The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is an action-adventure game and the third installment in the popular Zelda series.
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Story & Themes
Though it's the third game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past occurs chronologically before its two predecessors. The game begins with Link receiving a telepathic message from Princess Zelda who implores him to rescue her from the dungeons of Hyrule Castle. He sets out to do just that, running into his uncle who is preparing to head to the castle himself in order to defend the kingdom from the wizard usurper Agahnim. Link follows after his uncle, later finding him near death at the dungeons. His uncle gives Link his sword and shield, urging him to save the princess which he does, freeing her from the prison cell.
Together, Link and Zelda escape through the sewers and arrive at a sanctuary where a man tells them that Agahnim is planning to free Ganon from the Dark World. The only force that can defeat him in the Master Sword, and so Link travels through Hyrule collecting three medallions which will allow him to wield the sword. However, the Sanctuary is attacked right when Link is about to draw the Master Sword from its resting place, and, rushing back, he finds that Agahnim has spirited Zelda away to the Dark World. Link and Agahnim fight, but the latter sends him to the Dark World as well.
Trapped, Link embarks an the second leg of his quest, seeking the Seven Sages who, with their combined powers, allow him access to Agahnim at Ganon's Tower. After defeating both Agahnim and Ganon, Link is finally able to restore the Dark World and Hyrule to their original, unblemished states.
Save Points
In Link to the Past, there are two main ways of saving, neither of which are particularly convenient if players only wish to play the game for short intervals of time. The first is via dying as the game always offers players the chance to save after they have died, and the second is to "Save & Quit" which, as the name suggests, will close the game as well as save it.
Difficulty
The Legend of Zelda series was always meant to be family friendly; however, players new to the games might find A Link to the Past a bit challenging as it doesn't offer the features most players are used to such as autosaving or a tip system.
Heads Up!
Violence The game features mild fantasy violence that is not likely to offend.
Discrimination Princess Zelda is one of the forerunners of the damsel in distress trope as it applies to video games. Throughout the game, she's rescued multiple times and doesn't have much in the way of agency or character development.
Conversation Starters
- What do you think of the role Princess Zelda plays in the game? Why do you think the series is called The Legend of Zelda?
- How do you think this game acts as a prequel for the first and second games? Where do you think Ganon came from originally?
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