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I've only played/beaten the original once, so I found this mod when looking for a QoL improvement to go through the base game with. In that sense, this is just what I was looking for. It's great that the author included optional patches to tweak things around depending on how "vanilla" of an experience you wanted. Personally, the default which adjusted the swing and showed bombable/burnable objects was a welcome addition since I'd prefer to not look up things or waste my time trying to bomb/burn everything. It was so good that I felt motivated enough to go through the 2nd quest with this one!

Zelda 1 has aged poorly, this hack manages to improve wonderfully. I loved the new graphics for the entrances to the caves and being able to use arrows without spending rupees like in the rest of the saga.

Excuse me for the bad English of google translate

This is a great hack, and I just completed the first quest. It adds quite a lot of quality of life improvements.

Being able to carry more bombs, and being able to tell where destructible objects are means less time going to a shop or farming for more bombs. Although it does lead to less surprises.

Arrows being a separate resource now instead of using Rupee's as ammunition is certainly one of the best changes, although now you can carry many more Rupee's, although I'm not sure of what the new maximum is.

Being able to save from the inventory menu is fantastic, and being able to resume with your current HP is also very nice.

I really like how the overworld map now fills in, and with detail! It makes navigating much easier.

The sword swipe, as opposed to the default stab, is also rather nice. It makes certain enemies a bit easier as well, since you now get a hitbox above you if you're facing left or right. This can make it a bit easier to hit the Darknuts, and even the Wizrobes (although they're both still quite formidable).

Overall a fresh way to play Zelda 1 without diluting the original experience.

Zelda 1 is one of my all time favorite games, I like it more than most contemporary Zelda games. I was a bit skeptical about some of the changes being made, but there's thankfully so many optional patches that allow you to undo some of those changes.

I don't like how all the secret bombable walls and burnable trees are not secret anymore because of the not-so-subtle new graphics used to indicate them. But I didn't have to play with that. I was also able to remove that annoying low health beep in favor of a low pitch heart-beat like sound. There's also new graphics, some of which I like some of which I don't. I just opted to go back to vanilla graphics.

The main patch adds a wide slashing arc, kind of like the Zelda games on Game Boy. I was very skeptical about this but decided to give it a chance, and it didn't really feel like it left Link open because of how fast the slash is, and it also doesn't feel like it's too broken despite covering a much wider area in front of Link. You still have to be very careful and calculating in your movement and your strikes or you will take damage.

Arrows are also a resource rather than something fueled by your rupees. This was undoubtedly a good change.

Other QOL improvements include faster text from NPCs and heart-filling from potions and fairy fountains that will immobilize Link for as long as the original game, the ability to swap items with the press of select, the ability to save from the start menu and the wonderful auto map function.

This is very well likely going to be my new default way to play the game now, customized to my taste. It can appeal to people who are pretty close to purists but don't mind a few enhancements, and it can also be the best bet to make someone who always had trouble getting into this game have a good time with it, thought it's not going to be a miracle cure, you still have to explore and use your wits and brain power to find the way to the next dungeon, and you're still going to have to learn how the enemies function to stand a chance not getting your health sapped quickly, and learn which enemies are likely to drop certain items. But it's definitely a lot more approachable in this form to younger fans or players that aren't as into the quirks of retro games.

Patches used: "Retranslation Redux," "Full Health After Death," "Full Health At Start," "Link's Awakening GFX," "Rearranged Bosses," and "Recolored Dungeons"

• Review:*

There's no sugarcoating it, so I'm just going to come out and say that playing Zelda 1 in its vanilla state is a lost cause in the modern era. Cryptic hints, indiscernible room placements, and a general lack of any progress or direction (not to mention the repetitive music track selection and the chunky, simplistic art style) hold Zelda 1 back at every step from being a worthwhile title.

