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.
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!!!!!
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.
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! :)
@@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.
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.
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!
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.
@@wheezesanchez5661 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
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.
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.
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 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.....
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.
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.
“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 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!
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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!
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!
The Tips and Tactics book was the first thing I remember buying with my own money. I think I was about 5 years old, and did some chores or something to earn the money. I played Zelda recently on my on my NES mini. Couldn't remember where the hell to go, died within a few mins. I need it back lol.
The main title theme music has always given me the chills - almost as far back as I can remember. I remember discovering The Legend of Zelda as a 5 or 6 year old in 1991 or 92 was so mystical. I remember the game Columns on Sega did the same - as did Ocarina of Time on N64 (which was the last Zelda game I've ever played - didn't have and couldn't afford the expansion to play Majora's Mask and that broke my focus on the franchise and the newer games just seemed foreign to me after that). I guess it's a time and place thing - like I had chickenpox around the time I got a Sega - which I eventually traded to my cousin for an SNES. I was still playing on a black and white TV when I first got my NES - Dr. Mario was weird until I finally got a color TV. I used to have dreams of finding old consoles in dumpsters. I also remember the closest I ever came to beating Zelda, my little brother tripped over the cords, knocked the NES over and reset it with a lot of lost progress. The Legend of Zelda is still my favorite videogame of all time. This is cool because I never had manuals or booklets - I always got my games used at pawn shops. And the only game guide I ever bought was the one for Ocarina of Time.. So a lot of the background story, lore, secrets, etc are new to me even though I've been playing this game for roughly 30 years... That feels strange to be able to say I've been doing _anything_ for 30 years.. I suppose I'm getting old.
@@NESComplex maybe another vid on the stuff u didnt add. Btw algorithm sucks and only now i knew of ur existence, totally subscribed. Thanks for the amazing info, especially the original lore. I knew the name changes and the origin of what the game wanted to be like, but the rest nope not a clue.
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.
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.
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!
@@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.
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 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!
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!
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!
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.
It blows my mind that 2 of the most iconic title screen songs of all time, The Zelda intro screen, and the Final Fantasy Prelude, were both composed in under 24 hours.
@@XX-121 Um. No. First off, Japan is much more strict about controlled substances. Second, believe it or not, there are creative people who don't need drugs to be creative.
@@knightshousegames LOL!!! no drugs in japan... LOL!!! you do realize that drugs are illegal here too, right? and the kamikaze pilots all took giant shots of methamphetamine before getting in the planes, right? they have a special name for it i forgot what it is. know about this nothing you do.. mmmm
@@knightshousegames lets just think back on the 1960's through the 1990's, some of the most creative times in human history, from music, to movies, to tech... with people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, George Lucas, quentin tarantino, bands like Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead all being massive LSD users, but hey the new "woke" star wars and "woke" terminator and "woke" ghostbusters are way better than the ORIGINALS. oh yeah and they AREN'T EVEN ORIGINAL. and your music is just SO much better these days. i'm just blown away by all this new ground breaking stuff coming out... give me a break kid. think about it, then come back and talk to me.
Koji Kondo is a fucking genius. And there’s no doubt he lifted that lick from Deep Purple, but as you said, it’s just ascending fours in an arpeggio. His work is more recognizable than Beethoven’s to most humans.
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!)
One of the best works you've produced yet, the quality and educational value of your videos are always A++ I truly hope one day you can make this your living
Thank you! And btw I did see your question about the figure... i tried to answer but you weren't on there anymore. Its called the Ultra Fine Detail UFD-177 fig. Bought it on eBay for about $50
@@NESComplex you’re so kind! I deleted it because I ended up finding one on eBay as well! (And you know I snatched it up! Haha) thanks for following up though, happy to support the channel and your endeavors!
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 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
@10:24 "The seemingly random shapes of the dungeons fit like puzzle pieces." I discovered this back in the day with a Game Genie code that allowed me to go above the top screen of Level 1 into the ending of Level 4 dungeon.
I can NOT tell you how much I LOVE this game I was in JR high when this came out I would go from school to my house and play this game NON stop to midnight and THEN do my homework. This game and FF7 my 2 favorite games of all times.
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.
The Zelda title screen music is one of the finest pieces of music ever composed.
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 😁
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.
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!
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!
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.
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
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~~~~
>°°
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.
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
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 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
Zelda on NES was the first game I ever played. And it cemented the love of gaming in me still 30 years later
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
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.
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
@@wheezesanchez5661 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
Really great trivia in this video. Didn't know the bit about Deep Purple, which is cool!
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!
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.
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.
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 🗞️📰
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.
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!
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 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....
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.
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.
“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 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!
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!
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.
Summoning Salt has met his match. You are a saint and a scholar.
Subscribed 2 minutes into your video.
Great professional work man, extremely underrated channel. Keep up the good work, we need you.
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
This was awesome! Such an enlightening video that gives me another incentive to replay a game I absolutely love. Shared!
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.
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!
Thanks, RUclips. I never would have found this gem of a channel on my own.
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! 😁
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
I know this is unrelated to the video, but I swear, whenever I'm thinking of NESComplex, I get a video uploaded the day after lol
That's really random... or maybe i'm timing everything according to your thoughts
5:46 I listened to this song all the while thinking "man, these guys should cover the Legend of Zelda< they'd crush it"
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.
I actually didn't know the bit about the whistle cancelling out the Bubble effect. Pretty dang cool!
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
Again, this channel is amazing!
The voice over is so well done, cadence and tone on point.
10/10 classic Nintendo content
This is the fastest notification I've jumped on in a long time.
Word
What Chris Koschik said... Word.
Me too!!!
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.
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
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?
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!
