The Legend of Zelda
Released in July of 1987, The Legend of Zelda is the first in a series of games that would later become known as the greatest series of all time. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, the mastermind behind such hits and Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda offered a new gaming experience, one where the player actually had to use thinking skills to decide where he/she would go next.

Graphics:

As I said in the review for Metroid, the graphics are just about the same as they would be in any other NES game. Instead, I'm judging this category based on level and map design. The overworld is filled with many areas, ranging from forests, deserts, and even a graveyard. Compared to most other NES games, the overworld is pretty big. The dungeons are also good looking. Instead of reusing level designs like some games do, each dungeon in this game is different from the last, making for a better graphical experience.

Sound and Music:

Overall, there are about four or five different songs throughout the game. Every single dungeon uses the same song, except for the final dungeon which has its own theme. While traveling the overworld, the tune will be the same no matter where you are. Even though these songs are great to listen to, they will become very repetitive over time. If you get sick of the tunes, you can always turn the volume down and play one of your CDs or something. The sound in the game is nothing to complain about though. Swords sound good when you swing them, and everything else in the game sounds as it should.

Storyline:

Although this is the first Zelda game to be released, it is chronologically second to last in the Zelda Timeline. The storyline is as follows. Long ago in the land of Hyrule, legends spoke of the Triforce. The Triforce consisted of three golden triangles, which held a great amount of mystical power. When Ganon, the King of Evil, invaded the kingdom of Hyrule and stole the Triforce of Power, the princess Zelda took the Triforce of Wisdom and split it into eight pieces. She then hid them throughout the land to protect the Triforce from Ganon's clutches. Furious, Ganon captured and imprisoned Zelda. It was now up to a young hero named Link to rescue Zelda and stop Ganon from getting his hands on the Triforce. The storyline isn't anything stellar, but yet again, Zelda games have never had really IN DEPTH storylines.

Gameplay:

Throughout the game will travel across the land of Hyrule in search of the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. You will make your way through eight different dungeons where you will kill bad guys, collect keys to open locked doors, gain new items such as the bow, and defeat the evil boss at the end of the dungeon. After you defeat each dungeons boss, you will receive a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom. Once you have all eight pieces, you will head to the final dungeon on Death Mountain, where you will have a final battle between Ganon and yourself. Pretty much, the gameplay is just go from dungeon to dungeon and collect the Triforce pieces in order to access the final dungeon where you will defeat Ganon. Yet, something this simple is truly addicting.

Controls:

The controls in this game are extremely simple. The D-pad moves you around, A swings your sword, B uses your items, and the start button brings up the sub-screen in which you'll access those items. I usually try to explain the different categories as much as possible, but there is really nothing else to tell you about the controls. I honestly don't think it's possible to have bad controls where there are only five buttons on the controller.

Replayability:

Although the game itself is fairly short and can be completed in less than a day, the game offers you the ability to play through a second quest once you have finished it. The second quest isn't just harder, it's totally different altogether. The overworld is different and the dungeons are in different places, which is the same for just about every other item in the game. However, once you beat the second quest, the game truly does end. There's no third quest for you to go on. The only other option would be to collect any missing heart containers you didn't get.

Although The Legend of Zelda is an old game, it doesn't make the game any less as great as it was in the 80s. In fact, it is a better game than most of the crappy titles that are being released for the Gamecube and GameBoy. Being the game that started the greatest series ever made, it's obvious why they decided to re-release it for the Gamecube in The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition, which I urge all of you Zelda fans to get a copy of as soon as possible.
Graphics: 9.5/10
Sound and Music: 9.3/10
Storyline: 9.5/10
Gameplay: 9.6/10
Controls: 10/10
Replayability: 9.2 /10
9.3
Out of 10