As the legend goes, the world was created by three Goddesses.
Together, they also created the Triforce,
a magical object that would grant a wish
to anyone who possessed all three of the Goddesses’ virtues.
However, should there be an improper balance of these virtues,
the Triforce would be split.
Throughout time, only a select few
have wielded the individual powers granted by the Triforce;
Ganondorf,
a dark lord seeking to overthrow the kingdom of Hyrule,
has long possessed the Triforce of power.
Zelda, the noble princess of Hyrule,
wields the Triforce of wisdom.
And Link,
a brave young hero,
bears the mark of the Triforce of courage.
Only by reuniting the pieces
could the ultimate power of the Triforce be obtained.
In pursuit of ultimate power, and in defense against it,
many battles has been fought between these characters of good and evil.
The legend itself has spawned many adventures across multiple timelines
in an attempt to cover them all!
This is the evolution of The Legend of Zelda!
Let’s start at the very beginning.
Shigeru Miyamoto,
a name that is no doubt familiar to Nintendo fans,
created a few small indie franchises,
such as Donkey Kong,
Mario,
and the Legend of Zelda.
I’m of course kidding,
these are some of the best-selling and most loved franchises in the world!
When Miyamoto was a child, he loved adventures.
He spent days exploring and discovering things as he went.
One day he came upon a cave, and, after days of hesitation,
went inside with just a small lantern.
These adventures inspired Miyamoto to create The Legend of Zelda,
a franchise which largely takes place in the fantasy kingdom of Hyrule.
The name of the series was a bold choice,
considering the chief protagonist and playable character
is actually Link, not Zelda.
I’m sure a few of you will say: “Wait what?! That boy is not Zelda??”
No, that is Link.
Link is modelled after Peter Pan,
Miyamoto confirmed it in an interview, adding he was a big fan of Disney.
I mean it’s fairy obvious…
Okay, I’ll let myself out.
It also helped that distinctive features,
such as a long green hat and pointy ears,
made Link stand out in early games of the series
when graphics were very limited.
Throughout the years, Zelda games have been spread in multiple timelines.
It’s fair to say that Miyamoto probably didn’t envision
The Legend of Zelda becoming the mammoth franchise that it is today.
After all, there have been 19 major releases,
with one more on the way.
Now though, let’s dust off the cartridges
and go back in time to when our adventure first began!
The original Legend of Zelda,
the game that started it all, was released in February 1986.
It could be played on the Famicom in Japan,
and more than a year later, on the NES in the rest of the world
The groundbreaking new game invited players to play as a boy named Link,
in an action adventure title.
Link must defeat Ganon to save princess Zelda
and become the Hero of Hyrule.
The gameplay was revolutionary, pioneering many features
that would later become industry standards.
It was completely different
compared to the linear gameplay of games like Mario Brothers.
The Legend of Zelda gave you choices,
allowed players to explore both overworld and dungeon sections freely,
providing you had the necessary items required for some areas.
This variety and freedom to take different paths
separated it from other games at the time.
It was also the first console game with the ability
to save one’s progress and resume playing later.
Funnily enough, if we go through the entire timeline of the Zelda games,
we find the original Legend of Zelda almost at the end.
Despite this, it was the one that introduced
the main characters, setting and lore that would come to be loved
and appreciated by many for years to come.
Upon completing the game, players also unlocked a more difficult ‘Second Quest’.
While the idea of a trickier replay wasn’t anything new,
the fact that areas and items were rearranged,
offering different levels to complete,
was innovative.
The Legend of Zelda was extremely well-received by fans and critics.
It went on to sell more than 6.5 million copies worldwide,
making it the 5th highest-selling game on the NES.
FUN FACT:
Did you know that the iconic main theme music
was created in a single night?
Nintendo’s composer, Koji Kondo,
initially wanted to use the song ‘Bolero’,
but developers discovered that the song was still under copyright.
Kondo therefore came up with his own tune,
although it is seemingly still heavily inspired by Bolero.
In 1987, 'Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link' arrived as a sequel to the original.
It picked up the story only a few years after the first game.
The now 16-year-old Link notices a strange mark on the back of his hand.
