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Hey TiGers, prepare your anus for a waaaall of text

I bet some of you who've played the Legend of Zelda series and enjoyed it are probably thinking "damn, these are incredible, it doesn't get better than this!" or "there's no way a LoZ fan-game could compete with these". Well I'm here to tell you that you are completely wrong and it gets better. Much, much better.

I'd like to introduce 2 types of LoZ fan-games. There are the rom hack games that take the basic framework/engine of an existing LoZ game and pour their creativity into it and there are Zelda Classic (ZC) games that do the same thing, but focus very strongly on the core engine of LoZ 1.

For the rom hack games, I've made some short reviews on them on another post: http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=18560.810 (http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=18560.810). There's 1 post near the top and another near the bottom. Don't worry about the negatives, the gameplay makes up for it.

Second, for the Zelda Classic games, which may as well be the pinnacle of gameplay in the history of videogames since forever. These quests have taken the core engine of the LoZ1, add some additional functionality, graphics and music through scripting and the level editor and let their creativity do the rest. One of the unique functionalities is how people have emulated side-scrolling screens. You can find them at:
http://purezc.com (http://purezc.com) - click Top Rated Quests link on the left
http://zeldaclassic.com (http://zeldaclassic.com) - click Top Ten Lists on the left, I recommend trying the ones most downloaded and Lost Isles which is a top rated

Here's some of the best I've played, assume that graphics, gameplay, sound, exploration is already awesome and story is mediocre before reading the additional comments.

Best game in history award
Lost Isle - The biggest quest I've encountered so far. The overworld itself is 24x16 from what I've explored and I'm only up to the 2nd dungeon! (for comparison, it is 3x bigger than LoZ1's 16x8). This game also has beautiful graphics, beautiful exploration (jotting down pathmaps and notes on a notebook and even these simple lines are a piece of art), Nintendo Hard overworlds and dungeons and so far, best-themed dungeons. One is based off OoT Water Temple and another off MM Stone Tower/Temple.

If you play this game, you will want to sacrifice yourself to the god found in the nearest book in the nearest library you can find.
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q204s4.gif)
Inventory screen

Perfect
Hero Of Dreams - Massive overworlds and challenging/interesting-themed dungeons as well as interesting characters. You will wet yourself when you encounter dungeon 8 if you haven't already done that before reaching it.
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q139s5.gif)
Example of side-scrolling

MegaMan: Dr. Wily's Revenge DX - Everything is MegaMan-themed here. All the items, people, enemies, things like stop signs and cars, you name it. Except the triforce and the fact that the land underneath you was called Hyrule, but that's explained. Apart from this theme, the dungeons are a beauty to explore, and the bosses aren't just the rehashed LoZ1 bosses, there are unique ones that are challenging.
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q99s7.gif)
Hookshot, no clue why he's a monkey

Isle of the Winds - exploration is top notch here. You can explore the majority of the 16x16 overworld after dungeon 1 and can attempt any dungeon from 2 to 7 in any order. Based on Wind Waker, this quest is extremely challenging (you will probably need a full potion for the very 1st boss! and still die to it a couple times).
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q84s7.gif)
Ice-themed dungeon

Origins - If you want to play a remake of LoZ1, play this one. It takes the same structure and themes as LoZ1's overworlds and dungeons, but redesigns the whole thing with beautiful graphics and fun dungeons.
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q203s7.gif)
Revamped Zelda 1 graphics

Masterpieces

Link to Tortuga - Immersive pirate theme with constantly changing village and huge challenging dungeons.
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q158s3.gif)
Crabcake Cove

Link in Cestria - Small overworld that has managed to fit tons of interesting content and great exploration in it. Each dungeon has a unique theme you'll have never seen (except maybe the water level changing one, if there is a water level changing one, I forgot)
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q213s4.gif)
A dungeon built on a desert