Now, the music and graphics are result of the limitations of an early NES release and can be overlooked by any retro gamer worth their salt. The other, less-excusable aspects of Zelda 1 make it hard for even the most die-hard of 2D Zelda fans to return to. As Mark Twain once said (perhaps paraphrased): "A classic is something that everybody wants to have [played] and nobody wants to [play]," with 'everybody' in this situation being a sizeable amount of gamers who haven't touched this title since they played it on release in 1986. Fortunately, I didn't find the Nostalgia Goggles in Zelda 1's beginning cave (only the wooden sword), so I had to look online instead for any hope of making Zelda 1 worthwhile.

You know what? There *is* something Zelda 1 brings to the table, even today, and that's its fans. One team of fans in particular, led by ShadowOne333, worked on and released a project in early 2022 that would revitalize Zelda 1 in ways I didn't even know were possible. That project would come to be known as "The Legend of Zelda Redux."

A retranslation makes hints comprehendible to new players, a new mini-map makes getting lost a thing of the past, the added diagonal sword swipe makes combat less brutal, and the addition of subtle distinctions to breakable/burnable blocks trivialized the former tedium of Zelda 1's trial and error flaws. I was also treated to an optional graphical overhaul of the game, with the majority of the player, enemy, and item sprites taken from Link's Awakening, and the environmental set-pieces getting a makeover to match. This combination of upgrades was like a steroid boost to Zelda 1, breathing new life into a title otherwise relegated to the archives of gaming history.

With the Quality of Life Changes introduced by the Redux project (some not even mentioned above), I was able to naturally progress through Zelda 1 with minimal guide usage, fully completing the game in just over 4 hours. The Redux hack allowed me to overcome the hurdles of the vanilla experience and focus on Zelda 1's strengths of nonlinear exploration and item progression.

That all being said, is this the first game new players should check out in the Zelda series? No. However, enthusiastic players who have tried and enjoyed other 2D titles in the series can still find a fair amount of fun in Zelda 1 (Redux), as I did. The host of QoL changes help this title age a little more gracefully, minimizing aimless wandering, refining the combat system a little more, and bringing the visuals in-line with the charming art style of the Gameboy Zelda titles. Zelda 1 is now enjoyable enough to spend an afternoon or two on, and served as an interesting journey through one of gaming history's most influential titles.

This is by far the only way to experience Zelda 1 outside of the base game. But, I have a suggestion for it and Zelda II Redux: An optional patch based on the recent ones that have Link and Zelda switch places so that she's playable in her namesake games. Other than that, LoZ Redux is a very good hack, perhaps one of the best Legend of Zelda 1 ROM Hacks.

I didn't like the original for its obtuse outdated stuff, so this redux sounded like a great idea. A lot of great quality of life features were added, each of them improving the gameplay bit by bit. However, even with these awesome patches, it's clear that Zelda 1 simply can't be fixed. If the tedious parts are gone, it's still pretty bland. The concept is awesome, but the execution is very lacking. It makes me sad to see this game was never officially remade. So much cool stuff can be done with the open nature of this game.

This breeds new life into a game I've beaten a hundred times, just like a good hack should do.

I've added the Zelda sprite patch, to further spice it up, and it seems to be working fine.

I especially like the sword swing and the new map.

Why do the octoroks have squinty eyes? It looks off to me. Other than that, I see no issues. I plan on beating the whole game as Zelda with this patch, so I'll come back and add something if I think of it.

I don't know what deranged and absolutely insane person would ever want to have the old quirks of the original NES version. This hack fixes EVERY single flaw of the original game, no map, no new QoL change or new feature made this game lose it's ball-kicking difficulty. Unless your eyes are burnt out of the nostalgia blindness of the "challenge" and "essence" of basically needing a guide to play the game properly because of the lack of maps and good indicators of where to go, this is the best and ONLY version you should play and no version shall ever surpass this one. And all that harsh commentary comes from a diehard fan of the series and the vanilla version of the first game, whose flaws become more apparent by the passage of time...

