From before the beginning of time, mankind has shared stories. For centuries, communities have gathered together by the light of the campfire, sharing legends of heroes and villains, monsters and demons of hidden treasures and adventures and mystical worlds. These stories all share the same purpose. They keep the spirit of adventure alive as the legends of the past are retold for each new generation. In the modern era, our legends are bigger, grander and more immersive. At their core though, they're still based on that same spirit of adventure that humans used to share around the campfire. This is the origin of one such modern legend. As a young boy, Shigeru Miyamoto didn't have a television. It wasn't that his family couldn't afford one. It just didn't seem like a priority. Instead, Shigeru spent his childhood years roaming the hill sides of his hometown, Sonobu, in Japan. He would spend days exploring the rocks and the trees, lakes and fields, learning about the world through every new plant and creature he encountered. He'd like the experience of going out, without a map, discovering things at his own pace. His adventures were filled with mystery and the excitement of the unknown. This occasionally got him into trouble. Shigeru would often find himself terrified of an enormous dog that would bark and strain to his chain whenever anyone drew near. Thankfully, the chain never broke, but that didn't stop Shigeru from thinking about what a horrors might unfold if ever the dog broke free. One day, young Shigeru found a cave nestled away on a remote hillside. It was large, dark and Shigeru realized that if he was going to explore it properly, he'd need some kind of light source. Running home, he found a small lantern that would provide enough light to enter the cave. Stepping across the threshold and in amongst the cold, wet rocks, his little lantern illuminating the space, Shigeru was struck with a sense of wonder and discovery. He had found this cave all by himself. Nobody else knew it was here. The possibilities were endless. He felt like a true explorer, mapping out a corner of the world all by himself. It was exhilarating. Years went by and Shigeru grew into manhood, but he never lost that childish sense of wonder with the world around him. Working as a game developer for Nintendo, Shigeru had the task of coming up with new ideas for inventive and original video games that his team could work on. Nintendo had a brand new add-on for the Famicom console that allowed players to save their progress in games for the first time, carrying on where they left off the next time they picked up a controller without the need to remember lengthy passwords. As such, Nintendo wanted new games that couldn't be beaten in a single sitting. They had the possibility of building enormous free roaming experiences where the player could spend months exploring the same game world without having to start all over again. Shigeru liked the idea of making a fantasy game, something that gave the player a sense of the unknown and a spirit of adventure. He remembered back to his time in the cave and got excited, thinking about the possibilities. What if he made a game that captured the thrill he felt when he was exploring all those years ago? He started brainstorming ideas for a game that would let you roam across an expansive open world, finding hidden treasures, caves and secrets. This game wouldn't have a clear goal from the start. It wouldn't be as simple as progressing right as in Super Mario Bros. Shigeru and his team filled the game with caves to explore, with dungeons to traverse and puzzles to solve. This new game would be about more than just quick reflexes and fast reaction times. Players would succeed only by being brave, exploring everything and seeking out hidden secrets that helped them progress. Building one world wasn't enough either. Shigeru and the team had the idea of adding a second, altered and rearranged map to the game, where items and caves would be found in completely different locations. To even the most seasoned player who'd beaten the entire game, this was meant to feel like an endless, expansive experience. Shigeru liked the idea of starting the player off exactly where he had started, all those years ago, by tiptoeing into a cave, without any indication of what might be waiting there. Inside, players found their call to adventure. Much as Shigeru himself had been filled with excitement when he explored the cave in the countryside and his home as a child. This approach also meant putting Shigeru's mascot character to one side. He decided that including Mario and as many games as possible was a fun way to connect his work, but this time around, he needed someone less recognizable. Shigeru wanted a protagonist who felt a little more like a blank slate so that the player could invest in the character and put themselves in his shoes. Using some of the available save data on the Famicom Disk System, players could enter their own names into the game and could feel like they were the hero in the story. Now, every person who fired up the game could be a hero with their own little world. Shigeru called his creation a garden of sorts, but one that players could roam around in endlessly, placing it in a drawer when they'd finished and returning anytime they'd like. And with that, the legend of Zelda was born. The game has gone on to become one of the most influential titles in the history of digital media. Even to this day, over 30 years later, players are still finding new hidden secrets and tricks to exploring the game world. Shigeru's vision was truly realized. His experience in the cave all those years ago has now been shared with millions of players across multiple generations. The moral of the story is simple. Be adventurous. Go out into the world and try new things. Find your own path and see what wonder and joy awaits you that others might overlook. You never know when you'll find some incredible inspiration. As you journey, be sure to share your adventures with others. After all, the trials that you pass through will become the legends that the next generation look to for inspiration. you