But damn! This game is hard! How did any one ever figure the damn thing out back in 1987? Perhaps I'm too used to my cushy, three-dimensional, story-driven Zelda games where there are hints as to what you're supposed to be doing next? You start the game with nothing in a field with no prologue, no hints, nothing. Luckily, the cave with the old dude who gives you a sword is in plain site. From there, though, it gets hazy.
I very quickly decided to rely on IGN's walkthrough of the game since I didn't want to spend hours and hours dying over and over again just trying to figure out where to go. For the sake of this series, I decided to not use the walkthrough while in dungeons unless I get absolutely stuck. Since the walkthrough greatly enhanced the rate at which I played through the game today, I've made it all the way to the sixth dungeon. I have thirteen heart containers, the magical sword, a magical shield, the white tunic and the blue ring. Even with these upgrades, I still find the game quite difficult. To illustrate that fact, I'll point out that I've died a total of thirty times in my play through, sixteen of which have been in the sixth dungeon.This game is nearly incomprehensible. To play it without any sort of guide would require hours of trial and error. Hours which I'd much rather spend being able to make dinner (teriyaki stir fry tonight, my own recipe) while watching stuff on Hulu (the pilot to Firefly). This game is simply merciless, offering almost no hints other than an occasional old man in a cave. There are lots of old men in caves in Hyrule at this time. And a lot of shopkeepers in caves. Apparently people can't remember how to build houses. And it could be the same old man and the same house keeper and they're just following you around and hiding in different caves throughout Hyrule. That's just creepy. (Yes, I do know that it's an old game and they could only allow so many character designs.)
Back to the sixth dungeon though. That thing is a bane on my gaming existence. I just keep dying. I ought to go get a potion, but that requires 68 rupees. And unlike in other Zelda games, that amount of cash is hard to come by. I would never have gotten the Blue Ring if IGN hadn't pointed out a few secret stashes of rupees. Plus, by the time I got the potion and got back to the dungeon, I'd need to use it. The Wizzrobes are just plain kicking my ass. I got all the way to Gohma once, but I only had one heart left. Plus, whenever I die, I start out with only three hearts and the enemies in the dungeon aren't exactly being liberal with the dispensing of recovery hearts. One time in between two of my sixteen deaths in that dungeon, an enemy dropped a fairy and I thought it was a miracle. I still died later.
To you true Zelda veterans, you who have taken the time to actually play this game honestly without any help, I ask: How the hell did you do it?- Nate
P.S. - I'll be at the band's drummer's house helping him to lay down the drum tracks for the songs I've written. I might be putting off Day 2 of the original LoZ to Thursday.
