| Zelda no Densetsu: The Hyrule Fantasy |
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- For other games in the series, see The Legend of Zelda. For the NES/Famicom versions, see The Legend of Zelda (NES).
Zelda no Densetsu (lit. The Legend of Zelda) is an adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. In the game, you play as Link, a Hyrulian boy, and your mission is to save Princess Zelda from the evil clutches of Ganon. On top of that, you must collect all nine pieces of the Triforce that have been scattered around the dungeons of Hyrule.
The game is played from a top-down perspective. The player moves Link around the screen using the D-pad. You press A for Link's main attack, the sword (after getting it from the old man, of course) as well as an auxiliary item with the B button which you collect later in the game. These auxiliary items can range from bombs, arrows, candles, and other items used to help Link on his quest, each with special functions. For example, the bombs can open up hidden passages both on the overworld and dungeons. The arrows allow Link to attack long-range when his health is less-than-full (in which case, he cannot use the sword), but be careful, as they cost rupees (the game's currency). The candles can light dark areas in the dungeons so that Link can see the way. The boomerang can stun enemies for a short period of time. Link can also find heart containers, both in the overworld and in the dungeons, which increase his life capacity. Killing enemies in either area can reward Link with items such as rupees, hearts, or even a clock which permanently disables enemies until Link leaves the screen. In the dungeons, Link can find a map, which shows a map of the current dungeon. These reveal that all the dungeons are in a certain shape. Some of these shapes include a snake's head, a skull, and even a manji.
The Famicom Disk System version of the game is identical to its NES counterpart, except is in Japanese text (katakana) and one of the enemies, the Pols Voice, found throughout the dungeons of the game, can be killed by simply yelling into the second Famicom controller's microphone. In addition, the Disk System's expansion audio allows for enhanced music and sound effects.
Zelda no Densetsu is a series that still carries on to this day, and is one of the most successful franchises in video game history. The game received very positive reviews from players and critics alike, praising the game for its story, addictive gameplay, graphics, and audio.
Screenshots
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The title screen.
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Registering a name on the main menu.
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"It's too dangerous to go alone!"
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Link fighting octoroks on the overworld.
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Battling the Aquamentus, the boss of the first dungeon.
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Grabbing the first piece of the triforce.
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Music
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VGMPF Album Art 
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Zelda no Densetsu features one of the most iconic soundtracks in history. While the music is simplistic in its scope, as to be expected from an early title for the system, the music still fits the game's theme. The overworld theme sounds brave and adventurous, urging Link to press on. The underworld theme is ominous and spooky with its tri-tone sounds. Death Mountain's theme sets an ominous tone with its flattened fifths. If there is any flaw against the music, it is that there isn't enough; all of the dungeons have the same theme, and since the player is likely to spend a lot of time in them, the tune can get irritating. The song titles come from the Famicom 20th Anniversary - Original Sound Tracks, Vol.1 album, but some of the shorter jingles were never officially released. All of the game's music and sound effects were written by Nintendo's in-house composer Koji Kondo of Super Mario Bros. fame. However, The Legend of Zelda is also one of his best known soundtracks, and Kondo still works on the series to this day.
The Famicom Disk System version takes advantage of its RP2C33 expansion audio, allowing for an extra channel of wavetable synthesis. While it is usually used in this game for sound effects, a few of the songs and fanfares use it as well. Some of the songs that only use the Famicom's RP2A03 have also been slightly altered. For example, When Zelda Is Rescued Fanfare plays slightly slower than the NES version, and Death Mountain BGM plays a few bass notes before the main song starts.
To create the game's audio, Koji entered the music, most likely in 6502 assembly macros into his own sound driver, and most likely composed on a piano or keyboard. While Kondo originally wanted to use Maurice Ravel's Bolero, the song was still copyrighted at the time of the game's release, so Kondo was forced to write his own original theme, which still is one of the most iconic songs in video game history, just like Super Mario Bros. Kondo stated for Super Mario Bros. he would play the game during development to get ideas for the music, and so it is most likely he used the same method for this game.
Recording
Credits
(Source, alias verified by composer)
The game displays credits after the game is completed. Besides the font change, the credits are the same as the NES version. Koji Kondo has identified himself as the composer for this game.
Albums
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1986-05-25
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1994-06-22
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2003-12-10
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2004-01-07
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2004-04-04
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2004-04-28
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2004-12-22
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2010-07-18
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Game Rip
The NSFE rip is missing some tracks that can be found in the NSF rip. Ripping NES music is a very arduous process that is beyond the scope of this site.
Releases
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| Title: |
THE HYRULE FANTASY ゼルダの伝説 (Famicom) (The Hyrule Fantasy: The Legend of Zelda) |
| Platform: |
Famicom |
| Released: |
1994-02-19 |
| Publisher: |
Nintendo Co., Ltd. |
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Links
