Wake Up, and Smell the Ashes.

One of my new favorite albums it was a buy on arrival

Like a boss

I love this manhua

Before the Zelda series moved on to make one of the most powerful games ever made, it took a moment to completely redefine portable gaming. Nintendo had already perfected portable gaming when they released the first game boy. Now with the releaseof a Zelda game for the quickly rising portable console you can guess how it was an instant hit. The game featured everything that the Zeldaseries got right and introduced some new original concepts that became a mainstay in the series (for example a rather long trading quest). Links awakening was Nintendo love note to its fans at this point. The game featured several Nintendo cameos including Mario and a pet chain chomp. This game started Links’ absolute domination of any Nintendo portable console and further proved that a Zelda game is a good enough reason to buy a console.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. was a true return to form for the series. after the experiment of Zelda II Nintendo got it right and came out with a lot of people claim to be the second best game in the series. I have to agree a Link to the Past was a fantastic game and truly a turning point in the series and the first game in the series to ever be remade for the GBA. I will always recommend this game to anyone interested in the series. It introduced a “cross-dimension” style of story telling something that was a repeating style in many of the following Zelda games. A Link to the Past held the top spot for best game ever made for several years before the series outdid itself…..again.

Ah yes Zelda II, this was a very very interesting game to say the very least. It changed almost everything about the first game giving it more of a role playing aspect. Such things were added to the game including magic, experience points and new skills that link learned as he progressed through the game. One major difference was that it was a side scroller. These differences are usually met with a very negative view by zelda fans making it the “black sheep” of the franchise. However most people who make these claims are newer zelda fans that don’t understand that this was only the second game in the series. It makes sense for them to want to try new things. It was an experiment and its not even a bad game just different. Personally its one of my favorite in the series. A word of warning though, this game is extremely difficult not only one of the hardest in the series but one of the hardest games ever made. There is much glory to be had in beating it, but also much hair to be lost…..Trust me.

Let it be known now that the first game in the Zelda series is about a year before my time. Being who I am however I just had to play it. I was about 14 when I played it for the first time and I was already very familiar with the series. I am to this day stunned and confused on how gamers in 1989 -before Internet was widely used mind you- were able to find out how to beat this game without a guide. Now don’t get me wrong the game is fantastic and should be considered one of the greatest games of all time. But they literally drop you in the middle of the map with no direction and no clear goal. other than the standard goal stated for you in the game manual. I praise gamers in 1989 who where able to beat a game that I to be honest was unable to do without online help the first time. the first Legend of Zelda is a working history lesson and I personally feel that you cannot call yourself a zelda fan without at least trying to play this nostalgic masterpiece. 

Four swords….tomorrow….free…IT IS TIME!!!