but I am nowhere near that good and I spent longer than that in the Ice Palace alone.
Description: Link has to travel across the Light World trying to obtain three pendants to perform an Excalibur-style sword pull in the woods. After that, he must rescue seven maidens, each of which has a crystal. The seven crystals will be used to open the way to Ganon. Link needs to save Ganon to save Hyrule.
Positives:
- There is a wide variety of subweapons to choose from. The menu has 20 boxes of items to use. For example, Link has three “coins” that allow him to do magic spells. Link has canes that can either make blocks or shields. Link gets a Hookshot that can be used to grapple or stun. There are plenty more, including some items returning from the first game.
- Dungeon entrances may or may not be hidden, but outside of Eastern Palace, each requires a trick to get in. It ranges from simply paying a monkey to do it to having to drain a dam in a mirrored world.
- There are a wide variety of dungeons as well. The game also goes back to returning Link to the start of the dungeon upon a death. Starting with the Tower of Hera, Link also has an item to return to the start any time he wants. Each pendant or crystal dungeon has a Big Key, a big chest with a special item, a Heart Container, and a boss. In most cases, the dungeon’s special item is required to get to the boss. The game is well designed.
Negatives:
- Not everything is well designed, though. The Scrappy Level Ice Palace (which can appropriately be shortened to SLIP) is hated by Zelda fans everywhere. Link slides around on the ice, often leading to falls and ramming enemies. It’s long and the opposite of a tower, so players have to memorize floor layouts to get through it. The item is the Blue Mail, which is defensive. It’s nice against the boss, but fans would rather have a weapon. Said boss is Kholdstare, a set of three eyeballs stuck in ice. Logically, the Fire Rod is good for the fight, but the magic runs out very quickly.
- Sahasrahla never shuts up. He’s even more boring than the maidens and he keeps interrupting when I just want to continue the game. I never could pronounce his name, either. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one, as the randomizer endings always have his name listed as something else. The only constant is that it always starts with an S.
Screenshots:
Final Opinion: S-Bomb and the Ice Palace both are really annoying, but the Ice Palace is late enough in the game that I’m fine with it. S-Bomb isn’t important enough to lower the grade for.
Grade: A
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