The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past |
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The Triforce, a symbol of The Legend of Zelda series.
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| Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Shigeru Miyamoto (producer) Takashi Tezuka (director) |
| Series | The Legend of Zelda |
| Platform(s) | Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Satellaview, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console (Wii, Wii U, New Nintendo 3DS), Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online |
| Release date(s) | Super Nintendo Entertainment System:
Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online:
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| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is an exciting action-adventure video game made by Nintendo. It was first released for the Super Nintendo console. In Japan, it's known as Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce.
This game is the third one in the famous The Legend of Zelda series. However, its story actually happens before the first two games, The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. You play as a brave young hero named Link. Your mission is to rescue Princess Zelda and six other special maidens. They are in danger from the evil Ganon. To save them, Link needs to find and use the powerful Master Sword. The game received amazing reviews and is one of the best-selling Super Nintendo games ever!
Contents
Story of the Game
Where the Adventure Happens
A Link to the Past takes place in Hyrule. This is the main land in all The Legend of Zelda games. The game has two main worlds: the Light World and the Dark World.
The Light World looks like a normal, peaceful place. It has many familiar areas from other Zelda games. You'll explore Hyrule Castle, climb Death Mountain, wander through the Lost Woods, visit Lake Hylia, and walk around Kakariko Village. Most of Hyrule is covered in grass, but there are also deserts, forests, and villages.
The Dark World is a spooky, twisted version of Hyrule. It has very little grass and a huge pyramid in the middle. When people enter the Dark World, they change into a form that shows what's in their hearts. For example, Link turns into a cute pink bunny!
Main Characters
- Link - You play as Link, the hero of the story. He and his Uncle both hear Princess Zelda calling for help with her mind. Link then sets off to save her from Hyrule Castle.
- Princess Zelda - She is the princess of Hyrule. An evil wizard named Agahnim has captured her. Agahnim also killed the king.
- Ganon - He is the main bad guy in the game. Ganon is a huge pig monster known as the King of Evil. He used to be a man named Ganondorf, the King of Thieves. He turned the Golden Land into the evil Dark World. Now, he uses Agahnim to try and take over the Light World too.
- Agahnim - He is Ganon's most powerful helper. Ganon put him in charge of taking over the Light World. Agahnim's job is to trap the seven maidens, including Princess Zelda.
- The Seven Maidens - There are seven special maidens, and Princess Zelda is one of them. Agahnim traps them inside crystals in the Dark World. He leaves them guarded by Ganon's other helpers.
- Sahasrahla - This wise old man helps Link throughout his journey. He gives Link advice and guidance.
- Link's Uncle - Link's Uncle tries to save Princess Zelda first. But soldiers at Hyrule Castle hurt him badly. Before he dies, he gives Link his sword and shield. He tells Link to continue the mission.
Story Summary
The adventure begins with Link waking up to a mysterious voice. It's Princess Zelda! She's calling to him with her mind, asking for help. She needs to escape Hyrule Castle before the evil wizard Agahnim can trap her, just like he did to other maidens. Link's Uncle also hears the call and rushes off to save her.
Link follows his Uncle into the castle sewers. There, he finds his Uncle badly hurt. Link's Uncle gives him his sword and shield, telling Link to save Zelda. Link then breaks Zelda out of her cell. He leads her through a secret path to a safe sanctuary where she can hide.
An old man named Sahasrahla tells Link what he must do next. Link needs to find three special pendants: the Pendant of Power, the Pendant of Wisdom, and the Pendant of Courage. These pendants are hidden in three different dungeons. Once Link has them, he can break the seal on an ancient weapon, the legendary Master Sword.
Link bravely explores the Eastern Palace, the Desert Palace, and the Tower of Hera. He finds all three pendants. Then, he goes to the Lost Woods and pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal.
But before Link can get back to Zelda, she is kidnapped! Link confronts Agahnim and battles him. After their fight, Link and Agahnim are both pulled into the Dark World. Link finds himself on top of a huge pyramid.
Now, Link's new mission is to find seven crystals. Each crystal holds one of the seven maidens, including Zelda. He must rescue them all to reach Ganon's Tower. After saving the maidens, Link climbs to the top of the tower and battles Agahnim again. Link defeats Agahnim. Then, Ganon himself, in the form of a bat, flies out of Agahnim's body and into the Pyramid of Power.
Link follows Ganon to the pyramid. He battles the King of Evil using the Master Sword and special Silver Arrows. Finally, Link defeats Ganon! He finds the Triforce, a powerful artifact that Ganon used to make the Golden Land evil. Link uses the Triforce to wish everything back to normal and peaceful. After his quest, Link returns the Master Sword to its pedestal.
How to Play
A Link to the Past plays a lot like the first The Legend of Zelda game for the NES. You see the game from a bird's eye view, looking down on the action. This is different from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, which had a side-scrolling view.
You control Link, who always carries a sword and shield. He can also use many other items from older games, like a bow, a boomerang, and bombs. Link can have one other item ready to use at a time. You use these items to explore Hyrule, fight enemies, and solve tricky puzzles.
This game improved on the first The Legend of Zelda with better controls and cool new items. Some new items, like the Hookshot and Pegasus Boots, became popular and appeared in many future The Legend of Zelda games.
A big new feature in this game is traveling between two different worlds. This idea was used again in later games, like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, where Link travels through time. Link also has a magic meter, similar to Zelda II. He needs magic to use items like the Lantern and Ice Rod. Throughout Hyrule, you'll find many hidden items and Heart Pieces. Heart Pieces add to Link's health, making him stronger.
Link must explore Hyrule, fight different enemies, and find the dungeons. Some enemies are too strong for just a sword. The dungeons are full of puzzles that require Link to use his many items to solve them. In almost every dungeon, you'll find a Compass, a Dungeon Map, several Keys, a Big Key, and a special item unique to that dungeon. This special item is usually needed to defeat the dungeon's boss. The boss at the end of each dungeon is always different and much more powerful than regular enemies.
Music
Kōji Kondō, a famous musician who works for Nintendo, created the music for this game. Some of the songs from A Link to the Past were later used again in other games, like Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Re-releases
A Link to the Past has been released again several times on different game systems.
BS The Legend of Zelda: Kodai no Sekiban
This version of A Link to the Past was made for the Satellaview. The Satellaview was an add-on for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. This remake was called BS The Legend of Zelda: Kodai no Sekiban. It had a slightly different story and a few changes to the game world. It even had voice acting! This game was released in parts over four weeks, with new quests each week.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & The Four Swords
A Link to the Past was also released for the Game Boy Advance. This version was called The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & The Four Swords. It included a slightly changed version of A Link to the Past. It also came with a new game called Four Swords, which was only for multiplayer (meaning more than one person could play together). The Game Boy Advance version of A Link to the Past added a new dungeon called The Palace of the Four Sword. The graphics in Four Swords looked similar to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
Later, on September 28, 2011, an updated Four Swords game was released. It was called The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition. You could get it on Nintendo's DSiWare service. This new version included a single-player mode and more areas to explore.
Images for kids
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An area in the Light World (top), and the same found in the Dark World (bottom)
See also
In Spanish: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past para niños