Link's Birthday DX - Challenging and interestingly-themed dungeons. Everything else is excellent. Sounds bland, but you will have a hell of a time playing this.
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q105s2.gif)
Forest-themed dungeon

Excellent

Ganonco2 - A story based on you working for Ganon's corporation. Interesting theme, but the dungeons are the main attraction as well as the battle tower.
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q279s5.gif)
'Merica Forest, right now red trees are faded, but you can change that to white or blue trees here (and in some other screens)

CastleHaunt2 - Halloween-based quest which relies on you using your own intuition to progress. Not just pure exploration. You will NEED to take a note of what looks suspicious to you.
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q152s4.gif)
Link considering himself one bad dude

CastleHaunt3 - Same as above, only harder and more beautiful.
(http://zeldaclassic.armageddongames.net/screenshots/38f4b37e5.gif)
Minish Cap graphics

WolfStyle DX - Oriental-themed quest with Normal and Hard difficulty. Hard is a bitch to play!! Excellent oriental music too.
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q180s7.gif)
Level 1 hard mode, these guys do 1 damage on contact and 2 damage through projectile

Mario Xmas - Extremely vulgar content, which makes it beautiful. For example, eating toad's hearts, a child-molesting priest, a caveman who thought you were dead and wanted to rape you are among the least threatening content here. You will feel sick and awesome.
(http://www.purezc.com/Quests/q324s2.gif)
Vulgar mario-themed with other weird themes mixed in like priests and aliens


WHY SHOULD I PLAY THESE GAMES VINHEIM!!??

Well apart from the descriptions I've given, these quests are basically higher-quality LoZ games as compared to the commercial ones, as well as being 2 to 3 times longer than commercial ones and also costing 100% less than the commercial ones! They also follow the simplistic gameplay of LoZ1, which I have now deemed to be the best engine out there for fan-games after DRoD. Sure the stories feel effortlessly written, but it hardly matters when you are balls deep in fun.

fart

Any quests by Dark Flame Wolf are really good.

Zelda Classic isn't a ROM hack of Zelda, but actually started as a project to just remake Zelda 1 from scratch for programming practice.

I used to play these ages ago and Zelda Classic is pretty rad! I think I've played everything in your "Perfect" list already. It's been a while.

I love these "Suggest a game" threads.

DarkFlameWolf, Petoe and Freedom are all awesome, and when the first 2 collaborated for Lost Isle, it definitely didn't disappoint. Every screen is screenshot-of-the-week worthy, are beautifully crafted and detailed and the dungeons are massive. 1st dungeon's 1st floor was huge, before I even knew there were 3 floors, and the 2nd dungeon is a hell of a maze.

So you've played Hero of Dreams? What did you think of the 8th dungeon/island? The moment I experienced its gimmick, I understood its name and thought "fuck. yes." Also, you introduced me to MegaMan, which is how I realized how great these games are. These games are better than any indie or commercial game I've played in the past, hands down.

The post could do without most of the superlatives and some screenshots/links to specific games would be helpful.

Most of your forecasts are pretty spot on. But these? (There's a 2nd Quest one too.) I dunno. An extra dungeon is cool and all, but they take that nonlinear charm that makes classic Zelda what it is, and kinda destroys that. I liken them more to being like Link's Awakening, which successfully destroyed the classic formula with it's "dungeon entry keys."

Overall, I'd say that's been the wrecking factor in a lot of cool ZC quests I've encountered over the past 15 years - most of them feel really strictly structured and linear, which makes it more in the realm of Final Fantasy Adventure/Sword of Mana than... well, what I equate with being a good Zelda game.

Ok, I've updated the 1st post.


And a 3rd quest I haven't tried. What do you mean by non-linearity? As in you do each dungeon in order? In quest 2, you get access to dungeons 1, 2 and 7 and can do 1 and 2 independent of each other, not sure about 7. If you mean, by the overworld, before the 1st dungeon, you have access to the whole world -2 screens.