...but I'm not personally fond of some of them and would prefer they be made optional for those that might not want them. Here are the changes I didn't care for:

• Relocalization of the game's script to better match the Japanese release, or have better hints altogether

• Automap Plus, "but modify it to have 1/4 heart decrements instead of 1/8" (not sure what that means, therefore I'm skeptical about it. That automap feature by itself is definately a plus though)

• Change the duplicate bosses in Level 4 and 7 (Gleeok and Aquamentus) to Lanmola and Patra respectively

• Have 999 rupees as the maximum amount, instead of 255

• Add a proper arrow enemy-drop item and an arrow counter

• Be able to kill the Pols Voice by playing the flute (makes them feel too easy to kill tbh; sure I can still use arrows, but if the flute option's there then there's no point)

Other than those, I'm really interested in everything else for the most part.

Hands down the best way to play Zelda 1 whether you're a regular or a newcomer. This hack aims to polish the game as much as possible and add quality of life features. It does just that, all without altering the original challenge. This hack isn't an easier difficulty type of hack which is fine. Though if you aren't a fan of challenging games, this hack won't help you there. (For new players, I recommend searching for rupees to get the blue ring asap or use a cheat for infinite rupees and go straight for the blue ring. Then going for heart pieces and getting the white sword before going through any dungeons. Not getting the blue ring is gonna result in a frustrating time for any newcomer.)

Now some things I like about this hack. I love how bushes have hints to show which ones can be burned. My memory of this game tends to get hazy and this helps me remember some of the rupee locations. I also like how cracks are shown on walls in the overworld and in dungeons. However, the downside to that is you end up finding the old man who takes your rupees a lot more often. My advice is to memorize a few rupee locations and only bomb those few walls and ignore the rest. you don't need to blow up every wall in the game to beat it. Also the other downside to wall cracks is in dungeons, it tends to make them quicker than it normally would have since I'm now taking shortcut paths. But it definitely helps with finding the bomb bag upgrades.

The diagonal sword swing feels great. It really helps modernize the game and addresses one of my gripes with the original game. It does make combat a tad bit easier but that's okay, enemies still hit hard.

I love how arrows have their own drops. I never used to use arrows before when they consumed rupees instead. Enemies seem to drop a lot of arrows which makes it easy to defeat enemies from far. The bow does feel a bit OP in the first two or three dungeons but it gets outclassed later on.

The HUD touches and the built-in world map are a nice improvement over the original. I usually don't get lost much but it's still nice to have. Even the new enemy sprites look better. I like how the rings now resemble tunics which makes much more sense.

Overall it's a definitive Zelda 1 experience that I would recommend to all players of this game. You don't have to settle for the original unpolished game anymore. You would not want to go back ever again. There's literally a ton of optional patches to customize your own experience so there's nothing to really complain about. The dev is always adding more optional patches over time for us users. Not many rom hackers do that so it's super appreciated. This hack deserves to be celebrated along with the other Zelda redux hacks that ShadowOne has created. He put in a lot of work into this hack and finally comes the times when it is fully released. As a major Zelda fan, I'm in love with the fact that I can enjoy these games in better ways these days. Be sure to check out the other Zelda redux hacks! Kudos to the dev for this wonderful improvement hack.

I love this hack! It makes tiny changes which to me are mostly are hard to notice but give me a feeling of an overall much better game.

I played the original for the first time back in probably '86. Since then I've tried beating it from time to time without success, getting frustrated about needing to bomb the right walls, burn the right bushes, not getting the right clues, ending up giving up at level 6.

With this hack I beat it in 3 evenings and with 7 game overs, which to me as a retro gamer in his early 40's, is just a perfect gaming experience, not too easy, not too hard, some challenge yet not unfair or too frustrating.

The only negative I can think of is that it may kill any ambition Nintendo may or may not have making an official remaster.

A big thank you to all the people making this remaster possible!

