Zelda Classic

You know way back when, when the internet was young and basically unpopulated? When the popular sites for gamers like us were two cent Geocities sites where you could download a REALLY HIGH QUALITY GIF of Link twirling his sword if you sat and wait for about an hour?

Back then, I was like an addict of the freeware community. I had nothing better to do. Much to my parent's dismay, I would download anything and everything that said "Game". Be it shareware games like Dare to Dream or Castle of the Winds, to free-as-in-beer games like Dink Smallwood. I loved them, they loved me, and they molested my computer time. I did nothing but play freeware s***. I was metaphorically freebasing freeware off of Download.com's ass while I listened to The Legend of Zelda MIDIs. That bad.

Anyway, way back when, I remember wondering why Nintendo didn't upgrade the graphics on a lot of their old games. Now, I ask why they keep doing it, but.. whatever. I specifically remember looking and thinking, "Wow, I'd love for them to make the first Zelda into a PC game I could play!

Anway, about 5 years later, I discover this. Zelda Classic. Technically not an official Nintendo game, Zelda Classic is a graphical overhaul (Well, yes and no) of the original Zelda 1. You can play it in "Original Graphics Mode", like the original system, or "We ripped these graphics from the Game Boy Zelda" mode, where you play the same d***ed game with game boy graphics. Wonderful.

If you've played the first Zelda, you know what to expect. Wait, this is the exact same thing. Yes, you will get the same amount of Zelda, no matter if you play THIS, or if you were to go play it on your NES. Nothing different. Considering the time gap between the late 1980s, when this game was made, and 2005, you would have THOUGHT that they would have, you know, DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. But no, apparenly over 15 years has brought nothing into the minds of the developers of Zelda Classic. That, except the fanboyish "LET'S MAKE AN EXACT COPY!".



To be fair, the only thing that gives this REMAKE even a single star, well, three stars, is the mod ability. Basically, the developers went "Screw it" to developing something new, and threw it in the hands of 12 year old "Game Developers" developing games off their Mom's Dell, mad as their mother tells them their daily computer time is up. That kinda thing.

The Mods arent that that bad, but they arent revolutionary, either. Some have unique graphics, but the vast majority of them resort to stupid "ZELDA THE NEXT ADVENTURE" games, which really somewhat suck. To adequately get an idea of what I'm talking about, go look at half the Half Life mods that never made it. That kinda quality.



Overall, this wasn't a BAD concept per se, but it hasn't impressed me. Developers of Zelda Classic, you could do much better. Rehashing the graphics for a game (Really just porting it with the ability to change graphics and maps) is something nice and cool, but you really left us out to dry as to do ANYTHING FREAKING ELSE.

(PS: This reminds me of the project for the Chrono Revolution game, the Chrono Trigger game in full 3D, except I liked the Chrono Revolution idea. Zelda Classic, why don't you go and make Zelda Classic 3D? I'd even pay for it if you did.)

3 star(s) out of 5

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