According to Impa, this means that he is the hero chosen to awaken Zelda,
who has fallen under a sleeping spell.
To awaken her he needs the Triforce.
The Adventure of Link came with
significant changes to the gameplay and visuals.
It introduced a levelling up system,
and combined a top down view with side-scrolling action.
The combat system was more challenging.
This time the enemies could actually fight,
whereas in the first, it felt more like the enemies were obstacles.
And for those of you who hate the game,
you’re probably just tired of hearing Ganon laugh.
Zelda 2 did not reach the heights of the first game in terms of sales,
but it still sold 4.4 million copies on the NES,
placing it 8th among the best-selling games for the console.
'The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past' came in 1991.
It was released on the Super Famicom in Japan
and the SNES in the rest of the world.
Due to the success of previous Zelda games
Nintendo was able to invest a substantial amount.
This led to a remarkably expansive world with a Light and Dark World.
The concept of two different worlds offered gamers the chance to explore
familiar yet varied environments.
Locations such as Hyrule Castle turned into the Pyramid of Power.
A Link to the Past returned to the overhead view
and gameplay style of the original Legend of Zelda.
However, graphical upgrades brought about by the SNES
meant that players benefitted from more detailed scenery
and beautiful colors.
A Link to the Past is a prequel to the original two Zelda games.
The story is more elaborate than the first two.
Yet again, Link is on an epic adventure,
exploring dungeons, fighting enemies all to save Zelda and Hyrule,
for a short while anyways…
This Zelda was groundbreaking for its time.
It had many puzzles which worked really well in the game.
The all-important Master Sword was introduced…
And it had amazing dungeons, story, music and enemies.
Many still regard it as one of the greatest games ever.
A Link to the Past became a huge success,
selling over 4.6 million copies worldwide,
placing it 7th on the list of most-sold SNES games.
'Link’s Awakening' is the first entry in the series
to release on a handheld in 1993.
It was released on the Game Boy.
Link’s Awakening was quite unique
in that it was one of the few games in the franchise
not to take place in Hyrule,
or to feature the princess Zelda or indeed the Triforce relic.
The story does continue after A Link in the Past.
After Link saved Hyrule,
he went on a journey to sail across the oceans
and came in a rough storm.
Lighting struck and everything turned dark.
Link found himself stranded on an island.
Before Link can escape from the Island he has to go through another adventure.
The game was loved, but it lacked something…
That’s right, it lacked color,
that’s why Nintendo made Link’s Awakening in color for the Game Boy Color.
Both versions were a massive success.
The original sold 3.8 million copies
and the color version sold another 2.2 million.
While I won’t cover all Zelda game remakes,
I will feature the remake of Link’s Awakening
that came in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.
It is a fantastic remake that keeps its charm
while having the visuals of Playmobil.
Link’s Awakening also introduced a character more powerful than Ganon!
The shopkeeper when you steal something.
After an agonizing 5-year wait, came ‘Ocarina of Time’ in 1998.
It was released on the Nintendo 64.
Making use of the N64’s graphics capabilities,
Ocarina of Time led the transition to 3D gameplay,
which was an important evolution in the franchise.
It also introduced a targeting system that allowed players to lock onto enemies.
Character models were far more realistic and detailed,
plus there were many more side quests and items to collect.
Ocarina of time takes place before all the previous games in the series.
In the story Link has a fairy companion named Navi.
Players traveled through different realms and time periods
on a mission to stop Ganondorf
from obtaining and using the Triforce’s ultimate power.
In the child world, things are fun and happy
and then you become an adult and everything sucks.
It’s almost like real life!
After the Ocarina of Time,
the timeline splits into three branches in which Zelda games take place.
There is a timeline where the Hero of Time is defeated and the Hero is triumphant
in the Child and Adult Era timelines..
At the end of the Ocarina of Time,
Zelda sends Link back in time to be a kid again.
That’s why there is a Child Era besides the Adult Era.
While the 3D graphics noticeably aged compared to the newer Zelda games,
these graphics were actually groundbreaking for its time
and helped shape the way 3D games were made moving forward.
