The Legend of Zelda

:This article is about the game. For the series itself, see The Legend of Zelda (Series). For other uses, see The Legend of Zelda (Disambiguation). 
 is the first installment of the The Legend of Zelda series. Its plot centers around a heroic boy named , who becomes the central protagonist throughout the series. It was originally released in 1986 for the Famicom Disk System in Japan and internationally on the NES in 1987. It has since been re-released multiple times for several platforms, including the Nintendo GameCube, the Game Boy Advance, as well as the Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online. The Japanese version of the game is known as The Hyrule Fantasy: The Legend of Zelda. 
==Story==
"A long, long time ago the World was in an age of Chaos.
"In the midst of this chaos, in a little kingdom in the land of Hyrule, a legend was being handed down from generation to generation, the legend of the 'Triforce'; golden triangles possessing mystical powers. One day, an evil army attacked this peaceful little kingdom and stole the Triforce of Power. This army was led by Ganon, the powerful Prince of Darkness who sought to plunge the World into fear and darkness under his rule. Fearing his wicked rule, Zelda, the princess of this kingdom, split up the Triforce of Wisdom into eight fragments and hid them throughout the realm to save the last remaining Triforce from the clutches of the evil Ganon. At the same time, she commanded her most trustworthy nursemaid, Impa, to secretly escape into the land and go find a man with enough courage to destroy the evil Ganon. Upon hearing this, Ganon grew angry, imprisoned the princess, and sent out a party in search of Impa."
"Braving forests and mountains, Impa fled for her life from her pursuers. As she reached the very limit of her energy she found herself surrounded by Ganon's evil henchmen. Cornered! What could she do? ... But wait! All was not lost. A young lad appeared. He skillfully drove off Ganon's henchmen, and saved Impa from a fate worse than death."
"His name was Link. During his travels, he had come across Impa and Ganon's henchmen. Impa told Link the whole story of Princess Zelda and the evil Ganon. Burning with a sense of justice, Link resolved to save Zelda, but Ganon was a powerful opponent. He held the Triforce of Power. And so, in order to fight off Ganon, Link had to bring the scattered eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom together to rebuild the mystical triangle. If he couldn't do this, there would be no chance Link could fight his way into Death Mountain where Ganon lived."
"Can Link really destroy Ganon and save Princess Zelda?
"Only your skill can answer that question. Good luck. Use the Triforce wisely."The Legend of Zelda manual, pp. 3–4Translation of The Legend of Zelda manual
==Gameplay==
Although rather basic by today's standards and in comparison to most later installments of the franchise, the gameplay of The Legend of Zelda introduced a revolutionary level of gaming for its time that has since become standard for the series (and other games inspired by it), one that includes roleplaying, action, adventure, and puzzle/logic.
=== Exploration===
Barring 's progress are Creatures he must battle to locate the entrances to nine underground . Each is a unique, maze-like collection of rooms connected by doors and secret passages and guarded by monsters different from those found in the . must successfully navigate each to obtain one of the eight pieces of the . also conceal useful items, such as a for retrieving items and stunning and a with magical properties. The first six have visible entrances, but the remaining three are hidden. Except for the final - Death Mountain, which can't be entered until the previous eight have been completed, the order of completing is somewhat arbitrary, but many can only be reached or completed using items gained in the previous one.
=== Exploration ===
Non-linearity, the ability to take different paths to complete the game, separated from its contemporaries (although it is not the first game ever to have this type of exploration). can freely wander the , finding and buying items at any point. This flexibility enables unusual ways of playing the game; for example, it is possible to reach the of (but not defeat him) without actually taking a . Nintendo of America's management initially feared that players might become frustrated with the new concept, left wondering what to do next. As a result, the American version of the game's instruction manual contains many hints, tips, and suggestions for players.
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After completing the game, the player has access to a more difficult quest, officially referred to as the , where and the placement of items are different, with stronger enemies. Although a more difficult "replay" wasn't actually unique to , few games offered a "second quest" with entirely different levels to complete. Interestingly, entering "ZELDA" as the player's name starts the immediately. The can be replayed each time it's completed.
