The Legend of Zelda

Overview

The entire Legend of Zelda series is well-known for its mix of adventure, action and role-playing elements, beautiful settings and environments, original music scores and unforgettable gameplay. The games are widely regarded as some of the most influential video games created.

The Legend of Zelda games are varied in items, graphics, and to a certain extent, storyline. The games do not reference each other but often tell a similar tale of a righteous hero, the green tunic-clad Link, appearing to vanquish evil, usually in the form of Ganondorf. Often the story involves the artifact known as the Triforce. The Princess Zelda plays a different role in the games.

Origins of the Legend of Zelda

The rich fantasy world of Hyrule and strong sense of exploration are no accidents in The Legend of Zelda. There are many different climates and terrains found in each game.

Creator Shigeru Miyamoto drew inspiration for the series from his adventures as a young boy in the hillsides surrounding his Kyoto home. Miyamoto frequently explored the forest and discovered secluded lakes, small villages and other wonders. Miyamoto said his most memorable moment was the discovery of a small cave. A mix of trepidation and wonder filled his mind and he finally entered and explored its insides with a lantern.

The name "Zelda" originated when Miyamoto heard of the death of F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda. He thought the name sounded pleasant and significant and named the series after her as sort of a tribute.

Game List

• The Legend of Zelda - 1987 - NES
• The Adventure of Link - 1988 - NES
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - 1992 - SNES
• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening 1994 - Game Boy
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - 1998 - Nintendo 64
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - 2000 - Nintendo 64
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages - 2001 - Game Boy Color
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons - 2001 - Game Boy Color
• The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords - 2002 - Game Boy Advance
• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - 2003 - GameCube
• The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures 2004 - GameCube
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - 2005 - Game Boy Advance
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - 2006 - Nintendo GameCube
• The Legend of Zelda game for the Nintendo DS (date unconfirmed)

Other Zelda Titles

The following games are remakes or other minor titles in the Legend of Zelda series.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX - 1998 - Game Boy Color (a colorized remake of the original Link's Awakening game) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest - 2003 - Nintendo GameCube (release of Ocarina of Time for the GameCube) The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition - 2003 - GameCube (several Zelda games rereleased for the GameCube)

CD-i Zelda Games

A special license agreement in the early 90's allowed multimedia system provider Phillips to produce three Legend of Zelda games. These titles utilized full-motion video to a large extent and received no involvement from Nintendo. The games, like the system they appeared on, are obscure and none are considered part of the true line of Zelda games.

• Link: The Faces of Evil - 1993
• Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon - 1993
• Zelda's Adventure - 1995

Trivia

• The main character in all Legend of Zelda games, Link, never speaks.
• The first 3D Zelda adventure was Ocarina of Time. Subsequent console games continued the 3D tradition while handheld versions remained 2D.
• Wind Waker, Link's first GameCube adventure, is widely regarded as a stellar game but is often criticized for its cell-shaded, cartoon look.
• Twilight Princess, the upcoming GameCube title, promises to be the longest and most realistic Zelda game yet.
• Link's first Game Boy adventure in Link's Awakening did not take place in Hyrule.
• Two LCD Zelda games have been released.
• The hero of every Zelda game, Link, is actually a different person in each game.