I think there's a bigger problem. Why did you pay $5 for Zelda 1? You can get Zelda 1 for GBA for probably less than $5. Also, if you got the Zelda collection disc for GameCube it has Zelda 1, 2, 64 and Majora's Mask on it. I got that disc for free back in the day. Buying Zelda 1 on VC is a rip-off.
$5 for Zelda is only a horrible deal when you compare it to a free rom. That Zelda collection disc you're talking about sells for about $50 on ebay (I've been in the market). If you can find a used cart at a local store then you might have some luck getting it for less than $5 but anywhere on ebay you're likely to pay more than that when shipping's factored in. The other day I was at my local Video Games Etc and noticed that they had both A Link to the Past as well as the classic Zeldas for sale sealed in the package. Now which would you rather pay, the $5 from the virtual console or $15-$20 for a brand new GBA cart? I agree, some VC titles are ridiculous (I'm not going to pay that much for Donkey Kong) but I personally think Zelda represents one of the honest deals on that service.
If you have a hankering to play the first Zelda and don't want to shell out $5 for it, you can download Zelda Classic. It's Zelda I, on the computer, with updated graphics and the ability to mod it and make your own quests if you want.
Does anyone have a link (get it) to the hacked version of Zelda someone made where you don't even start with a sword?
You don't start with a sword in Zelda 1. IF you want to be cool and beat it sans-sword, just don't pick it up. I've been able to get the white sword without ever getting the sword, but I've never beaten the game without any swords.
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The other day I was at my local Video Games Etc and noticed that they had both A Link to the Past as well as the classic Zeldas for sale sealed in the package. Now which would you rather pay, the $5 from the virtual console or $15-$20 for a brand new GBA cart? I agree, some VC titles are ridiculous (I'm not going to pay that much for Donkey Kong) but I personally think Zelda represents one of the honest deals on that service.
Yes, I have also played sans starting sword back in the day. As long as you have bombs and a candle you can take out the early critters.