The Legend Of Zelda (NES) Full Game (Part 1)

Welcome to the next Free Play Extended Play, where I play a very long (6+ hours) game from start to finish. This time, we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Nintendo's first “other" killer app, far & away still their biggest non-Mario franchise that endures to this date with a devoted fan following-this is the beginning of "The Legend Of Zelda". Released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986 by Nintendo, The Legend Of Zelda is an adventure RPG for 1 player. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the player is Link, a young elf who goes on a journey to save the captured Princess Zelda and rebuild her half of the Triforce, a magic crystal which grants great power to the one who possesses both halves, before attempting to rescue Zelda and the other half of the Triforce from the evil wizard Gannon (or Ganon). Once you create a save file (you can have 3), the game begins. Link starts with 3 life hearts and must explore Hyrule, made up of 192 different connected screens, trying to find the underground levels that hold pieces of the Triforce among other useful items. Both above ground and underground are loaded with enemies that attack, areas to the south & east tend to have weaker enemies while areas to the west & north have stronger enemies. Defeated enemies respawn after a few minutes. As Link defeats enemies, they may drop Rupees, which are used to buy items at shops (you can only hold 255 Rupees at a time) and are also needed to use one weapon. They also drop hearts & fairies which restore life (hearts restore one heart, fairies restore 3). Link loses life, between 1/2 and 4 hearts, when making contact with a non-stunned enemy or enemy attack. If life is fully depleted the game is over. You can continue but it sends you back to the starting area (in an underground level you return to the entrance) and with only 3 life hearts. Life can be extended to as much as 16 hearts by finding Heart Containers-they are also needed to obtain more powerful weapons than your starting sword. When you enter an underground level the map changes to reflect your progress as you explore them, while each also has a Map that reveals the whole level and a Compass that shows you where that level's Triforce piece is. But they are guarded by a large boss-defeating the boss also awards a Heart Contrianer. When you get the Triforce piece the level is cleared and life is fully restored. Once you have all 8 pieces you can enter Level 9, where Gannon waits for you. If you can find and defeat Gannon, you'll claim the second Triforce and be able to enter the room where Zelda is held. If you rescue Zelda, you complete the game. As the first real RPG game for a non-PC system, it was an instant smash hit and the gold-colored cartridge made it a collector's item. 40 years later the franchise continues through a number of games for virtually every Nintendo console ever made as an exclusive first-party title, and it even spawned a short-lived animated TV series in the late 1980s. Additionally, a movie is reportedly coming in 2027 or 2028, while this series continues to have some of the most devoted fans in all of gaming. Link has also appeared in Nintendo’s “Super Smash Bros” series and was a special guest fighter in the GameCube version of Namco’s “Soul Calibur 2”. Completing the game and the story actually means you're only halfway there. Part 2 will feature the Second Quest.