The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES, 1992)
An absolute classic that has set the standard for adventure games.
Nostalgia Factor: Medium. I played a lot of Zelda games in my younger years.
Difficulty: Medium. Later dungeons can prove challenging if unprepared.
I was thrilled to play through A Link to the Past (ALTTP) recently. I somehow missed this one in my younger years, but I did play a lot of Link’s Awakening DX on my translucent purple Game Boy Color back then, so I quickly took to ALTTP as well. I initially thought, “ALTTP is like Link’s Awakening on steroids!”
Nintendo has crafted a masterpiece. I’ve heard so much hype about this game for so many years, and now I understand. All of the hype is warranted. This is easily one of the best Zelda games ever made, and one of the best games on the SNES. ALTTP probably ranks high on most lists for “best video games of all time.”
The graphics are excellent. Nintendo has squeezed every ounce out of the SNES to create a vivid, compelling, and mysterious fantasy world. Koji Kondo’s legendary melodies from The Legend of Zelda (NES) have been given new life on the SNES’s powerful soundchip. Kondo’s music is one of the many constants that connects all of the Zelda games together like a thread.
It’s the classic Zelda formula that everyone has come to love — an engrossing story, a huge overworld to explore, strange dungeons full of cunning puzzles, thrilling boss battles, powerful items to collect that unlock more areas, and mysterious fantasy themes that draw you into a deeply immersive experience.
I couldn’t believe it when I opened up a chest and found the Power Glove, haha. I had a lot of fun with the Pegasus Shoes as well. The whole game is excellent, but I think Skull Woods may be my favorite dungeon. Coming in and out of the overworld was an interesting element.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s a massive reveal of some really ingenious game design about halfway through the game that just blew my mind. Just when you think the game might be nearly over, Nintendo flips the script and pulls you into a whole new leg of the journey.
If you haven’t played ALTTP yet, please do yourself a favor and remedy that immediately.