I'm sure you agree, but Zelda is pretty special. It was the first stand alone game we ever got. The only game I have a picture of me playing and we played it like crazy. At the time it took my brother and I 2 solid weeks to complete. We played so much that to this day my mom can hum the melody. I love Super Mario Bros. but THIS was the game that made me love video games. I hope you enjoy the video.
Indeed... Zelda is a very special series for many of us, even those like me who haven't played a game since Wind Waker But still come back for the stories time and again! 😅
I will never forget that I learned about the second quest from a friend at junior high. I had just assumed that the sword in Link's hand was a kind of trophy, and had no idea how different the second quest was from the one I'd just beaten. After telling me, he also informed me he couldn't find the entrance to the 6th dungeon in the second quest. So I spent that night catching up to his progress, and on the phone with him helping him search for it for much of the night. I accidentally found that in the second quest, the recorder could reveal passages, and we found the entrance that night. We also managed to complete the seventh, and we discovered the eighth after starting to bomb every wall segment in the overworld. You can't buy experiences like this.
@@MarMaxGaming It was, and genuinely one of the most fun single nights I ever had in gaming (and I'd been gaming for years even by that point). My friend actually beat the second quest that night; I think I did too, but he got to it first. And it's part of the reason why the original Zelda is still my favorite in the series. The freedom that game afforded, and without being so full of collectibles that it became exhausting, is one of my go-to examples of how action-RPGs should be made.
How did you discover that you needed to continuously walk into certain walls to go through them? I never beat the 2nd quest. It was too much for me as a kid.
@@Learnjapanesefromsomeguy I'm pretty sure it was my friend who just flat out told me. How he figured it out, I have no idea. But when you know you have to move forward and literally nothing else is working, you'll try anything.
@@the6ig6adwolf The normal bubbles in second quest last the same amount of time. The curse from the red bubbles can only be dispelled by the blue bubbles (or saving and quitting, beating a dungeon, I think drinking a potion too).
@@_mnejing Whatever the case, using the whistle also gave me some helpful invincibility frames while I was having a messy fight against Blue Wizzrobes alongside the Bubbles. Kept me from losing my sword and taking too much damage. Plus, being paused for 4 seconds allowed me to quickly plan how to approach the remaining unpredictable Wizzrobes.
22:00 This is almost right. One detail though, the Roocorder glitch (named after its discoverer, rooslugs) happens not because Link is moved in both directions per se, but because after the whirlwind starts taking Link to the right, the raft reorients him so he's facing up. Then, it is true that he moves diagonally up-right, but the key thing is that he reaches the edge of the screen facing up. Link's facing direction is what determines the scrolling direction. The way the recorder does the teleportation is that it normally triggers a screen scroll to the right, so in order to reach the correct destination, it also sets Link's position to be one screen left of the destination. Because the screen now scrolls up instead of right, the result is that Link ends up one screen up and to the left of the intended destination.
I literally got goosebumps at 6:40 when the zelda theme kicked in. I've been binge watching these declassified videos and loving every minute of them. Can't imagine how much time and effort go in to these. Thank you for this nostalgia trip.
@@NESComplex It's wonderful to see stuff like this. If I lived in the Northwest instead of in Florida I would give you and the guys a hug just for the nostalgia. ❤
@@NESComplex Sorry to message multiple times but thanks not only to you but also to Riff, Gabo, Ricky and everyone else who is part of your group. Throw in "MetalHaysoos" as well. Just heartwarming nostalgia in a time of dire need. Ty
@@NESComplex 2:08: I never understand in my entire life why the Moblins had to change from a Bulldog creature to that of a Pig. The Bulldog thing fits them better to begin with. 3:27: The idea of a dungeon creator would later suffice in the Links Awakening remake. 5:04: So you're saying that Tezuka had Taran or Robin Hood in mind when giving him the Sword or the Bow and Arrows, but because of Link having elf ears, Miyamoto told him to give Link the color green because it reminded him of Disney's Peter Pan.
Honestly I rolled my eyes a bit at the notion of hearing new information regarding Zelda. Also honestly I admit when I’m wrong and I was wrong.. Outstanding video!!!!!
17:51 This is because timers keep running during the pause while the whistle plays. The curse lasts a certain amount of time, and that time passes during the whistle song. By the time it finishes, the curse is also over. Same goes for any enemy timer, explaining the fireballs. For example, leevers that just came out will go back in the ground shortly after playing the whistle, because they spend most of the 255 frames of their timer paused while the whistle plays.
Thanks for watching man! Love your channel!!! I didn’t include this point (though I was aware of it) because it’s effectively the same thing. Playing the recorder saves the player from scrambling and trying to avoid enemies without the use of the sword… so while it is just letting the curse run it’s course, from a players perspective it’s still effectively negated.
My first time playing this at the age of 7 I put my name as Zelda. I beat it. Still proud of myself. Didn't even know about the second quest. My second playthrough was quite a surprise.
@@NESComplex unfortunately, I didn't have the booklet at the time, so I had no idea about anything about the game. Luckily, I played Guardian Legend and Crystalis beforehand, so it seemed just as hard as a normal NES game to me.
@@buffalothebison4850 kids these days will *NEVER* know the struggles we had when playing any of the older generation gaming systems. It amazes me that i can beat all of the special worlds on the snes super mario world today. If it was my 12 yo self i couldnt even beat the first 5 levels, never mind any of the ghost houses. My cousin was a champ at the game and no matter what i did, i wasnt nearly as good. Now we just need to time some buttons on screen and boss is beat. No challenge.
I couldn't stop smiling the whole time I watched this. This is an excellent video on one of my favourite games, and it's always great to learn something new. Thank you!
@@NESComplex I hope you'll give it a try. It's a fun twist on something so familiar and if it wasn't such a test of patience I might try it again myself... I'll stick to the first quest for now though! :)
Oddly yesterday I searched and rewatched the NES Super Mario Bros declassified, and then a notification for The Legend of Zelda in the morning! Great way to start the day!
