BRIEF HISTORY OF ZELDA A Legend is born


Through 25 years Zelda has delighted millions with its mix of exploration, action and puzzles. Over the next three pages we take a look at the story so far


IT IS 1985, and Shigeru Miyamoto is hard at work on two games for Nintendo’s Famicom system (NES). The first game needs no real introduction. It was Super Mario Bros,which was a big success worldwide.


The other was designed to be a more immersive experience. A game that players could save and come back to. It was The Legend of Zelda. The game was a unique hybrid of genres, combining puzzle gameplay with action, exploration and even a basic RPG leveling up system. It also introduced fans to the boy hero Link, the evil Ganon, the princess Zelda and the land of Hyrule – characters and worlds that would go on to define the series for 25 years. From here on out the series would grow in popularity, often changing in tone and graphical style. A year later came the side-scrolling sequel, Zelda II, but it would be five years before gamers got a third title. 1993’s A Link To The Paston the SNES was critically lauded and introduced the two-world concept, something which would become a staple of future Zeldatitles. It was at this time that Nintendo


took Zelda portable in Link’s Awakening. Despite being 8-bit and with a monochrome pallet, it still retained all the charm and innovation of its console big brother. There was then a further five-year hiatus before Zeldareached another series high point – Ocarina of Time. The N64 classic is regarded as one of the greatest games ever. What followed was the darker Majora’s Mask, the lighter Wind Waker, a string of successful portable adventures, two multiplayer-based games, the Wii and GameCube hit Twilight Princess and a handful of spin-offs, too. And next up is Skyward Sword, a game that’s already been greeted to rave reviews. Including a 10/10 from Edge. Turn over the page for our run- through of every key step in The Legend of Zeldahistory.


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Zelda’s look and style has gone through many changes during its 25 year history


November 7th 2011 9


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