Video game legends - The history of Zelda

Zelda has to be one of the best games ever!
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The "Legend of Zelda" is one of the all time bestsellers in the video game genre. A major feather in the cap for game and console giant Nintendo, the game and its subsequent sequels are thought to have sold between 47 and 52 million copies the world over, and the numbers are still steadily climbing.

The storyline is a variation on a common theme: Link, the hero, must save Princess Zelda from the villain, Ganondorf Dragmire. Ganon is on the hunt for a relic known as the Triforce. Each game is an intricate and enjoyable mix of standard platform play, combines racing with puzzle elements, and also features role playing, which made it an instant hit with Dungeon & Dragon (D&D) aficionados.

A Brief History in Zelda's Time

1986 is the year that the original "Legend of Zelda" is released. A single player adventure game rated "E" by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), it was specifically designed for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), although at this point it has been reformatted to also play on other platforms. Young Link must rescue Zelda from Ganon, all the while finding a number of pieces that make up the Triforce of Wisdom. It plays a lot like a D&D game and was an instant hit.

1987 saw the release of "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link," an amazingly swift sequel to the initial Zelda release. Another offering for the NES system, this sequel is a role playing game (RPG) and surprisingly one of the least popular of the series. Granted, the fact that it is a distinct departure from the tried and true arcade and at-home console games may have had something to do with the chilly reception.

1992 is the year that Nintendo had dealt a mortal blow to Sega in the North American console wars, and "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" saw the light of day as a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) game. With much improved graphics, it is a return to the action of the original game but also introduces the concept of the parallel universe, allowing Link to travel in both worlds.

1993 was the year that Nintendo released "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening" for the handheld Game Boy platform. It features Link who is seeking to escape an island by awaking the guardian of the locale. Zelda or the Triforce do not feature in this game.

1998 the game returned with "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time." Made for Nintendo 64 and expanded to include the 1999 DD and 2001 GameCube platforms, it tells the tale of the story before "Zelda I," making it a classic prequel. Link plays as a boy as well as an adult with the help of time travel.

2000 was another good year for the Nintendo 64 when "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" was released. The storyline is highly complex, leading to extensive praise by critics and players alike. The one fly in the ointment was the need for the RAM add-on Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak, but loyal Zelda fans did not waver in their affection and purchased it. Link is able to transform into difference characters with different abilities, depending on the mask he wears. The mask also changes game play, making this one of the most intricate games to date.

2001 saw another development for Game Boy Color with the release of "The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons" and "Oracle of Ages." Together they form an original game and a sequel in which Link continues on the mission and saves Zelda. With breathtaking colors, the one complaint from actual players was the less than stellar audio quality of the Game Boy Color, which forced audiences who became accustomed to a certain level of auditory ingenuity to endure the age old "beep" of video games.

2003 saw the first game specifically designed for the GameCube. Entitled "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker," showcases stunning graphics and rather prolonged loading times. To gloss over this design flaw, Nintendo had Link approach various locales through slow and prolonged sailing, allowing the loading process to continue without game play interruption.

2004 is the year of "The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures" for GameCube. Link battles his evil counterpart - rather reminiscent of Mario battling his evil twin in 2002's "Super Mario Sunshine" - following the usual story line.

2005 brought a release for the Game Boy Advance known as "The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap." It reintroduces the four swords of prior games, and invites Link to fight familiar foes.

2006 is a first for Nintendo's Zelda. It is the first time that a game is released concurrently for two platforms - Wii and the GameCube - and that the game went from the friendly ESRB "E" to a rather more ominous "T" for teen rating. Called "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess," it is the more realistic depiction of violence and also blood that sent raters to eye the game with a bit of wariness. Truth be told, this is the grown up Zelda game that no longer features the little boy Link but instead showcases the more mature warrior.

2007 is the year of the last installment entitled "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass," which was aimed at the Nintendo DS platform and is the long awaited sequel to "The Wind Waker." Link is once again the little boy and critics welcomed the game with open arms.

Getting To Know Link

Link is the undisputed protagonist of the Zelda series, even as the game is named for the maiden he forever seeks to rescue. Although his age varies between preteen and more mature teen, he is a character specifically designed to appeal to the majority of players. To this end, game developers endowed him with quintessential hero qualities that players could identify with or at least aspire to: valor, bravery, loyalty, humility, and smarts.

Players are quick to acknowledge that perhaps the most endearing quality of Link's character is his ability to grow and learn from experiences as the game progresses. Although relationship forging in video games is not unheard of, at the time the original Zelda games were released, this was a major improvement. Link was no longer a linear character that would be constantly the same, but he became a person with likes and dislikes, friends and acquaintances.

It is a curious inconsistency that Link initially presents himself as a left handed warrior, but in between games changes to right handed action.

Link's Friends and Foes

Each game features an extensive cast and crew, but the most commonly returning characters are of course Link, Zelda, Ganon, and occasionally Tingle.

Constantly requiring Link's assistance is Princess Zelda. A quintessential teen incarnation of a princess, she has blond hair, blue eyes, and performs a variety of tasks in response to Link's solving of a puzzle or collecting a number of needed items. She does magic and serves as the bridge between sequences. One cannot help but notice that Link and Zelda hint at possible romantic involvement in future teen oriented games.

Ganon, also known as Ganondorf, is the main enemy of Link and Zelda. It is noteworthy that unlike so many video game villains, he actually manages to undergo an evolution and turns from the basic smash and hack antagonist into a Machiavellian prince.

Tingle was an occasional character in the Zelda series that is useful for reading maps. Perhaps he was floated as a trial balloon, or maybe he was supposed to take on a more serious role as time progressed, yet after a few games it became obvious that he was so odd and unable to remain germane to the game that he was dropped.


What Does the Future Hold for Link and Crew?

Fan communities are already second-guessing the next installment in the incomparable Zelda series. Votes are split between a sequel for "Wind Waker" and one for the teen rated "Twilight Princess" edition. As of yet, these conjectures are only buzz, and Nintendo has remained mum.

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