I just got home from a long shift working retail to find an envelope waiting for me. From NESComplex. All the weight of the stress of the day immediately slid off my shoulders and I felt as excited as I did when I was a kid and a free comic or prize I'd sent away for arrived. I opened the envelope and three awesome stickers and an Ebay gift card slid onto my bed. I read the letter enclosed congratulating me on being one of the winners of August's giveaway, asking me to message back if I use the gift card to buy anything cool retro gaming related and personally thanking me for my support. I felt like I'd received a letter and gift in the mail from a friend who'd moved far away, but who still thought of me on my birthday. IMO your efforts with your channel yield so much success because your genuine excitement for what you're doing is infectious and you make your supporters feel like they're part of the whole experience right along with you. THANK YOU for the surprise waiting for me when I got home and totally redeeming a rotten work day with awesomeness. I'm very much looking forward to the coming Metroid video and will enjoy it just as much as my letter, stickers and gift card.
You continue to out do yourself, sir. What an awesome adventure you've put together here. I still remember when my dad took me and my older brother to Toys 'R' Us in 87'. I got Zelda and my brother got Ghosts and Goblins.
Speaking of how the dungeons go together like a puzzle. Did you also know that because of a misunderstanding, this layout only used half of the allocated memory. The spare memory was then used to create a second set of dungeons (which also interlock in the same manner), and the idea of the second quest was born.
YES! Mission accomplished! I figure if i've never heard of it, and some of my closest game friends haven't heard of it, then it must be a good bit to include.
I can't give you enough credit... The respect and professionalism of your videos about games so close to peoples hearts is greatly appreciated. I don't often watch 20min videos all the way through, but when I do.
This was absolutely fantastic. From your mature and straightforward narration (no funny voices, no needless pop-up comedy animations, etc.) to the breadth and quality of the information you imparted (the fitting dungeons kind of blew my mind), your video captivated me. As a longtime Zelda player (I was 9 when the first game released in the USA) and instant Nintendo Power subscriber, as well as a reader of Game Over and The Ultimate History of Video Games, I thought that there wasn't really anything of note to learn about the original game. I was happy to see that not only was I wrong, I was highly interested by your efforts. You've earned another subscriber and please, definitely do more of these. Don't change a thing, this was perfection.
“Trenches full of water and… lava. Only, it isn’t lava.” Me: Oh, what is it? I bet it’s spaghetti sauce! “Rivers of blood” Me: Oh. That’s not as tasty. “
I’ve really been into retro gaming here on RUclips lately and this video popped up in my feed today. The Legend of Zelda is my favorite NES game, a glorious, cryptic experience. So I clicked on the video and have been blown away. What a video! I can’t imagine the time it took to research and edit. I’ve added it to my All-Time Gaming Greats playlist and I’m sincerely excited to watch your other content. Biggest of Ups!
When the game hints that the rabbit monsters hate sound so you blow the flute to try and kill them but nothing happens *meanwhile in Japan* Japanese kid: yells into the built in mic on the second control to kill rabbit monster.
In later dungeons when there are a mixed number of enemies in the same room, such as wizzrobes, like likes, if you partially kill a room and go back and forth out and back in, it will redistribute the split of enemies. So for example, if there are 3 like likes, 3 wizzrobes, if you kill 2 like likes, leave and come back, now there will be 2 like likes and 2 wizzrobes. When there's one left, it will switch from one enemy type to another whenever you exit and reenter the room.
First time to the channel and you gave an amazing info dump on a beloved childhood game. Thank you for what you do. I'm sharing this on some of the classic games discords that I frequent.
There are tons of videos with titles similar to this one, but I can’t remember the last time any of those videos actually taught me something I didn’t know about the Legend of Zelda. You’re video did that multiple times. I learned more than I have in decades. Subscribed.
Cool series. Looking forward to scoping out your catalog. *edit* 32 minutes later: for the first time ever I'm donating to Patreon. As a historian, I find your research and presentation absolutely incredible. Not to mention it's obvious you have a passion for this. And you didn't just make a clickbait video. You actually have new info on a game that people have repeated all the same points for the last 30 or so years. I just have to support someone who is putting this level of effort and work into something. Bravo
As always. A top notch video. Always love your dedication to details. Mr. Myaiamoto is such a genius. He and his cohorts make amazing fun games. You can say what you want. His games are always fun.
I remember the "screen skip" glitch was huge when Link's Awakening came out for the Game Boy. I think you had to press 'select' and 'start' button simultaneously just as Link was about to enter the next screen. I remember feeling bad when doing this since it was essentially cheating if you used it to get around bosses and obstacles haha.....ahhh the good ol' days of being a kid.....
Awesome video as always man!! No idea about those glitches at the end. That was wild. What a fantastic nostalgia-filled trip this was to watch. Thank you!!
19:15 Actually, there is a known method for always winning. The RNG is set on a timer and reset from the moment of power-on/reset, so if you mash start at specific times (most easily done with audio queue's from the them song) and walk directly into the cave in a specific path cleanly, you can guarantee you will win every time. This trick is done quite a bit in speedruns that allow the use of the "up and a" reset using the second controller. However, many categories do not allow deaths or "up and a" resets, including the most popular one, rendering this manipulation impossible in those categories. Great vid though, I enjoyed it!
I agree, but this video raises a huge question for me: I thought I heard from multiple sources that the LoZ main theme (i.e., what plays both in the Overworld and the title screen variant) was composed basically overnight to replace that Bolero. Do I now understand more correctly that such is a MYTH, that Koji Kondo had already composed the Overworld music, with its now-famous theme, and it was only the adaptation of that theme for the opening crawl along with the more original opening notes of the title screen that he did overnight? (Don't get me wrong--that's still fantastic!)
I think I speak for many fans and say thank you for that sleepless night sir you make many a childhood happy with the unique sound of the legand of zelda theme. Thank you for the hard work you made a masterpiece!
