I never thought of doing the whole thing without a sword, but I haven't grabbed the wooden sword in many years. I purchace the bombs the same time as the arrows, and have two more heart containers than he did, before ever entering the first dungeon (but I always grab the white sword first).
Just broke my personal record for number of consecutive days without dying!
> He uses the candle and the boomerang... Not as big of a deal after seeing that. I > thought he went all the way through just dodging...
I though the same. "Without a sword" gives the idea he dodged everything and used weapons only while fighting bosses or opening paths.
Being said that, my parents took me to the dark side (SEGA consoles path) after Atari 7800 and never owned a NES or SNES. I finished both The Legend of Zelda quests a month ago for the very first time in my life, so I find the video rather ingenious. Impressive people actually beat that game without a guide (or Internet) and spent a large time trying to find the hidden paths when it came out.
Quote: Impressive people actually beat that game without a guide (or Internet) and spent a large time trying to find the hidden paths when it came out.
I was just talking about this with a friend the other day. Gaming today is weird in that if you pay more money, you get more unlocked, more weapons, etc. which makes the game easier.
Growing up with an Atari 2600, NES, and Genesis and playing the games now....those games were ruthless and unforgiving. You had to pretty much do everything exactly right to the point where you memorize everything about the game.
I could just imagine if the first Legend of Zelda came out on modern consoles instead of the NES, you'd be able to buy (with real money) swords, heart containers, bombs, and items if the game was getting too hard.
> I was just talking about this with a friend the other day. Gaming today is weird in > that if you pay more money, you get more unlocked, more weapons, etc. which makes the > game easier. > > Growing up with an Atari 2600, NES, and Genesis and playing the games now....those > games were ruthless and unforgiving. You had to pretty much do everything exactly > right to the point where you memorize everything about the game. > > I could just imagine if the first Legend of Zelda came out on modern consoles instead > of the NES, you'd be able to buy (with real money) swords, heart containers, bombs, > and items if the game was getting too hard.
Nintendo still thinks as a caveman (not a bad thing mind you), however I get the point and understand something like that is very likely with any other company.
I agree, times have changed. While I was a bit reluctant about it before, I'm OK with it. We live in a time and age people can't play or know about every game available. There're so many high quality games available each year it's impossible to follow them all, leading to the point you forget about them the next year. I miss the times a cartridge took you 3 months to beat, but something like that for every game today will lead to two things: an unnecessary waste of development and resources because most consumers are unable to past half the game, and all because of time or attention restrains. So it's a good thing alternatives exist for those willing to pay a bit more to ease things.
Actually and thinking about it, the fact most of everyone played the same things before made games easier. Maybe we didn't have Internet, but we formed social networks among friends and relatives. Even if someone didn't own a NES, everyone knows where the hidden 1UP mushroom is located at Super Mario Bros. world 1-1 because findings were always shared.
> Impressive people actually beat that game without a guide (or Internet) and spent a > large time trying to find the hidden paths when it came out. > > I was just talking about this with a friend the other day. Gaming today is weird in > that if you pay more money, you get more unlocked, more weapons, etc. which makes the > game easier. > > Growing up with an Atari 2600, NES, and Genesis and playing the games now....those > games were ruthless and unforgiving. You had to pretty much do everything exactly > right to the point where you memorize everything about the game. > > I could just imagine if the first Legend of Zelda came out on modern consoles instead > of the NES, you'd be able to buy (with real money) swords, heart containers, bombs, > and items if the game was getting too hard.
It was kind of the same thing back in the day, though. They didn't have the technology for in-game purchases, so instead they sold you strategy guides and mags like Nintendo Power. Nintendo also ran that tip line for years, where "game counselors" would talk you through the hard parts.
I remember at the height of the NES in the late '80s, they were really pushing their luck with more-or-less requiring outside help to finish the game. Castlevania 2 had all of those nonsensical clues and stuff that you pretty much weren't going to figure out on your own. And I think it was Milon's Secret Castle that was basically unplayable without the tips that were printed in Nintendo Power.
Quote: And I think it was Milon's Secret Castle that was basically unplayable without the tips that were printed in Nintendo Power.
My cousin had Milon's Secret Castle and he and I were able to beat the game without any help from guides or tip lines, but I do remember the game being extremely tedious, and frustrating. Trying to play it today, the game is once again impossible and nonsensical. I guess we just had a lot more free time as kids to figure it all out. The Angry Video Game Nerd describes the game perfectly.
My fiance has a special piece of animosity in her heart for Milon's Secret Castle. When she was a kid, her parents wouldn't buy she and her brother a new game until they had completed the previous one, and the 4th or 5th game they chose was Milon's Secret Castle...it was also the last game they ever got for the NES (yeah, her mom is something else).
I could think of harder ones. That one took me and a friend about a week to finish. It was a bit tougher than most. Though most people should read the instruction manual. *IF* I remember correctly it told how to do the continue in there. At that point it is just a matter of leaving the thing on and just chipping away at the levels.
Also as the levels go on it goes from 'damn this is hard' to 'I am going to beat the nintendo in with a hammer'.
> My fiance has a special piece of animosity in her heart for Milon's Secret Castle. > When she was a kid, her parents wouldn't buy she and her brother a new game until > they had completed the previous one, and the 4th or 5th game they chose was Milon's > Secret Castle...it was also the last game they ever got for the NES (yeah, her mom is > something else).
For some reason, I have that game confused with the equally impossible CastleQuest. I put far more time into CastleQuest than anyone probably should have and I never came close to finishing it. You know a game is impossible when they start you out with FIFTY frickin' lives!!!