After 20 Years the Legend of Zelda is Still Going Strong

Let's go back to a time where it 1^st got introduced to the video game world. Nobody probably expected it to ever become as big of a hit as it is. The 1^st game for it came out in 1987 in the United States called The Legend of Zelda. This game was very unique in its own right. There was no score system nor was there any form of a level games. This was an open world with having the freedom to go anywhere at any time. The dungeons can be gone out of order instead of going in a chronological state. The game had 3 hearts and instead of going around in towns like it would happen in later games, they had to be discovered in caves or mysterious locations. There were 8 pieces of the triforce to be collected and only then can you go further in the final dungeon. The story of the game and the series is just about a never-ending quest to save a Princess from an evil tyrant named Ganon. He had in his possession the Triforce of Power and the goal was to reform the Triforce of Wisdom. The Triforce was not introduced until its sequel that actually was different than the last one. It should be noted however that it had a 2^nd Quest but was slightly more difficult then the previous one.

The next game was Zelda 2, a completely different game that had fans wonder what was that all about. It was more or less an RPG style and rupees weren't involved at all. It was this game that would introduce the Triforce of Courage and also had experience points involved. There was no longer anyone hiding in caves as they moved on in different towns. Life and magic bars could be recharged when need be. The plot however was to prevent the resurrection of Ganon. The original Princess Zelda was put in a deep sleep by a wizard who had used so much power only for it to kill himself, her brother the Prince of Hyrule ordered for Zelda to be put in the North Tower. In that respect, it is somewhat like the movie Sleeping Beauty but with a Zelda twist. To put it blunt, if anyone had seen Sleeping Beauty remember when the dark witch had placed a curse on her if she pricked her finger at the age of 16 by a hand sewing item. It was then up to Link to prove his worth, collect the 6 crystals and go to the Great Palace. After defeating The Thunderbird, he would then be challenged by one of his equal strength, a Shadow of Link called Dark Link. It was called the Black Sheep of the Zelda Franchise but it did show that it could be played in another style. Some items would be used in other games like the Hammer or a whistle, which was a prelude to the Ocarina.

The next generation console, the Super Nintendo had only one game made for it and was and still is one of the top Zelda games ever made in A Link to the Past. It was then that Ganon's full name would be revealed as Ganondorf. He had with him the Triforce of Power, which would become his main item by all means. This also introduced the Sacred Realm or the Dark World, as it was known as in the game. The plot involved Agaheim, the alter-ego form of Ganon capturing Princess Zelda. This was different from the other Zelda games since most of the people would be found in villages or if they went to the Dark World, they would transform into whatever they were supposed to be based on what's inside their hearts. If Link doesn't have the pendant, he could very well become a bunny or can transform if a spell is cast on him to do so. This game was also re-released on the Game Boy Advance with another game, the Four Swords. To make this game different from the original version, there was also a secret boss if completing the Four Swords game with 4 clones of Dark Link. After that however, if doing that on the GBA version instead of fighting Ganon, the game ends and you end up winning. The staple in this game overall was the exploring of dungeons, as there was an upstairs and downstairs.

The 1^st Hand-Held Zelda game was called Link's Awakening. It was on the Game Boy, a very popular system that also saw some of the familiar franchises like Mario, Metroid, and Castlevania have their own games on there. It was set away from Hyrule and was not the main objective in the game. This time, it was to wake up the Wind Fish. What made it different was that it did have not just Mario characters but also had its 1^st ever-trading sequence. This game was also re-released but for the Game Boy Color giving it some color and adding a secret dungeon to the mix. Ganon was not the final boss but there was a nightmare form of him as one of the final bosses.

There were 3 games made for the CD-I but still to this day not considered part of the Zelda timeline. The names were Link: Faces of Evil, Zelda: Wand of Gamelon and Zelda's Adventure. They were poorly designed and not developed by Nintendo. Because of that, again they weren't known to be apart of the franchise in the form of storyline. The reason it was made by Phillips was due to an agreement at the time because of possibly adding a CD-add on for the SNES but they decided not to bother. During that time, they lent them not just Zelda but also Mario and neither one of those two major Nintendo franchises came off well done to say the least.

The N64 had 2 Zelda games, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. It was the introduction to the 3D World for Link and every one of the characters involved. For Ocarina, it had very smooth Day to Night Transition but also had the ability to have Horseback riding with the introduction of Epona. The theme was to use the Ocarina for events and with knowledge given by important characters; it was passed on in the form of a tune. There were also side quests but that was nothing new at all but the biggest difference was when the Master Sword was pulled out, Link would end up traveling 7 years into the future becoming his adult self. When he had come to that world, nothing was the same as Ganondorf had his evil spread across the land. There was also some items just exclusive for you when you were Adult Link and the same goes when you are Young Link. With Adult Link, you have the power to use the hook shot but not as Young Link. Also, the sword was different as with that, it was a smaller sword for Young Link and had the Hylian Shield on his back and of course the slingshot. Once Ganondorf was defeated in the game, Princess Zelda would take the Ocarina with her and send Link back to his time and the ending began. It should be known as the game with a locking system that actually started it and became a regular part of the console Zelda games. A couple indirect references to the Mario Bros. franchise were noted, as the main characters Mario and Luigi were indirectly involved but not directly, just the style of the clothes in the ending of the future.

