The Legend of Zelda: what is it?
What is The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda is a classic of gaming. The first game was released in 1986 for the Famicom Disk System in Japan. The game was localized in 1987 and was released on the NES as a cartridge. It was unique for the unique exploration and a battery-backed memory that save the player’s progress.
The gameplay of the series has evolved through the years, spanning many consoles and 19 games in the main series. The main series focuses on action-adventure gameplay with exploration and puzzle-solving as a major focus. Charming characters and secrets have made it a favorite of Nintendo fans the world over.
Most games in the series are highly rated. 1998’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64 is considered to be one of the greatest games of all time. It pioneered the gameplay style that would characterize the series until the release of Breath of the Wild in 2017.
This style focuses on an overworld that links together dungeons that form the main gameplay loop. Most dungeons would have a special item found within. This item is used to solve puzzles and eventually defeat the boss of the dungeon.
Breath of the Wild is the most recent game in the main series. It abandoned the formula set by Ocarina of Time. Instead, it has an open world that you can explore in any order you like. This recalls the style of the original game. If you like, you can even try to beat the final boss as soon as you are allowed out of the starting area.
The major characters of the series are Princess Zelda, the hero Link, and Ganon. Link is a silent protagonist and the character you control. Zelda is a damsel that must be rescued in early games, but she develops more character over time. Ganon or Ganondorf is the series antagonist. His evil plots cause the problems that the player is trying to solve in the vast majority of titles.
Most games in the series are stand-alone titles. While the characters share names, most are separate incarnations that are named for previous iterations in the series. Certain enemies are considered classics, such as the octopus-like octoroks or the pig-like moblins. Each game has its own design. Most games will have a unique art direction and enemy designs.
The series is very large and has a long history. It has inspired numerous games over time. You can find its influence over much of the gaming industry. This makes it one of the pillars of video games. All gamers should give the series a try.
