The Legend of Zelda
Inarguably the Best Video Game Series of All Time
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13247741/DpJgQJmU0AAyQFs.jpg)
Some Legend of Zelda History...
The Legend of Zelda is an action-adventure game franchise created by the
Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka.
The Legend of Zelda was principally inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto's
"explorations" as a young boy in the hillsides, forests, and caves
surrounding his childhood home in Sonobe, Japan where he ventured into
forests with secluded lakes, caves, and rural villages.
The story and setting was developed by Takashi Tezuka. Seeking to create
a fairytale adventure game, Tezuka drew inspirations from fantasy books
such as J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Hearing of American
novelist, socialite and painter Zelda Fitzgerald, Miyamoto thought the
name sounded "pleasant and significant." Paying tribute, he chose to
name the princess after her, and titled it The Legend of Zelda. Link and
the Fairy character were inspired by Peter Pan and Tinker Bell.
The series centers on the various incarnations of Link, a courageous
young Hylian and Princess Zelda, a magical princess who is the mortal
reincarnation of the goddess Hylia, as they fight to save the magical
land of Hyrule from Ganon, an evil warlord turned demon king, who is the
principal antagonist of the series. Ganon wishes to use the Triforce, a
sacred relic left behind by the three goddesses that created Hyrule, to
remake the world in his own dark image.
Although their personalities and backstory differ from game to game, the
incarnations of Link and Zelda often have many traits in common; such as
Link often being left-handed and associated with the color green, while
Princess Zelda is often a member of the royal family. While the conflict
with Ganon serves as a backbone for the series, some games have featured
other settings and antagonists, with Link traveling or being sent to
these other lands in their time of need.
Playing Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda games feature a mix of puzzles, action,
adventure/battle gameplay, and exploration. These elements have remained
constant throughout the series, but with refinements and additions
featured in each new game.
Every game in the main Zelda series has consisted of three principal
areas: an overworld which connects all other areas, in which movement is
multidirectional, allowing the player some degree of freedom of action;
areas of interaction with other characters (merely caves or hidden rooms
in the first game, but expanding to entire towns and cities in
subsequent games) in which the player gains special items or advice, can
purchase equipment or complete side quests; and dungeons, areas of
labyrinthine layout, usually underground, comprising a wide range of
difficult enemies, bosses, and items.
In most Zelda games, the player's HP or life meter is represented by a
line of hearts, each heart typically representing two hit points. The
games pioneered a number of features that were to become industry
standards.
"A solid bet for the best game series ever..."
The Legend of Zelda series has received outstanding levels of acclaim
from critics and the public. Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Skyward
Sword, and Breath of the Wild have each received a perfect 40/40 score
by Japanese Famitsu magazine, making Zelda one of the few series with
multiple perfect scores.
Ocarina of Time was even listed by Guinness World Records as the
highest-rated video game in history.
Airing in December 2011, Spike TV's annual Video Game Awards gave the
series the first ever "Hall of Fame Award", which Miyamoto accepted in
person.
As of March 2022, The Legend of Zelda franchise has sold over 126
million copies with the original The Legend of Zelda being the fourth
best-selling NES game of all time. In 1999, Next Generation listed the
Zelda series as number 1 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting
that Zelda series had always more gameplay and innovations than most
other titles in their series.
According to British film magazine Empire, with "the most
vividly-realised world and the most varied game-play of any game on any
console, Zelda is a solid bet for the best game series ever".
The newest game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, will be released on May 12, 2023!!!!!!!