What did AoL do for us?

[super-fergus]

It's easy to bash AoL in. It some how wondered a bit...
But that's not a Zelda first.

Let's back track on all the things that set the record for the Legend of Zelda and beyond!

For example... With out AoL, We mightn't of had 'Dark Link' !

[Daphnes]

AoL gave us the Triforce of Courage, spells, and Dark Link.

[Mr. Fish]

It was actually "Shadow Link" in AoL, but "Dark Link" in later games, and they're a bit different.

AoL did give us the names for the OoT stages, though.

[Hugh]

AoL gave us towns, spells/magic and Dark Link/Shadow Link.

Also, it gave us something very minor in OOT. In AoL, if you stayed on the path enemies wouldn't appear and attack you. In OOT, in Hyrule Field, if you stay on the path the Stalchild's wouldn't appear and attack you.

It also gave us a few names that were later used in OOT, all of the names of the towns in AoL were reused in OOT, apart from Kasuto, although I've heard some interesting theories on why that name hasn't been reused.

I would like to say that AoL is a great game if you give it a chance. It can be incredibly frustrating at times but it is still a great game. The dungeons were hard, the enemies were fun to fight and there was a lot of NPC's to interact with. If you are a fan of the Zelda series it's definitely a game you should play at least once. Fans criticize it for being to difficult but isn't that what everyone is complaining about, that Zelda games aren't as hard as they used to be? A bit hypocritical if you ask me. If you want a challenging and enjoyable Zelda game AoL is the game for you.

[Crimson_Hero]

It gave us the godly Temple theme music, made even godlier by Smash Bros.

It also gave Link legs, which he lost in the next two games. . ,

[ginger17]

um doesn't this belong in NES/SNES forum?

[Daphnes]

Originally Posted by ginger17

um doesn't this belong in NES/SNES forum?

Yes it does. I shall handle this.

Yeah, also the towns and new background music. Plus we get to see Link from the side instead of from the top. Of course, we already had other official art to see what he looked like without that.

[Hylie]

It's also a game that teaches us not to judge a book by it's cover, just because it didn't conform to the same style as LoZ. Remarkably though, it worked and the game does have a following. xP

[Daphnes]

Originally Posted by Hylie

It's also a game that teaches us not to judge a book by it's cover, just because it didn't conform to the same style as LoZ. Remarkably though, it worked and the game does have a following. xP

Most of that following likely being people who think challenge is more important than most other things. The game was poor, hard, and its cons outweighed its pros as far as I'm conscerned.

[MLNick]

Originally Posted by Daphnes

Most of that following likely being people who think challenge is more important than most other things. The game was poor, hard, and its cons outweighed its pros as far as I'm conscerned.

What cons? The only con I could even think of was that it was annoying getting to the final level (especially after the first time). I found and still find the game quite enjoyable. And I do NOT find it a challenge.

You find cons because you wanted a LoZ topview game. You probably knew what the game was like before hand and had read people bashing on it and went into it with a biased view.

[Hylie]

Originally Posted by Daphnes

Most of that following likely being people who think challenge is more important than most other things. The game was poor, hard, and its cons outweighed its pros as far as I'm conscerned.

I believe that every part of a game, i.e gameplay vs visuals, should be ballenced out equally. But back in the 80's when there wasn't all the shiny graphics we have now, developers had to rely on not much else but gameplay.

I suppose growing up with games like this help though. xP

[Daphnes]

Originally Posted by MLNick

You find cons because you wanted a LoZ topview game. You probably knew what the game was like before hand and had read people bashing on it and went into it with a biased view.

I did have a somewhat biased view when I first played, because I didn't play the game until the remake came out.

There was no weapons inventory. In the original you had the boomerang, wand, arrows, ect. In AoL, all you get is a sword and two offensive spells. Fireball doesn't hurt all enemies, and lightning costs too much to use all the time.

You have to get maxxed out in levels just to have a chance at beating the game. I played games like that before, like Aydin Chronicles and Ogre Battle 64. You didn't have to be super powerful just to have a shot at beating the game in those.