==Game Information==
===Development===
Shortly before starting development for , Shigeru Miyamoto began developing as a launch title for the Famicom Disk System. Miyamoto got inspiration for an adventure game from his own explorations to the countryside and hillsides around his home. Seeking to create a fairytale setting, co-developer Takashi Tezuka drew inspiration from novels when writing the story. With the medieval sword and sorcery theme set, Miyamoto wanted to have treasure hunting gameplay to also bring in the sense of adventure seen in movies such as . The game began as a two player dungeon creator, but later became a one-player game with underground dungeons that surrounded Death Mountain, with forests, lakes, and Hyrule Field added eventually as they wanted to explore above ground too. Miyamoto wanted to call the game The Legend of something, so a PR planner suggested , the name of 's wife.
===Japanese Version===
 was originally released in 1986 as a launch title for the Famicom Disk System in Japan. Apart from facilitating data saving, the disk drive also added an extra sound channel on top of the Famicom's original five. This has caused the original release to sport quite a different sound compared to the more widespread NES cartridge release. This difference is most notable during the title screen.
The Book of Magic item is known as the Bible in the Japanese version of the game. This was likely changed because, at the time, it violated Nintendo of America's very strict content guidelines which disapproved of any real-world religious content or references inside games released for their systems. Strangely enough, all depictions of the Christian cross were kept intact.
The Japanese Famicom Disk System version was included in a promotional package of Charumera-brand ramen, and was only given out as a prize for a contest. It is unknown what differences this version has compared to the original release, as the only available existing copies are extremely rare and incredibly expensive.
===Graphics and Audio ===
Being a game originally designed for storage on a floppy disk, the game's graphics do not use too many elements; sprites are given different color palettes depending on their location in the overworld. For example, trees can be colored either green or orange; brick walls in dungeons are painted blue, green, yellow or white, and so on.
The game features three background themes: the overworld tune, the standard dungeon tune and the final dungeon tune. The first theme has become the franchise's main theme, and it is reused in most later games in the franchise. The normal dungeon theme is reused as the theme for the Royal Crypt in and in the Color Dungeon in . Sound samples, such as the one when Link collects a new item and the one when a new path is open, are also often reused in later games.
The Japanese Famicom Disk System version of the game utilizes the disk system's additional frequency-modulation synthesis chip; the music and some sound effects sound more advanced as a result.
=== Setting===
With this game being the first ever in the long-lived franchise, it is the first time Hyrule is portrayed, and it is divided into numerous parts and landscapes, such as the Lost Woods, Death Mountain, a central lake, a forest, a graveyard, and a shore; as Link walks through them, he manages to find the hidden labyrinths where the fragments of the Triforce are kept. It's unknown whether or not the nameless regions reappeared in later games with official names.
Unlike most Overworlds in series, this incarnation of Hyrule is completely explorable from the beginning, meaning that Link can go to almost any corner and space of it, with a total absence of linearity (Breath the Wild and Tears of Kingdom closely repeats this game's feature). It should be noted that the overworld remains largely unchanged in the Second Quest, with the only changes being the locations of the labyrinths and of special prizes.
===Timeline Placement ===
According to the timeline revealed in , takes place in the "Downfall" branch, which, as a whole, takes place after . After Ganon is defeated in , and and in where Link and Zelda recovered the Triforce from Yuga-Ganon, Hyrule entered The Golden Era, in which the wise Hyrule monarchs used the Triforce to govern the land. After the king's death and the attempt by the Prince of Hyrule to assemble the complete Triforce, Hyrule was lead into the 'Era of Decline'. The Prince of Darkness, Ganon was revived, leading to the events of . Six years later, the events of The Adventure of Link take place.
Both this game and its sequel are linked in continuity, since the first game revolves around retrieving two of the major fragments of the Triforce, and Ganon is fought in order to rescue Princess Zelda; the second game revolves around finding the third major fragment in order to revive an incarnation of Zelda that was comatose for a very long time, and to impede the revival of Ganon.
