The Legends of Hyrule
To set the stage for this adventure of the legendary Hero of Hyrule, it
will be informative to delve into the Triforce myth, an ancient epic
about the creation of the world that is still believed in the land of
Hyrule. Every culture has such myths and theories about the creation
of their worlds, and it can be beneficial and entertaining to examine
them in detail, for they often affect the present day social structure.
The legends say the mythical gods of Hyrule had as their chosen
people the Hylia. These ancient people left scrolls that are the
primary source of the legends.
The Creation Of Hyrule
According to the Hylian scrolls, the mythical gods descended from a
distant nebula to the world and created order and life. The
God of Power dyed the mountains red with fire and created land. The
God of Wisdom created science and wizardry and brought order to
nature. And the God of Courage, through justice and vigor, created life
- the animals that crawl the land and the birds that soar in the sky.
After the gods had finsihed their work, they left the world, but not
before creating a symbol of their strength, a golden triangle known as
the Triforce. A small but powerful portion of the essence of the gods
was held in this mighty artifact, which was to guide the intelligent life
on the world of Hyrule.
Although it was an inanimate object, the Triforce had the power to
bestow three titles which gave the person who received them great
powers: "The Forger of Strength", "The Keeper of Knowledge", and
"The Juror of Courage". From its hiding place in the so-called Golden
Land where the Gods placed it, the Triforce beckoned people from the
outside world to seek it in the hope that someone worthy of these
titles would find it.
With their magic infused blood, the Hylian people were endowed with
psychic powers and skill in wizardry. It was also said that their long,
pointed ears enabled them to hear special messages from the gods, so
they were heldin high esteem by many people in Hyrule. Their
descendants settled in various parts of the world and passed on their
knowledge and magical lore to all people. But in its passing, the lore
was often distorted or lost altogether.
Gates To The Golden Land
In Hyrule, there are many Hylian buildings which are mentioned
repeatedly in the legends. These buildings, which now lie in ruin, pale
shadows of their former splendor, are closely tied to the Triforce.
Some were even said to house the Triforce...
If it were only a symbol of the gods, the Triforce would be coveted by
many. But a verse from the Book of Mudora (a collection of Hylian
legends and lore) made the Triforce even more desirable:
In a realm beyond sight,
The Sky shines gold, not blue.
There, the Triorce's might
Makes mortal dreams come true.
Many aggressively searched for the wish-granting Triforce, but no one,
not even the Hylian sages, was sure of its location; the knowledge
had been lost over time. Some said the Triforce lay under the desert,
others said it was in the cemetary in the shadow of Death
Mountain, but no one ever found it. That yearning for the Triforce
soon turned to lust for power, which in turn led to the spilling of
blood. Soon the only motive left among those searching for the
Triforce was pure greed.
One day, quite by accident, a gate to the Golden Land of the Triforce
was opened by a gang of thieves skilled in the black arts. This land
was like no other. In the gathering twilight, the Triforce shone from
its resting place high above the world. In a long running battle, the
leader of the thieves fought his way past his followers in a lust for the
Golden Power. After vanquishing his own followers, the leader stood
triumphant over the Triforce and grasped it with his blood- stained
hands. He heard a whispered voice: "If thou has a strong desire or
dream, wish for it..." And in reply, the roaring laughter of the brigand
leader echoed across time and space and even reached the far-off land
of Hyrule. The name of this king of thieves is Ganondorf Dragmire,
but he is known by his alias, Mandrag Ganon, which means Ganon
of the Enchanted Thieves.
The Imprisoning War
I do not know what Ganon wished for from the Triforce. However, in
time evil power begain to flow from the Golden Land and greedy men
were drawn there to become members of Ganon's army. Black clouds
permanently darkened the sky, and many disasters beset Hyrule. The
lord of Hyrule sent for the Seven Wise Men and the Knights Of
Hyrule, and ordered them to seal the enterance to the Golden Land.
The Triforce, being an
inanimate object, cannot
judge between good and evil.
Therefore, it could not know
that Ganon's wishes were
evil; it merely granted them.
