Topic: The Legend of Zelda - NES - No Guide/Blind Play Through?

[UncleBob]

So... The Legend of Zelda - It's really rad... and those monsters from Gannon are really bad... but how bad are they?

Aside from the fact that the monsters appear to be more of Princess Zelda's minions than anything... but that's another discussion.

The Legend of Zelda came out at a unique time in gaming history.  Before it, games were generally linear.  Exploration was optional and secrets were pretty much minor things in the game that would help you - but were not required to complete the game.  LoZ did it differently - Exploration is about 50% of the game and there are helpful secrets, required secrets and the secrets that hurt you.

In addition, there was mostly no Internet to speak of.  Yeah, it existed, but so did cell phones.  You generally didn't have it in your home and if you did, your child-self wasn't allowed to use it.

So, back in the day, we depended on word of mouth , along with that one guy who's parents were so rich that he had the Nintendo Power subscription along with all the Strategy Guides.

Which means... we were never alone in our quest to save Hyrule... but, could we have?

Could someone with no outside knowledge of the game (or, now, series) beat the game using only in-game hints, the instruction manual and the included map?

[Nile Boogie Returns]

Yeah my cousin beat it back in the day without help, or so I remember. I guess he was about 12  or so, which is optimum gaming age of reflexes and free time. However there are games I think that NOBODY COULD BEAT with out help. And I have yet to meet another human who beat the NES version of Section Z.

[azeke]

To this day, original NES game is the only one of the series that didn't piss me off with puzzles.

I played it a few years ago for the first time and never actually finished it.

BUT -- i found all dungeons by myself. I found the last level but never progress much on it -- i think i stuck on middle boss or something.

[BranDonk Kong]

That's how I beat it.

[NWR_insanolord]

My aunt had an NES, which I'm pretty sure was the first game system I ever played, and she absolutely loved The Legend of Zelda. She got all the way to about halfway through the second quest without any outside help, and even made her own maps and stuff.

[UncleBob]

Wow.  I totally remember trading tips, homemade maps (getting the teacher to photocopy a map every so often)...

[MagicCow64]

I made up to the dungeon in the second quest where you had to open it by playing the flute in a certain part of the graveyard (circa 1991). I got stuck there for years, and only finished the game as an adult when I tried another run, and gave up on not using a guide when I hit the same wall. Sorry if that's a spoiler, but god damn, I don't know how you were supposed to put that together, as the flute doesn't affect anything but water anywhere else in the game.

[Ian Sane]

I didn't have an NES when I was a kid.  When I finally got one used as an adult and started collecting games I made an effort to find scans of the original manuals and maps to consult while playing games like Zelda and Dragon Warrior.  They made a big difference.  I had played Zelda earlier in emulation and in the Gamecube collection but couldn't really figure things out without looking at FAQs.  But the manual and map really give you some good hints and point you in the right direction.  Games today have that kind of info in-game.  You have to think of the manual as an essential part of the experience, where they couldn't potentially fit the proper map and hints into the game itself so they put in the manual and expected the player to have that handy when playing.  When you look at it in that light those games don't seem as obtuse as they do when you're just looking at the game itself.

[Mop it up]

I beat it without using the Internet, since we didn't have it then, though it took years. Moreso the second quest than the first, as that one is especially tough and obtuse. I think we had the map, but I remember it having some greyed-out areas on it; I think the upper corners were not revealed, so it didn't show everything. I know my brother played the game too and I think I learned some things from watching him, though I don't think he played the second quest much.

It was a long time ago so I don't remember the specifics too well.

I made up to the dungeon in the second quest where you had to open it by playing the flute in a certain part of the graveyard (circa 1991). I got stuck there for years, and only finished the game as an adult when I tried another run, and gave up on not using a guide when I hit the same wall. Sorry if that's a spoiler, but god damn, I don't know how you were supposed to put that together, as the flute doesn't affect anything but water anywhere else in the game.

I think I was stumped there too for a bit, but I think there is a small clue. If I remember rightly, I believe the gravestone that is whistled open doesn't have any ghosts spawn from it like the others do, and so that's a hint there's a secret here. I probably just used all the tools on hand to see what would happen.