There were no shortcuts like in the original game. In LoZ, there are secret tunnels to help you get through, but in AoL just getting to the last dungeon was a long and strenuous journey. Even with maxxed stats.

Those cons, to me, outweigh the pros of having towns, the ToC, magic, and Dark Link. Oh, I forgot some people are good enough at gaming that even AoL wasn't gruelingly challenging to them. It was to me.

[zeldagamer]

Aol as already mentioned gave us magic, an overworld with towns, characters.. etc.

Originally Posted by Hugh O

I would like to say that AoL is a great game if you give it a chance. It can be incredibly frustrating at times but it is still a great game. The dungeons were hard, the enemies were fun to fight and there was a lot of NPC's to interact with. If you are a fan of the Zelda series it's definitely a game you should play at least once. Fans criticize it for being to difficult but isn't that what everyone is complaining about, that Zelda games aren't as hard as they used to be? A bit hypocritical if you ask me. If you want a challenging and enjoyable Zelda game AoL is the game for you.

Agreed. I have to say although the game is very fustrating, it was definately quite a challenge and i enjoyed playing it and finally completing it. Some fans complain about hard the game is and hate it for that reason but that in my opinion is what makes the game great.

[super-fergus]

Wow! I didn't think this topic would really kick off...
Seems so!

AoL was the first bold step for Zelda.
This took on the risk of using magic, and skills.
Did this happen to no avail? It might of ended up that future games,
turned into stat based combat like Final Fantasy *shivers*.

It introduced the 'Legend' of Zelda, something that was begging to be cleared up.
Did AoL set the level for the future Zelda games? Who knows...

[Dark Link]

It told us that when it came to RPG's, Nintendo failed. Well, at the time.

[ErosionOfSanity]

Originally Posted by Daphnes

There was no weapons inventory. In the original you had the boomerang, wand, arrows, ect. In AoL, all you get is a sword and two offensive spells. Fireball doesn't hurt all enemies, and lightning costs too much to use all the time.

You have to get maxxed out in levels just to have a chance at beating the game. I played games like that before, like Aydin Chronicles and Ogre Battle 64. You didn't have to be super powerful just to have a shot at beating the game in those.

There were no shortcuts like in the original game. In LoZ, there are secret tunnels to help you get through, but in AoL just getting to the last dungeon was a long and strenuous journey. Even with maxxed stats.

Those cons, to me, outweigh the pros of having towns, the ToC, magic, and Dark Link. Oh, I forgot some people are good enough at gaming that even AoL wasn't gruelingly challenging to them. It was to me.

The truth!

[legend0fzelda]

Aol gave us the real "LEGEND OF ZELDA" because you have to save the zelda in a deep sleep

[Marty0]

You know guys all this stuff would have been Invented sooner or later right?

I agree Super Fergus. AOL didn't really give anything to the story theorizing. All it really gave us was an abreviation Pun. AOL, America On Line or Adventure of Link?

[Sherm]

AoL was and is a great game! In is an integral part of the franchise. I can only pray that the powers that be at Nintendo can make games more like AoL(difficulty wise anyway) in the future.

[MDK]

LOZ and AOL were experimental phases in the Zelda series. LOZ consisted almost purely of exploration, puzzle solving and the inventory of weapons, with the sword being ineffectual by comparison most of the time. AOL was the opposite, the inventory removed, puzzles minimal, and the gameplay revolving around swordplay, magic and one-on-one armed combat (which is why I love it). They perfected the Zelda formula by balancing the key aspects of these two games in ALTTP, making swordfighting easier and working the magic system into the inventory. The main reason why people dislike AOL is because of all the other games in the franchise, the gameplay is so different from the established formula, but I maintain that without it, the Zelda series would be quite different from the one we know and love.