After all these years, I didn't know you could save the game without dying. And I always thought 10th enemy has the bomb referred to the dark nuts you kill in a dungeon that allow you to carry more bombs
I remember going to Kmart with my mom and grandmother to purchase Zelda. I also remember going to the mall in Abilene, TX years later to purchase Zelda II @ Kay Bee Toys. Priceless memories and so thankful for them. Still have them both complete in box and they are some of my favorite things I own. Thanks for the tour back down memory lane!
Oh man, what a throwback! Watched this with my girlfriend on her TV this morning and, while I love and beat this game every year, I learned a lot of things I didn’t know! I love the vibe you channeled for this video. I felt like I was cracking open a Classified Information of Nintendo Power!
Amazing video. I’m a huge retro gamer and I found this video to be the absolute best for anyone wanting to know more about LOZ. I’ve sent this video to several fellow gamers who share in my passion for the original LOZ game.
Thank you for finally explaining that pic in the manual with the sword and the boomerang in front of the old man. I've on and off been seriously haunted by that image, and couldn't quite get it out of my head.
Will never forget as a kid my older bro got this after school & showed me. I was so blown away by the packaging & how the cartridge was gold. Then when I saw the map & art work in the manual ❤️. Playing it was so freaking awesome & the music, especially the dungeon music was amazing!
@@wheeze_sanchez that's amazing. still might want to open it up and change the battery, it's not that hard. because if it starts leaking it can damage the pcb.
@@XX-121 I should have clarified, I mean I saved last night. I also checked Adventures of Link and it has childhood save files too. That's not a bad idea, changing the battery. I'll have to consider that. Although, my immediate thoughts are that the files are more important than the carts themselves, which can be replaced. I suppose removing the battery even briefly would result in immediate elimination of the files
This video and the one on Mario Bros are truly awesome. So many videos have been done on these games yet your videos provide information no other has. Excellent stuff
The Dungeon's Theme being inspired by an early Deep Purple song is such an incredible piece of lore. Thank you for that, amazing video! You're just earned a subcription :D
I can tell you right now that this video series of "Secrets, Codes, & Intel" is your channel niche. You did this so well I thought you had an entire series covering a large catalog. I know these take a long time to research and make but these are evergreen videos that once made will keep giving you a return year over year. It isn't about making a lot of money from one video it's about making a lot of content that gives consistent income over time. This series is exactly that. I really want to see more of these and I wish you all the success and fortune you deserve from making them. - Continue reading for 2 more video ideas. Chrono Trigger has a little known sequel. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Eye of the Beholder for SNES has tons of things you can cover including a code you can enter on the gamepad to give your party 99 arrows in their quivers. Been trying to find that code again for years but maybe your sleuthing can uncover it again. I believe it was in a tips and tricks magazine, playstation magazine, or this thick short book that had nes - n64 era console codes. Think romance novel dimensions but 2-2.5x as thick.
Absolutely loving the series here! Much thank you :) I will say this also: My wife will not play video games BUT she will sit and watch these with me! Your doing something right!
I spent my entire summer vacation when this classic came out bombing every rock and burning every bush until I did it to everything took me a month but I did it and when I played it again 20 years later with my kids I remembered everything about the game
Glad I found your channel! Soooooo much nostalgia. I'm 39 and these era of games made me want to learn to code. I learned how to but never went to school or work in the field. It's a "me" thing I wanted to know how to. Thanks for all you do. Means a lot.
Zelda was one of the most difficult games to play when I first got it but patience paid off it took me a little over a year to beat it very informative awesome im now subscribed to your channel the nes days were my favorite growing up back when I was in high school
Im playing classic zelda for the first time . the world gives me the exact same sensation i feel when exploring in breath of the wild for the first time , i never realized how much they really recaptured the feel of classic zelda , its such a fun game i cant believe i missed out on it this long
Man, there was a ton of stuff here I had no idea about, like how the flute works. Glitches aside, it's hard to think that there's still so much normal functionality for me to learn about this game. It truly is a masterpiece.
@@james13666 how do you know he's not aware of that? well James, if you've ever wondered if you're actually living in the matrix, just try to remember the last time you saw your neighbors carrying in groceries.
It has always bugged me, and still bugs me to this day, that they didn't make the recorder work on pol's voice as the logical in-game alternative to the NES lacking a mic. It would've tied in so nicely with how you need to use it to weaken digdogger, too.
Bro, thank you for doing this video. Zelda 1 was my all time love game (followed by Mario 3) as a child. Thank you for covering some of the minor differences between the NES and FDS versions too (there's plenty more but I can understand due to time constraints). Thank you also for explaining what the Manji is. Many Westerners don't understand the concept. I absolutely enjoyed every second of this video. Keep it up man!
From a friend who saw me do that. He quickly ran home without telling me then came back and showed me his Nintendo Power, and it had said on the 2nd controller up A to save. Me and my dad were so grateful, to waste time to go to the fairy and get filled then run to the dungeons made it soo much easier. He had dinner at our house for the next few days.
I remember this game well. It was a very unique experience opening the package to see/reveal and golden cartridge. I have often said that Nintendo could make a chunk of money if they simply created new levels and released them for purchase. I would be thrilled at the idea of being able to buy new map for NES Zelda. The SNES Zelda was good too but he original NES Zelda is one of my favorite games of all time despite it being many, many years since I played it.
It is, seriously, so very rewarding to think how much was put into games that were seemingly so small in size/digital footprint. Zelda will always have a very special place in my heart; I remember the day I got it back in 1987 (I was among the last of my immediate circle of friends to get an NES at that time… regardless, I was SOOOOOO very lucky, and grateful to this day. My copy from 1987 still works perfectly. (I’m also one of the few that LOVES The Adventure of Link… though… I know I’m not alone there… …right?…) Awesome video. Thanks, and cheers!
First open world game i ever played, first time i ever "leveled up" or grew in power and skill, first time i entered a dungeon, first boss i ever faced. No wonder i got addicted to MMORPG's later lol.
