Many internet debates about which Zelda is the best in the series normally point to one
of two options: Ocarina of Time, or A Link to the Past. One was the series’
transition to 3D gameplay, and the foundation for most of the future games in
the series, as well as a strong influence on most 3D titles that came out
since, while the other was a massive adventure on the SNES and a return to the
top-down formula of the first Zelda title, and supposedly the most ‘Zelda-like’
of its many sequels.
The
first thing that struck me about A Link to the Past was its graphical beauty;
while Ocarina of Time doesn’t appear to have aged well (unless one plays the
3DS remake) thanks to the limited power of the consoles of its time, the SNES
title stands up as colourful and beautiful. I think this is because there is not
much more detail that could be offered in a pixel-based 2D game than what came
about during the 16-bit console era. Perhaps because of the limitations of 2D
graphics, developers were forced to make their games stand out in terms of
beauty rather than pure horsepower, a practice that is, sadly, dying today as
we live in the era of trying to get as many skin imperfections on a character’s
face as possible. Moreover, I think the use of colour in this game is exemplary
and the bright world offers a beautiful, engrossing picture.
I
went into A Link to the Past expecting something more along the lines of the
original Legend of Zelda game, that is, an extremely open-world game, with
obscure clues and a progression that seems to delight in making one wonder what
they are supposed to be doing. While I don’t dislike that kind of gameplay at
all, fans of the Legend of Zelda many have noted the shortfalls of such an
approach, and more cynical minds saw that it was simply a strategy to sell game
walkthroughs (uncited; I believe this was also revealed in a developer review
that this was the exact reason for certain secrets in the game, but I’m unsure
where to find the exact quotation). Given that a Sequelitis video by Egoraptor
hailed A Link to the Past as more ‘Zelda-like’ than Ocarina of Time, and closer
to the original formula, I was expecting to have to look toward online
walkthroughs to progress in the game.
Thankfully,
however, with Link to the Past this isn’t the case. It seems that with the luxury
of a bigger budget, better technology and better localization, the developers
of the SNES title managed to provide the game with a reasonable amount of
guidance without, at the same time, opening it to accusations of hand-holding
as later titles in the series.
Interestingly,
this was the game that laid down the story foundation for the series. While
fairly middle-of-the-road as far as fantasy stories go (there’s a MacGuffin
that has secret powers, a princess that is kidnapped, and a big bad wanting to
use the MacGuffin for his own nefarious purposes), forms a good basis for the
story and is paced just as well as the development of the gameplay mechanics.
The initial build up to the first dungeon is, in particular, ominous and brings
a sense of oncoming danger, which helps to motivate the player and also guide
them along the story.
A
Link to the Past’s story is very similar to Ocarina of Time in many respects,
and many items and story elements make appearances in both the former and the
latter. I think it was around the time of the SNES game’s development that real
hints of the Zelda timeline came about. The end result of the story development
in Link to the Past is of nostalgia and fun nods that will satisfy many a Zelda
fan with their inclusion.
Of
course, at the time of the release the main function of the story development
was to give the game its own identity, one that sets it apart from other game
series even to this day. The story may not be particularly unique in its
approach to what is essentially a generic fantasy plot, but it has enough
unique elements to feel like its own. Many elements, like the Triforce and the
Master Sword, set Zelda uniquely apart from its fantasy contemporaries.
The
sound of the game is particularly worthy of mention. Many iconic themes of
Zelda lore have made their debut here, and the quality is top-notch as one
would expect. The rendition of the overworld theme here is a laudable effort,
which seemed to represent exactly what Link to the Past was about; updating the
classical top-down Zelda formula with more modern sensibilities. The clash of
the cymbals propels one forward to adventure and the toning is more epic as a
result of the use of instruments to bring home the theme. The result builds
upon that now-legendary theme in a way reminiscent of how most of the game
itself is an expansion upon 2D Zelda.
Most
of the music is produced equally as well, with some weak links in the lack of
variety between dungeon themes, and the way in which music loops causing the
repetition of some tracks to become annoying to the ear if one spends too long
in a certain area.
The
influences of A Link to the Past are easily felt through any 2D
action-adventure game to this day, both in games that came out around and after
its initial SNES release and new games released today that purport to bring
back such gameplay into the modern era. In addition, the story influence of A
Link to the Past is monumental, creating the iconic status of the series as we
know it today. Its importance cannot be understated both for Zelda and for
games in general.
Thanks to an accessible story that has lasted through the ages, gameplay that is never obtuse enough to be frustrating, sound design that evokes fond feelings and a perfect mix of both story-based and adventure-based gameplay, the overall package offered by A Link to the Past gives us a worthwhile game that will win the heart of any gamer, Zelda fan or not.
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