Topic: Legend of Zelda
What is it?
Nintendo’s Big Three, as of NES days, consisted of Super Mario, Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda. Taking place in a fantasy world of goblins, monsters, castles, and princesses, this series had transformed some of the landscape of videogames and being a bench mark for many later games and series, with some hallmarks that continue to this day.
Development
During initial development of the Fa...
Topic: Legend of Zelda
What is it?
Nintendo’s Big Three, as of NES days, consisted of Super Mario, Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda. Taking place in a fantasy world of goblins, monsters, castles, and princesses, this series had transformed some of the landscape of videogames and being a bench mark for many later games and series, with some hallmarks that continue to this day.
Development
During initial development of the Famicom(Family Computer, also known to the west as the Nintendo Entertainment System(NES)) addon, known as the Famicom Disk System, two major games were being developed. The First was Super Mario, while the second was Legend of Zelda, however their creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, didn’t know how either game would shape up. During the planning process, the two games were created in tandem, with Super Mario coming out first due it’s more linear nature, and Zelda coming out afterwards. Ideas when developing the games were split between the two games, with some ideas being more favorable for Mario over Zelda. Zelda’s design necessitated less linear game play and forced players to think about what to do next.
Elements of the initial story were taken heavily from J R R Tolken’s Lord of the Rings, primarily the setting and world in which the antagonist lived in. The initially hero, dubbed ‘Link’ was meant to be a time traveler, along with the plot device, the Tri-force, being made up to circuits/electronics, thus Link would be a Hyper-Link, or a Link to the Past, Present, and Future.
Released on the Famicom Disk System, The Legend of Zelda was a huge success. With the Disk System, save states could be created, which acted as back ups for your progress. Along with new weapons/items, additional armor, and various secrets waiting to be found, the game was a block buster upon release. Due to the North American market not having the Disk System for their NES, the game was ported instead to a standard game cartridge of the time, with new chips being created to hold the majority of the game on. US released copies featured a Gold game cartridge over the typical gray that was offered with all other games.
After the success of the first Zelda, a second follow up went in to work. Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, took a different turn in the game play, offering a top down map for which to explore, but offered a 2d platform style action that Link would fight in. Released 2 years after the first, gaming critics cited it as a masterpiece, with many western audiences feeling somewhat indifferent to the game at the time.
With the coming of the next generation, the Super Famicom and Super Nintendo saw their own version of Zelda coming out, returning to the original Legend of Zelda roots, but also added a feature that would eventually become a staple of many Zelda game, a Light and Dark World. Initially, the Super Nintendo games held an initial allotment of half a Megabyte, but Zelda began the trend with a full Megabyte to incorporate all the features. In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, a Light and Dark world exist, where Link can travel between the two to gain new weapons, powers, and transverse the world in ways other than the initial ways. Released in 1991, the game was a classic and is to this day, still highly rated, and one of the best selling games for the Super Nintendo.
Following the success of Zelda as a generational Title, a new Zelda game has come out for every Generation of Nintendo’s consoles, including the Mainline Home Console and Hand-held Console. In 1998, The Legend of Zelda saw game series move in to 3d, just as Mario had done a year earlier. Even during the Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was a launch title, instead of a traditional Mario title.
Initial Story
The initial story of the Legend of Zelda is not very straight-forward or linear at all. Described as a multi-timeline series, the main series had an initial timeline, before branching off in to various timelines. The characters of Link, Zelda, and bad guy Ganon are not even the original individuals, but reincarnations of the classic characters years into the future, sometime even hundreds of years later, often still playing the exact same roles as before.
Rather than develop the games in the released order, in order to explain the time line, we’ll explain them in order of their placement on the timeline:
Skyword Sword (2011) Wii U
Skyword Sword starts the Zelda timeline, set in a world where humans primarily live in the sky and travel around on giant Sky birds. Zelda, a reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia, who is charged with watching over the Tri-Force, is whisked away to the surface world, where she learns of her purpose and intends on safeguarding the world from Demise. Link goes about saving her and puts an end to Demise, but not before he can make his own reincarnation. This is also the creation of the Master Sword, as the sword was originally a part of Hylia prior to giving up her divinity.
The Minish Cap (2004) GBA
As the GBA had a long life span, this incarnation is notable for introducing the Minish Cap, a replacement hat for Link, not unlike Mario Hat from Super Mario Odyssey. Much like many features of Zelda there is a obvious world, and a hidden world. In this case, the Minish Cap allows Link to shrink to Minish proportions (Small), in order to navigate and transverse secrets of the world. This adventure for Link sets up the Four Sword and the main antagonist of the next game Vaati.
