If any one game has stayed true to itself over the years, it would have to be The Legend of Zelda franchise (excluding maybe the second NES title). Even now, looking at the follow ups like A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Oracles of Seasons/Ages and even the 3D versions, you'll find numerous similarities to the original title that started it all 17 years ago; namely The Legend of Zelda.

Now, with Nintendo's Classic NES Series of games (which also includes Excitebike, the original Super Mario Bros., The Adventures of Link and more) gamers can have a major trip of nostalgia and play the game that started it all, or you can play for the first time one of the most cherished games ever. The story here is just about the same as it is in the future installments; Princess Zelda has been captured by the evil warlord Ganon and he's thrown a village into darkness, in this case Hyrule. Whilst the game doesn't offer any story sequences (we don't actually see Hyrule as it was before Ganon attacked, either) you can get some info from the game's manual, much like you might've done 17 years ago. Throughout the game you'll explore a monster infested Hyrule and make your way through a number of dungeons to find the broken pieces of one of gaming's most recognizable symbols: the Triforce.

This is a direct port of the NES version, meaning all the sounds and graphics come intact. For a game as old as it is, it doesn't actually fare too badly in the graphics department. However, as with the original game all those years ago, expect a lot of slowdown when too many enemies are on the screen at once. The game actually looks very good on the GBA screen and there is no stretching on the Advance like you may find in Oracle of Seasons/Ages or Link's Awakening, as this was a direct port to the GBA.

The sound will undoubtedly bring back a lot of memories if you played the original game. You'll probably be humming along with the catchy classic music or be irritated to no end by the constant beeping when you're down to only one heart. Veterans of Zelda who mastered this game will breeze through it easily, perhaps in one day even, but people who haven't played it either at all or in a very long time will be sucked in for quite a while by the game's challenging dungeons and finding all there is to collect. There is also a second mode once the first is completed, throwing you back into Hyrule but with different dungeon layouts and moved items.

Whether you've played this game on the original NES or not, it's still a very good addition to your collection, especially for Zelda fans or collectors. Whilst it isn't as good as the other traditional Zelda games and lacks many of their features, this is the one that started it all and it is indeed a very enjoyable game. The graphics hold up well but are not incredible, of course. The sound is loveable, especially the music and the title remains incredibly challenging at some points. The Legend of Zelda is one of the only games in the Classic NES Collection worth the price tag and will make a great addition to any GBA owner's collection.

Reviewed by Christopher Martin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).