With Majora's Mask, the theme was masks and was involved with Termina field, a vast different society than in Hyrule Field. They believed in 4 gods and were more technological than in Hyrule where as they had the Goddess's. What made this game different was the simple fact that there was a time clock and the Ocarina was actually one of the main items. It had neither a relation to the Triforce nor with Ganondorf. It also had masks that could help Link see everything through the Dekus, Gorons, or Zora's depending on the mask with having special abilities. It made the game different but instead of transporting from dimension to dimension, it would involve traveling to different parts of the field. The main plot involves Majora's Mask taking control of the Skull Kid making him do evil deeds and had gained control into having the moon start to crash to the field killing everyone in the process. There was a 3-day limit and if time wasn't reverted, the moon would crash and the game would be over. It complimented the Ocarina game and was actually close to a Zelda sequel like the 1^st 2 Zelda games. Both games did get on the Gamecube but at different cases. With Majora's Mask, it was apart of Zelda's Collection with Ocarina of Time and the 1^st 2 Zelda games. If lucky, there was a special Ocarina of Time game where it had a 2^nd Quest called the Master Quest. This was the 1^st time since the 1^st Zelda ever made to have another quest. The plot was the same but the dungeons were altered.

The Game Boy had 2 Zelda games released and this would be the only one to use dual linking between cartridges. It was the Oracle of Seasons and the Oracle of Ages. Those games could be interlinked and had secret passwords. It also split the Zelda formula in half with Seasons being more adventure base where as Ages was more puzzle base for brainteasers. To really have a complete Zelda game, one of the games would have to be beaten and then have the other one and complete that mission to get extra bosses. The final plot involved the resurrection of Ganon or an attempt to do so by Twinrova. However, in the regular games, Onox captured Din and Veran initially possessed Nayru, whom were both oracles and the names of the two goddesses. Farore would only be seen inside the Maku Tree but is known as the Oracle of Secrets.

For the Gamecube, there was the 1^st Cel-Shaded game called The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The time frame is after the events when Link defeated Ganon some 100 years ago and Hyrule was no longer above the sea. It was now down to a new innovation, which included stealf. With that feature, you had to really be precise and not slip over some cliffs with very little walking space. The plot however involved trying to save your sister from the bird after rescuing Tetra, who turned out to be a descendent of Princess Zelda with the power of the Triforce of Wisdom. After the 3 pearls were found, and the trials were completed, you could go into Hyrule, which is under the ocean. After all that and getting the Master Sword with reviving it's power, you had to find the Triforce of Courage. Once that was done, it was eventually to go find Ganondorf and prepare for the final battle. After fighting his puppets, the epic battle began and it was up to you and then eventually Princess Zelda to beat Ganondorf but it was up to Link to deliver the final blow and did so. The sea swallowed up Hyrule and it was gone. The land was gone and that meant a new beginning.

The last to come in the states for the hand-held console was the Minish Cap. This predates everything as there is no mention of the triforce nor is their any mention of Ganondorf. It is assumed to be the 1^st and plus Link didn't initially have a hat on. He met Elzo and the plot involved stopping the sorcerer Vatti, who won the contest to touch the Picori Sword but broke it. He also turned Princess Zelda into stone. After beating him, Elzo returned to normal giving him his own hat.

There was also the Four Swords Adventure for the Gamecube and it was designed as a cooperative quest and like the Four Swords game included in A Link to the Past, it is multi-player.

The last console game made was Twilight Princess, which came out for both the Wii and the Gamecube. The difference between the two is how the controls are handled. Link is right-handed in the Wii version and in the Gamecube Version he is left-handed. The games are mirrored in a way. It also had 5 heart pieces to collect to equal one full heart. It also had a Wolf form that actually came in handy and was needed in certain scenes of the game. It did involve the plot with the darkness coming in called The Twili. Midna had a role and was transformed because of King Zant. She wanted revenge on him but Zant was more or less just a cover villain for the main one being Ganondorf. He granted Zant the power he desired. After getting the ability to transform at will, it was up to you to complete the rest and there are some side quests and a bonus challenge called the Cave of Ordeals. After beating Ganondorf, Midna transformed into what she really was, the Twilight Princess. This was the 1^st Zelda game to have a T rating instead of the usual E rating.

The new one coming soon is Phantom Hourglass for the Nintendo DS. Will it be any good? Given Zelda's track record, it should be expected to be just that. It will be a great game because it's Zelda. This is the direct sequel to the Wind Waker since it deals with events after Hyrule was flooded in. Ganondorf is presumed dead in this one or just in hiding until a later date to strike again. The Legend of Zelda series doesn't look to be ending for quite a while. If it should ever come to an end, it would have to be when Ganondorf is finally dead and the world is at peace. The game is legendary and belongs in a Video Game Hall of Fame. Who would have thought the series would be around for 20 years and counting? Nobody for sure and it says a lot about a franchise that when there is a demand for more Zelda games.