NESpresso: Game Reviews \ PC \ Zelda Classic

Game Stats
System: PC (Windows / Linux)
Genre: Adventure
Players: 1
Memory used: approx. 10.5 MB (w/ Installer)
Playtime: 00:05 / 10:00
ESRB Rating: NOT RATED

Note: Game & additional quests (various sizes) available at www.zeldaclassic.com !

Fans of the NES classic The Legend of Zelda have created their own clone of the game for PC! Complete with the classic quests & new quests, Zelda Classic is one of the few games that faithfully recreates the classics without all the legal trouble.

Sometimes, one must recreate a game to learn how it was made. Many game clones (& emulators) have been designed this way to understand the development of the game(s). Sometimes, most of the clones use alternative methods to create the game or modify the game they were trying to clone.

Zelda Classic is a clone of a classic game that has a lot of additions to the game, if the creators of the quest preferrs to use them.

The graphics in the game are usually up to the quest creator, so the graphics can be the EXACT REPLICA of the original game... or an updated version of the classic... or a totally different to create a new game!

By default, the graphics in the game are that of the original Zelda, which aren't that impressive by today's standards... but in a retrospective look, the classic players won't be able to tell the difference between the NES & Zelda Classic just by looking at the game.

The sounds of the game are another item that's up to the quest creator, so accuracy for game recreations will vary. However, in order to keep the game out of copyright troubles (with Nintendo), Zelda Classic normally uses variants of the originals from other people.

Even though this can detract from the original experience, some will consider this as a welcomed change since most of the classic sounds are pretty repetitive.

The controls of the game remains pretty faithful to the classic if you use a controller (like a Gravis Gamepad Pro or something similar to a modern game controller), but the game can be played using the keyboard as well. Unlike the original, Zelda Classic includes features like "rotate-an-item", which allows you to swap items on a fly by hitting a button & a large-scale map that you can allows you to see where you can & help you find where you want to go.

The gameplay of Zelda Classic remains pretty faithful to the original Zelda, but the gameplay can be radicially changed based on who made the quest. The quest can be idiotically easy to nearly impossible, even to the point where the World Record holders of the Zelda games will have problems getting through them!

Even though Zelda Classic can remain faithful to the original Zelda, but it's the ability to pick up & play newly created quests is the key feature that really cranks up the replay value! With over 1,000 different quests (estimated) in the Zelda Classic Quest Database (available at the Zelda Classic website), you can play Zelda Classic over & over again with new quests being created all the time! If you feel really adventurous, you could try your hand at creating your own quests.

The only complaint I have with Zelda Classic is that the game doesn't really register any activity with Windows when in windowed mode & using the controller. It's a pain to have your gameplay interrupted every 5 minutes or so (pending on your screen saver settings) because of it.

Despite my complaint & the expandable options, Zelda Classic is a good game to pick up for classic & modern gamers alike!