===Mistranslations ===
 is littered with mistranslations, direct word-for-word translations, and odd quotes.
*The intro story is written poorly, such as stating the Triforce piece Ganon stole is the "Triforce with power", instead of Triforce of Power. For the GBA and Wii Virtual Console ports, the message was entirely rewritten and corrected.
*This is the first Zelda game in which Ganon is written as Gannon. This spelling was also used in the Famicom Disk System version of and in the Super Famicom release of A Link to The Past.
*The Old Man is well known for his vagueness in messages. One of his most famous quotations is "DODONGO DISLIKES SMOKE", indicating the Dodongo's weakness to bombs. Another odd quote is "DIGDOGGER HATES CERTAIN KINDS OF SOUND".
*The list of items is titled "all of treasures". The "of" was omitted in subsequent re-releases.
*When Link pays the Old Woman behind the waterfall, she will tell him to "Go up, up, the mountaintop." This was corrected to saying, "Go up, up, the mountain ahead". This refers to the path to .
===Credits===
In the credits, all but the executive producer are listed under pseudonyms. Designer Takashi Tezuka is credited as "Ten Ten," sound composer Koji Kondo as "Konchan," programmer I. Marui as "Marumaru." At the time, nicknames were commonly used among Japanese game developers as a company measure against employee poaching.
Producer and director Shigeru Miyamoto is listed as "S. Miyahon," a mistranscription of his name — 本 can be read as either "moto" or "hon." This is widely believed to be another error in translation. However, in a leaked prototype of the game, many of the staff — including Miyamoto — were credited under their real names. The pseudonym "Miyahon" was thus chosen deliberately for the final release.
===Speedrun Records===
==Listings==
===Characters===
===Bosses===
===Enemies===
===Dungeons===
===Items===
===Translations===
===Credits===
===Glitches===
==Reception==
===Sales===
 was commercially successful, selling a million copies nearly a year after its release, and calculating a total of 6.5 million copies worldwide, making it the sixth best-selling Nintendo Entertainment System game of all time.RPGamer - Japandemonium: Xenogears vs. Tetris 
===Reviews===
IGN journalist Craig Harris awarded the Game Boy Advance re-release of the game with an 8.0 out of 10, praising its faithful adaptation from the original version;Classic NES Series: The Legend of Zelda Review at IGN Damien McFerran from Nintendolife gave the Virtual Console version (Wii) the same score, praising the length and the complexity of the quest.The Legend of Zelda (NES) Game Review Nintendojo staff, when reviewing the GCN edition () praised the game for its "innovative and unique gameplay system, remarkably deep puzzle solving, and an epic score".Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition review Nintendo Power, in the December 2009 issue, placed the game third in the list of best The Legend of Zelda games, citing its influence on gaming industry and praising its Gameplay. In 2022, IGN placed it as the "eighth" best Legend of Zelda game in their "Top 10 Best Zelda Games" list countdown; but was then placed as the "ninth" best Zelda game in their new revamped version of their "Top 10 Best Zelda Games" list in 2023.IGN. (2022). The 10 Best Zelda Games. YouTube. Retrieved July 24, 2023, from https://youtu.be/Emb8FzEBzZg.IGN. (2023). Top 10 Legend of Zelda Games of All Time. YouTube. Retrieved July 24, 2023, from https://youtu.be/4yYDUuenSMI.