Ohh you @NESComplex how glad I am that I found your channel! It's interesting how at least a couple of facts/"did you knows" I haven't heard about are in each video. I'm one of those run-of-the-mill old schoolers who've been in the retro community for a few decades now (mainly as a collector and coach gamer), and being an european, there's a lot of things that we have..."missed out" on or things only you non-europeans got (and a few things you didn't get) when it comes to retro things, so it's always great seeing these "new" facts, discoveries and funbits that you have in your videos. I love 'em! You're one of the few dedicated retro video gametubers I genuinely enjoy following. Particularly these intel-episodes are the most enjoyable, with the retrospectives in a good 2nd place. Wonderful and top notch job, so keep 'em coming! :)
Thank you for commenting! That always means a lot when I hear someone learned something they didn’t know. I try to dig as deep as possible and include everything (if possible).
this video is incredible. That good trivia. I just got the chance to playthrough all the old LEgend of Zelda games thanks to the Switch. I have played this game countless times in my childhood from my grandmother's NES, my gameboy, emulators, at friends houses, and back onto the switch. I've finally taken the time to finish this classic and the other releases for NES/SNES. It is incredible to hear all these little tidbits about the game; historically, mechanically, and lore-wise. SO MANY OF THESE TRICKS........ would have helped so much hahaha
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm sure you agree, but Zelda is pretty special. It was the first stand alone game we ever got. The only game I have a picture of me playing and we played it like crazy. At the time it took my brother and I 2 solid weeks to complete. We played so much that to this day my mom can hum the melody. I love Super Mario Bros. but THIS was the game that made me love video games. I hope you enjoy the video.
Thank for share this video with us and for the time you used to prepared it.
Thanks for this historical reflection! Probably my #1 game of all time. Well done.
Indeed... Zelda is a very special series for many of us, even those like me who haven't played a game since Wind Waker But still come back for the stories time and again! 😅
Thank you for all your great content. It brings me much joy in these trying times.
@@aaronblokzyl9547 Trying times?... Are you alright wherever you're at?
I will never forget that I learned about the second quest from a friend at junior high. I had just assumed that the sword in Link's hand was a kind of trophy, and had no idea how different the second quest was from the one I'd just beaten. After telling me, he also informed me he couldn't find the entrance to the 6th dungeon in the second quest. So I spent that night catching up to his progress, and on the phone with him helping him search for it for much of the night. I accidentally found that in the second quest, the recorder could reveal passages, and we found the entrance that night. We also managed to complete the seventh, and we discovered the eighth after starting to bomb every wall segment in the overworld. You can't buy experiences like this.
That’s really intense!
@@MarMaxGaming It was, and genuinely one of the most fun single nights I ever had in gaming (and I'd been gaming for years even by that point). My friend actually beat the second quest that night; I think I did too, but he got to it first. And it's part of the reason why the original Zelda is still my favorite in the series. The freedom that game afforded, and without being so full of collectibles that it became exhausting, is one of my go-to examples of how action-RPGs should be made.
I actually have never played the 2nd quest... not sure why.... but i feel like i'll get to experience it as if I'm playing Zelda for the first time
How did you discover that you needed to continuously walk into certain walls to go through them? I never beat the 2nd quest. It was too much for me as a kid.
@@Learnjapanesefromsomeguy I'm pretty sure it was my friend who just flat out told me. How he figured it out, I have no idea. But when you know you have to move forward and literally nothing else is working, you'll try anything.
I am 62. Been playing Zelda off and on 30yrs.
This is AWESOME! 😎 My 25yr old daughter is gonna love this!
That’s so cool! Thanks for watching 😁
I salute you 👏🏻
Over 30 years playing this, and I had no idea you could use the whistle to cancel a bubble's curse.
Time to replay it yet again.
I never knew that until i made this either
@@NESComplex I'm pretty sure it's cause the whistle takes 4 seconds to play, and the curse lasts 4 seconds.
Will this work in the 2nd quest when the curse lasts longer?
@@the6ig6adwolf The normal bubbles in second quest last the same amount of time. The curse from the red bubbles can only be dispelled by the blue bubbles (or saving and quitting, beating a dungeon, I think drinking a potion too).
@@_mnejing Whatever the case, using the whistle also gave me some helpful invincibility frames while I was having a messy fight against Blue Wizzrobes alongside the Bubbles. Kept me from losing my sword and taking too much damage.
Plus, being paused for 4 seconds allowed me to quickly plan how to approach the remaining unpredictable Wizzrobes.
The Zelda title screen music is one of the finest pieces of music ever composed.
Second only to that 🔥🔥🔥 rap from the commercial
I'm a massive Zelda fan....I thought that there wasnt anything left for me to discover. The Deep Purple thing just blew me away. Instant subscribe!
22:00 This is almost right. One detail though, the Roocorder glitch (named after its discoverer, rooslugs) happens not because Link is moved in both directions per se, but because after the whirlwind starts taking Link to the right, the raft reorients him so he's facing up. Then, it is true that he moves diagonally up-right, but the key thing is that he reaches the edge of the screen facing up. Link's facing direction is what determines the scrolling direction. The way the recorder does the teleportation is that it normally triggers a screen scroll to the right, so in order to reach the correct destination, it also sets Link's position to be one screen left of the destination. Because the screen now scrolls up instead of right, the result is that Link ends up one screen up and to the left of the intended destination.
Thanks for clearing that up!
What are you, some kind of Zelda exper... oh, it's Bismuth. Nothing to see here
I literally got goosebumps at 6:40 when the zelda theme kicked in. I've been binge watching these declassified videos and loving every minute of them. Can't imagine how much time and effort go in to these. Thank you for this nostalgia trip.
Holy cow, the amount of research you put into this is astronomical. I had a blast watching this, thank you NESComplex!!
I found this from your Zelda 1 video, thank you for linking it!
Ayy! It's great to see you made it. @@AnAnonymousPenguin
Interesting. Learning something new about a game I've played a thousand times is cool. Thanks.
Mission accomplished! I'm glad to hear it
Likewise, played a thousand times. Never ever knew that you could save without dying. Always tried to beat the game in one sitting.
