The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Reviewed by Jason Venter (January 29, 2006)

You’ll see massive eyeballs that cling to one another to form a slimy barrier. You’ll watch as Link dodges the lash of a monster’s spiked tail, then blasts away its armor with bombs. Each new dungeon presents a labyrinthine world to explore, with a horrific boss battle at the end. If the puzzles don’t get you—and many times they will—then a showdown with the dungeon master will definitely put a wrench in the works.

Reviewed by Marc Golding (January 13, 2004)

Miyamoto and company welcome you to enter dark caverns and dismember segmented desert worms. Be wary of them; their movement is aberrant, erratic. Buy your wares in shops, but buy them also in shallow places beneath the waterfalls. Fairies resurrect you should you falter—capture them and keep them safe in jars that you will find. Swim in deep channels discovering weird whirlpools that mysteriously warp you about your huge world. Play the first four dungeons and take on Agahnim, only to reveal seven more.

Reviewed by Rob Hamilton (March 17, 2006)

It’s hard to imagine that great fights against Turtle Rock’s three-headed dragon, the near-invulnerable Moldorm or evil ol’ Ganon, himself, could be in the same game as a giant moth whose main threat is caused by its good fortune to reside in a spike-laden room with a floor composed of conveyor belts. A handful of other bosses seem a bit redundant, as one seems little more than an enhanced version of the Patra mini-bosses in the original Legend of Zelda’s final dungeon, while the fight with Blink the Thief could best be described as a confrontation with a mobile Gleeok.

Reviewed by mariner (January 08, 2006)

How does one write such a review? How does one begin? We can start by declaring this one of the three best games available on the SNES. Its game mechanics are all but flawless, creating a smooth and exciting game that never slows down or gets boring. We can compliment the somewhat unique design, the essence of which was never quite captured by the numerous clones it spawned. And we can gush over all the little cool things, like the epic story and excellent rendition of the Overworld theme. ...

Reviewed by Pyro (July 28, 2007)

Forget the rain, forget trying to determine if Link is a stumpy elf or a cross-eyed, inbred troll, forget the much-argued cosmetics. Just... let them go. Focus on Link to the Past as it is; a mediocre game.

Reviewed by ratking (December 27, 2002)

Zelda is one of the two focal points of Nintendo's fame, along with Super Mario Bros. Zelda: Link to the Past is at near the top of the series, only rivaled by Ocarina of Time. There is good reason why Link to the Past is at the top, for all the Zelda elements you loved in later game, is truly implement to it's finist in this game. This is what really put Zelda on the map, and made it into a legacy.

Reviewed by redpyramid (April 24, 2007)

The Legend of Zelda series has always been a staple among the gaming community and is an essential franchise of Nintendo. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past has achieved a particularly vast fan following of the series on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It has been raised from mere 16-bit adventure to near cult status. The success and endearment of A Link to the Past is perhaps due to the superior logistics of the Super NES when compared to the original NES. The graphical aspec...

Reviewed by sinner (March 14, 2004)

Take Super Mario World. The same level aesthetic, the same goofy tree sprites, the weird ''Mushroom Kingdom'' look of it all. Apply a steamroller over the game at a 45 degree angle and call the result an ''isometric overhead perspective.'' Replace Mario with a squat, short-bus rendition of the fabled ''Link'' character.