===Fan Reception===
The original Zelda game received good support from the player community as well. It currently holds an average user score of 9.1 at GameSpot,The Legend of Zelda User Reviews for NES - GameSpot as well as a current average reader score of 9.1 at IGN.IGN: The Legend of Zelda WatchMojo placed it at the #10 spot in their "Top 10 Legend of Zelda Games of All Time" list countdown, and at the #11 spot as part of their "Every Major Legend of Zelda Game Ranked" video over on MojoPlays.Reynolds, Johnny. “Top 10 Legend of Zelda Games of All Time.” WatchMojo, 18 Apr. 2020Alden, G. (2021). Every Major Legend of Zelda Game Ranked. YouTube. MojoPlays (WatchMojo). Retrieved July 27, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R7jh5pPBj8. The Completionist ranked The Legend of Zelda (game) as his tenth best Legend of Zelda game of all time in his "Top 10 Zelda Games" list countdown.Helix Sleep. (2023). Top 10 Zelda Games | The Completionist. YouTube. Retrieved July 26, 2023, from https://youtu.be/_mo9zKXjhQA. WatchMojo also considers it to be the 3rd most difficult entry in the series as part of their "10 HARDEST Zelda Games To Complete" list countdown over on MojoPlays, right behind Breath of the Wild (#2) & Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (#1).MojoPlays. (2022). The 10 HARDEST Zelda Games To Complete. WatchMojo. Retrieved August 4, 2023, from https://www.watchmojo.com/video/id/46648.
==Ports and Remakes ==
A remake of the original game, , was broadcast via the BS-X Broadcasting System for the Super Famicom. The gameplay is similar to the original, but differs as the game's central heroes are the mascot characters of the BS-X Broadcasting System, who are otherwise supposed to be based on the player as the character's name and gender is associated with the broadcasting ID. Aside from the initial green tunic, the male character wears a backwards baseball cap, and the female character has long red hair, similar to Princess Zelda.
In 2003, Nintendo released a bundle for the Nintendo GameCube which included the , in which is playable. This version notably provided a different and more accurate translation of the game script, which was used in most subsequent ports of the game. It also included a few other changes, such as reduced screen flashing to prevent seizures, which is followed in the Virtual Console and Switch Online ports.
, also released in 2003, includes a number of emulated NES games as furniture pieces, though some are inaccessible without external assistance. is one such unobtainable game, requiring either a cheating device or having a save file for the game on the memory card of the GameCube.
 saw a port on the Game Boy Advance as part of the "Classic NES Series" re-releases in 2004.
Ports of were released on the Virtual Console service for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and the Wii U. The Wii Virtual Console port was released in 2006 in most regions, releasing alongside the launch of the service. The 3DS Virtual port was initially available on August 31, 2011, as one of the games eligible for free download as part of the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program, a service available to players who bought a 3DS before its price dropped on August 11, 2011.Official Nintendo Website - Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program It was later released to the public in 2012 in most regions. The Wii U Virtual Console port was released in 2013. Nearly all Virtual Console ports use the updated changes from the 2003 version, with the exception of the 3DS Virtual Console port, which instead uses the original game's script.
 features a number of timed, short demos of classic games, called "Masterpieces", in which players may only play up to a certain number of minutes depending on the game. is offered as one of the Masterpieces, and is limited to only two minutes of gameplay time. It returns as part of the Masterpieces library of , where the playtime for the demo has been doubled to four minutes. 
The NES Classic Edition includes as one of the 30 games available in emulator-based console.
The Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online software, available to Nintendo Switch Online Subscribers, included as one of its 20 launch titles. Later on during the platform's life, a "special save data" for the game was introduced, titled "The Legend of Zelda™ Living the life of luxury!", that starts the game with more items and Rupees in the players' possession. The October 2022 monthly missions included playing The Legend of Zelda (which could be either the main game itself or the special save data version). Although not a port of the game itself, September 2022's rewards utilized various NES sprites, including Ganon, a blue moblin, Link, Zelda, and an Old Man from the first Zelda game as part of the rewards for Week 2.
On November 12, 2021, as part of 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda franchise, Nintendo released a limited edition Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda, a device similar in shape and size to the original Game & Watch systems, but with the addition of a D-pad and a color LCD screen. The device contained three ports from the series, The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and the original Game Boy release of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. The system also included a Zelda-themed version of the Game & Watch game Vermin, where Link replaces Mr. Game & Watch as the playable character, as well as a timer and a clock, based around Zelda II and the first game respectively.https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/game-watch-the-legend-of-zelda/https://youtu.be/5jp_9gv_N8c?si=vDk8ZXwc99I1aZUw
==Legacy==
The Legend of Zelda is the very first installment in the Zelda franchise, and its success allowed the development of many sequels in the span of over three decades. In one or another way, nearly every title in the series is influenced by this game in such ways as:
*The distinction between an overworld and a dungeon, as well as the need to travel across the former to enter the latter, and to clear the latter to take a further step to the game's completion.
