BS Zelda no Densetsu

"One of the greatest Zelda games ever. Too bad it's only made in Japan..."

Introduction-
My pen pal in Japan taught me how to speak and write Japanese a while ago, so I’ve been playing a lot of Japanese lately. I searched GameFAQs for Zelda last month and saw something for the Super NES called BS Zelda. I realized it was a Japanese only Zelda game. I asked my friend if he’d ever heard of it. He said he had one, and it was a remake of the first Zelda for the NES, with different levels and enhanced graphics. I asked him if he could get me one, and he said he didn’t like his, so he gave it to me. It needed an extra accessory called a BS (and that does *NOT* stand for what you think it does) that required you to download new parts of certain games weekly. He had one of those and gave it to me. Now, after playing for a couple of weeks, BS Zelda is a game that makes me glad I know someone in Japan.

Graphics- 10 out of 10
Ahhh… the classic Super NES 32 bit graphics. I know that nearly all modern games have better graphics than this, and that would normally take off a point or two, but this is the best the Super Nintendo can do. Everything looks just like it does in Zelda: A Link to the Past, and some things are even better. Its very easy to identify what things are, and Famicom (that’s what Nintendo is in Japanese, so I figure that it’s only right if I call it that in this review) went into wonderful detail with everything. Besides actual graphics, the world is very colorful nearly all the time.

Sound- 10 out of 10
BS Zelda has all of the classic Zelda tunes. If you’ve ever heard any Zelda music you won’t be disappointed with this music. Sure it’s nothing new, but when this game was new, so was the music. And the music’s so good that it’s still used in Zelda games today. Aside from the music BS Zelda has great sound effects too. Whatever you do there’s a sound that goes along perfectly with it.

Play Control- 10 out of 10
Push the arrows to move, press A and B for your two equipped weapons, and press start to bring up the inventory menu. Sounds simple, right? It is. One of the best traits of all Zelda games is the play control. It’s very easy to use items, and the hit detection is flawless.

Game Design- 10 out of 10
Like all Zelda games, BS Zelda is perfect. It’s an upgraded version of the original Zelda for the NES, and that was one of the best Zeldas ever made. BS Zelda enhances the graphics, makes new levels, remodels the overworld, adds new items, and makes the original so much better! It’s a shame that it never hit American shores though. Most American gamers would fall in love with this game within five minutes of playing it.

Replay Value and Challenge- 10 out of 10
BS Zelda is probably the second or third hardest Zelda, and that’s pretty good, judging by the fact that all of the Zeldas are extremely hard. BS Zelda is *VERY* large and challenging filled and filled with tons of cool new aspects. With the exception of the first level, all the levels are very hard. And after you beat it you’ll want to play it again and again.

Overall- 10 out of 10
Overall, BS Zelda is a spectacular Japanese-only game that nearly all American gamers will miss out on. It may be a remake of the first NES Zelda, but it’s a true gem in the Zelda collection. I have absolutely no idea what it’s rated by the ESRB rating board, because the Japanese people don’t have ESRB over there, but it would be rated “E” for everyone because there is only slight animated violence.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/26/01, Updated 01/18/02