The Nintendo switch has just received a much simpler version of the original NES Zelda

Exploring the dangerous kingdom of Hyrule becomes a little easier. As part of the first major update of its NES application on the switch, Nintendo today released a new batch of classic games. Most were expected – including NDA Open, Key of Solomon, and Super Dodgeball – but there was also a surprise: a brand new, improved edition of the original The legend of Zelda this gives the players a welcome boost at the start of the game.

The game is calling The legend of Zelda: Live luxury life!, and the main difference between this and the original is that it loads you stuff at first. You will start the game with a lot of money and powerful elements like the white sword and the magic shield, equipment that usually takes hours to find. It's a big change: the original Zelda is infamous for having you immersed in the midst of a dangerous and magical world with little equipment and even fewer directions. The new edition remedies at least one of these things. Players who beat the game will also unlock a version that is harder to use later.

Of course, although all the extra elements make the game easier, they do not make it exactly easy, especially for newcomers. You must always manage in a confusing world and face all sorts of bad guys. But for new players looking to try the original after exploring Breath of nature, this is perhaps the best way to switch to the classic Zelda. (The original 1987 Zelda and Breath of nature actually a lot in common. BOTW, in fact, started life as an 8-bit NES-style prototype. The final version is of course much longer.)

In addition to items and rupees, the updated version of Switch Zelda seems to be identical to the original, at least according to the little that I have played. But it shows that Nintendo thinks a lot more about its library of classic games. The old retro gaming services, such as the virtual console, sold games unchanged from their original versions, but Switch's online service offers something slightly different by adding features such as multiplayer online, backups and real useful gameplay adjustments.

Now we just need a version of Super Mario Bros. 3 where you get the chain whistle from the beginning.