Blast from the Past: 2003
Classic Gamecube title tribute to Zelda
By: Jason Hand
Issue date: 10/14/05 Section: Entertainment
Originally published: 10/14/05 at 3:48 AM EST
Last update: 10/14/05 at 3:48 AM EST
Originally published: 10/14/05 at 3:48 AM EST
Last update: 10/14/05 at 3:48 AM EST
Nintendo has been shelling out hits and chart-toppers since 1977. Though their Color TV Game 6 and the now famous Game & Watch series were highly successful, the Kyoto-based corporation would not reach legendary status until 1977, when a certain arcade game artist showed up at its doorstep. That artist was Shigeru Miyamoto. He began with Donkey Kong, an epic man-versus-beast game that would eventually produce one of Nintendo's most recognizable characters.
In 1985, when the Nintendo Entertainment System hit U.S. shores, Miyamoto struck gold again after his brainchild, Mario, stomped on a few Koopas' backs and became one of the greatest video game icons of our time.
But 1986 was the year when a "legend" was born. Miyamoto followed up Mario with The Legend of Zelda, the classic tale of a young wanderer who fights off an evil thief to save the princess of the kingdom of Hyrule. Since then this wanderer, named Link, has appeared in ten sequels, each more intriguing than the last.
The Zelda series became so popular that Nintendo decided to dust off four of Link's hottest adventures, meld them onto one disc and call it The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition. Released in 2003 for the Gamecube, the title showcases the original Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. The first two were released on the NES in 1986 and 1987 while the last ones came in 1998 and 2000. Zelda and Zelda II play exactly as fans remember. The Overworld caverns, Underworld dungeons items are all there. Who could forget enemies like Stalfos, Moblins, Oktoroks, Ganon and even Dark Link, who all make their appropriate appearances. The graphics and sound are also represented well in this collector's edition; it couldn't be more accurate to the original games.
Ocarina and Majora's Mask are pretty much similar to their Nintendo 64 products, except inconsistencies over the sound have been noted for the latter. The former was cited for its lack of lens flares whenever the player makes Link look at the sun. But above all, both games play the same as on the N64, but now a player is using a Gamecube controller. The yellow C-Stick takes the place of the original four C buttons of the N64 controller, which could make switching from one item to another easier.
Zelda: Collector's Edition also contains a 20-minute demo of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, where one can try out a dungeon level or start off on one of the many islands featured in the game. One can even find the titular item and learn how to play a song with it.
No, it doesn't have A Link to the Past or Link's Awakening on it, but The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition contains enough nostalgic action to keep even the biggest Zelda nut busy for days. However, if one has ALTTP, Awakening, Wind Waker and the two Game Boy Color titles Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons on hand, they will be able to play the entire Zelda series on their Gamecube, provided they have a Game Boy Player adapter to do so. In short, the legend still blazes!
In 1985, when the Nintendo Entertainment System hit U.S. shores, Miyamoto struck gold again after his brainchild, Mario, stomped on a few Koopas' backs and became one of the greatest video game icons of our time.
But 1986 was the year when a "legend" was born. Miyamoto followed up Mario with The Legend of Zelda, the classic tale of a young wanderer who fights off an evil thief to save the princess of the kingdom of Hyrule. Since then this wanderer, named Link, has appeared in ten sequels, each more intriguing than the last.
The Zelda series became so popular that Nintendo decided to dust off four of Link's hottest adventures, meld them onto one disc and call it The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition. Released in 2003 for the Gamecube, the title showcases the original Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. The first two were released on the NES in 1986 and 1987 while the last ones came in 1998 and 2000. Zelda and Zelda II play exactly as fans remember. The Overworld caverns, Underworld dungeons items are all there. Who could forget enemies like Stalfos, Moblins, Oktoroks, Ganon and even Dark Link, who all make their appropriate appearances. The graphics and sound are also represented well in this collector's edition; it couldn't be more accurate to the original games.
Ocarina and Majora's Mask are pretty much similar to their Nintendo 64 products, except inconsistencies over the sound have been noted for the latter. The former was cited for its lack of lens flares whenever the player makes Link look at the sun. But above all, both games play the same as on the N64, but now a player is using a Gamecube controller. The yellow C-Stick takes the place of the original four C buttons of the N64 controller, which could make switching from one item to another easier.
Zelda: Collector's Edition also contains a 20-minute demo of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, where one can try out a dungeon level or start off on one of the many islands featured in the game. One can even find the titular item and learn how to play a song with it.
No, it doesn't have A Link to the Past or Link's Awakening on it, but The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition contains enough nostalgic action to keep even the biggest Zelda nut busy for days. However, if one has ALTTP, Awakening, Wind Waker and the two Game Boy Color titles Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons on hand, they will be able to play the entire Zelda series on their Gamecube, provided they have a Game Boy Player adapter to do so. In short, the legend still blazes!
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