Four Swords (2002) GBA
Released alongside a release of A Link to the Past, Four Swords tells of how Link used the Four Sword and transformed into four copies of himself. This story primarily focuses upon Vaati’s return and Link utilizing the Four Sword to defeat him. The true feature of this game was the 4 player co-op nature, which was later revisited on the Game Cube.
Ocarina of Time (1998) N64
Credited as landmark title that brought Zelda to 3d. The story tells of a very young boy link saving Princess Zelda, but traveling back and forth from time, which causes him transform in to the Adult Link. This game introduced 3d, but also a music system, with special songs, capable of summoning effects or allowing used to progress through the story. The game was the first time the story fleshed out more of Ganondorf’s back story, along with other notable races, including the Gerudo, Goron, Kokori, & Zora.
DEVIATION IN TIME
Based on the events of Ocarina of Time, one of Three Timeline get created:
Child Timeline – Where at the end of Ocarina of Time, Link returns the Master Sword to the pedestal and reverts to a child to finish out the rest of his life.
Adult Timeline – Where at the end of Ocarina of Time, Zelda returns the Master Sword to the pedestal, and Link is said to have disappeared following his return to the past.
Fallen Hero Timeline – Where as Link was failed to defeat Ganondorf, and he is instead sealed by the Seven Sages and locked away.
Child Timeline:
Following the defeat of Ganondork, Link returns the Master Sword to the pedestal and reverts to his child form to live out the rest of his life.
Majora’s Mask (2000) N64
Created using the original Ocarina of Time engine and many of the same assets, Majora’s Mask is very much a sequel to the Ocarina of Time. In this version, Link stays a child, but gains additional powers in the form of masks, which alter his shape and abilities. The main events of Majora’s Mask resolve around Link in search of Navi, his fairy from the first game. He meets the mysterious Skull Kid, who is wearing the possessed Majora’s Mask. Skull Kid, via Majora’s Mask, aims to destroy the town of Termina by having the moon crash in to it. Link has only 3 days in which to stop the apocalypse, but learns can go back in time by playing the Song of Time on his Ocarina, giving him unlimited tries to save the world.
Twilight Princess (2006) Wii
Following the events of Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf is stopped and due to having the Triforce of Power, can’t be killed. As a result, he is banished to the Twilight Realm, where he eventually takes it over and corrupts it to his own purpose. During the events, he usurps Midna, the Twilight Princess, and during his invasion back into the world of Light, plunges the world into twilight. Midna recruits Link, who in twilight infused areas, is able to transform into a wolf the Midna rides, and the two aim to save both the world of Light and the world of Twilight.
Four Swords Adventure (2004) Game Cube
Revisiting the GBA Four Sword’s multiplay gameplay, the game utilizes the GBA link Cable to link various GBAs together to play all at the same time. While Ganondorf has been defeated for hundreds of years, his sudden resurrection forced the Link of the time to draw the Four Sword once again. This releases Vaati, which Ganondorf uses to his advantage to distract Link. Eventually, Link is able to defeat Vaati once and for all, and seals Ganondorf within the Four Sword.
Adult Timeline:
Following the events Ocarina of Time, Link disappears following the defeat of Ganondorf and his sealing away in the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf continue to own his Tri-Force of power, as does Zelda with her Triforce of Wisdom, however, Link’s disappearance, shatters the Tri-Force of courage in to 8 pieces.
The Wind Waker (2002) Game Cube
A major departure in style, Wind Waker and all games in the Adult Timeline follow a very cartoony, cell-shaded look. While a prominent style in the games, and a departure from a more realistic looking Link promised in trailers, the look had grown on players and has its own unique charm, with lot of personality in Link.
Wind Waker tells of how Ganon returns from his seal in the Sacred Realm, and in order to save the world, the Gods decide to flood the world, sealing away Hyrule and Ganon at the same time. Follow flood, people move to the top of mountains that become islands. Link is set in to action as Ganondorf returns to the surface and is kidnapping young girls with pointy ears, in search of Zelda. Link traverses this world on the King of red Lions, a boat sent by the gods, in which Link must use the power of the Wind Waker to cause winds to help pilot the boat.
Phantom Hourglass (2007) DS
Following the events of Wind Waker, Tetra(Reincarnation of Zelda) and Link travel the world in search of a new continent to call home. Tetra is kidnapped and Link must travel around to save her. He receives the Phantom Hourglass, which is necessary for exploring various dungeons. Much like the last game, the gameplay is largely split in two major features, sailing between islands, and fighting in a similar top-down form as previous classic era games.
