The Legend Of Zelda Invented The Formula; Link To The Past Perfected It

gamespot.com:

The Legend of Zelda was a revolutionary accomplishment of video games, but it would take Nintendo just five years to improve on the formula so much, the original would wind up looking like an early prototype for what was to come. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, celebrating the 30th anniversary of its US release today, April 13, is one of the greatest video games of all time, and set a standard that Zelda games in the ensuing years struggled to match. It holds up beautifully--its design is as awe-inspiring in its elegance as it is a pure delight to play now as it was in 1992.

The opening minutes are an incredible encapsulation of efficient game and story design. You wake up on a stormy night hearing a psychic plea for help from Princess Zelda. Your uncle, conspicuously carrying a sword and shield, leaves and tells you to stay put. You venture outward, following the path to the castle, only to discover your uncle is critically wounded. He gives you his sword and shield and you begin the adventure in earnest, exploring the castle, fighting your first few enemies, and ultimately escaping with Princess Zelda.

This 20-minute slice of the game is the entire experience in miniature, hinting at what is to be iterated on over and over in the next dozen-plus hours. In just a few minutes you understand the major threat, a sorcerer who has seized power from the king. You feel the sense of adventure that led Link to leave the house when he was told not to. You infer that Link is special and fated somehow, having received the message from Zelda. You learn how to explore both exterior and interior spaces through the journey to the castle followed by exploring the castle itself. You realize the basics of dungeon exploration