| Shining in the Darkness (Genesis) - Developed by | | | | genres, the first person RPG is still, unfortunately, |
| Climax Entertainment and Sonic! Software | | | | quite the rarity. |
| Planning, the role-playing-game (RPG) Shining in the | | | | The Legend of Zelda (NES) - Coming on a shiny |
| Darkness (SiTD) was the first entry in the Shining | | | | gold (plastic) cartridge and featuring some of the |
| series. This series of games would eventually | | | | greatest video game music of all time, The |
| include over 20 titles and its very own animated | | | | Legend of Zelda (TLoZ) for the NES is one of the |
| television program. This first entry in the series | | | | seminal titles in video game history. Anybody who |
| featured very sharp graphics and high quality | | | | has played it can tell you how amazingly |
| audio for its time, but it was the quality of level | | | | progressive it was and how it changed - and |
| design that made it a fan favorite and caused the | | | | ultimately defined - the Action-RPG genre. |
| demand for its many sequels. | | | | Although it is difficult to point to any one aspect |
| The standout moment for SiTD comes only a | | | | of TLoZ as its singular defining moment, the |
| few moments in, when the player heads to the | | | | game's very first screen is as good a place as |
| main labyrinth in search of the missing characters. | | | | any to single out. |
| Upon entrance into the labyrinth proper the player | | | | When beginning a game of TLoZ, the game's |
| learns that the dungeon crawling in SiTD will be | | | | main character, Link, is weaponless. He begins on |
| done in the first person - a stark contrast to the | | | | the gameplay map with the choice of travelling |
| third person perspective most RPGs had utilized | | | | North, East, West....or journeying into a cave - a |
| up to that point. By playing the game through the | | | | journey which will reward the player with their |
| character's viewpoint, the player was immediately | | | | first sword. Immediately, the player sees the |
| immersed in the gameplay environment. Monsters | | | | openness of the world in front of them. The |
| would appear right before the player's eyes, | | | | option for entering a cave - vital to not only |
| rather than through the typical third person to | | | | completing the game, but even making |
| battle perspective shift. This simple use of fixed | | | | incremental progress - is presented and the player |
| perspective created a level of involvement and | | | | rewarded for making that choice. This instills in the |
| connection that few console gamers (and even | | | | player from the outset that exploration is |
| fewer RPG players) had experienced up to that | | | | necessary and will be rewarded. While one could |
| point. Joined with mood appropriate music, plentiful | | | | easily write a thesis paper detailing the brilliant |
| enemy types, a lengthy campaign, a rich item | | | | design choices present throughout TLoZ, it is the |
| creation system and a surprisingly effective story, | | | | way the game design welcomes the player to the |
| this perspective helped deliver one of the more | | | | world and immediately outlines the crucial aspects |
| memorable RPG experiences of the Genesis' | | | | of gameplay that makes up this particular point of |
| library. While first person has become the | | | | praise. |
| standard perspective for games across many | | | | |