@@NESComplex It's wonderful to see stuff like this. If I lived in the Northwest instead of in Florida I would give you and the guys a hug just for the nostalgia. ❤
@@NESComplex Sorry to message multiple times but thanks not only to you but also to Riff, Gabo, Ricky and everyone else who is part of your group. Throw in "MetalHaysoos" as well. Just heartwarming nostalgia in a time of dire need. Ty
@@NESComplex 2:08: I never understand in my entire life why the Moblins had to change from a Bulldog creature to that of a Pig. The Bulldog thing fits them better to begin with.
3:27: The idea of a dungeon creator would later suffice in the Links Awakening remake.
5:04: So you're saying that Tezuka had Taran or Robin Hood in mind when giving him the Sword or the Bow and Arrows, but because of Link having elf ears, Miyamoto told him to give Link the color green because it reminded him of Disney's Peter Pan.
Honestly I rolled my eyes a bit at the notion of hearing new information regarding Zelda. Also honestly I admit when I’m wrong and I was wrong.. Outstanding video!!!!!
Same. Well done video with some great learns
I agree!! Truly new information!
@@kevinbolt2780 No it was all a lie.
Summoning Salt is biting his nails 💅
@@yongyea4147 Nah, there's room for plenty of this kind of content!
I can’t believe how much I learned about a game I thought I knew everything about. Excellent video 👍🏻
BEST comment i've read today. That's what I want.... to find new info for all of us who know these games so well
100% agree. I knew a lot from over the decades, but I definitely learned some new stuff.
Right!!!! Crazy!!
Rivers of blood.. :| Also, those Japanese sound effects were… yikes.. god awful
17:51 This is because timers keep running during the pause while the whistle plays. The curse lasts a certain amount of time, and that time passes during the whistle song. By the time it finishes, the curse is also over.
Same goes for any enemy timer, explaining the fireballs. For example, leevers that just came out will go back in the ground shortly after playing the whistle, because they spend most of the 255 frames of their timer paused while the whistle plays.
Thanks for watching man! Love your channel!!! I didn’t include this point (though I was aware of it) because it’s effectively the same thing. Playing the recorder saves the player from scrambling and trying to avoid enemies without the use of the sword… so while it is just letting the curse run it’s course, from a players perspective it’s still effectively negated.
My first time playing this at the age of 7 I put my name as Zelda. I beat it. Still proud of myself. Didn't even know about the second quest. My second playthrough was quite a surprise.
I always wondered if people inadvertently put their name in as Zelda back in the day and mistakenly started on the 2nd quest
I've heard quite a few people have done this... what a strange experience that must've been. I put Link... thankfully
@@NESComplex unfortunately, I didn't have the booklet at the time, so I had no idea about anything about the game. Luckily, I played Guardian Legend and Crystalis beforehand, so it seemed just as hard as a normal NES game to me.
@@buffalothebison4850 kids these days will *NEVER* know the struggles we had when playing any of the older generation gaming systems. It amazes me that i can beat all of the special worlds on the snes super mario world today. If it was my 12 yo self i couldnt even beat the first 5 levels, never mind any of the ghost houses. My cousin was a champ at the game and no matter what i did, i wasnt nearly as good. Now we just need to time some buttons on screen and boss is beat. No challenge.
@@Yroko There are plenty of games today that are excruciatingly hard. I personally love Cuphead. Give it a go!
I couldn't stop smiling the whole time I watched this. This is an excellent video on one of my favourite games, and it's always great to learn something new. Thank you!
Thank you! and i keep thinking i need to play the 2nd Quest after i saw your video... (i still haven't)
@@NESComplex I hope you'll give it a try. It's a fun twist on something so familiar and if it wasn't such a test of patience I might try it again myself... I'll stick to the first quest for now though! :)
@NESComplex
~~~~PLAY THE 2nd QUEST~~~~
>°°
Oddly yesterday I searched and rewatched the NES Super Mario Bros declassified, and then a notification for The Legend of Zelda in the morning! Great way to start the day!
How random... maybe it was fate
Really great trivia in this video. Didn't know the bit about Deep Purple, which is cool!
I can’t get enough Legend of Zelda videos and you do them the best!
Really appreciate it Adam!
I refuse to watch this without being in my PJs and eating a bowl of cereal 🥣 ❤️
I'll be back later tonight for this 💯
Thats just teRIFFic ;)
@@Gnarlyhoodprops it's grrrrrrreat!
@LordGoomba for 22 minutes? Lay off the cheese!
be careful... prolonged toilet uses can be hazardous to your health lol
i want you to wear a bear suit and eat raw fish when you watch
I just got home from a long shift working retail to find an envelope waiting for me. From NESComplex. All the weight of the stress of the day immediately slid off my shoulders and I felt as excited as I did when I was a kid and a free comic or prize I'd sent away for arrived.
I opened the envelope and three awesome stickers and an Ebay gift card slid onto my bed. I read the letter enclosed congratulating me on being one of the winners of August's giveaway, asking me to message back if I use the gift card to buy anything cool retro gaming related and personally thanking me for my support.
I felt like I'd received a letter and gift in the mail from a friend who'd moved far away, but who still thought of me on my birthday. IMO your efforts with your channel yield so much success because your genuine excitement for what you're doing is infectious and you make your supporters feel like they're part of the whole experience right along with you.
THANK YOU for the surprise waiting for me when I got home and totally redeeming a rotten work day with awesomeness. I'm very much looking forward to the coming Metroid video and will enjoy it just as much as my letter, stickers and gift card.
I’m so glad to hear it! Thank you for writing this. You made my day!! And yes… we are in this hobby together dude!
Glad to see another video from you nescomplex, high quality produced! I’m glad you seem well in these times too! Awesome work, brother!
I am doing well... i hope you are too!
Zelda on NES was the first game I ever played. And it cemented the love of gaming in me still 30 years later
You continue to out do yourself, sir. What an awesome adventure you've put together here. I still remember when my dad took me and my older brother to Toys 'R' Us in 87'. I got Zelda and my brother got Ghosts and Goblins.
Thanks! You got both of those on the same day? Talk about epic
ooooo Ghost''s and goblins. That game is the reason why I know how to patch holes in Drywall. I used to get sooo mad at that one lol.