*The use of items to progress on the adventure, be it to beat enemies more easily or to open new ways and solve puzzles.
*The introduction of Link, Princess Zelda, and Ganon.
*The introduction of the first two fragments of the Triforce - Power and Wisdom (the Courage piece would be added in The Adventure of Link).
*The introduction of a number of recurring locations (e.g. Lost Woods and Death Mountain) and items.
*The presence of a Second Quest (although very few subsequent games reused this concept).
*A theme song and musical refrains that would reappear in many forms throughout the series.
The Moblin's quote "It's a secret to everybody" has become a popular among fans over the years. It is first referenced in when Link brings a chest to a man who stands next to a sign outside of the desert. He offers to open the chest under the condition that Link will "keep it secret from everyone else". It is also referenced in . If Link bribes the guard at the gate of Hyrule Castle, speaking after he opens the gate will result in him saying "KEEP IT A SECRET TO EVERYBODY." And in Majora's Mask, after talking to Kafei in his home behind the Curiosity Shop, he says "Keep what we just talked about a secret from everybody". It is even referenced in when in Center Castle Town, Link can enter a door and walk up to a balcony, where a Goron sees the golden force around Hyrule Castle. He admits that he has kept it "a secret to everybody."
The Old Man's "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." also received similar attention as the aforementioned Moblin's respective quote. 
==Trivia==
*The Legend of Zelda runs on a heavily modified version of the Super Mario Bros. engine. Coincidentally, this would repeat for their 3D equivalent with Ocarina of Time reusing the engine of Super Mario 64.
*The Hyrule Fantasy was used as a subtitle for the Japanese version of ; however, this was dropped in subsequent games as adding a third subtitle (such as A Link to the Past) would have made the title too long. This choice was also made to avoid comparisons with .
*During development of the game, a rearrangement of 's by Koji Kondo was used as the title theme. However, shortly before finishing the game, the developers learned that the song was still under copyright. Since they could not delay the release of the Disk System and the game itself, Kondo himself wrote the actual title theme in a single night.
*Although the Master Sword did not yet exist for the franchise until A Link to the Past, the strongest Sword in the game (as well as its sequel), the Magical Sword, is seen as its precursor.
*This game is the first and so far only instance anywhere in the franchise where the Triforce of Power was actually taken away from Ganon by Link and the latter obtains this piece of the Triforce by itself after he destroys the main antagonist with a Silver Arrow, despite this occurring at the very end of the quest.
*The Flute in The Legend of Zelda was reused for Super Mario Bros. 3 in the Super Mario franchise as a way for Mario to warp between worlds.
*Breath of the Wild, released over three decades later in 2017, marks a long-awaited return of the non-linear open world exploration gameplay from this game.
*Most cartridges are gold, but the late-release Classic Series version of the game came in standard gray. This packaging concept was reused for The Adventure of Link as well.
*The game depicts the Triforce of Power upside down and is even used for the title logo and credits. An inverted Triforce would not be seen in the mainline series until A Link Between Worlds, 27 years later in 2013, for the Lourle counterpart.
*The 1987 international NES release of the game marks the first time cartridges used save batteries to store in-game files. This was a novelty at the time, as most early video games well into the 1990s used passwords instead or have no way of remembering the player's progress at all.
* The 1969 hit song "April" from the rock band Deep Purple is seen as an inspiration for Koji Kondo to create the title and dungeon themes of this game. It also has a slight basis for the Hyrule Castle theme in later games.
==Nomenclature==
==Gallery==
===Video gallery===
==External links==
*Nintendo UK Game Boy Advance site
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