Ask anyone what their opinion of the original Legend of Zelda, and you’ll get a combination of “it’s too hard,” “it stinks,” or, most predominantly, “it’s confusing.”

It’s a shame that the title has fallen out of favor so dramatically when compared to its modern brethren, as “the Hyrule Fantasy” has so much to offer gamers both young and old.

Sure it’s hard, but it’s not unfair. Yes, it’s confusing, but the initial mystery leads to incredibly satisfying discoveries. And no, it doesn’t stink; you’re just not used to a game letting you loose in a world rife with secrets and complexities without a fairy guide to help you along the way.

Very few games are as unabashedly (and intensely) open-ended as Zelda, especially on the NES (or even the SNES and beyond!), and while it can be a challenge to acquire a taste for it if you’re strictly a modern gamer, it’s worth it in the end.

One of the coolest aspects of this series-starter is the insane amount of little details littered amongst its already obscure world, and we’re going to be discussing them today with the hopes of getting newcomers (or even seasoned Zelda vets) excited about Link’s first journey.

In our list of 25 Hidden Details In The Original Legend of Zelda Only Super Fans Notice, we’ll be discussing fantastic references, helpful tips, odd Easter Eggs, and even the game’s connections to sequels and the overall plot of the Zelda franchise.

Hope you’ve got some fairies in a bottle, because this is going to be a wild ride!

Controlling Enemy Populations

 

Some of the later Labyrinths are filled with immensely powerful and annoyingly difficult enemies. This isn’t good for your health, but it also makes backtracking far more perilous than necessary.

Luckily, you can keep enemy populations down with a VERY easy trick: if you eliminate every enemy but one on a screen, the next time you return, only that last enemy will be there, rather than the entire clan.

Obviously, this trick isn’t foolproof, and sometimes it can be downright impossible to perform, but always keep it in mind if you need to tip the scales in your favor.

Getting A Free Key

After years of games like Ocarina of Time, players have been conditioned to think that Small Keys only work in the dungeons that they were found in.

Crazily enough, that isn’t the case in the original Legend of Zelda.

Keys are universal, and can even be purchased from certain vendors if necessary, but there’s one way to get an extra key early on (and you never know how it might come in handy.)

Enter the first Labyrinth, exit, go back in, and then a certain door will unlock itself.

Why? Who knows, who cares. You just got a free key.

The Second Quest

The NES Zelda is infamous for its unhelpful hints and extremely well-hidden secrets (including important dungeon entrances).

That said, part of the game’s joy is exploring Hyrule and slowly becoming familiar with its layout while also learning methods for discovering secrets, like pushing suspicious stones.

By the end of the game, you’ll feel like you conquered an entire continent… but then comes the Second Quest.

The Second Quest remixes the entire game, including Labyrinth locations and layouts, along with key items and much more.

You’ll suddenly find that the so-called “conqueror of Hyrule” is nothing more than stranger in a strange land.

The King Of Hyrule

One of Breath of the Wild’s chief inspirations was unquestionably the original Legend of Zelda, and when some of the first trailers were released, longtime fans went nuts to see a cloaked and bearded old man giving advice to Link.

While the old man would later be revealed as the long-deceased King of Hyrule, but the reason that old school fans were losing their marbles was because the character’s design and purpose was clearly based on the old man from the original game.

“IT’S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE. TAKE THIS” is one of gaming’s most iconic moments, so it was awesome to see a modern-day version of the character.

The Secret Save Screen

While it’s a gift from heaven that the original Legend of Zelda has a save feature (unlike the comparable Metroid), there’s one major issue: you need to perish before you can actually save the game.

Thankfully, there’s a workaround for this dilemma, and although it’s probably a little more convoluted than it really should be, it’s still extremely helpful.

Go to your inventory and then, using a second controller, press up Up and A.

This will take you to a secret screen allowing you to save at your leisure, minus all the doom and gloom.

Starting With Full Health

Health is in dangerously short supply in the original Legend of Zelda. Enemies do drop hearts, but they’re often in short supply, as are the rare fairies (who you might not even be able to catch).

Like health, rupees are also scarce, so constantly buying potions is out of the question.

Worst of all is that every time you start the game, you’ll only have three filled hearts.

No problem: visit a Fairy Fountain and while you’re being healed, use the Secret Save Screen.

Next time you play, you’ll be at full health!

The Second Quest’s Labyrinths

The Second Quest will keep even the most hardened Zelda veterans on their toes.

With its rearranged Labyrinths, altered Key Item locations and more to contend with, the land of Hyrule regains all the mysteries that you had once considered solved.

One cheeky aspect of the all the rearranging comes in the form of the Second Quest’s Labyrinths, as if you look at their maps, you’ll see that five of them resemble letters and, when arranged properly, spell out “ZELDA.”

This is also a hint on how to easily start the Second Quest if you’re feeling confident. Simply put your name as “Zelda” when starting a new file, and you’ll be in the Second Quest.

Keeping Your Bait, Mate

One of the more bizarre puzzles in the original NES romp involves being stopped by a rather cranky Goriya, who does nothing but grumble in dejected protest.

The solution is to purchase bait from a shop, which will then satiate the beast and allow you to so you can finally proceed with your arduous quest.

Here’s the thing: rupees don’t grow on trees, and bait ain’t cheap, so you’re best off swindling the oaf.

Right when the famous “secret” jingle plays after giving out the bait, immediately use the Secret Save Screen.

Upon booting up the game again, the grumbling fiend will be gone, and you’ll still have the bait.

The Moblin’s Dog-Like Appearance

One of the scariest moments in Ocarina of Time (aside from the nightmare fuel Bottom of the Well, horrifying Shadow Temple, eerie Forest Temple, and… sorry about that; we were descending into madness) was in the Sacred Forest Meadow, where the serenity would be shattered by a bloodcurdling warcry from a giant humanoid dog charging us at full speed.

That creature is known as a Moblin, and it’s been a fixture of the Zelda series for years. While it’s gone through many incarnations, its most predominant feature (up until recently) is its bulldog-like face.

It’s cool to see that even with the original’s limited graphics, the Moblins still had their canine appearance.

Oracle of Seasons’ Biggest Secret

The Oracle games on the Game Boy Color are oddities in the Zelda line-up, as they are traditional-style games developed not by Nintendo, but Capcom of Mega Man fame.

Both Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons scratch the classic Zelda itch and are worth playing, but Oracle of Seasons, in particular, has a curious history.

While the final product would be its own thing, it actually started out as a remake of the original game, and some remnants of that can still be found, such as the Gnarled Root dungeon design.