Daily Debate: What is The Best Way to Experience Zelda Games from Previous Generations?
Posted on February 15 2022 by Andrew Millard
More than most long-running series, I think Zelda fans of all ages get their start with older games. I used to be able to guess how old a fellow fan might be based on what game they played first. Not anymore.
This got me thinking: How do you best like to experience games that were released on older hardware?
Fans must make that decision a lot these days, since the possibilities could just about fill a roadside diner’s menu. The first time the choice was presented to me, it was possible to pull out my family’s old SNES and hook it up to a TV when CRT sets were still the norm. I plunked down a copy of A Link to The Past, and away I went. Now, however, I haven’t kept such a beast for playing retro games. Not that it matters too much. If I feel like taking another crack at The Adventure of Link, I have at least three ways to get at it. None of which require legacy tech.
Aside from digging into the world of retro gaming and its myriad consoles and emulators, at least a handful of mainstream ways to play old Zelda exist. There’s the obvious way Nintendo would prefer: the Nintendo Switch Online service. If not, I’m sure they’d also like for you to play any of the rereleases available on past handhelds, or their NES and SNES Classic Editions systems. Or maybe, you’d rather experience the original Legend of Zelda by proxy? You could take in a YouTube let’s play, long play, or even watch your favorite streamer tackle it.
So which is it for you? What do you think is the best way to experience old Zelda games? If you have a retro gaming setup, what’s in it? Tell us all about your adventures in Hyrules of old down in the comments!
Andrew is a writing teacher in the American Upper Midwest. He has been playing Zelda games since 1990.