Despite its graphics, it’s still an amazing game to play,
even after 22 years.
Ocarina of Time has earned a wide recognition
as one of the best video games of all time.
Nintendo sold a whopping 7.6 million copies,
placing it 4th on the list of most-sold N64 games.
FUN FACT:
Nintendo planned to make an expansion for the Ocarina of Time, named 'Ura Zelda'.
However, it was designed for the Nintendo 64 Disk Drive,
that was due to commercial failure, only released in Japan.
Nintendo scrapped the release of Ura Zelda
and instead used parts of the expansion for the Ocarina of Time Master Quest.
Only two years after the release of Ocarina of Time,
came Majora’s Mask in the year 2000.
Nintendo has been known for the innovative takes on the Zelda formula,
to keep Zelda fresh.
Love it or hate it,
Majora’s Mask is one of those different takes,
in which Link is in a search for his fairy Navi,
whom he lost at the end of Ocarina of Time.
In search of Navi, Link finds Termina,
a land which is under threat of destruction
from a giant falling moon.
Majora’s Mask is a sequel of Ocarina of Time
and is the first Zelda game in the Child Era timeline.
The story is very dark and creepy,
so it’s good that they rated it E for:
Everything is terrifying.
The graphics and gameplay are almost similar to its predecessor,
but that doesn’t stop the game from being original.
The 3-day system, the ability to change into different beings using various masks
and the dark, but beautiful, story make this an incredible Zelda game.
Majora’s Mask had the impossible task of
living up to the expectations of Ocarina of Time,
which sold 7.6 million copies.
Majora’s Mask however only sold 3.4 million copies.
By the way, Emberlab has made an incredible animation about Majora’s Mask!
Just imagine if they made a full movie with this quality!
I would highly recommend giving the video a watch!
The link is in the description!
‘Oracle of Ages’ and ‘Oracle of Seasons’ are two Legend of Zelda games
that were released in 2001.
Both saw life on the Game Boy Color
and have different stories that happen in the timeline after Link’s Awakening.
In Oracle of Ages, Link has the Harp of Ages,
which he can use to travel between the past and present,
while in the Oracle of Seasons, Link has the Rod of the Seasons,
which he can use to solve puzzles and change the seasons.
Both games also had a different focus:
Oracle of Ages focuses more on puzzles,
while Oracle of Seasons focuses more on action.
The games basically copied the controls, graphics and sounds from Link’s Awakening
and although they weren’t revolutionary games in the Zelda series,
they sure were fun games to play on the go.
Both games were a critical success, and sold around 4 million copies each.
Advancing the series in 2002 was ‘The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords’,
which was released for the Game Boy Advance
in a package deal bundled with ‘A Link to the Past’.
Four Swords was significant because it was the first multiplayer game.
It required two to four Game Boy Advances to be ‘linked up’,
if you’ll pardon the pun.
The plot of Four Swords takes place before the events of Ocarina of Time
and introduced Vaati as a new main antagonist.
While you fight over rupees, together with 2, 3 or 4 Links,
you have to defeat Vaati and save,
you guessed it, Princess Zelda.
The bundle of ‘A Link to the Past’ and ‘Four Swords’
sold 1.8 million copies worldwide,
which is less than any of the other previous Zelda games
In 2000, Nintendo showed the world a demo for a new Zelda game.
The director of the series, Eiji Aonuma hated it,
because it just looked like a scene from Ocarina of Time,
while Zelda had been known for being innovative.
So, they completely changed the game and gave it a cartoony art style.
'The Wind Waker' was released in 2002 for the GameCube.
Ironically, at the release of the game,
young teenagers were not happy with the childlike cartoony game
and wanted a more mature Zelda.
This created a lot of controversy for the game.
This tenth instalment is most well-known
for being the first cel-shaded Zelda game.
Cel-shading is a lighting and texturing technique
that gives the game a more cartoon-like appearance.
It also introduced a new camera feature,
so you could move the camera around Link.
The Wind Waker is a sequel to Ocarina of Time
and kicks off the Adult Era.
In the story the kingdom of Hyrule is flooded
because the Adult Era didn’t have a Hero,
so the goddesses had to submerge the world to contain Ganon.
