Contributed by Jonah Gregory
Editor-in-Chief
WingDamage.com
Like most guys that have hit the big three-oh, my love affair with the Legend of Zelda series started with the original NES game. Hours of exploration and school yard discussions culminated in the completion of the game months into playing it. The second entry was a bizarre step in the eyes of me and my fellow grade school gamers, though we did know that one kid who to this day claims it is his favorite.
Years later, with a SNES in the hands of my best friend Tim, we were able to experience the sequel we had always dreamed of in the form of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. A week’s allowance could rent a game much more effectively than it could buy new games, and we knew we were going to have to rent this one. A lot.
Tim had already rented it the weekend before he came along with my family on a camping trip, before I had a chance to play it. Sure, the trip was fun and all, but it only built my anticipation further. His tales of misty forests, elaborate dungeons and giant boss fights upped my excitement for the game tenfold.
When we returned from the trip, I was thankfully able to try the A Link to the Past for myself. I was not disappointed. Finally, the huge game world and sense of adventure that my friend had so vividly described were being realized.
We were barely into the Dark World when we had to return our game to the local rental store (this was back when locally-owned stores still reigned). When Tim and I rented Zelda again a few weeks later, we were faced with a startling realization; every time we rented it we’d be forced to start over.
The initial stages went a lot quicker this time. We already knew how to solve the first four dungeons and we could skip all the dialog, but eventually we reached a point where we were completely stuck. We wrote in to Nintendo Power, since the hint lines were so dang expensive. About a month later, we received a typed letter from one of their Pro Gamer Experts with detailed hints on how to proceed. This cycle was repeated over and over again until finally, one day, Nintendo Power had an offer we couldn’t refuse. New subscriptions came with a copy of the A Link to the Past strategy guide.
Tim gave in and finally bought the game, and I subscribed to Nintendo Power for the guide (it was about the same price as buying the guide by itself). We decided we would only use it when we absolutely had to on that first playthrough. We could always employ it to help with a 100% completion later. And finally, after months of playing off and on and having to restart countless times, we were able to vanquish the evil Ganon and bring peace to Hyrule.
It was a heckuva lot of fun and one of the best collaborative gaming experiences I can remember, especially for a single player game.
Life marches on, and sometimes it is incredibly cruel. Tim passed away from Leukemia when we were both 23. We had known each other since we were 4 years old, and gaming was always a huge part of our friendship. We played through a lot of video games together, but the ones that really stand out for me are the titles we collaborated on to finish.
Now when I see that familiar sprite work and hear those amazing melodies and memorable sound effects in A Link to the Past, I am reminded of some great times I had as a kid with someone who really meant a lot to me in my life.
Am I tearing up a little while I type this? Sure. But I thought it was a memory worth sharing.
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