The only linear one I've played is something like Link to the Shadows/Future which is a ZC copy of A Link To The Past. The ones I've mentioned here give you a lot of open space.

How to get gams:

Rom hacks
You'll need a NES emulator for Zelda 1 hacks and a SNES emulator for ALttP hacks, which you can find here:
http://www.emulator-zone.com/ (http://www.emulator-zone.com/)

You'll need Lunar IPS to patch hacks onto the game they're based off:
http://fusoya.eludevisibility.org/lips/ (http://fusoya.eludevisibility.org/lips/)
The program is easy to use, start it up, choose to patch, find the hack, find the original game. Make sure to back up the original game so you can use it again.

The hacks are found here:
A Link to the Past hacks (http://www.romhacking.net/?genre=&platform=&game=715&category=&perpage=20&page=hacks&hacksearch=Go&title=&author=)
Zelda 1 hacks (http://www.romhacking.net/?genre=&platform=&game=712&category=&perpage=20&page=hacks&hacksearch=Go&title=&author=)

You'll also need the original rom for the game. It's usually the American version, but Goddess of Wisdom uses the European version


Zelda Classic quests
You'll need the ZC program, I recommend v2.10 AND v1.92 "The 184 Player":
http://www.zeldaclassic.com/downloads.php#zc (http://www.zeldaclassic.com/downloads.php#zc)

The quests can be found at:
http://www.purezc.com/index.php?page=quests&sort=rating (http://www.purezc.com/index.php?page=quests&sort=rating)
http://www.zeldaclassic.com/topstats.php (http://www.zeldaclassic.com/topstats.php)I recommend most downloaded and Lost Isle from top rated

It's recommended to play the quest on the version it was made on. Also, for Lost Isle and Origin, they require you to play on a "Lost Isle" build of ZC which they link to. Also remember to back up all sfx.dat files as some quests (mostly by Freedom) give you their own one to use for that particular quest.

When you start ZC, you'll need to register a new name, I'd go for an abbreviation or shorthand version of the quest you want to register it with. Then press whatever button you assigned to "a" twice, locate the file, choose it, then you can start playing.

The writing is sloppy and hyperbolic to the max, but damn it if you don't make these quests sound fun as hell. Can I repost it to the front page as a guest article, vin (probably just the ZC reviews, not the rom hacks)?

Hell yeah! The people need to know about these! And I haven't done any form of creative or whatever writing for 5 years so if you want to change any writing, it'd be cool to see them on the front page.

EDIT: My mistake. Lost Isle isn't 6x bigger than LoZ, only 3x, the maps are 8x8 rather than 16x8

Most Zelda Classic quests use the linear formula of Zelda 3 and beyond. This allows for puzzles that require specific items to solve and some basic scripting to tell a story.

There are a handful of open-world ZC Quests, but these tend to be rare among the top rated ones. Baconman, It wouldn't hurt you wanted to dig through the Pure ZC archive and pick out a handful of the better open-world quests.

You guys are making me want to download ZC again. It's been a few years.

You do understand, there are probably a few thousand or so quests to sift through, right? XD

I'll see what I can do next week on it. This does put me back in a ZC mood.

I'm so overwhelmed by the information presented in the OP that I can't even tell what exactly I'm looking at... I just see a bunch of incredible looking screenshots involving 16-bit Zelda (fan-made?) games... So these are basically just rom hacks of A Link to the Past? Or this is a completely new game using a Zelda-style engine/mechanics and created with fan-content? Can somebody sum up what I'm looking at in a short paragraph since I don't like reading?

Zelda Classic is basically a game engine that allows you to make Zelda games, it's the Zelda version of Game Maker. (http://zeldaclassic.com/what.php)

I really wish they had some sort of export function so my chums could just click an exe to play a quest instead of having to faff about downloading and installing ZC first.

