Recently, famine and drought have plagued Hyrule. When all seemed lost, a mysterious wizard, Agahnim, appeared, and stopped these strange happenings from occurring. But there is talk that Agahnim now rules the country with his magic, behind the scenes. And then, one night, the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda, calls out for help...and the one who hears her pleas is a young lad named Link...
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is a top-down action adventure game (similar to the original Legend of Zelda) for the Super Nintendo and Game Boy Advance. Players assume the role of Link, and their goal is to rescue Princess Zelda and save the land of Hyrule. Unlike turn-based RPGs, all combat in Link to the Past is in real-time - you swing your sword at enemies by pressing a button, or can spin the sword around you for a more powerful attack by holding down the button until it is charged.
Progression through the game is done by conquering a series of dungeons - each dungeon has its own special item associated with it, such as the hookshot (which latches onto a far-off object and pulls Link across) or the hammer (which can be used to flatten objects in your way). Most of these dungeons are rendered impassable until the dungeon's particular item is acquired; from there, the rest of the dungeon becomes accessible due to Link's latest new ability. The bosses of each dungeon are also themed to that level's particular item.
Link starts out with only three units of health; however, these can be increased by defeating dungeon bosses, which give one additional heart container, or by finding four 'pieces of heart'; which can be given for anything from passing a small trial to winning a mini-game. Some of Link's items also use magic - this can be refilled with collectible green magic pots. After defeating the initial three dungeons, Link gains access to the Dark World - many puzzles and difficulties come from alternating between the Light World (Hyrule) and the Dark World to make your way past previously impassable obstacles.
The Game Boy Advance version of the game also includes a special extra dungeon. In addition to this, there is the first multiplayer Zelda game ever: Four Swords. In this game puzzles are based around co-operation with other players - for example, picking up an enemy and throwing it at another player which allows its weak point to be hit, or a boss which only shows the weak point you can hit on an opponent's screen. However, the game also contains an element of competitiveness - whoever gains the most rupees at the end of the level wins a bonus medal. Collect enough of these and you can unlock a special quest in A Link to the Past.
