For the first few hours of the original Zelda, it's quite easy to see how exhilarating this must have been for those playing on the NES in 1986. The game is brilliantly forthright in its emphasis on player choice and the freedom to explore - famously, the game's first screen abruptly presents the player with four routes to choose from, with a liberating lack of guidance on which option is 'correct.' The first few hours build a satisfying loop of exploring for dungeons, collecting key items, and engaging in some serviceable if basic hack-n-slash combat.
Alas, the back half of the game engages with a lot of cumbersome NES-era design concepts that render this a rather fatiguing experience that is probably best played with save states and a guide in 2023. The game's emphasis on secrets, so effective in the early hours when the riddles are logical and the hidden areas are well-telegraphed, becomes a true drag when it becomes about bombing or burning random sprites on each screen. This wouldn't be such a big deal if one could just ignore these, but the hidden rupee stashes are effectively necessary for acquiring some of the high-level treasures (some which are obtusely concealed in their own right) that make the late-game dungeons feel doable. Which brings us to the other major issue: the last few dungeons are interminable slogs, replete with dead ends, confusing pathways, and enemies that range from tedious (Darknuts) to cheap (god, I hate Wizzrobes in this game).
A lot of these issues, of course, were effectively a fait accompli given the technical limitations of the NES and comparatively primitive design trends of the time. Despite being a flawed gameplay experience in 2023, the original Zelda deserves to celebrated as the progenitor of a design premise that served as a baseline for some of the greatest games of all time (including, not incidentally, Breath of the Wild).
Alas, the back half of the game engages with a lot of cumbersome NES-era design concepts that render this a rather fatiguing experience that is probably best played with save states and a guide in 2023. The game's emphasis on secrets, so effective in the early hours when the riddles are logical and the hidden areas are well-telegraphed, becomes a true drag when it becomes about bombing or burning random sprites on each screen. This wouldn't be such a big deal if one could just ignore these, but the hidden rupee stashes are effectively necessary for acquiring some of the high-level treasures (some which are obtusely concealed in their own right) that make the late-game dungeons feel doable. Which brings us to the other major issue: the last few dungeons are interminable slogs, replete with dead ends, confusing pathways, and enemies that range from tedious (Darknuts) to cheap (god, I hate Wizzrobes in this game).
A lot of these issues, of course, were effectively a fait accompli given the technical limitations of the NES and comparatively primitive design trends of the time. Despite being a flawed gameplay experience in 2023, the original Zelda deserves to celebrated as the progenitor of a design premise that served as a baseline for some of the greatest games of all time (including, not incidentally, Breath of the Wild).