I needed to write this review partially because this is an amazing hack and partially because I need to vent. I didn't grow up with the challenge of NES games. As someone who got into retro gaming later in life, you purists need to keep in mind a few things. 1) these games were cryptic back in the day just so you'd shell out more of your parents cash to buy strategy guides, 2) these games were challenging NOT because you were special children who could handle such difficult challenges, but because of the following equations: hardware limitations + nintendo's corporate deadlines = a hard game. A hard game + loads of free time as a child = You spending a bunch of hours on nintendo as a kid and now, as a grown adult, feeling some weird moral superiority over people enjoying your beloved game in a different way. Many purists dish on this hack for making the game "too easy." Well, it sets the difficulty just right for my contemporary tastes. Adding a map, select button functionality, visible hints, and ESPECIALLY the diagonal sword swing are all welcome additions in my book. This hack breathes new life into a dated game, but it aggravates me to no end seeing grown men whining about these tiny details, when shadowone333 and all the other hackers involved put in a lot of charitable forethought, time, and dedication to refurbish this game. If you don't like certain aspects of this hack, you can literally customize it with a dozen different patches to remove those QoL changes. They didn't have to do that, but they did and it was a nice feature. But if you're a still not happy with that, literally just stop coming to this website all together. Just play on the original hardware with the original game. These programmers are die hard fans and gave us a cool gift FOR FREE. Please show some appreciation, that's all I'm saying.

I love how customizable the gaming experience is with all of the optional patches included in this hack. I took advantage of the option to eliminate the beeping noise for low hearts. That alone would make this hack worth it, but all the QOL features don't go astray. Being able to see bombable walls and burnable bushes made the experience engaging rather than tedious. Starting after a continue with full hearts also removes an aspect of tedium from the game. I wholeheartedly recommend this hack to anyone who wants to play the original Zelda game for the first time.

Not a true "purist" here, I still want faster text speed, item toggling, manual saving, being able to start saves with amount of hearts last saved with, and some graphical tweaks are nice, plus an optional automap patch (so I can have 1 automap Redux rom and 1 with no automap.)

Other than that, I'd prefer options to have everything else intact, and this hack still doesn't make many other gameplay changes optional, which is a shame for someone who really appreciated all the old quirks of Zelda 1. Therefore I can't really recommend it for everyone, only people who felt the original gameplay was flawed.

I planned to just check out a little bit of this hack, but the experience was so enjoyable that I ended up at the end of Dungeon 5 and decided to go the rest of the way with it. While there are still a few glitches to work out, mainly due to the overworld automap, the rest of this gives such a great quality of life upgrade to the original Zelda that you'll never go back. You already know this hack is great though, so let me review a few of the optional hacks:

• Bluer Tunic - no harm, no foul. Use if it you want to, skip it if you don't.
• Full Health at Start - This one was interesting, because it doesn't work with continues. You get full health, but you HAVE to start back on the first screen. I give it a thumbs up.
• Remove Low Health Beep - a godsend.
• Rearranged Bosses - I'm going to give this one a no. The bosses were re-arranged, but the rooms were not. This led to some pretty awkward battles. I appreciate the idea of this, but more work needs to go into it.
• Recoloured Dungeons - No. Do not use this one. The floor color of Dungeon 4 is the same as the wood sword, so unless you got the white sword, you'll be playing with an invisible weapon in this dungeon. I also had a hard time picking out Link's red tunic from the blood red color of Death Mountain. They are very similar.

This is a fantastic hack that really gives the classic title a wonderful set of upgrades. There's also a gang of great options so you can customize until your heart is content!

For those following the author's work, it's no surprise that this is by far the ultimate version of Zelda 1.

It's the streamlined version we've been waiting for in every way, both aesthetically and mechanically.

I'll never go back to the unpatched original after playing this.

This is a very wonderful rendition! Like the other reviewer before me, I don't see myself playing the original over this!

I highly recommend everyone to slap this patch onto their ROM and play it!