Best Action
RPG
The
Legend of Zelda
Any serious
NES gamer remembers their first experience with Zelda. Everything about
the game was special: the mysterious TV advertisement, the shimmering gold
cartridge, even the ability to save your game to the battery back-up. Never
before had a game transported the player to such a cohesive, believable
fantasy world. Gamers took on the role of Link, a good-hearted elfin boy
on a quest to unite the scattered pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. Only
by reassembling this powerful artifact could you gain entrance to Death
Mountain, the labyrinthine lair of the princess-nabbing Ganon. Interconnected
screens of tile-based graphics may seem horribly outdated now, but at the
time these graphics were mind-blowing. Koji Kondo's haunting soundtrack
is fully ingrained in most gamers' minds; the handful of unforgettable
themes never grew tiresome during the game. Players, however, did not flock
to this title purely for all its icing. Complex, rewarding gameplay was
the main attraction, with a variety of items and weapons to collect and
master. Strange and wonderful creatures make up the sizeable bestiary,
and difficult bosses lurk in each of the dungeons. What many people remember
most about Zelda is the treasure trove of secrets to be discovered. Endless
hours would be spent trying to burn the right bush to uncover a philanthropic
Molblin, or wandering aimlessly in an attempt to unravel the mystery of
the Lost Woods. Perhaps the grandest secret of all is the realization that
once you'd defeated Ganon, an entire second quest was available--harder
than the first--with nine all-new dungeons. If Super
Mario Bros. revived the world of gaming, Zelda made it immortal.
Runners up:
Zelda
II: The Adventure of Link
One
of the most eagerly anticipated titles of all time, Zelda II had the unenviable
task of being judged against its beloved predecessor. Miyamoto shocked
the world by completely abandoning the gameplay concepts of the first Zelda,
infusing its sequel with both platform and RPG elements. Link now traverses
an expanded overworld, runs and jumps through side-scrolling dungeons,
learns magic spells and gains experience points. Sure, it was radically
different, but the game is unquestionably brilliant. Strangely, there is
a vile contingent of the gaming community (some of them even infiltrated
our ranks) who feel that the Zelda II is legitimately bad. During the voting
these Philistines attempted to foil Link's chances of winning, but we quickly
corrected their wicked ways.
Castlevania
II: Simon's Quest
Much
like Miyamoto's Zelda sequel, Castlevania II took concepts from the first
game and added RPG elements to create a compelling hybrid. Simon's Quest
abandoned the traditional level/boss side-scroller structure in favor of
an open-ended hunt for Dracula's scattered body parts. Simon now talked
to Transylvanian townspeople, purchased items, explored spooky mansions
and battled the occasional boss. Visually stunning, aurally impeccable,
and oozing with spectacular control, there is only one downside to this
great title: the utter lack of difficulty. The original Castlevania
was a difficult ordeal, but Simon's Quest is laughably easy. However, everything
else about the game is so spectacular, that fans are willing to overlook
the complete absence of challenge.
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