Toon Link sets sail in an adventure to save his sister.
It also introduced new characters like Tetra…
Spoilers: it’s just Princess Zelda…
and guess who is also back in the game…
That’s right, Ganondorf!
While the game was hated by many at the start,
it is now being cherished.
As time passed, people got more familiar with the art style
and realized how great this game actually was.
Sure, the sailing can be a bit tedious at times,
but this game is how a great adventure game should be.
In this beautiful and rich world there is a lot of exploration,
fun and unique dungeons, fantastic music, fun side quests,
and an amazing story with characters that develop throughout the story.
For many it’s one of their favorite Zelda games.
The game sold 4.6 million copies,
and became the 4th highest selling GameCube game.
Despite that, Nintendo wasn’t too happy with the sales numbers,
since it was noticeably less than the sales of Ocarina of Time.
In 2013, Nintendo made an HD version for the Wii U.
And wow, this just looks incredible,
even in this day and age.
This remake also added some improvements,
including the Swift Sail, which decreased sailing time by half.
The next game to grace the GameCube was ‘Four Swords Adventures’ in 2004.
Existing in the Child Era timeline, it sees Link on a quest to restore peace to Hyrule
after finding out that an evil counterpart of himself has been created,
known as Shadow Link.
The game was significant in that
it is the only Zelda title on console so far
to incorporate multiplayer elements into its main campaign.
It also allowed a single player to control more than one Link at a time,
utilizing various methods such as formations
to make full use of this mechanic.
It is obvious that the game took heavy inspiration from A Link to the Past,
in terms of the music, graphics and locations.
Four Swords Adventures did not do well in sales.
In fact, it's the worst selling Zelda title by far.
In total, only 810,000 copies were sold.
FUN FACT:
To play Four Swords Adventures multiplayer
you didn’t need more controllers as you would expect,
but everyone was required to bring their own Game Boy Advance
along with a link cable.
The twelfth game released in the Zelda main series was ‘The Minish Cap’.
It was produced for the Game Boy Advance in 2004.
It came prior to previous Zelda games in terms of chronology
and expands on the story seen in Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures.
This time Link wears a talking cap, named Ezlo.
Ezlo has the magical ability to shrink Link to the size of his little finger.
This way he can go the ‘Minish’, a race of tiny people.
The shrinking ability is a creative mechanic
that can also be used to avoid obstacles and solve puzzles.
Link and the Minish aren’t the only short things in the game though,
because the story is pretty short too.
Despite that, The Minish Cap continued the legacy of the successful series
and was generally well received among critics.
The sales weren’t great though.
In the same month as the game was released for the Game Boy Advance,
Nintendo also released the Nintendo DS,
which undoubtedly had a negative impact on its sales.
In total the game sold 1.8 million copies.
2006 welcomed the arrival of ‘The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess’
on both the GameCube and the Nintendo Wii.
Twilight Princess was hotly anticipated by many gamers
due to its portrayal as a more realistic and mature Zelda game.
After all, it was the first in the franchise
to receive a T-rating by the ESRB
and a 12+ label by PEGI.
The combat system is essentially the same as The Wind Waker,
but it adds more variety.
The Wii added motion controls.
This meant that you could aim your bow with the Wii remote,
and swing the remote left and right to do sword attacks.
Twilight Princess takes place 100 years after Ocarina of Time.
All the main characters are back in the story
where Link tries to prevent Hyrule from being overtaken
by the corrupted parallel dimension, the Twilight Realm.
The world and story are pretty dark.
I’m pretty sure this scene gave some kids nightmares.
Twilight Princess took many aspects from Ocarina of Time
and improved upon it tremendously.
Most people who played the game
probably will say it’s an excellent adventure.
Though some think it’s too linear compared to other Zelda games
and not innovative enough.
By 2015, a staggering 8.9 million copies of the game had been sold worldwide.
Compared to all previous Zelda titles the sales were very impressive.
It became the best-selling Zelda game,
although it’s now overtaken, but more on that later.
FUN FACT:
The Hero’s Shade is a character who teaches Link new combat techniques,
but did you know this is most likely Link from Ocarina of Time?