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
This game was made by passionate genius and it showed. So many people love this game and cherish the memories of playing it ❤❤❤
Really thorough video~ you put alot of effort into this. Awesome!
I always do... I want to do these games - my favorite games.- justice
Love your channel man, upload more for sure!
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....
The Tips and Tactics book was the first thing I remember buying with my own money. I think I was about 5 years old, and did some chores or something to earn the money. I played Zelda recently on my on my NES mini. Couldn't remember where the hell to go, died within a few mins. I need it back lol.
Yes yes yes! Please and thank you!
The main title theme music has always given me the chills - almost as far back as I can remember. I remember discovering The Legend of Zelda as a 5 or 6 year old in 1991 or 92 was so mystical. I remember the game Columns on Sega did the same - as did Ocarina of Time on N64 (which was the last Zelda game I've ever played - didn't have and couldn't afford the expansion to play Majora's Mask and that broke my focus on the franchise and the newer games just seemed foreign to me after that). I guess it's a time and place thing - like I had chickenpox around the time I got a Sega - which I eventually traded to my cousin for an SNES. I was still playing on a black and white TV when I first got my NES - Dr. Mario was weird until I finally got a color TV. I used to have dreams of finding old consoles in dumpsters. I also remember the closest I ever came to beating Zelda, my little brother tripped over the cords, knocked the NES over and reset it with a lot of lost progress. The Legend of Zelda is still my favorite videogame of all time. This is cool because I never had manuals or booklets - I always got my games used at pawn shops. And the only game guide I ever bought was the one for Ocarina of Time.. So a lot of the background story, lore, secrets, etc are new to me even though I've been playing this game for roughly 30 years... That feels strange to be able to say I've been doing _anything_ for 30 years.. I suppose I'm getting old.
This game has been in my life for decades, and I still learned new stuff from this video! Thanks NESComplex, your channel is awesome.
So glad to hear that! I'm sure theres more i missed... some i intentionally excluded because it was kinda weak
@@NESComplex maybe another vid on the stuff u didnt add. Btw algorithm sucks and only now i knew of ur existence, totally subscribed. Thanks for the amazing info, especially the original lore. I knew the name changes and the origin of what the game wanted to be like, but the rest nope not a clue.
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 my very first memory of a video game. I'll never forget it
Sweet
I love me some Legend of Zelda. This will be epic.
Zelda is the foundation of gaming for so many!
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.
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
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!
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.
I never played this game but still love to watch vids on it as it was still a part of my generation.
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.
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
It was the Legend Of Zelda that began my lifelong fandom of RPGs.
Truly, one of my favorite Nintendo game series. 🏰
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!
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.
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!
NESComplex drops are a must watch event
I mean... you're right... 😁 Seriously... thank you!!
I still remember talking about this game with friends during gym class in elementary school. Probably the most nostalgic game in my life.
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.
the original zelda theme still to this day gives me tingles when I hear it. childhood was awesome
That 80s artwork is so kino. Immediately invokes a feeling of adventure that never came through in the post NES era promo art.
as a kid watching Likelikes eat my shield terrified me.
Best video I've seen so far on Zelda 1. Nice job. Zelda fan since 1987.
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!!
It blows my mind that 2 of the most iconic title screen songs of all time, The Zelda intro screen, and the Final Fantasy Prelude, were both composed in under 24 hours.
that's back when LSD was almost as easy to get as weed. well, if you knew the right people anyway.
@@XX-121 Um. No.
First off, Japan is much more strict about controlled substances.
Second, believe it or not, there are creative people who don't need drugs to be creative.
@@knightshousegames LOL!!! no drugs in japan... LOL!!! you do realize that drugs are illegal here too, right? and the kamikaze pilots all took giant shots of methamphetamine before getting in the planes, right? they have a special name for it i forgot what it is.
know about this nothing you do.. mmmm
@@knightshousegames lets just think back on the 1960's through the 1990's, some of the most creative times in human history, from music, to movies, to tech... with people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, George Lucas, quentin tarantino, bands like Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead all being massive LSD users, but hey the new "woke" star wars and "woke" terminator and "woke" ghostbusters are way better than the ORIGINALS. oh yeah and they AREN'T EVEN ORIGINAL. and your music is just SO much better these days. i'm just blown away by all this new ground breaking stuff coming out... give me a break kid. think about it, then come back and talk to me.
Koji Kondo is a fucking genius. And there’s no doubt he lifted that lick from Deep Purple, but as you said, it’s just ascending fours in an arpeggio. His work is more recognizable than Beethoven’s to most humans.
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!)
One of the best works you've produced yet, the quality and educational value of your videos are always A++ I truly hope one day you can make this your living
Thank you! And btw I did see your question about the figure... i tried to answer but you weren't on there anymore. Its called the Ultra Fine Detail UFD-177 fig. Bought it on eBay for about $50
@@NESComplex you’re so kind! I deleted it because I ended up finding one on eBay as well! (And you know I snatched it up! Haha) thanks for following up though, happy to support the channel and your endeavors!
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
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).
I'm 40 now, I used to play this game when I was 10 and after all these years I just found out that you can save without killing Link.😪😪
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
This becoming my favorite gaming series on YT. Awesome job complex. You do such a fantastic job with these videos.
@10:24 "The seemingly random shapes of the dungeons fit like puzzle pieces." I discovered this back in the day with a Game Genie code that allowed me to go above the top screen of Level 1 into the ending of Level 4 dungeon.
That's awesome... must've blew your mind
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!!!
I can NOT tell you how much I LOVE this game I was in JR high when this came out I would go from school to my house and play this game NON stop to midnight and THEN do my homework. This game and FF7 my 2 favorite games of all times.
These are absolutely awesome. It's my new favorite thing on RUclips. Please please please add more. These are a gem!
Dude this is so insanely well made. I love this stuff.