Nintendo’s greatest legend

Twenty-five years ago on February 21, something magical happened—the world was introduced to “The Legend of Zelda.” Throughout the years, Zelda has changed forms and gaming systems many times, but it has maintained a popularity that is almost unrivaled by any other console game.

Since its release, the “Legend of Zelda” series has sold over 59 million copies worldwide. Through these games of our youth (and often adulthood) we learned problem-solving skills, heroism and that you could buy anything as long as you have a big enough bag to hold all your rupees. After 25 years of fun and exciting adventures, it seems only right that we should take a little walk down memory lane.

It all started with “The Legend of Zelda,” which came out for the classic Nintendo NES system. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, it was reportedly inspired by his explorations as a young boy of the hills and woods near his home in Kyoto, Japan. You played as the character Link—a hero during dark times in Hyrule, who had to recover eight pieces of the tri-force and save the Princess Zelda from the evil Ganon[dorf]. The graphics were simple, and admittedly, so was the plot line, but “The Legend of Zelda” has remained Nintendo’s fourth best selling Nintendo NES game ever, behind the crux of another Nintendo franchise—Mario.

Afterward came “Zelda II: The Adventure of Link,” which was designed as a sequel, taking place a few years after the events of the first game. The plot throughout the Zelda series is often the same at its core, with variations for different games. Basically, a big pig-man hybrid named Ganon is trying to conquer and control Hyrule, and only Link can gather the pieces of the tri-force to stop him and save Princess Zelda. After the popularity of the first two, Nintendo released “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” for the Super NES system. “The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening” was then released for the Gameboy.

Following that came the game which most of us probably played: “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.” Originally released for the Nintendo 64, it has been reincarnated on several of Nintendo’s gaming systems. It too was set up as a prequel to the original Zelda, and utilized 3D graphics, as well as music to pique the player’s interest.

There were several games released following “Ocarina of Time”: “Majora’s Mask,” ” Oracle of Ages,” “Oracle of Seasons” and “Four Swords” were all popular, but Nintendo’s next big Zelda game came in the form of “The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.” Created for Gamecube, it encountered controversy for its use of cel-shading, and a younger Link character.

“Four Swords Adventure” and “The Minish Cap” were the next Zelda Games to hit the market, followed by “Twilight Princess,” which was set 100 years after the events of “Ocarina of Time,” and was released for the Wii in 2006. “Phantom Hourglass” and “Spirit Tracks,” both made for the Nintendo DS, are the most recent additions to the Zelda franchise, and followed the storyline developed in “Wind Waker.” The next installment, “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword,” was created for the Wii and is slated for release in early- to mid-2011.

Although the franchise began with games, “The Legend of Zelda” has extended its reach beyond Hyrule. There are popular manga and comic book series that feature Link and the various plots of the “Legend of Zelda” franchise. Additionally, the characters of Link, Young Link, Zelda, Sheik, Toon Link and Ganondorf have all appeared in different reincarnations of the popular “Super Smash Bros.” game.

Zelda, here’s to 25 great years, and 25 more just like them! ?