Review: A Link to The Past (1991)

I’m on a quest to broaden my gaming experience into some new genres and to play some more retro games. With a deep love of The Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, I’m going back to the beginning and playing the first 4 games in the franchise. All are included with Nintendo Switch Online, and with the new release of Echoes of Wisdom, there’s no better time to go back to the roots of the series and experience how it all started by playing The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II Link’s Adventure, A Link to The Past, and Link’s Awakening.

A Link to the Past returns to the top down view but this time in 16 bit graphics, and for some reason pink hair? A return to the top down was a real relief to me and with this game I definitely felt more at home. The visuals are vibrant, the music is just stunning, from the twinkly notes of the fairy caves to the majestic score exploring Hyrule.

There's lots of beginnings and evolutions in this game. It’s the first time Kakariko Village is fully established, with townsfolk, shops, mini games and lots of cuccos! I love those chickens! It was the first in the franchise to introduce pieces of hearts rather than full containers, and of course, it’s the introduction of the ultimate weapon, the Master Sword.

Collecting items like the flute or the hookshot felt like they had real purpose and led the story along, as well as a being able to go back and unlock other caves or parts of the map with the new items.

The dungeons themselves could get a bit frustrating, but I have low patience for repetitive playing. The bosses had some cool designs, and some of them were a real challenge. I definitely rage quit a few times, only to get the bug to go back just one more time after a few breaks!

But the best part of A Link to the Past is the expansion of the Zelda lore. In the first part of the game, I almost thought there was only going to be four dungeons, I was confused as to where the game was going, thinking it was going to be quite short. But then, I climbed a mountain, stood on a flashy square, and poof! I’m a rabbit. I’m thinking, what on earth is going on here?

Then the story really begins to unravel, with the split of the dark world and the light world, revealing not only a really interesting new line in the story, but a fun and inventive new way to solve puzzles.

I found this game inventive, visually striking, beautifully melodic, frustrating, satisfying, and an all round incredible gaming experience I’d want to play again.