View Full Version : Zelda: Start with boomerang instead of wood sword?
Wavelflack
10-04-2004, 09:25 PM
I've wondered about this for many years, and I hoped I would see a resolution in the Zelda FDS vs. NES thread. It didn't happen.
Anyway, the manual for the original Zelda has a screenshot showing the old man giving Link a boomerang instead of the wooden sword. I assumed this was a difference between the Jp. version and the US version. There are a number of instances of this sort of thing happening (screens of the underground bunkers in Rush n' Attack, in the Nintendo Player's Guide, etc.)
When I saw the FDS Zelda thread, I thought that would be the first thing pointed out. It wasn't.
Is there another version of Zelda in existence with the boomerang as the freebie weapon instead of the sword?
Doesnt the old man give Link the bomerang in one of the dungeons anyways? I think it might be a mixup on pictures, but I never heard Link getting the boomerang as the free weapon. It would also be tough for link to kill much when the boomerang just stuns enemies and does not kill them.
Wavelflack
10-04-2004, 10:02 PM
No, the boomerang is just sitting there in the dungeon "basement", by itself. The only thing the old man gives you (aside from bombs and rupies) is the swords.
This picture is from the starting point, as I believe the text is shown in the picture as well. It's the same room (a fire on each side, etc.)
The JP version came out first, so it's not like the game was still in development when the US manual was being made. It's just odd.
I'll see if I can scan it.
Wavelflack
10-04-2004, 10:18 PM
Ok, correction: It shows BOTH. Looks like you have a choice. Check it out (page 41 of the manual)
I have a scan, but my fucking image host is down.
It shows the old man standing there, and on the right side, there is the wooden sword. On the left side, there is the boomerang.
Kilik Kurosawa
10-04-2004, 10:21 PM
The only thing the old man gives you (aside from bombs and rupies) is the swords..
And the letter for the old lady....just picking...
Ahh yes the boomerang is sitting in the basement DOH! Hrmm strange I just looked at my manual and the old man is there with the boomerang and the wooden sword. Thats odd!
whoisKeel
10-04-2004, 10:34 PM
yes, weird, i just took a look.
The US version you dont get a choice. I know that for a fact! Only get a sword. I poped it in just to make sure I was right in the fact that there is no boomerang to choose from. The wooden sword is front and center.
Ninja Blacksox
10-04-2004, 10:41 PM
Of course you only get a sword.
As for the boomerang, it's not just "sitting there" in one of the dungeons.
The boomerang is obtained by beating the three red Goriyas in one of the eastern rooms in dungeon one.
You have to work for that shit, people!
-A boy
The Manimal
10-05-2004, 03:18 AM
i remember some thing about 'beating zelda without getting a sword'. ???.
i always thought it was bullshit, as you need the sword to get rupies to buy things by killing baddies and bosses and stuff. i know you can fight with the candle but you have to buy that, and that won't kill everything. also i know you need the sword for gannon (also arrows).
studvicious
10-05-2004, 08:37 AM
i remember some thing about 'beating zelda without getting a sword'. ???.
yes, it's very possible to do.. but what they were referring to is not getting the WOODEN sword.
ddockery
10-05-2004, 09:41 AM
Not that I've tried... but how do you do anything w/o the wooden sword? You start with no money, so you can't buy anything else. You need something else to kill enemies with and you definitely have to kill things to beat the first dungeon.
studvicious
10-05-2004, 09:45 AM
I haven't tried it either but I don't think that you would try for the first dungeon right away, you would want to go for the one that has the boomerang.
MarioAllStar2600
10-05-2004, 11:06 AM
In Four Swords the second Player Picks up Boomerang. That is the only weapon they have untill later in the game I believe.
So the first guy does have a sword..... but the second player never has one.
NE146
10-05-2004, 12:39 PM
Not that I've tried... but how do you do anything w/o the wooden sword? You start with no money, so you can't buy anything else. You need something else to kill enemies with and you definitely have to kill things to beat the first dungeon.