Twilight Princess received an HD treatment in 2016,
being remastered for the Wii U with updated graphics and newer textures.
‘Phantom Hourglass’ was the first Legend of Zelda game
to come out on the Nintendo DS in 2007.
The DS allowed for touchscreen and displays on two screens.
This made some things easier.
For example, when sailing the second screen is used as a map.
Gamers could also connect online via the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection service,
at least until the service was discontinued in 2014.
One of the most welcomed additions was the ability to customize
the in-game ship with different ship parts.
This would inspire customization options in future Zelda games.
Phantom Hourglass’ story takes place after the events of The Wind Waker
in the Adult Era timeline.
Link gets help from Captain Linebeck in his journey to save Tetra
and defeat the new antagonist Bellum.
The game is divided in two gameplay types:
sailing between islands,
and exploring the islands and their dungeons on foot.
Critics were often highly positive towards it,
though the online features were considered to be too simple.
Phantom Hourglass sold 4.1 million copies worldwide and received several awards,
including the Nintendo DS Game of the Year from GameSpot, GameSpy and IGN.
Next came ‘Spirit Tracks’ in 2009.
The game takes place after its predecessor in New Hyrule,
a kingdom founded by Tetra after the event of Phantom Hourglass.
In this game, Link is able to travel with a steam train.
Just like The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass,
the game also features the cel-shaded art style.
As with the ship in the previous title,
the train in Spirit Tracks can be customized,
plus, minor changes were made to the gameplay that allowed
for a smoother, more enjoyable gaming experience.
Perhaps the most noteworthy detail of Spirit Tracks
is that it was the first Zelda game to feature multiple endings
that could change Link's ultimate outcome.
There are three different ending scenes
dependent upon the choices made by the player.
In total, 2.6 million copies of Spirit Tracks were sold.
In 2011, Nintendo created 'Skyward Sword',
which was created for the Nintendo Wii.
The Nintendo Wii allowed for the use of motion controls,
which many people on the Zelda Reddit really seem to hate.
The game takes place on the floating island of Skyloft
and the surrounding islands.
To navigate through Skyloft, Link can fly using his Loftwing bird.
In terms of chronology,
Skyward Sword takes place at the earliest point in time so far.
The game details the origins of the Master Sword,
a recurring and important weapon within the series.
While the storyline is placed at the beginning of the franchise’s continuity,
game designer and director Eiji Aonuma has stated that Skyward Sword
will not necessarily always be the first entry in the chronology.
This, of course, opens the possibility for future games to occur earlier.
The game was specifically praised for its new style of combat,
although not everyone was astonished,
as some critics complained about the game’s linearity
and lack of places to explore while free-roaming in the sky.
Well heck, it just goes to show
that you can’t please all of the people all of the time!
Skyward Sword carried on Nintendo’s legacy of success
with 3.4 million units sold worldwide.
FUN FACT:
The late and great comedian Robin Williams was a huge fan of the Zelda series,
so much so that he named his daughter Zelda.
Are you mixing me up with the princess again?
It’s hard to say, you’re both pretty magical.
Continuing to push boundaries, ‘A Link Between Worlds’
was the first Zelda title developed for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013.
Just like the previous Zelda titles,
solving puzzles and clearing dungeons is a fundamental part of the gameplay.
But it also introduced new mechanics,
like an item rental system,
where you can purchase and rent items from the beginning from merchant Ravio.
The game also introduced a mechanic where Link can transform himself
into a wall and become 2d.
‘A Link Between Worlds’ served as a sequel to ‘A Link to the Past’
and takes also place in Hyrule.
There is also a new kingdom that acts as Hyrule’s dark twin, named Lorule.
Young adventurer Link has a new villain to fight,
the mysterious Yuga or the ‘Van Gogh of Hyrule’,
who is turning people into paintings.
Many critics see ‘A Link Between Worlds’
as a worthy successor to ‘A Link to the Past’.
Keeping traditional elements of the series, while also introducing new mechanics.
Within just 5 months, ‘A Link Between Worlds’
sold over 2.5 million copies.
