Nintendo has released a “souped-up” version of The Legend Of Zelda on the Switch’s Online service.
This new version of The Legend Of Zelda (which was added to the service alongside Solomon’s Key, NES Open Tournament Golf, and Super Dodge Ball) is quite unlike any version of the game we’ve seen before. We suppose that you could refer to it as Zelda’s “easy mode” or a version of the game that has quite a few cheat codes enabled.
When you start this special version of The Legend Of Zelda (which Nintendo has seemingly dubbed “Living the Life of Luxury”) you’ll immediately have access to a ton of rupees and special items. Specifically, you’ll have immediate access to the White Sword, the Magical Shield, the Blue Ring, and the Power Bracelet. Anything you don’t immediately have access to will be easy to buy given how many rupees you start this version of the game with.
Nintendo hasn’t directly stated what the “point” of this version is, but it seems pretty clear that it’s intended to help people who are maybe not as adept at old-school games. While we imagine that’s not something that a lot of Zelda and NES fans will want to hear, Nintendo does kind of a have a point. The original Legend Of Zelda isn’t “hard” in the same way that titles like Mega Man and Castlevania are, but it can be a somewhat confusing and challenging game that some might easily give up on.
So far as that goes, this new starting loadout is actually quite helpful. It’s not exactly an “instant win” button (you’ll still have to navigate some of the game’s puzzles), but it does make many early encounters much easier. Besides, after you beat this version of the game for the first time, you will be able to access a second quest that is much more difficult. It’s not clear whether this second quest also grants you the additional starting equipment.
Of course, the most interesting thing about this game is the idea that Nintendo might release more altered versions of classic NES titles via the Switch Online service.