The game did retain some of its features and game play. There are some changes but generally it still is the same. Those who had played the game before in its previous versions probably knew the storyline before the start. That a certain farmer boy who became a warrior because it was demanded by the situation. He becomes strong every day. Gaining wisdom and strength through the experiences gained from his travels. Meeting knew things and learning new stuff. In his journey he encounters countless of evil monsters, killing every one of it. In the end the good will triumph over evil. Zelda story line is just a typical one that you can always read from fairy tales. Even so, it made it big and nobody expected that the sale of the game would be a huge success. They did expect it to sell that much but it always surprise them that the game still continues to sell even though it had been the same game for decades.
For fans of the game, you would be not be surprised, that almost everything in game like upgrades and dungeons are the same. Making it easier in your part to play the game and go directly to being the legendary warrior that you want to be. The creators did not change the story line and most of the features because they wanted to preserve the game as it was before and it will continue as it is no matter how many innovation of technology there are. This is what makes the game more interesting. The young and the old could relate when you talk about Zelda. This is probably what the creators wanted and it is a very good strategy. This will make the game immortal. I hope that the game will continue and survive for decades to come. For those newbie out there, I suggest that you play the game. You will definitely find yourself hooked without knowing it.