LogFAQs > #967441428

Fair argument. I think the problem with that though is Zelda 1 never explains itself. This is what I mean by bad cryptic design. Like I had no idea about this "1 secret per screen" thing - and that's actually really neat! But of course the game never tells you or hints at that in anyway. That kind of design works for some things, but there has to be some way to more organically discover that's part of the game - a text dialogue somewhere or something letting you know about the pattern. I've beaten Zelda 1 three times and never knew that. I'm sure I could beat it three more times and never know that, because I'm not going out of my way to bomb everything in sight.

That's actually the type of thing Tunic does brilliantly that makes it good cryptic design to me. Outer Wilds is another perfect example of more modern design that organically reveals its secrets and patterns in its game world while being cryptic. Metroid games too, teasing items early, as you mentioned. I just think Zelda 1 does it extremely poorly and it is indeed "old design bad" to me. But I certainly won't disagree that far too many modern games insult your intelligence.