Suspecting that Ganon's
power was based on the
Triforce's magic, the people of
Hyrule forged a sword
resistant to magic which
could repulse even powers
granted by the Triforce. This
mighty weapon became known
as the blade of evil's bane, or
the Master Sword. It was so
powerful that only one who
was pure of heart and strong
of body could wield it. As the
Seven Wise Men searched for
a valient person to take up
the Master Sword, Ganon's
evil army swarmed from the
tainted Golden Land into Hyrule and attacked the castle. The wise
men and the Knights Of Hyrule combined forces to wage war on this
evil horde.
The Knights took the full brunt of the fierce attack, and although they
fought courageously many a brave soul was lost that day, However,
their lives were not lost in vain, for they bought precious time for the
Seven Wise Men to magically seal ganon in the Golden land. All of
Hyrule rejoiced at the victory that upheld peace and order over
Ganon's evil and chaos. Thsi war, which had claimed many lives,
became known as the Imprisoning War in stories told in later
centuries.
The Coming of The Wizard
Many centuries have passed since the Imprisoning War. The land of
Hyrule healed its wounds and the people lived in peace for a long
time. Memories of the vicious Imprisoning War faded over the
generations...
So it is no surprise that no one was prepared for the new disasters
that have recently struck Hyrule. Pestilence and drought,
uncontrollable even by magic, revaged the land. The king of Hyrule,
after counsel with his sages, ordered an investigation of the
Imprisoned Dark World (as the Golden land had come to be knowsn)
but the wise men's seal was apparently intact. he offered rewards for
anyone who could find the source of these troubles. In answer to
these summons a stranger named Agahnim came and quelled the
disasters witha previously unseen form of magic. As a reward, the
king gave him a new position as chief advisor and heir to the Seven
masses proclaimed him their hero. Peace had returned to Hyrule... or
had it?
Of late, rumors have traveled their whispering path with alarming
frequency. Rumors saying Agahnim now rules the country with his
magic... Rumors of strange magical experiments in the castle tower at
night... The people of Hyrule were gripped by dread.
One night, a girl's voice awakens you from your sleep.
She telepathically pleads.
You jump out of bed not knowing whether the voice was part of a
dream or reality. Upon leaving your bed, you find your uncle, who
should be fast asleep at this time, preparing to go out, girded for
battle.
"I'll be back by moring," he says as he departs. "Don't leave the
house."
You watch him leave with the family sword in hand and shield on arm.
This night is like no other... Who is Zelda? Where had your uncle
gone and for what reason?
And so, on an ill-fated night, a new chapter in the legend of Hyrule's
hero begins- a new chapter in The Legend of Zelda!
Your Quest As The Legendary Hero
The Golden land of the Triforce has
becoe a Dark World corrupted by
Ganon's evil wishes. However, this is
not enough for Ganon; he also wants to
make Hyrule, the Light World, his own.
To do this, he needs to break the Seal
Of The Seven Wise Men.
But he cannot do this with his power
alone. He must also use the life force of
the descendants of the Seven Wise Men.
With Agahnim the wizard as his pawn,
this is about to become a reality (thus
the late night experiments in the castle
tower...).
You, as the legendary Hero of
Hyrule, must enter the Dark
World on a quest to save the
maidens that Agahnim has sent
there. The aim of the game is
to solve the many mysteries
and adventures that await you
along the way to rescuing the
maidens, defeating Ganon,
and returning peace to
Hyrule.
--From the SNES Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past instruction manual.
This installment in the Zelda series was my favorite. Nintendo took it back to the original overhead view and upped the graphics. The game played a lot like the first one except it was a lot longer and there were a whole bunch of little sub quests you could complete, but that weren't mandatory to beat the game. A Link to the Past really did clear the way for all other Zelda games. If haven't tried this one, get on it right now.
Collect all three pendants and all seven crystals to save Hyrule and Princess Zelda from the evil Ganon.
This was the first Zelda game to have mini games that you could win prizes for. Well, that's if you don't count the money making game from the first one. A lot of the later Zelda games included bow shooting galleries where you could win a bigger quiver or a lot of money. This was also the first time Link had the option to pull something or push, instead of being able to push only. This was also the first one where he could pick random objects up or cut them up in order to find hidden goodies.
A Button | Action |
B Button | Swing Sword |
X Button | View Map |
Y Button | Use Item |
Start Button | Start, Menu |
Select Button | End/Save Game |
Blind Spot In Tile Trap Rooms |
In rooms with the poltregeist tiles, stand at the edge of the room and face the center of the room. The tiles will bounce harmlessly off the shield. |
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