Classic game development research

1. Game
The Legend of Zelda a Link to the Past is a classic action, adventure, RPG.
How did it feel?
During my time playing the game it felt simple yet difficult. The game was
simple compared to games today as enemy movement patterns could easily
be analysed plus many of the game mechanics and controls are easy to
figure out. Plus the story was made clear at the beginning of the game and
what the objectives of the villain were. Also when you would get stuck or if
you found a new weapon or item the game would give you a hint of where
to go or how to use the item you gained.
First time Zelda gives you a hint on where to go.
However, the game became difficult as you could only attack in 4 directions
unlike Zelda in the present which has 8 directions to attack. Also when
attacking enemies you would be unable to move and you could only attack
in the direction you were facing.
Screenshot of Links attacking animation in only one direction.

2. In addition the enemies are very similar to link in the fact that they can only
attack in one direction but however if you do manage to walk into one from
any direction you will be damaged, also there are a variety of enemies to
face, during my time playing I went against five types of enemies, green
guards which are the basic soldiers with low health and a simple pattern to
their movements.
Screenshot of Green guard charging link.
Then there are the blue/purple guards who are slightly more advanced in
terms of damage dealt to link.
After making your way through the dungeons to Zelda you go against your
first main boss whose attack movements and mechanics were fairly simple
yet difficult to get around plus his health was double the amount of a basic
guard his damage dealt by his attacks were also increased. Later on after
defeating the boss and freeing the princess I had to take her through a
secret passage which contained snakes which were quite weak but fast and
rats which were just as weak.
The Story
The story of Zelda is like many other games in its genre you save a princess,
defeat a villain and then save the world. The main plot in the third game in
the Zelda series, the land of Hyrule is thrown into turmoil. Ravaged by
disasters and pestilence, the country quickly embraces the wizard Agahnim
when he uses his magic to restore order. But not all is at it seems. A Link to
the Past begins with a distress call from Princess Zelda, who speaks to
young hero Link through his dreams due to her being imprisoned.

3. Screenshot of Zelda contacting Link through his dreams.
Link then sets out to save her and begin a long quest that takes him through
countless dungeons, two distinct worlds, and has him face off with
countless monsters and oversized bosses, you will discover more about the
plot and characters later on in the game as you progress through the story.
Evaluate
This classic Link adventure is seen from the typical bird’s eye view
perspective. You'll have access to a map screen and a subscreen where you
can manage your inventory and choose from any items you may have
collected. Each dungeon contains a new item to add to your collection, and
eventually you'll have all the standard Zelda items, including a boomerang,
bombs, a bow, a hammer, and jars to catch fairies in, the grappling-hook-like
hookshot, and more.
Graphically, A Link to the Past was great during the time. There are a few bits
here and there that aren't quite as smooth, but they're very minor. The
soundtrack is also fantastic but can get repetitive and occasionally will get
annoying, and the game has some great sound effects. Like Nintendo's
other ports, some speech has been added in some areas, in this case, Link
now screams and yelps as he attacks. Some players may find the addition
annoying, but it's really not that big a deal.
The style of the game was very simple and general for a game being 16-bit
at the time it was released to compared to other Zelda games today the
same can be said as to the perspective at which the player plays from, as
most games in the era would show a side view like sonic or Mario which
are side scrolling plat formers this made it a unique game but this view of
the character wasn’t only used in Zelda many other games did use a top
view of the game such as Final Fantasy VI.

4. I was only able to play for 30 minutes so I did not have time to play through
the whole game (however I have played the game once before) but I
noticed that the early dungeons are pretty straightforward, but as you
progress, they become more and more puzzle-filled, forcing you to really
think as you try to find the right path through each dungeon's labyrinthine
design. The game's bosses are also well done, making for some exciting
encounters. Overall as it is, it's an indispensable game, combining arguably
the finest RPG/adventure the 16-bit era ever produced (even compared to
the likes of Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy VI).