Speaking of how the dungeons go together like a puzzle. Did you also know that because of a misunderstanding, this layout only used half of the allocated memory. The spare memory was then used to create a second set of dungeons (which also interlock in the same manner), and the idea of the second quest was born.
Impressive work! This video deserves at least two likes, not just one. There were so many things I did not know.
YES! Mission accomplished! I figure if i've never heard of it, and some of my closest game friends haven't heard of it, then it must be a good bit to include.
I can't give you enough credit... The respect and professionalism of your videos about games so close to peoples hearts is greatly appreciated.
I don't often watch 20min videos all the way through, but when I do.
this is absolutely amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE keep this SERIES GOING ! this the BEST on RUclips EVER !
I'm definitely making more... already researching the next one
@@NESComplex can we get a clue as the next game ?.. amazing news 🗞️📰
This was absolutely fantastic. From your mature and straightforward narration (no funny voices, no needless pop-up comedy animations, etc.) to the breadth and quality of the information you imparted (the fitting dungeons kind of blew my mind), your video captivated me. As a longtime Zelda player (I was 9 when the first game released in the USA) and instant Nintendo Power subscriber, as well as a reader of Game Over and The Ultimate History of Video Games, I thought that there wasn't really anything of note to learn about the original game. I was happy to see that not only was I wrong, I was highly interested by your efforts. You've earned another subscriber and please, definitely do more of these. Don't change a thing, this was perfection.
This was awesome! Such an enlightening video that gives me another incentive to replay a game I absolutely love. Shared!
Again, this channel is amazing!
The voice over is so well done, cadence and tone on point.
10/10 classic Nintendo content
“Trenches full of water and… lava. Only, it isn’t lava.”
Me: Oh, what is it? I bet it’s spaghetti sauce!
“Rivers of blood”
Me: Oh. That’s not as tasty.
“
I’ve really been into retro gaming here on RUclips lately and this video popped up in my feed today. The Legend of Zelda is my favorite NES game, a glorious, cryptic experience. So I clicked on the video and have been blown away. What a video! I can’t imagine the time it took to research and edit. I’ve added it to my All-Time Gaming Greats playlist and I’m sincerely excited to watch your other content.
Biggest of Ups!
The incorrect translations and overly obtuse hints helped the game seem like some ancient epic that you could never hope to fully understand.
When the game hints that the rabbit monsters hate sound so you blow the flute to try and kill them but nothing happens
*meanwhile in Japan*
Japanese kid: yells into the built in mic on the second control to kill rabbit monster.
Read Legends of Localization, they didn't incorrectly translate, the game was already cryptic in Japanese.
@@jackson5116 A LOT like Castlevania: Simon's Quest. Except that game didn't make any sense whatsoever.
In later dungeons when there are a mixed number of enemies in the same room, such as wizzrobes, like likes, if you partially kill a room and go back and forth out and back in, it will redistribute the split of enemies. So for example, if there are 3 like likes, 3 wizzrobes, if you kill 2 like likes, leave and come back, now there will be 2 like likes and 2 wizzrobes. When there's one left, it will switch from one enemy type to another whenever you exit and reenter the room.
First time to the channel and you gave an amazing info dump on a beloved childhood game. Thank you for what you do. I'm sharing this on some of the classic games discords that I frequent.
Thank you! I’d really appreciate that! 😁
There are tons of videos with titles similar to this one, but I can’t remember the last time any of those videos actually taught me something I didn’t know about the Legend of Zelda.
You’re video did that multiple times. I learned more than I have in decades. Subscribed.
I was always curious about the 2 types of statues in the first room of every labyrinth and whether there is any lore surrounding them.
I don't know much about them... i saw nothing in the research....
Cool series. Looking forward to scoping out your catalog.
*edit* 32 minutes later: for the first time ever I'm donating to Patreon. As a historian, I find your research and presentation absolutely incredible. Not to mention it's obvious you have a passion for this. And you didn't just make a clickbait video. You actually have new info on a game that people have repeated all the same points for the last 30 or so years. I just have to support someone who is putting this level of effort and work into something. Bravo
As always. A top notch video. Always love your dedication to details. Mr. Myaiamoto is such a genius. He and his cohorts make amazing fun games. You can say what you want. His games are always fun.
Seriously... he's a really treasure... crazy how much one man has given the world.
I remember buying this game when it was brand new! Its my favorite of all time, so cool to learn new things so many years later.excellent video!
Yeah the box with the crest on it made me really want to try it. Never played it when it was released had to wait a couple of years
I remember the "screen skip" glitch was huge when Link's Awakening came out for the Game Boy. I think you had to press 'select' and 'start' button simultaneously just as Link was about to enter the next screen. I remember feeling bad when doing this since it was essentially cheating if you used it to get around bosses and obstacles haha.....ahhh the good ol' days of being a kid.....
Just pressing start while moving to another screen. There's also clipping into the dog house corner.
Haha yeah i knew this trick in Links Awakening too.... u can go to places u cant....
Awesome video as always man!! No idea about those glitches at the end. That was wild. What a fantastic nostalgia-filled trip this was to watch. Thank you!!
19:15 Actually, there is a known method for always winning. The RNG is set on a timer and reset from the moment of power-on/reset, so if you mash start at specific times (most easily done with audio queue's from the them song) and walk directly into the cave in a specific path cleanly, you can guarantee you will win every time. This trick is done quite a bit in speedruns that allow the use of the "up and a" reset using the second controller. However, many categories do not allow deaths or "up and a" resets, including the most popular one, rendering this manipulation impossible in those categories.
Great vid though, I enjoyed it!
Isn’t up and a on the second controller an intended game mechanic?
These are absolutely awesome. It's my new favorite thing on RUclips. Please please please add more. These are a gem!
What a dope series man! I even learned some stuff I didn't know. Thanks for making these. I appreciate your effort
Thanks Mr POOP! I appreciate the kind comment
Your cadence in these videos is great. So many read their scripts fast and don't pause for the listener to comprehend what is being explained.
