Link to the Past

I've been in a very Zelda-like mood lately, what with my time in Twilight Princess and all, so for today's Throwback Thursday I thought I'd discuss the best SNES game ever created (it is... I promise*): The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (LttP).

LttP came out for the Super Nintendo back in 1992. In paying homage to the original Zelda game, LttP could be purchased as a special edition gold cartridge in addition to the standard gray SNES carts. Being but 10 years old at the time, I was a huge fan of all things Nintendo/Zelda and I was very proud of my gold cartridge.

The game starts with you being awakened by your uncle with rain pouring down in the background. In typical gaming fashion, you chase after your uncle, obtain his sword, and use it to save the world. The game also introduces you to Princess Zelda quite early, something which was a big departure from the NES entries in which Zelda was just a nebulous entity you only saw at the end of the game. Doing it this way really made your goal much more tangible.

With Zelda safe (for now), the game finally "starts." In what became typical Zelda fashion, the game has you working through a series of dungeons. You begin with a set of 3, followed by some sort of mid-game denouement, with a final set of 7. In LttP, the mid-game excitement introduces you to the Dark World. Without a doubt, this feature was probably the single thing that made the game so amazing.

Initially, your travel between the worlds is limited to special portals, but before too long, you get a mirror that allows you to travel between the two at will. While the worlds are very similar (often just a small darkening of the hues), there are some minor differences. There could be a bridge in one that isn't in the other or even a missing cave in the light world. By traveling back and forth between the two worlds, you are able to get to places and things (and a fair number of secret areas) that you couldn't get to otherwise. While this game mechanic may sound really familiar to people who have played later Zelda games (young vs. old Link and twilight-covered areas vs. normal areas), LttP really pioneered the idea. Such a thing had just never before been seen in a Nintendo game.

The game had a pretty large number of all of the most beloved Zelda items (bow, bombs, etc), but without a doubt there was one that trumped them all: the Pegasus Boots.

Ahh... the Pegasus Boots. In subsequent play throughs of LttP, there are exactly two parts to the game: the time before you get the boots (the crappy part) and the time after you get the boots (the good part). What did these magical boots do you ask? Simple: they let you dash. Hold down the 'A' button and Link winds up and then flies across the screen. I have exceptionally fond memories of dashing from screen to screen, dashing into trees (to knock out secret items and entrances), and especially dashing into enemies for a quick kill. I'm not sure why the simple act of running fast adds so much awesome to a game, but I promise you, it does.

While LttP definitely set the stage for future Zelda games, there are a few things that were never seen in later Zelda games. Most notable in my mind are the two canes in the game. One of these, when used, makes Link invincible for the duration of his magic meter (not very long). The other actually creates blocks that can be used to depress switches. There are some other pretty unique things to the game, but as far as I know, no other Zelda game had anything like the canes.

In proper Zelda tradition, the game ends with you using light arrows to fight Ganon and rescue Princess Zelda. The ending is fully satisfying and I guarantee you will have enjoyed your time.

In conclusion, let me just say that there is a very profound reason that this game ranks so highly on top games of all time lists. It was WAY ahead of its time, had a great story, great items, great dungeons, and was overall just a lot of fun. If you've never played it, it's easier than ever. You no longer have to scavenge an old SNES or resort to a shady ROM site, just fire up the Virtual Console (or play the GBA version!) and knock yourself out. I promise you won't regret it.

(*Editor's note: Super Metroid. I'm just saying.)