The Legends of Zelda
Created | Updated Dec 22, 2005
Please note, this article is nowhere near finished, and until it is new sections may appear and other sections may dissapear, the contents is currently only a guide. Also, anyone who wishes to write bits for different games, I haven't got/played all of them, would be most welcome for their help and will be credited for it, just start a convo down at the bottom of the page.
Contents
- What is Zelda?
- The Games (four of eighteen done)
- Major Characters (not yet done)
- Weapons (not yet done)
- Memorabilia (not yet done)
What is Zelda?
The Legends of Zelda are a series of games. There are eighteen games, either manufactured by Nintendo, or licensed by them to other companies.
The Games
The games are listed in the order they were released.
The Legend of Zelda, 1986, NES*
The first Zelda game and the one which started a craze which has lasted almost twenty years and is still going strong.
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Zelda, as well as Mario, claims to have had two influences when thinking up the first Zelda game. The first influence was C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, in which children leave their home and enter a world of fantasy and adventure. The second influence was the Ridley Scott film Legend, Link is based on Tom Cruise's character, Jack, and Ganon is Tim Curry's character, the Lord of Darkness.
This was also the first ever game which allowed you to save your game, rather than giving you passwords.
The Plot:
You are Link, a wandering adventurer. One day you come across a lady, who is being attacked by Moblins*, after rescuing her you learn that her name is Impa, and that she is the nurse maid of princess Zelda. She tells you that the evil Ganon* has kidnapped Princess Zelda.
Ganon has the Triforce of Power, and needs the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Courage in order to become all powerful. He does not know the location of the Triforce of Courage, but he knows that Princess Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom. However before Zelda was captured she shattered the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces and scattered them across southern Hyrule. You need to find the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom, and use it to defeat Ganon
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, 1987, NES
This game strayed from the formula used in LoZ. Instead of a top down display, all the way through the game, you had a top down display while exploring, but a side on display while fighting, or when in a town or castle. This game also became more of a RPG* rather than an adventure game like the previous, and subsequent incarnations. This is one of the least favourite of the Zelda games amongst Zelda fans. Also, something to note, which many web sites get wrong, is that the Zelda in this game is not the same Zelda as in the first game.
The Plot:
Once again you are Link. Recently a mark, shaped like three triangles touching at their tips to form one larger triangle, has appeared on the back of your hand. You go and show Impa this and she takes you to a special, locked, room. There she tells you 'The Legend of Zelda*.'
Once, long ago, there was a king, who ruled Hyrule during an age of piece and prosperity. He used the sacred relic, the Triforce, to give him the courage, power and wisdom to rule well. However this king was mortal, like all Hylians, and one day he died. His son inherited the throne, but he did not inherit all of the Sacred Relic, he only received the Triforce of Power. His sister, the princess Zelda, knew the location of at least one, if not both of the other pieces. A powerful sorcerer manipulated the young prince into trying to find the other two pieces. The prince confronted Zelda and demanded that she give him the rest of the Triforce, but she refused. At that moment the sorcerer appeared and cast a spell on Zelda making her sleep, until a hero should find the remaining parts of the Triforce and wake her. The prince tried to stop the sorcerer, but was unable to. In his remorse the prince decreed that from then on all girls born in the royal household should be named Zelda, so that she may never be forgotten.
Impa goes on to say that Zelda was locked in this room, and that only the hero of which the legend speaks will be able to open it. He would be identifiable as he would bear the crest of the royal family, the symbol of the Triforce, on his body. Impa places your hand against the door and it opens, revealing Zelda lying on a bed.
The locations of the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Wisdom are known, so you must set out to find the Triforce of Courage in order to wake the sleeping Zelda.
The Legend of Zelda Game, 1988, MB Board Game
Around this time Nintendo started cashing in on their famous characters. Merchandising was rife and not all of it was of the quallity you would expect. Nintendo was not the only company doing this, there were board games of Atari's Pac-Man, Defender and Frogger, but it was the one with the highest profile. The game is played on a borad with six areas. Each area contains both a magic item, and some monsters. In each area is a magic Item, a Key, a Fairy, a Raft, a Bomb and a Water of Life. The special Item for the sixth area is Zelda and the Triforce. There are one or two perculiarities to this game, for instance they Moblins are called Molbrins. this game is played co-operatively with everyone playing Link. The winner is the person who, at the end, has the most hearts.
The Plot:
You, and anyone else playing, play Link, a hero who must battle through six lands to find the Triforce and rescue Zelda from the evil Ganon.
Zelda, 1988, Game & Watch*
This game was released as part of the Game & Watch series of handheld games. It was probably the most indepth and, although it was somewhat repetative, the least repetative of them all. Also, Moblins are called Goblins in this game and the Ghini* are simply refered to as Ghosts.
This is the only game to claim that the Zelda and Link involved are 'sweethearts'.
The Plot:
You are Link, a hero of Hyrule. Eight Dragons* have kidnapped your sweetheart, Princess Zelda, in a bid to to take over Hyrule. You must fight through eight dungeons to defeat the Dragons, find the Triforce and rescue Zelda.
