Zelda is set in a world that contains all the essential elements for a good action/RPG: mystery, magic, and unavoidable danger. In addition, a few puzzles need to be solved atop a world to explore.
The story line is classic. The young hero must destroy the evil (in this case, it is Ganon) and save the princess…
Story
One day, an evil army attacked this peaceful little kingdom and stole the Triforce of Power. This army was led by Ganon, the powerful Prince of Darkness, who sought to plunge the world into fear and darkness under his rule. Fearing his wicked rule, Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, split up the Triforce of Wisdom into eight fragments and hid them throughout the world to save the last remaining Triforce from the clutches of the evil Ganon. At the same time, she commanded her most trustworthy nursemaid, Impa, to secretly escape into the land and go find a man with enough courage to destroy the evil Ganon. Upon hearing this, Ganon grew angry, imprisoned the princess, and sent out a party in search of Impa.
Braving forests and mountains, Impa fled for her life from her pursuers. As she reached the very limit of her energy, she found herself surrounded by Ganon's evil henchmen. Cornered! What could she do?...
But wait! Not all was lost. A young lad appeared. He skillfully drove off Ganon's henchmen, and saved Impa from a fate worse than death. His name was Link. During his travels, he had come across Impa and Ganon's henchmen. Impa told Link the whole story of the princess Zelda and the evil Ganon. Burning with a sense of justice, Link resolved to save Zelda, but Ganon was a powerful opponent. He held the Triforce of Power. And so, in order to fight off Ganon, Link had to bring the scattered eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom together to rebuild the mystical Triangle.
Bombs will aid you throughout your quest. They can be used to open secret doors and caves.
Another useful item will be the Power Bracelet, which gives you the strength to move big rocks.
You will find two useful items in Level One: the Boomerang and the Bow. Use your Arrows very wisely, for they may have to be purchased.
The Magic Boomerang is found in Level Two and is better than your original Boomerang.
The Raft found in Level Three will transport you to various islands located throughout the world.
In Level Four, the Stepladder can be found. It will be helpful in getting you across small gaps.
The Whistle will save some time in transporting you to any level you have already defeated. It is also used to defeat the boss in Level Five.
In Level Six, you will obtain the Magic Rod. It is basically useless until you have the Magic Book in your possession.
The Red Candle is acquired in Level Seven and, unlike the Blue Candle, can be used an infinite number of times. Do not forget to bring some Bait with you to Level Seven. It is used to feed the Miblin (the thing that goes, "Grumble, Grumble…").
In Level Eight, you will find the Magic Key, which opens all locked doors. The Magic Book will also be found in Level Eight. Now you can power up your Magic Rod.
Once the eight levels are finished, you can enter Level Nine, the final level. It is also where the evil Ganon is dwelling. Silver Arrows and the Red Ring are found in there. The Silver Arrows are essential in defeating Ganon and the Red Ring cuts the damage inflicted upon you by another half on top of the half the Blue Ring cut for you.
Not all items can be found in a labyrinth. Some are purchased. Like the Blue Candle (60 rupees), which can burn trees and reveal hidden passages. However, it can only be used once in a screen.
The Blue Ring will cut the damage you inflict by half. It is purchased for 255 rupees.
The Magic Shield can be purchased for 90 rupees (at the right place) and is better than your previous shield.
You can also acquire better swords. For instance, the White Sword that can be found near the waterfall. Then, go up the ladder and kill the blue guy that launches swords at you. Then, go in the cave and claim your prize. The Magic Sword can also be found later in the game.
If you give the Letter to the old lady (who will do nothing prior to giving the Letter), she will offer you some potions to purchase: the Red Potion (68 rupees) that fills your life two times, and the Blue Potion (40 rupees) that only fills your life once.
