-       Zelda

I don’t even know where to start with this one. This is a classic example of a broken game. Right from the start I was experiencing technical glitches, such as no response from the start game button, random invincible enemies, paths that don’t lead anywhere (they just reload the current part of the stage), and the lack of any noticeable try again button. The roots of the ever-popular Legend of Zelda franchise were withered indeed. I could be unfortunate enough to be playing a dud version of the game, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

The core mechanics of the game are centred on keyboard interactions, with very little input from the mouse, save a few interfaces. Arrows keys move, spacebar swings the sword, ctrl plants bombs etc. These controls are commonplace for old scrolling rpg games such as this, rpg(role playing game) being the genre best fitting the description of the game, since you assume control of another character other than yourself in an adventuring narrative.

The theme is somewhat more medieval than other Legend of Zelda games that span multiple consoles, but pretty much stays true to the story/narrative of a hero trying to rescue a princess and save a kingdom. It incorporates all the same basic elements and challenges, such as killing enemies, finding items, and solving puzzles. But unlike the other Legend of Zelda games, this version is a scrolling game, a 2D environment coloured to appear 3D, but really has no 3dimentionality. As a result, the space and scenery is split up into separate stages that aren’t affected by other stages, and the player can focus on the task at hand.