How The Legend of Zelda Changed My Life

I got into video games early in life. When I was 8, I received the Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas. I had fun with the console and enjoyed playing Duck Hunt and Mario Bros. They were easy games to pick up and play, but they lacked a real story. Something deeper than shooting ducks and jumping on turtles was missing. That all changed when the original Legend of Zelda was released in 1987.

The Legend of Zelda was the first video game I became obsessed with. For an 8bit game, there was so much to do. No longer would a video game lead me from point A to point B, like Super Mario Bros. I could go wherever I wanted on the map. If I came across a barrier like a small river I couldn't pass, it only intrigued me more. There was a certain freedom to playing Zelda, that no other game possessed. I could wander around for hours burning bushes and blowing up the side of mountains. I remember the sense of joy I would feel when finding a cave that had hidden treasures. With any great game, the surprises aren't always in your favor. There was many times I had to pay the people in the caves for ruining their "door." But, it didn't matter because I found it.

Playing through Zelda once wasn't enough for me. I became so familiar with the game, I still have the map memorized to this day, even though I don't play it as often as I did. Being familiar with the game didn't lessen the excitement, either. I was always finding new caves, new heart pieces, and new ways to beat the enemies. As a kid, I developed a strategy for beating the game without dying once. I also figured out the "Zelda" cheat. If you put the word Zelda as your name, the map changes and all the dungeons are in different places, like it's a new game.

The original Legend of Zelda changed my life. To this day, I still think it's the greatest game ever released. It was fun to jump around with Mario or race motorcycles, but Zelda was the game that made me a lifelong gamer. Even though I don't play the original as much as I once did, I have it downloaded on my Wii. Whenever a new Zelda title is released, I have played it multiple times. While I play many different games today, I will always have a special memories of my first time journeying into Hyrule.

Sources:

Personal Experience