BATTLE SYSTEM INTERACTION ORIGINALITY STORY MUSIC & SOUND VISUALS CHALLENGE Very Easy COMPLETION TIME 5-15 Hours OVERALL 3.5/5.0 Rating definitions

   The Super NES had a somewhat rocky start when it came out well over a decade ago, although strong first-party support from Nintendo helped save the console from mediocrity in its early days. Among the first-party games was The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods, the third installment of the series, localized in America with the punned title The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which turns out, to this very day, to be one of the strongest games in the franchise, if not the strongest of all.

   One aspect that really helps the game, to start, is its battle system. At first, combat seems simple--press the attack button to slash your sword--but in fact has many notable aspects making it nothing short of superb. For one, Link can charge up his sword and perform a nifty swirl attack, or keep it extended during a charge to poke at enemies safely. He also acquires a vast array of tools such as up to four bottles into which he can place healing potion among other things, not to mention magic like ice and fire rods, to help him in his struggles. Most boss fights, too, and even some regular enemies, require some sort of strategy other than endlessly attacking, a nice break from the button-mashing of most of today's ARPGs. Increasing Link's life meter, moreover, requires four heart pieces, or a whole one typically gained after beating a boss, and even after not finding all of them, I made it fine through the game. In the end, combat works out surprisingly well.

The exotic ham gardens of Hyrule

   Interaction is just as solid, as well. Finding what you need in your inventory is hardly a quest, and marks on both world maps keep you going in the right direction. Dungeons, too, have maps, so getting lost is hardly an issue, and advancing the game at times requires the use of Link's tools, alongside the occasional puzzle, though most are hardly masochistic. Moreover, whenever reality calls, the player can simply save and quit at any time, perfect for those with busy schedules. The translation only has a few minor problems, but otherwise, LttP interfaces very well with the player.

   The third installment, going on, retains enough features from its predecessors to make it feel like a logical continuation of the series, such as the protagonist Link, Princess Zelda, the Triforce, Hyrule, Gannon, using tools to advance the game, and so forth, although it has some new features, such as its graphics, different tools, and two worlds to explore, to make it feel fresh in the end.

   The story pretty much takes a backseat to the gameplay, unfortunately, although LttP has some pretty nice background involving the Seven Sages, the Golden Land, an evil wizard trying to make the female descendants of the Sages vanish, and the like, with none other than Link trying to save the day. The biggest problem with the Zeldas, in my opinion, has been their major lack of a consistent timeline, despite the presence of theoretical ones across the Internet. Though there is one minor revelation about Link's lineage, most of the story scenes throughout the game involve more backstory, and in the end, the plot could've definitely been much better.

"Maybe I *should've* gotten ziggurat insurance..."

   Nintendo's resident composer Koji Kondo provided a nice soundtrack, however, with the overworld theme getting a nice update, for one, alongside other solid tracks and classic Zelda sounds such as the bit that plays when you find a secret passage. The dungeon tracks are a bit repetitive, though the aurals are easily one of the game's high points.

   The visuals, too, were pretty nice in their time, with fitting colors for the two worlds, effective use of black borders, and some nice monster design, among other things. The human sprites could've used a bit more detail, though, and there are some minor oddities such as the ham gardens in the courtyard of Hyrule Castle, although the graphics shine nonetheless.

   Finally, despite the strategy necessary at times, LttP is pretty easy, not to mention short, taking from five to fifteen hours to complete, depending upon the time the player invests in finding every heart piece, item, and so forth.

   In conclusion, just about everything about The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, except maybe its story, is solid, making it a very nice introduction to the series for those that have yet to touch one of its many installments. Fortunately, Nintendo would port it to the Gameboy Advance around a decade after its original release, so modern gamers can most certainly enjoy this classic.