Spirit Tracks (2009) DS
Following the Events of Phantom Hourglass, the new kingdom of Hyrule is established. Hundreds of years pass, and a new Link and Zelda are reborn. Zelda is concerned about her advisor, Chancellor Cole, who reveals himself to be a demon initially sealed way on the new Hyrule Kingdom long before they arrived. He steals Zelda’s body, but her spirit remains with Link, who together must navigate the mysterious Spirit Tracks and find the sacred Spirit Temples that original banished the Demon.
Fallen Hero Timeline:
Unfortunately, Link was unable to defeat Ganondorf, who succeeded in claiming the Tri-Force of Courage and the Tri-Force of Wisdom. Before he could use the full Tri-Force, he was sealed away by the Seven Sages into the Sacred Realm, where Ganondorf continued to create his armies. Following initial seal’s breaking, Hyrule launched an invasion on the Sarcred Realm in order defeat Ganon. Despite the Kingdom of Hyrule successfully banishing Ganon in the realm once again, it left the country impoverished and without many resources, including money and its people.
A Link to the Past (1991) SNES
The first game to feature a duality Light and Dark world system, Link to the Past is a classic and one of the best selling SNES games of all time. Hundreds of years after Ganon’s defeat, a Wizard named Agahnim was able to stop a number of mysterious events plaguing the kingdom. Naming him the priest of Hyrule and top advisor, Agahnim brainwashed the guards and makes the six maidens, descendants of the Seven Sages, disappear in to the Dark World. Zelda, the last maiden, telepathically calles out to Link to rescue her. He saves her and begin searching for the tools needed to defeat Agahnim, who wants to resurrect Ganon. Link eventually goes to Stop Agahnim, but not before being banished to the Dark World, where he eventually found the six maidens and is able to find the TriForce.
Link’s Awakening (1993) Game Boy / Switch
Initially, a pet project by a few game creators to try and remake the first Zelda for the Game Boy, the project eventually caught the attention of other developers who wanted to add to it. Eventually, the higher ups found out about the game and decided to fund it in earnest. Following the Events of A Link to the Past, Link sets off to find new training, in case of the next disaster. His ship wrecks on Koholint island, which is populated by individuals that remind him Hyrule. He learns, in order to leave the island, he must collect 8 sacred instruments, and wake up the Wind Fish in order to leave the island.
Oracle of Seasons & Oracles of Ages (2001) GBC
Originally starting as a trio of games that would use passwords to link the three games together, the result ended in just two games, with Seasons being more action oriented and Ages being more puzzle oriented. The main story focuses on two witches, collectively known as Twinrova, attempting to resurrect Ganon. Link from A Link to the Past is summoned by the TriForce and sent to stop them.
A Link Between Worlds (2013) 3DS
Centuries after Ganon’s Defeat, a mysterious wizard named Yugo appears and kidnaps the Seven Sages, and Zelda, storing them in Paintings until needed. Link travels after them into the world of Lorule, which is similar to his own. Link is unable to stop Yugo from summoning Ganon and takes it into himself. Link is nearly killed, if not for the Dark Counterpart to Zelda in this world, Hilda. Eventually it is revealed that Lorule had its own TriForce, but constant warring and fighting forced them to destroy it; however, this allowed monsters and demons to rise up, which destroyed their Kingdom. Hilda brought all the elements of Link and Zelda’s world to hers in order to gain a Tri-Force of their own and save their world. Link eventually defeat Yugo and convinces Hilda that their world needs the Tri-Force as well. Upon returning to their world, Link wishes upon the Tri-Force and it creates a sister version in Lorule, restoring peace to the dark world.
Tri-Force Heroes (2015) 3DS
A new adventure for Link, who travels to Hytopia. Here, the evil witch Maud has forced Princess Styla into an irremovable brown Jumpsuit, which she forces her to hide away in her castle. Using two other Link look-a-likes, they must collect the Lady’s Ensemble and defeat the evil Witch Maud. Similar to 4 swords, this utilizes multiplayer to play and complete, and feature different outfits link can wear to utilize different abilities.
The Legend of Zelda (1986) NES
At some point, the Tri-Force of Courage is hidden by the King of Hyrule, suspecting his son, the Prince of Hyrule, won’t be a worthy person. As a result, the Prince questions Princess Zelda, who knows the true location, but refuses to tell her brother. Now put in an eternal slumber, the Kingdom falls into decline to due not having the full power of the Tri-Force. Ganon returns and gains control of the Tri-Force of Power; the next Princess Zelda hide the Tri-Force of Wisdom in eight dungeons in order to safeguard it. Link is tasked with saving Princess Zelda, who has now been imprisoned by Ganon, and is dubbed the Hero of Hyrule.