AOL was the first Zelda game to use a sophisticated combat system, and formed the basis of the targeting system, which became a necessity when the series moved to 3D. It was also the first game to feature an adult Link, and marked the appearance of magic spells, and one of his now signature moves, the downward thrust. The fights with enemies such as Darknuts and Stalfos in the 3D titles are based on the combat engine from this game, and I guarantee you that had the game been in 3D, it would be considered one of the best.

It also provided the basis for Link in the Smash Bros series. The only things that Link borrows from OOT in the first two Smash Bros games were the purely cosmetic aspects - his design and his voice. Everything else was taken from the first three games. Link's movements and fighting style, from the way he holds his sword and shield to upward and downward thrust moves, come directly from AOL. The Bow, Bomb and Boomerang all came from LOZ, the Hookshot and Spin Attack came from ALTTP, and the automatic blocking of projectiles by his shield came from all three.

[zeldahis101]

Aol was a stupid! worst game in zelda, bu tit was also the reason why they even had oot, in world records. if you've ever known that the only reason oot was in world records because all previous games wern't good before, that is also why tp is not in world records, the games before were preety good, and why smg {super mario ********g galxay} dethroned oot!

[Nucco]

AOL provides online security services for their free and paid subscribers. AOL partnered with McAfee to provide anti-virus software for Windows users. AOL's initial package was McAfee VirusScan 8.0 and Firewall Express 5.0. Initially, it was only available to paid subscribers using AOL 8.0 and 9.0; but is now available to users of version as old as 6.0.

In late-2005, AOL released AOL Safety & Security Center, a bundle of anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewal and phishing protection software. Replaced in 2007 by McAfee VirusScan Plus, the AOL Safety and Security Center included McAfee anti-virus, spyware, spam and phishing protection, plus AOL's proprietary parental controls and a firewall. The software was offered free of charge, but only to users with an AOL e-mail address or an AOL My eAddress running Microsoft Windows XP or 2000.

On August 7, 2006 [51], AOL released AOL Active Virus Shield. This software was developed by Kaspersky Lab. Active Virus Shield software was free and did not require an AOL account, only an internet e-mail address. It ran on various Microsoft operating systems including Windows 98, 2000, ME & XP. On August 1, 2007, AOL halted new registrations for this service. This led to many users experiencing error messages and failed virus-signature updates. This likely exposed users to the risk of new virus infection. AOL was late to announce this shut-down, as it came over a week after the software stopped updating. This experiment lasted slightly less than one year.

On June 8, 2006 [52], AOL offered a new program called AOL Active Security Monitor. This is a diagnostic tool to check your security status, and recommends additional Security software from AOL or Download.com in the category you are lacking. The program rates a computer on Firewall, Virus Protection, Spyware Protection, Windows and Web Browsers, Wireless and Home Network, Peer to Peer, PC Utilities, as well as giving an overall PC Safety Score Summary. The current version (2.0.0.18) only supports Windows 2000 or XP with Internet Explorer 5.0 or greater.

On July 18, 2007 [53], AOL released McAfee VirusScan Plus - Special Edition from AOL (VSP) and it premium version named McAfee Internet Security Suite - Special Edition from AOL (MIS). It replaces both The AOL Safety and Security Center and the defunct AOL Active Virus Shield. Like the AOL Safety and Security Center, it is an all-in-one security suite available free of charge to all users with an AOL e-mail address. Free AOL users can download the VSP while paid subscriber can download MIS. VSP includes an anti-virus, an anti-spyware and a firewall. MIS contains all components of VSP plus includes tools like automatic back-up and one-click restore of computer critical files. Additionally, it supports several modern Microsoft Windows operating systems including Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. On this date, AOL pulled all further downloads of the defunct Active Virus Shield.

[edit] Free services
This article or section may contain an inappropriate mixture of prose and timeline.
Please help convert this timeline into prose or, if necessary, a list.