I really appreciate that. I often actually add dead space between sentences because I’m trying to find that pace. I’m glad you noticed.
It's always a good day when an NESComplex video drops. Love this channel.
6:40
Wise choice composing their own title screen music, such a good sound.
I agree, but this video raises a huge question for me: I thought I heard from multiple sources that the LoZ main theme (i.e., what plays both in the Overworld and the title screen variant) was composed basically overnight to replace that Bolero. Do I now understand more correctly that such is a MYTH, that Koji Kondo had already composed the Overworld music, with its now-famous theme, and it was only the adaptation of that theme for the opening crawl along with the more original opening notes of the title screen that he did overnight? (Don't get me wrong--that's still fantastic!)
Great professional work man, extremely underrated channel. Keep up the good work, we need you.
I think I speak for many fans and say thank you for that sleepless night sir you make many a childhood happy with the unique sound of the legand of zelda theme. Thank you for the hard work you made a masterpiece!
After all these years, I didn't know you could save the game without dying. And I always thought 10th enemy has the bomb referred to the dark nuts you kill in a dungeon that allow you to carry more bombs
And always press reset first!
@@j0nnyism oh ya, hold reset when you power down. apparently to protect the savegames
I remember going to Kmart with my mom and grandmother to purchase Zelda. I also remember going to the mall in Abilene, TX years later to purchase Zelda II @ Kay Bee Toys. Priceless memories and so thankful for them. Still have them both complete in box and they are some of my favorite things I own. Thanks for the tour back down memory lane!
Oh man, what a throwback! Watched this with my girlfriend on her TV this morning and, while I love and beat this game every year, I learned a lot of things I didn’t know!
I love the vibe you channeled for this video. I felt like I was cracking open a Classified Information of Nintendo Power!
Amazing video. I’m a huge retro gamer and I found this video to be the absolute best for anyone wanting to know more about LOZ. I’ve sent this video to several fellow gamers who share in my passion for the original LOZ game.
This is my favorite RUclips video of ALL time! I’m popping the gold cartridge in right now for another adventure.
I agree!!!
Those are BIG words! BEST comment EVER! Many thanks!
@@JLuv81 And you agree? Damn! Thank you! and Thanks for signing up! Looking forward to seeing you next month at SEGE! WOOO!
Your videos are becoming better by the day! Very high quality and great to watch. Thanks for all your efforts in providing this!!
I know it takes me a while, but i'm glad you enjoy what I'm doing
My favorite game of all time. I'm 40 years old and am a gamer for life. I LOVED seeing the original artist drawings, so f*cking cool.
Thank you for finally explaining that pic in the manual with the sword and the boomerang in front of the old man. I've on and off been seriously haunted by that image, and couldn't quite get it out of my head.
Fantastic video chock full of Zelda tidbits, going to have to watch this one a few times!
Great content and production values, thank you!
Thank you so much! I love this game and loved finding all those bits... and even more.... i loved sharing them
Will never forget as a kid my older bro got this after school & showed me. I was so blown away by the packaging & how the cartridge was gold. Then when I saw the map & art work in the manual ❤️. Playing it was so freaking awesome & the music, especially the dungeon music was amazing!
damn 35 years after... "you can actually save the game without dying"
if you replace the battery. or play on an emulator.
@@XX-121 I'm still saving on a cartridge purchased in '88
@@wheeze_sanchez that's amazing. still might want to open it up and change the battery, it's not that hard. because if it starts leaking it can damage the pcb.
@@XX-121 I should have clarified, I mean I saved last night. I also checked Adventures of Link and it has childhood save files too.
That's not a bad idea, changing the battery. I'll have to consider that. Although, my immediate thoughts are that the files are more important than the carts themselves, which can be replaced. I suppose removing the battery even briefly would result in immediate elimination of the files
This video and the one on Mario Bros are truly awesome. So many videos have been done on these games yet your videos provide information no other has.
Excellent stuff
Thank you for noticing. I try hard to find new info and piece old info together in new ways or with new visuals. I really appreciate it
It was the Legend Of Zelda that began my lifelong fandom of RPGs.
Truly, one of my favorite Nintendo game series. 🏰
The Dungeon's Theme being inspired by an early Deep Purple song is such an incredible piece of lore. Thank you for that, amazing video! You're just earned a subcription :D
I can tell you right now that this video series of "Secrets, Codes, & Intel" is your channel niche. You did this so well I thought you had an entire series covering a large catalog. I know these take a long time to research and make but these are evergreen videos that once made will keep giving you a return year over year. It isn't about making a lot of money from one video it's about making a lot of content that gives consistent income over time. This series is exactly that. I really want to see more of these and I wish you all the success and fortune you deserve from making them. - Continue reading for 2 more video ideas.
Chrono Trigger has a little known sequel. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Eye of the Beholder for SNES has tons of things you can cover including a code you can enter on the gamepad to give your party 99 arrows in their quivers. Been trying to find that code again for years but maybe your sleuthing can uncover it again. I believe it was in a tips and tricks magazine, playstation magazine, or this thick short book that had nes - n64 era console codes. Think romance novel dimensions but 2-2.5x as thick.
Wild. I haven’t played eye of the beholder in 10 years but never knew about that passcode lore
Absolutely loving the series here! Much thank you :) I will say this also: My wife will not play video games BUT she will sit and watch these with me! Your doing something right!
This is the fastest notification I've jumped on in a long time.
Word
What Chris Koschik said... Word.
Me too!!!
I spent my entire summer vacation when this classic came out bombing every rock and burning every bush until I did it to everything took me a month but I did it and when I played it again 20 years later with my kids I remembered everything about the game
my dad bought this game for me and my brother, he played it more than us
Yes yes yes! Please and thank you!
Glad I found your channel! Soooooo much nostalgia. I'm 39 and these era of games made me want to learn to code. I learned how to but never went to school or work in the field. It's a "me" thing I wanted to know how to.
Thanks for all you do. Means a lot.
Sweet
I love me some Legend of Zelda. This will be epic.