Stolen from gamefaqs: Zelda Swordless Questing FAQ (http://www.users.uswest.net/~userid946/legend_of_zelda_swordless.txt)
o2william
10-05-2004, 01:13 PM
Heh, I've been curious about this for years. I wonder if maybe the Old Man offered a choice of weapons in a development version of the game? The manual editors could have taken a screenshot from a prototype, and failed to update it after the programming was changed. It's a theory, anyway.
A friend once told me that he started a new game and the Old Man offered him a boomerang, just like in the picture. Never happened for me. I also heard that if you did something very obscure, like get exactly 200 Rupees, then die, then turn on the system while holding Reset, the Old Man would give you a boomerang. I'm sure it was just one of those wild NES rumors.
As to the Rush'n Attack thing... man, that's bugged me for years. I've looked and looked, but I can't find those bunkers. Again I wonder if that's something that only existed in the prototype stage.
Oh, and swordless Zelda is very possible. Challenging though. You can't beat Ganon because he's only vulnerable to a sword, but you can reach him with all items and full health. I've done it on both quests. The Second Quest is actually easier than the first when playing this way.
Li Wang
10-05-2004, 01:29 PM
Heh, I've been curious about this for years. I wonder if maybe the Old Man offered a choice of weapons in a development version of the game? The manual editors could have taken a screenshot from a prototype, and failed to update it after the programming was changed. It's a theory, anyway.
Exactly. I don't know why they'd never fix it for the American instructions, but the same thing can be seen in an early promo video for the Famicom Disk System.
rbudrick
10-05-2004, 03:45 PM
Nintendo did that sorta thing a lot....everyone remember SMB3 having that different world 1 map?
-Rob
Could someone post a picture of this boomerang/sword choice thing? Some people (like me) are unfortunate and don't have the manual...
Ninja Blacksox
10-05-2004, 04:12 PM
Just to quickly address the "Rupies" issue in "The Legend of Zelda..."
No, you don't need a sword to get rupies.
Just head to the top right corner of the map. 100 rupies. "It's a secret to everybody."
There's your candle money.
-A Boy
Wavelflack
10-05-2004, 06:19 PM
I'll email the scan to anyone willing to put it up. I use Photodump, and they are STILL down!
As for the Rush n' Attack thing: It turns out it's in the FDS version of Rush n' Attack, which is titled "Green Beret". So if you have an FDS emulator, fire it up. It's there! There are two (or three?) stages with the underground bunkers.
I spent a LOT of time trying to find those damned things.
Anyway, the original question in this thread is basically this: Is there an earlier (or foreign) version of Zelda that has the choice in it? With US Zelda coming out after the JP version, it's strange to think that the manual creators would use screens from a beta instead of the completed foreign version.
Someone feel like hosting the picture? Give me an address, PM, or email me at Wavelflack@earthlink.net
I was going to scan a pic and host it but unfortunate my wife is on my other computer! :angry: I mean I get her her own computer but no she has to be on mine.
Send me the pic and Ill host it.
Jr_Valente@comcast.net
Wavelflack
10-05-2004, 11:01 PM
It's on the way.
Ed Oscuro
10-05-2004, 11:10 PM
As for the Rush n' Attack thing: It turns out it's in the FDS version of Rush n' Attack, which is titled "Green Beret". So if you have an FDS emulator, fire it up. It's there! There are two (or three?) stages with the underground bunkers.
Might as well mention Konami continues the millitary theme with Final Command, the FDS version of Jackal!
I always liked the name "Green Beret" more than Rush 'n Attack; I ran across Green Beret before R'nA so Green Beret seems more natural to me.
Original manual scan. USA I scanned mine after I got yours. I tried to get a clearer shot of the cheap coverup on the pic.
http://home.comcast.net/~jr_Valente/zeldasword.jpg
And heres one I pshoped a little bit...
http://home.comcast.net/~jr_Valente/zeldasword1.jpg
I wish I knew how to use Pshop to actually do something worthwhile! None of the filters I have installed would clear it up enough to read what was written there, but its a start. someone care to pshop it to see what was covered??
soniko_karuto
10-06-2004, 02:33 AM
i can caption that!!