They're actually Zelda fan-made games that are based off an engine used for Zelda 1, but Zelda 3, Oracle series and Minish Cap graphics look better so they are commonly used. Despite being off the Zelda 1 engine, they add new content such as hookshots and superbombs as well as scripting and other tricks to create interesting dungeon gimmicks.

Is there some sort of upscaling filter that could allow larger resolutions? Due to bad eyesight, the small windowsize makes it impossible to play. I tried -res startup commands with "big" but that was only a bandaid.

What it currently does on using res:


Where . means empty space with nothing but emptiness in it.
What I need:

Any way to do this? :)

lol, you could try fullscreen? or the large window option?

if you're using windows 7 and want to do fullscreen, you'll have to make a .bat file with this in it:


then put it in the same folder as ur .exe, then run it.

Even in fullscreen, it only takes up a micro portion of the screen and the large flag doesn't do anything on my system. Nevermind then, I'll just skip on this.

Maaaaaaaan, I have not played this in FOREVER, and you've reminded me of how great it was. Good to know people still make things in ZC! I'll get to playing a goodly number of these when I get my laptop.

Thanks for the colour correct batch file, really helped. :beer: Maybe that should be added to the blog post?

I only have really got to play is Lost Isle, and from a personal perspective it is far from perfect.

Using ammo for a weapon for currency as well really frustrates me. I find myself never wanting wanting to use arrows because if I waste them, I have no money to purchase upgrades and items that I may need. Silly form of resource management if you ask me.

I know the game is all about exploration, but I would like a little more direction as to what the hell I'm supposed to be doing. SPOILER: Wandering around the whole place with only a general idea of what to do from the "villagers". I didn't know I could even kill the dragons at the beginning, having them sit behind the spikes gave me an impression that I needed a ranged weapon, ironically.

The first dungeon is severely tedious. Every time you died (which was tons) you must go through numerous mandatory tasks every single time to progress where you were previously. I know you can create shortcuts, but it still takes forever. It wouldn't have been too bad if going to where I left off was easy, but sometimes I can't even get there because I died from enemies along the way. Finally getting to where I was stuck, I die trying to figure out what I am to do. Fuuuuun. I've only been to the first dungeon, so if anyone can confirm that this isn't a recurring theme I would be extremely grateful.

That being said I am enjoying this so far, and it definitely won't sop me from checking the others on the list.

dEnamed, I couldn't find similar problems on the forums. If you ever get another comp to use, try then, I guarantee it'll be worth it.


One of the people who created this (DarkFlameWolf) is known for creating quests for experts, so you might have to play other high-rated games by other people to get into it. Once you get used to the physics of the game and can move around well as well as deal with darknut, wizzrobe and fast boomerang-type enemies well(which takes a good number of quests), Lost Isle goes from very hard to just hard enough.

As for using money as ammo, I've played a lot of quests and find that it is one of the few things that give them the right challenge. Arrows are the best item in the game, so good quests are ones that make sure that excessive use of the arrows means no money for more arrows or no money for shop items. The original Zelda 1 did this perfectly, as every time you come to a shop, you probably will never have enough money for the better items every playthrough.

As for getting lost, I'll try to scan what I did in my notebook soon, but ZC quests are always big and you'll need to keep track of everything even in dungeons. Here's a temp paint job:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6837397391_9635e70389_t.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/47981723@N02/6837397391/)
Click for larger, won't show up large here

Also, nice to see the front page has my post :D

EDIT: The black circle in one of the squares shows the starting screen of the game. I use this in some quests to keep track of notes (1N means 1 screen north of the starting screen). For Lost Isle, you might just want to use co-ordinates as it's got a grid in its map.

Also, a tip: you can find shields and 1/2 health bottles scattered around in chests. If you don't need them (you have a full bottle or the upgraded shield from a previous chest), leave them there and come back when you need them (a Like-Like stole your shield or an area absolutely required you to use a 1/2 potion.

