Portal: The Legend of Zelda
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| Legend of Zelda | |
| Developer | Nintendo |
| Games | List of all games |
| Debut | The Legend of Zelda (1986) |
| Gallery | GH Gallery |
The Legend of Zelda is the second most popular of Nintendo's internal game franchises. Despite being one of Nintendo's flagship series, there have been relatively few games released over the years, especially when compared to the Mario series. This is probably due in part to the care Nintendo puts into each game, and the series has been kept much more reserved in the area of spin-offs.
History
The franchise was among the various Nintendo franchises to originate as the brainchild of Shigeru Miyamoto. The game was inspired by the summers he spent exploring the countryside around his home as a child. Especially influential was a series of caves he found. The original game of the series, The Legend of Zelda, was based heavily on this concept and was released for the NES in 1986.
The game was an overhead adventure in which the player controlled Link in navigating eight dungeons to assemble the Triforce of Wisdom to save Princess Zelda from Ganon. This game introduced various staples of the Zelda series such as the three principal characters, the Triforce (although only two pieces were present in the first game) and the basic gameplay with most of the weapons that would be used throughout the series. It was followed up in 1987 by Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, which was known for being a dramatic gameplay departure in that it featured side-scrolling gameplay matched with an RPG-like system where Link could level up in order to gain more hearts, magic power or strength. These changes as well as the game's infamous difficulty alienated gamers, so Nintendo returned to the formula of the original for the next game. Zelda II still did have some impact on the series, as it was the first appearance of the full Triforce and setting up some gameplay details that would be used in later games such as the magic meter and the emphasis on swordfighting.
This was followed by The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past in 1992, which was released for the Super NES. This installment expanded on the gameplay of the original and added much more detail to the mythology of Hyrule and the Triforce. It also introduced the concept of exploring dual worlds that would be used in various future installments. A Link to the Past was the most popular game of the series for some time and is known for being an influential Zelda game with its more in-depth dungeons, monstrous bosses and improved item system. The first handheld Zelda, Link's Awakening, was released not long afterwards. It mostly followed the gameplay of A Link to the Past but in a new setting. It is known for being a classic handheld game as well as for its surprisingly bittersweet ending. This set the precedent of sidequest games that were not connected to the Triforce or Ganon (as well as in this case Zelda) and were released for the handheld.
A new Zelda was then developed for the Nintendo 64. It went through various changes and delays until it was finally released in 1998 as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This game told a story that seemed to be intended as Link and Zelda's first battle against Ganon. It is most notable for bringing Zelda into the 3-D world with a new gameplay style that put more emphasis on sword combat. This new style also made way for various new gameplay features such as horse riding and aiming arrows. In addition to becoming the most influential game of the series since its inception, it has also remained one of the best-selling games of all time and has often been acclaimed as the best video game. There were attempts to make an expanded version called Ura Zelda for the Nintendo 64 DD, but these fell through with the DD's cancellation. Instead, a new game was made using the Ocarina engine, which became the Nintendo 64 sidequest game The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. This game featured Link exploring a different world and infamously featured a time limit that was a challenge to some players while putting off others. Capcom's Flagship division also began working on several Zelda games for the Game Boy Color that would be interconnected. The original plan was for three games that could link up together, one of which would be a remake of The Legend of Zelda, but the remake was eventually scrapped in favor of making only two games, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, which had some influence from the original The Legend of Zelda.
Nintendo itself worked on a new Zelda with the launch of the Nintendo Gamecube. An Gamecube tech demo teased a new realistic Zelda game, but the next game wound up going in the opposite direction by featuring cel-shaded graphics. Unlike the last big Zelda game, which was known for its various delays, Nintendo ensured that The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was released when it was intended to in 2002, although it seems to have been at a cost to the game, as at least one planned dungeon was cut entirely. This game renewed the focus on exploration with an entirely new setting by having Link explore the ocean on boat and visit various islands. This game attracted mixed attention in general due to its cartoony style as well as being shorter and easier than previous Zelda games, although it still featured a storyline that built up on the events of Ocarina and expanded on the motivations of Ganondorf.
At the same time, Flagship continued developing handheld games. The same year as The Wind Waker, they completed a remake of A Link to the Past for the Game Boy Advance that came with an original title called Four Swords. Four Swords was developed as the first multiplayer Zelda experience and required at least two players to play, although all players were required to have their own cartridge. They followed this up with The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures for the Gamecube in 2004, which included a single-player mode and was heavily influenced by A Link to the Past mixed with elements of modern games such as The Wind Waker. However, this game's multiplayer mode also had specific technicalities that dragged it down, as each extra player had to have a Game Boy Advance to use as a controller as well as a Gamecube-GBA Link Cable to connect it to the Gamecube. Capcom worked on one last game for the Game Boy Advance, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, which acted as a prequel to the Four Swords games and was a pure, straightforward Zelda adventure.
As the Gamecube neared the end of its lifespan, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess entered development and promised a return to the realistic style that players missed from Ocarina of Time. It featured a darker storyline and a realistic style to take advantage of the Gamecube's graphics. It featured small improvements on the traditional gameplay, the most notable being the addition of mounted gameplay. Due to its delays, it was simultaneously released for the Gamecube and as a launch title for the Nintendo Wii. The Wii version added motion controls and also flipped the map around to account for right-handed players being in the majority. This was followed by a pair of Nintendo DS games that followed the storyline of The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. These games changed the traditional Zelda controls in order to take advantage of the DS's dual screens and touch screen. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was later announced as the next major Zelda game for the Wii, and it would be specifically made for the Wii unlike Twilight Princess.
Continuity
The Legend of Zelda series is among the most well-known in video games for having the most confusing of timelines. Very few games reference to another game, although recently all console games since The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask have referenced back to Ocarina of Time while The Wind Waker has received some direct follow-ups for the Nintendo DS. Most callbacks are vague, but they give the loose basis for the series timeline.
Most Zelda games are based largely around the three main characters - Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. Their fates are usually tied largely in with the Triforce and the Master Sword. As a result, many of the games that take place in Hyrule feature very similar stories, but these storylines have become more complicated over time.
Another notable set of games that are tied together are the Four Swords trilogy. These games follow an implied order of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. All three of these games feature Vaati and the Four Sword as focal points.