The Adventure of Link (1988) NES
6 years following the events of The Legend of Zelda, Link had a glowing mark on his hand, which imprints the boy who will be able to wield the Tri-Force of Courage. Tasked with visiting several locations to prove his worth, Link is able to successful collect the Tri-Force of Courage, and return to the eternal slumber Zelda, awaking her with the full power of the Tri-Force.
Great Calamity Timeline
Though not a part of the official timeline just yet, developers state that this timeline is the end of all timeline, marking the end to major timeline. While it’s unsure which time line this falls into, it’s a future in which an advanced civilization named the Sheikah Tribe, helped install various technologies into Hyrule, causing it to prosper. In preparation for Ganon’s return, they created various Guardians and Divine Beasts to fight Ganon upon his return, now known as Calamity Ganon.
Breath of the Wild (2016) Switch
The next princess, named Zelda, notices that Ganon is nearly upon them and goes about claiming the Divine Beasts, giving them to four capable pilots, and finding Link, a knight who can successful wield the Master Sword. While Zelda is initially unable to awaken her sealing powers, the Day of Calamity occurs, causing all the guardians and Divine Beasts to go malfunction and turn against the populous. Now with Zelda and Link alone, Link is fatally injured and forced to be healed in the Shrine of Resurrection. Zelda herself, went to seal away Calamity Ganon, successful, but not without sealing herself away too. 100 Years have passed since the Day of Calamity, and Link, partly with Amnesia, sets out to save the Princess Zelda.
Breath of the Wild Sequel (2022) Switch
Characters
Princess Zelda
Named after Zelda Fitzgerald, mother to Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda is the Princess of Hyrule, and titular character of the Legend of Zelda Series. The reincarnation of Hylia, the Goddess that protected the Tri-Force from Demise, she is the individual that started the reincarnation process for the Zelda line of individuals. While the Princess and defacto ruler of Hyrule, she is also known to be the keeper of the Tri-Force of Wisdom. She depicted slightly differently from game to game, but is usually a Blonde woman in her late teen to early 20s, depicted in flowing princess robes and possessing mannerism of a Princess. Her weapon of choice is typically a Bow, which shoots light based Arrows, and is known for her ability to seal away evil. While she is often the Damsel in Distress, there are some games that show to have more agency.
Link
The main Playable Character in the series, Link is presented as an everyman, just going about his life, until the call to be a Hero calls upon him. He is the keeper of the Tri-Force of Courage, and generally depicted as a sword and shield using adventurer, in his typical Green tunic and hat. Link can wield the Master Sword, a legendary sword, considered the final weapon in the game, and usually depicted as utilizing it in his left hand, while his right hand carries his shield. Link has had several titles in various games, including:
Hero of Time (Ocarina of Time)
Legendary Hero (Link’s Awakening)
Hero of Winds (Wind Waker)
Hero of Twilight (Twilight Princess)
Hero Chosen by the Ocean King (Phantom Hourglass)
Hero of the Skies (Skyward Sword)
Hero of the Wild (Breath of the Wild)
Hero of Hyrule
Ganon / Ganondorf
While interchangeable, Ganon and Ganondorf are the same person. The main villain of every mainline Zelda Game, Ganon is known for wielding the Tri-Force of Power and leading various villainous armies against the Hero. Initially a reincarnation of Demise, the evil from Skyward Sword, Ganondorf has reappeared time and time again, always with aims to claim the Tri-Force for himself. While starting as Ganondorf, a dark-skinned Gerudo, Ganondork eventually can be transfigured and warped in to Ganon, which is more akin to a boar or pig like man, as seen in later incarnations of the character. Ganon/Ganondorf is always the final villain and main antagonist of all major Zelda games on home console.
Impa
Princess Zelda’s caretaker and chamber maid. Impa does not always play a major factor in the story, and as such, is depicted in various forms. She is sometimes an old woman on the verge of death, to a skilled fighter in her 30s to 40s. She is always there to assist and lead Zelda on the right path, and has even led Link on the right path in some games.
Sages
Derived from the original Seven Sages from Ocarina of Time, the term Sage is meant for individuals with wisdom and great power. While much of their lore is not known, it’s whispered in legend that they created the Master Sword and even the Temple of Time. Maidens are similar in line with Sages, as they are either reincarnations or descendants of Sages. The initial sages seen in Ocarina of Time, which later sages are either descendants or reincarnations, include:
Rauru - Sage of Light
Saria - Forest Sage
Darunia - Sage of Fire
Ruto - Sage of Water
Impa - Sage of Shadow
Nabooru - Sage of Spirit
Zelda - Leader of the Sages, and presumed Sage of Time
Homework
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