On Wednesday August 2, 2006 AOL announced: "We’re in the process of offering all of our content and many of our services for free -- with or without an AOL Internet connection."[54]

Among the announced plans are free email services similar to many 'free' email providers. Chatrooms are included with the free service, but users are required to verify the age of an account created under the free plan using a credit card. AOL charges $1 to the credit card provided and then immediately refunds the charge. Thus people making new accounts currently experience problems whereas those who have simply converted their pay accounts over to the free plan can chat without worry.

The current version of AOL's software as of August 2006, AOL 9.0, was once identified by Stopbadware as being "under investigation" [3], for installing additional software without disclosure, and modifying browser preferences, toolbars, and icons. However, as of the release of AOL 9.0 VR (Vista Ready) on January 26, 2007, it is no longer considered badware due to changes AOL made in the software [4].

On 16 February 2007, it was announced that AOL now supports OpenID.[citation needed]

On October 4, 2006, AOL released its new, free Internet suite, AOL OpenRide, which combines a web browser, instant messenger, email client and media player in one program window.

On March 13, 2008, AOL purchased the popular networking site bebo for $850m (£417m), The price-tag is tiny when compared with the valuations of similar websites. Microsoft bought 1.6% of Facebook last year for $240m.

AOL currently provides free usage of a custom domain name, which it calls an AOL My eAddress. This currently allows you to create an e-mail address like 'example@whateveryouwant.com', and allows up to 100 other addresses to be created. These e-mail accounts can be accessed in similar manner to other AOL and AIM e-mail accounts. The domain, however, is currently limited to e-mail through AOL's service, and is solely registered to AOL. This may make it unsuitable for a corporate image, and currently does not allow a website or DNS configuration. Details can be found in the AOL My eAddress Terms of Service under section 4 'Domain Name Registrations'. In late 2006, AOL began offering free and unlimited digital picture storage for anyone who has an account (even free ones) with AOL, AIM, or AOL My eAddress. Users can access their photos at [5] which can be accessed with any account type, paid or free. There is no storage limit on the number of digital photos, and original resolutions are preserved. An ActiveX control provides a drag-n-drop interface, permitting users to drop an entire folder of photos into the web page to upload them. Features include tagging and photo descriptions, similar to Flickr.com's features.

[edit] AOL Video

AOL's free video service is AOL Video. AOL Video features professional content and allows users to upload videos as well. The original user-orientated video service was called UnCut Video, but was abandoned.

[edit] AOL Local

Consolidating local local-based products, AOL Local brings together like the popular AOL CityGuide, AOL Yellow Pages and AOL Local Search to help users find local information like restaurants, local events, and directory listings.

[edit] YouTube partnership

In addition to hosting UnCut Video, AOL is rumored to be partnering up with YouTube by integrating video services [6]. Based on the leaked internal web site at AOL, some have also speculated that YouTube is countering MySpace's efforts to compete with them [7].

[edit] Xdrive

Xdrive is a service offered by AOL which allows users to back up their files over the Internet. The service provides a free 5 GB account (free online storage) to anyone who has, or is willing to sign up for a free AOL screenname.[55]

Xdrive also offers remote backup services and 50GB of storage for a $9.95 per month fee.[55]

Recently, problems have arisen with Xdrive signups. People who sign up for Xdrive using an existing AOL screenname have had their screenname disabled without explanation. Those who had been using AIM as a free service, even under screennames in existence for many years, have been unable to get the accounts reinstated or access the data associated with them. In addition, affected users with free AIM accounts cannot reach AOL for help or even for information, as their phone support explicitly excludes such users. AOL is apparently either unaware of this problem or has no intention to investigate or rectify it. In addition canceling the account seems to be very difficult even for paying customers. Online help suggests that it can be done with either support email or by phone using 1-800 number. Unfortunately due to constant technical problems the phone number and the email address are not visible for every paying account. Even with email canceling option many have stated that phone call to 1-800 number was required while others have found that changing their credit card was the only option.

[edit] Bebo

On March 13, 2008, AOL purchased the popular networking site Bebo for $850m (£417m), The price-tag is tiny when compared with the valuations of similar websites. Microsoft bought 1.6% of Facebook last year for $240m.