The Hyrule fantasy: Zeruda no densetsu (1986) (VG)

Directors:

Shigeru Miyamoto
Takashi Tezuka

Writer:

Shigeru Miyamoto (characters)

Genre:

Action | Animation | Fantasy | Adventure | Drama

Plot:

This is the story of a young boy named link that must save princess Zelda from the evil, demonic Ganon...

Plot Keywords:

Link | Princess | Zelda | RPG | Sword Fight

Also Known As:

The Legend of Zelda (USA)
Zelda no densetsu (Japan)

Country:

Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:E (re-release) (2004)

Company:

MC4

Trivia:

The game cartridge is painted gold.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In one of the dungeons, you will receive a hint that the enemy Pols Voice dislikes noise - yet blowing the whistle does nothing to hurt the enemy. The Famicom (the original Japanese version of the NES) had a microphone, and the player could make noise in it to kill these enemies. As the American NES aborted this feature, this was not possible. Nintendo went ahead and translated this hint verbatim, but because of the lack of a microphone in the American NES, it no longer made any sense and was often misinterpreted.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Zeruda no densetsu: Mujura no kamen (2000) (VG)

The start of an awesome series

One of the larger landmarks in the history of gaming, Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda broke away from the mold of nearly every other game out at the time, adopting an unprecedented, overhead action/RPG interface which shocked and amazed on its early NES debut. To say it was one of those innovations that ''worked'' and was passable would be an understatement. It was really and truly an amazing first effort by Shigeru Miyamoto, head of Nintendo, which along with Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong, helped propel rapidly not only Miyamoto's own career but the direction and pace gaming was moving at.

Two of the features which set this esteemed Zelda precursor apart from other games out at the time, interestingly, appear even before the game has begun! What's this -- a detailed story in the same vein as the questionable follow up to Super Mario Bros., before the title screen even comes up?? A map, abundant with hints and tips, just vague enough not to rain on the parade of exploration and discovery??? And a Save Battery???? You don't see this kind of stuff every day, folks!

And who could forget the main theme of Legend of Zelda? Quite possibly the most enjoyed and remembered tune in all of video-gaming, the fittingly titled ''main theme'', plays throughout the whole game except in dungeons(where an equally enjoyable tune plays). I don't know of anyone who has heard Zelda's main theme and not gotten in stuck in their head; it's just that enchanting.

If the name of the game and the series which it is in didn't recommend this game to you already, then let me do so now! Legend of Zelda is a fabulous action/RPG that does wonderfully what no other game could at the time and that is create a challenging, exciting hybrid-RPG with enough thought and work put into it to keep its legendary status and appeal afloat for years and years in the ever-developing sea of electronic gaming. Relatively few people still play older games in this day and age, but let me tell you that Legend of Zelda is one of the first choices for anyone who does. Every gamer worth his salt in that era had played and beaten this game -- most of them doing so multiple times. What's not to like?