Another tip: Lost Isle comes with a readme, at the bottom shows how many hearts and heart pieces you can have before each dungeon if you're feeling completist. It also tells you that dialogue in the village changes after every dungeon, so if you're feeling lost and not doing maps, you can go to them.

I've got some pics up of how I do my maps. This is just in case people might get frustrated and lost due to the nature of Zelda 1 overworld exploration. It also helps with the completist value in the games as it's easier to navigate and get to all those new places that can be unlocked with a new item. I've also got some great new quests to recommend.

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7206/6864236685_4be5550358_t.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/47981723@N02/6864236685/)
This shows how I draw maps and paths.

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6864238029_163aea69d3_t.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/47981723@N02/6864238029/)
Just like every metroidvania, keeping a list of obstacles around the world helps. For ZC games, marking things down on maps is easier because it's grid-based with nothing fancy added like Metroid's and Lyle in Cube Sector's multiple screens in one room.


Souls of Wisdom
Closely themed with Ocarina of Time, you have 3 dungeons to go to before an event occurs which forces you to go find 8 triforce pieces which are associated with a sage. It has a light and dark world like A Link to The Past, with a light world of around 3 overworlds, so it's pretty big. What it lacks in dungeon exploration (quite linear, easy to remember where obstacles are without drawing a map), it makes up for in dungeon design. It doesn't have the usual screens with 4 walls around, but is decorated to look like there are multiple screens in one room and there are sometimes rooms that are outdoors.

Can be found at http://www.zeldaclassic.com/viewquest.php?q=411 (http://www.zeldaclassic.com/viewquest.php?q=411)
(http://zeldaclassic.armageddongames.net/screenshots/974b53161.jpg)
(http://zeldaclassic.armageddongames.net/screenshots/974b53165.jpg)

It's recommended to play it on ZC 2.5 whichever latest build you can download at http://shardstorm.com (http://shardstorm.com)


End of Time DX
The game doesn't have much appeal at the start. It gives you this sense that the overworld is mostly filler, empty and easy to travel through. This is because you can get the 1st item in a minute and then the 1st dungeon in a minute. There are only like 5 rooms to explore before the 1st dungeon. Once you get past the first 2 dungeons, the quality picks up quickly, playing somewhat like Hero of Dreams (if you've played it). The dungeons have great design and exploration as well as block puzzles and tight battle sequences (mostly in the last 3 or 4 dungeons).

Can be found at http://www.zeldaclassic.com/viewquest.php?q=400 (http://www.zeldaclassic.com/viewquest.php?q=400) and uses ZC 2.10
(http://zeldaclassic.armageddongames.net/screenshots/508765696.png)
(http://zeldaclassic.armageddongames.net/screenshots/508765692.png)


Tropicana Island
Plays very frustrating at first as dying before the 1st dungeon takes you back to the beginning and the actual distance is quite long. Once you get the 1st dungeon item, shortcuts are made making future exploration easier. The quest plays like Oracle of Seasons, you have stumps scattered around and can change to any season. It's very different to other ZC quests as there is little to no metroidvania in it. It is made fun purely from the exploration: exploring as much as possible in one season, noting down new stumps, making sure you've explored as much as possible on each stump with each season, as well as the twisting paths (one of the seasons has been mapped as the 1st image in this post). The dungeon uses stumps too (it mixes with the overworld). I say dungeon because I've been to 2 "dungeons" that have turned out to be separate entrances to the 1 dungeon.

Can be found at http://www.zeldaclassic.com/viewquest.php?q=420 (http://www.zeldaclassic.com/viewquest.php?q=420) and uses ZC 1.92 build 184 (The 184 player)
(http://zeldaclassic.armageddongames.net/screenshots/bd2fe5c25.jpg)
(http://zeldaclassic.armageddongames.net/screenshots/bd2fe5c26.jpg)


Also, I wouldn't recommend playing Lost Isle first, it's long and winding and if you get used to drawing maps from other quests, it becomes easier (though still difficult)