Zelda is the foundation of gaming for so many!
This becoming my favorite gaming series on YT. Awesome job complex. You do such a fantastic job with these videos.
This Game started it ALL
Every Zelda Fan should embrace it
👍👍👍
I have the Hyrule Historia. I bought that faster than paying my mortgage for the month.
@@Yroko lol!!! Awsome!
@@Yroko NICE
This is FASCINATING! A brilliant collection of secrets and tips, most of which I didn't even know. Well done sir!
Wonderfull stuff !!
Having beat this game hundreds of times, I wasn’t sure this video would have anything new to me. But it did! Awesome job! Thanks for making this!!!
PLEASE do one of these for Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest
Zelda was one of the most difficult games to play when I first got it but patience paid off it took me a little over a year to beat it very informative awesome im now subscribed to your channel the nes days were my favorite growing up back when I was in high school
"NES Declassified, School Survival Guide"
Im playing classic zelda for the first time . the world gives me the exact same sensation i feel when exploring in breath of the wild for the first time , i never realized how much they really recaptured the feel of classic zelda , its such a fun game i cant believe i missed out on it this long
Man, there was a ton of stuff here I had no idea about, like how the flute works. Glitches aside, it's hard to think that there's still so much normal functionality for me to learn about this game. It truly is a masterpiece.
they really layered the game in ways we're still discovering
I still remember talking about this game with friends during gym class in elementary school. Probably the most nostalgic game in my life.
Even your voice is nostalgic lol
Haha! Also I'm from the past
@NESComplex you're also from the future too but you're not aware of that knowledge yet.
@@james13666 how do you know he's not aware of that? well James, if you've ever wondered if you're actually living in the matrix, just try to remember the last time you saw your neighbors carrying in groceries.
It has always bugged me, and still bugs me to this day, that they didn't make the recorder work on pol's voice as the logical in-game alternative to the NES lacking a mic. It would've tied in so nicely with how you need to use it to weaken digdogger, too.
Bro, thank you for doing this video. Zelda 1 was my all time love game (followed by Mario 3) as a child. Thank you for covering some of the minor differences between the NES and FDS versions too (there's plenty more but I can understand due to time constraints). Thank you also for explaining what the Manji is. Many Westerners don't understand the concept. I absolutely enjoyed every second of this video. Keep it up man!
Thank you! I'm pleased to know i explained those aspects well.
AWESOME vid!!
Watched this and the Metroid one! Just mind-blowing!
Subbed!
Do Zelda 2 next!
Thanks Don! Zelda 2 is on the list… but it’s not next 🥊 is next
All these years, and I always thought the only way to save was to die.
From a friend who saw me do that. He quickly ran home without telling me then came back and showed me his Nintendo Power, and it had said on the 2nd controller up A to save. Me and my dad were so grateful, to waste time to go to the fairy and get filled then run to the dungeons made it soo much easier. He had dinner at our house for the next few days.
Me too, it was worse if you used a Game Genie for infinite energy, I thought you could never turn it off until you beat it.
This is my first time seeing a video from NESComplex. Great job guys! I subscribed to all :)
as a kid watching Likelikes eat my shield terrified me.
I remember this game well. It was a very unique experience opening the package to see/reveal and golden cartridge. I have often said that Nintendo could make a chunk of money if they simply created new levels and released them for purchase. I would be thrilled at the idea of being able to buy new map for NES Zelda. The SNES Zelda was good too but he original NES Zelda is one of my favorite games of all time despite it being many, many years since I played it.
NESComplex drops are a must watch event
I mean... you're right... 😁 Seriously... thank you!!
It is, seriously, so very rewarding to think how much was put into games that were seemingly so small in size/digital footprint. Zelda will always have a very special place in my heart; I remember the day I got it back in 1987 (I was among the last of my immediate circle of friends to get an NES at that time… regardless, I was SOOOOOO very lucky, and grateful to this day. My copy from 1987 still works perfectly.
(I’m also one of the few that LOVES The Adventure of Link… though… I know I’m not alone there…
…right?…)
Awesome video. Thanks, and cheers!
Me: “I played Zelda all the way back when it first came out, I know all about it!”
Me a few mins into this video: “oh...”
Lol!!! Right!!
I actually didn't know the bit about the whistle cancelling out the Bubble effect. Pretty dang cool!
First open world game i ever played, first time i ever "leveled up" or grew in power and skill, first time i entered a dungeon, first boss i ever faced. No wonder i got addicted to MMORPG's later lol.
Love your channel man, upload more for sure!
I've been playing this game for decades and never knew you could blow the whistle to get your sword back after touching a bubble.
Amazing
Ohh you @NESComplex how glad I am that I found your channel! It's interesting how at least a couple of facts/"did you knows" I haven't heard about are in each video. I'm one of those run-of-the-mill old schoolers who've been in the retro community for a few decades now (mainly as a collector and coach gamer), and being an european, there's a lot of things that we have..."missed out" on or things only you non-europeans got (and a few things you didn't get) when it comes to retro things, so it's always great seeing these "new" facts, discoveries and funbits that you have in your videos. I love 'em! You're one of the few dedicated retro video gametubers I genuinely enjoy following. Particularly these intel-episodes are the most enjoyable, with the retrospectives in a good 2nd place. Wonderful and top notch job, so keep 'em coming! :)
Thank you for commenting! That always means a lot when I hear someone learned something they didn’t know. I try to dig as deep as possible and include everything (if possible).
This video should have a million views. Well done dude! I learned a bunch.
Glad you learned something! My favorite discover was the animated story art. I couldn't believe i'd never seen it before
this video is incredible. That good trivia.
I just got the chance to playthrough all the old LEgend of Zelda games thanks to the Switch.
I have played this game countless times in my childhood from my grandmother's NES, my gameboy, emulators, at friends houses, and back onto the switch. I've finally taken the time to finish this classic and the other releases for NES/SNES. It is incredible to hear all these little tidbits about the game; historically, mechanically, and lore-wise.
SO MANY OF THESE TRICKS........ would have helped so much hahaha