1. The Legend of Zelda
If you take it as an individual game, Zelda: Link to the Past (LTTP) is a classic. When you acknowledge its legacy, not only within its own series but in all the other games its influenced, its one of the most significant and ground-breaking titles ever released. Many game designers owe a huge debt to this games influence. The game is initially divided into a relatively safe hub-world and four dungeons. After completing this section, which is known as the Light World, you gain access to the Dark World, which acts as a secondary hub-world, and also contains eight further dungeons. The ability to warp between the Light and Dark World offers an interesting gameplay mechanic and has been adopted into almost every subsequent Zelda game in one form or another. These worlds are extensive and well designed; the Light World cleverly mimicked in the Dark (a desert becomes a swamp, a princess becomes a monster.) However, the real meat of the game is found in the dungeons, and its here that LTTP truly excels. Its in the dungeons that youll fight the toughest enemies and solve the most difficult puzzles. Each dungeon contains a specific item which is necessary for its completion, and these are inventive and fun to use. The boss battles are highlights, each well thought out and extremely satisfying to beat. The balance of puzzle and action sections is perfect, and the game constantly surprises you with its quality. For better or for worse, LTTP is not a plot-heavy game. Theres a nice intro sequence and some iconic characters, but virtually no dialogue and very few cut-scenes. Link is left almost completely unscripted, allowing the player to fill in his side of the conversations. This isnt necessarily a criticism Zelda, like Mario, simply does not need a plot. Other titles may aspire to tell a great story, and a lot has been written about the gradual transition of games into interactive movies. LTTP is a game, simple and unapologetic, and the story it tells succeeds in getting you to invest enough in the world to make you determined to succeed in your quest to save it. Theres a hefty amount of content present here; the difficulty curve is perfectly judged and (most importantly of all) it never stops being fun. LTTP was one of the first experiences available to the console gamer of an open world, and was certainly the deepest of its time. Its impossible to imagine the title without any of its individual elements: the sense of exploration, the puzzles or the combat, and the sum of all these parts is astonishing. Zelda has always been a thinking game first and an action game second. The greatest triumph of the control scheme is that its able to satisfy this dual purpose organically, combining both puzzle and action sections in a way that never makes you feel a conflict between them. Zeldas graphics have their own charm, and are certain to invoke nostalgia in anybody born before 1990, but arent as ground-breaking as the rest of the game. The colourful, cartoon style employed by the artists hasnt aged badly compared to other 90s titles such as Pilotwings. However, the characters can seem a little devoid of personality, and other games simply do it better for example, Squaresofts beautiful Seiken Densetsu series or Chrono Trigger both show how the SNES hardware can be pushed further. The soundtrack is yet another highlight; few melodies in gaming are as instantly recognisable as the Zelda theme. LTTP introduced many tunes that would become staples throughout the series, such as Zeldas Lullaby and Fairy Cave, and the music and sound effects throughout the game are of consistently high quality. Especially worthy of note is the now iconic jingle that plays upon discovering a secret. The highest praise I can offer the soundtrack is to say that simply hearing a track from the game years later is enough to conjure to mind perfectly numerous visions and moments from the game. You will not merely enjoy LTTPs music while playing because it contributes to the atmosphere; youll find yourself humming it weeks later.
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