The next instalment in the Legend of Zelda on 3DS arrived in 2015,
with the name ‘Tri Force Heroes’.
Together with your buddies you can start this new adventure.
Teamwork is an important aspect of the game.
You can stack three players together to create a totem pole
and reach enemies on higher elevations and solve puzzles.
You can also play the game solo, though that is not even half the fun.
The story takes place several years after ‘A Link Between Worlds’, and is very silly.
The game takes place in Hytopia,
a kingdom where its citizens are obsessed with fashion.
Yeah... Not exactly what you would expect from a Zelda title.
Tri Force Heroes was not as well-received as most Zelda titles.
For many, it’s one of their least favorite Zelda games.
It just wasn’t what you would expect from a Zelda title.
Not surprisingly, Tri Force Heroes is one of the worst-selling Zelda games,
with 1.1 million copies sold.
The most recent entry in the main series of Zelda games is
Breath of the Wild in 2017.
The development of Breath of the Wild took 5 years,
with Nintendo wanting to revamp the legend
and include elements such as a detailed physics engine,
high-definition visuals,
and for the first time in the main series,
voice acting.
The game was released on both the Wii U
and Nintendo Switch.
It takes place at the end of The Legend of Zelda timeline,
but it’s not clear which one, since it has aspects from multiple timelines.
Link awakens from a 100-year sleep…
And sets out to defeat Calamity Ganon, to save the kingdom of Hyrule.
Breath of the Wild is absolutely amazing!
The game invites you to explore the vast open world freely
with hugely different areas.
There are many enemies to fight,
sidequests to be done,
shrines to complete
and Korak seeds to be found.
Spoilers:
after finding all 900 Korak seeds you will receive golden shit.
Well thanks, Hestu…
Besides the amazing world,
the graphics, story and music are fantastic too.
If you weren’t a Zelda fan before,
Breath of the Wild definitely will make you one.
Breath of the Wild also has 2 DLC’s
‘The Master Trials’ and ‘The Champions’ Ballad’.
The Master Trials adds a Master Mode, for those wanting a much tougher challenge,
and there are new items to collect,
including items known from previous Zelda games,
like the Majora’s Mask,
Midna’s Helmet
and Phantom Armor.
The Champions’ Ballad adds a challenge,
the ‘Trial of the Swords’ in which players can go through different levels,
each having its own layout, enemies and traps.
The DLC also adds new items, including the One-Hit Obliterator
and a new great way to travel: The Master Cycle Zero!
Breath of the Wild is cited as one the greatest games of all time
and sold over 20 million copies!
Making it, by far, the most sold Zelda game.
FUN FACT:
Before Breath of the Wild was finished,
the development team let Miyamoto try out the game and share his advice.
But to their surprise, all he wanted to do was climb trees…
For an hour…
They asked: “Do you want to look at other stuff?”
But he just kept on going…
At the end of Nintendo’s E3 presentation in 2019,
a teaser trailer was shown for a sequel to Breath of the Wild.
However, since then, very little information has been confirmed,
but that doesn’t stop many YouTubers from unleashing their fan theories.
While it is no doubt still in production,
its release is not expected until 2021 or later.
In addition to the main series of games and their remakes,
Zelda characters have also appeared as guests in several games,
including Mario Kart…
Soul Calibur 2…
and Super Smash Brothers….
Then we have The Legend of Zelda TV series, which aired in 1989.
And there have been a number of Zelda spin-offs,
including a few Zelda games for the Philips CD-i console,
which many fans would rather forget about…
I mean, this is just terrible!
And finally there is the Hyrule Warriors series,
which has been running alongside the main series since 2014
and focuses more on combat.
On November the 20th,
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will be released for the Nintendo Switch!
The game is a prequel to Breath of the Wild, going back 100 years,
when all the characters are still alive.
Not only will you be able to fight hundreds of Bokoblins,
you can also fight using different characters including Zelda,
Mipha,
Urbosa
and more!
I can’t wait to play it!
As we eagerly await the next instalment of this epic franchise,
why not gather around the campfire of the comments section
and tell us what are YOUR favorite Zelda games?
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