"please choose the sword!!" LOL
Ninja Blacksox
10-06-2004, 02:51 AM
I can tell you that whatever was "cheaply covered up" is indeed Japanese.
The text spoken by the old man, the Moblin, and the old lady is centered in the U.S. version. In the Japanese version, the text appears above and to the right of the character doing the talking.
So not only do you need someone with really good eyesight, you need someone who can also read Japanese.
Good luck.
-A Boy
rbudrick
10-06-2004, 11:21 AM
Well, if you can get me a good photoshop of it, I can try translating it...
-Rob
rbudrick
10-06-2004, 11:26 AM
I can make out a few signs...most too blurry. But yeah, definitely in Japanese. Lol...look above the fire on the left...looks like a faint outline of a diamond ring. :-) Probably just an artifact.
-Rob
Artifact as in unproperly rendered pixels? I wish I could hack it more, but I dont have any of my filters loaded into Pshop from my server to try out. And it seems that Im too lazy to got transfer them and install em! LOL
Wavelflack
10-06-2004, 06:40 PM
I'm guessing it's just a printing deviation, or a water spot on the picture. The one I sent doesn't have it.
I don't think it can be cleaned up much, as you are running against the wall of halftones and screening in the printing process. I was surprised the detail was present at all, give the small size of the picture in the manual.
rbudrick
10-06-2004, 07:10 PM
Waveflack, is that a huge dink in your av guy's face? Or is that a fist?
-Rob
Actually it looks like the same shape as the old man, just smaller. kinda like letting you know the text is from him. Pshop is an amazing program, and it could probally pull the text out a bit better, just out of my newbness to perform, unless its an easy click on filter. LOL
Wavelflack
10-06-2004, 07:48 PM
Waveflack, is that a huge dink in your av guy's face? Or is that a fist?
-Rob
It was originally a fist, but is now something less innocuous. The caption said "HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO KISS THIS, LOVER BOY?"
How could I resist the urge to modify it?
I spent some time, many years ago, converting various Archie comics into filthy things. This was done with white-out and a pen. My cousin and I traded them back and forth.
It all came from the question "Why doesn't Jughead like girls?" We illustrated the obvious answer, and proceeded to alter the art and context of the comics and the characters within.
Eventually, when the "internet age" arrived for me (97), I colorized the white-out edits and posted them on an archive site (which I eventually took down). I picked this particular frame of a three frame modified Archie, and made it my avatar on all forums. It's been that way since 1998. My name and my avatar are a constant: I'm always Wavelflack, and I have a nasty avatar.
Finally, I was lazy in my modification, and I never erased Moose's forearm. i suppose I never will. The context for the frame, BTW, is this: Reggie (the guy in the foreground) is kissing Midge under a handheld piece of mistletoe. Frame two has Moose pulling them apart, and frame three has Moose threatening Reggie, saying "How would you like to kiss this, lover boy?"
The end.
rbudrick
10-06-2004, 07:55 PM
It all came from the question "Why doesn't Jughead like girls?" We illustrated the obvious answer, and proceeded to alter the art and context of the comics and the characters within.
Lemme guess, your original was a modified big-ass sammich Jughead was eating?
-Rob
Wavelflack
10-07-2004, 12:07 AM
Close. Poor Archie was the victim in the first modified cartoon. You see, the story (the real story) was that Archie's back had gone out, and he was all hobbled and bent over. Everyone was trying to straighten his back out (in a Heimlich maneuver fashion)....and then it was Jughead's turn.
Not long after that, there was a story about Jughead and Archie going to pick up a 10 foot long party sub. Yes, it was modified (and quite well done, if I say so myself)
:)
Here, I'll put up a few links:
http://www.photodump.com/direct/wavelx/archiedildo31.jpg
http://www.photodump.com/direct/wavelx/archiedildo41.jpg
http://www.photodump.com/direct/wavelx/archiekiss11.jpg
Enjoy!