The Legend of Zelda: The Legend of Iowa Nintendo Entertainment System

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This is the debut release of The Legend of Iowa, a complete rewrite of "The Legend of Zelda".

Since the nature of this game is one of secrets & exploration, there are bound to be instances where you just don't know what to do or where to go next. Again, feel free to contact me with questions.

This game was designed with the original Zelda in mind, so fans of that game should know what to expect. Difficulty was toned down (particularly that of the early Second Quest) pursuant to the feedback of several Beta Testers; this hack is on-par with or slightly easier than the original game.

This hack is intended to capture the original sense of immersion found in the early Zelda games. Fans of the original will know once they get involved in the game: epic exploration, multiple routes, cryptic hints and scores of secrets. Despite playing like a Zelda game, it establishes its own identity. To wit:


* The entire Soundtrack has been replaced. And in most cases, with 8-bit renditions of vintage techno/dance/rave classics!

* The Overworld is completely new. Graphics, layouts, animation, screen-specific Attribute Patterns and etc!

* 18 New Dungeons. Or more accurately: 18 Meth Labs, nine per quest. Don't expect the same old tricks to work, either. The secret pushblock isn't always going to be leftmost-center. (Possibly never!)

* New Dungeon Elements. In addition to the new graphics, layouts, animations and Attribute Patterns, you'll be dealing with new room secrets and enemy combinations.
The doors are open, but you still need to find that pushblock to make a critical item appear! But first, you'll need to kill that small army of Darknuts & Wizzrobes...

* Work for Life. The number of complete heart containers has been reduced from 13 to 1. If you want to expand your lifebar, you'll have to seek out the 48 heart pieces!

* WAY More Bombs! They aren't exactly bombs in this hack, but they explode just the same. And if you play your cards right, you'll max-out your carrying capacity at 255!

* Stopwatch as an Item. Again, it isn't exactly a Stopwatch (nor is it easy to acquire), but you'll eventually have a form of portable invincibility to use against That One Boss™.

* New storyline, characters & enemy designs. Farmer Bob even grunts differently!


Also, total accolades to everyone in the wider ROM hacking community, who patiently endured a seemingly endless series of delays with respect to this hack. (The original release was supposed to be Xmas Eve, 2009!)

Enough waiting! Let's go tangle with some meth-heads!!!

**WARNING** ADULT THEMES ARE PRESENT IN THIS AND MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR SOME AUDIENCES

**DANGER** THOSE WHO ARE PRONE TO SEIZURES MAY WISH TO KNOW THAT SOME PARTS OF THE GAME HAVE CONTINUOUS FLASHING WHICH MAY INDUCE SEIZURES OR UNDESIRED EFFECTS ON PEOPLE WHO ARE SENSITIVE TO THESE TYPES OF DISPLAY!!

At the request of Dr.Floppy, he wishes the patch to be hosted on Baddesthacks.net until further notice.

The LEGEND of IOWA
Version 1.00


This is the debut release of The Legend of Iowa, a complete rewrite of "The Legend of Zelda".


I'm fairly confident that I caught all of the game-breaking issues, but if I missed something (or if something just seems "off"), by all means contact me at any/all of the following:

1) DrFloppyMD@aol.com
2) Via PM at www.BaddestHacks.net
3) Via PM at www.ROMhacking.net


Also, since the nature of this game is one of secrets & exploration, there are bound to be instances where you just don't know what to do or where to go next. Again, feel free to contact me with questions. I might not spell things out completely, but I'll do my best to nudge you in the right direction!


I designed this game with the original Zelda in mind, so fans of that game should know what to expect. I did tone down the difficulty (particularly that of the early Second Quest) pursuant to the feedback of several Beta Testers; I still maintain that this hack is on-par with or slightly easier than the original game.


I'm already planning a subsequent update, possibly by the end of the month. The changes will be mostly aesthetic, along with supplemental goodies like artwork and an official manual. Again, feedback is greatly appreciated, and if your contribution is big enough you may wind up in a subsequent version of the credits!


In closing, I'd like to thank everyone at Bad/Badder/Baddesthacks.net, particularly Rotwang, Hax0rKyo and Goldengun. I can't believe the site's gone through three different iterations over the course of this hack's production! Also, total accolades to everyone in the wider ROM hacking community, who patiently endured a seemingly endless series of delays with respect to this hack. (The original release was supposed to be Xmas Eve, 2009!)


Enough waiting! Let's go tangle with some meth-heads!!!



~Dr. Floppy

April 20th, 2015

Database match: Legend of Zelda, The (USA)
Database: No-Intro: Nintendo Entertainment System (v. 20180803-121122)
File SHA-1: DAB79C84934F9AA5DB4E7DAD390E5D0C12443FA2
File CRC32: D7AE93DF
ROM SHA-1: A12D74C73A0481599A5D832361D168F4737BBCF6
ROM CRC32: 3FE272FB
Time to Beat
Main Story 8h 0m
Main + Extras 8h 19m
Speedrun Avg 0h 49m
Release Date
Apr 20, 2015
9 years ago
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