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OVERVIEW ''The Legend of Zelda'' games feature a boy named '', she was only seen in a flashback. Another important element in the series is a divine relic known as the Triforce , left behind by the three goddesses who created Hyrule. It consists of three golden equilateral Triangle s, one for each goddess: the Triforce of Power (Din), the Triforce of Wisdom (Nayru), and the Triforce of Courage (Farore). Each piece will bestow its divine essence on the one who possesses it; typically Ganon has the Triforce of Power, Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link has or must obtain the Triforce of Courage. If the three pieces of the Triforce are united, it will grant the deepest wishes of that person so long as they live. The fantasy world of Hyrule includes many different climates and types of terrain, and is home to Many Different Races And Tribes of Monster s and Sentient beings. There are significant geographical differences from game to game, but several distinctive features recur from the first, such as the Lost Woods and Death Mountain , including Spectacle Rock near the summit. Lake Hylia is another common landmark, although it was not formally introduced until the third game. The ''Zelda'' games feature a mixture of complex puzzles, strategic action gameplay, and exploration. This formula has remained fairly constant throughout the series, with further refinements and additions featured in each new game, and has made the ''Zelda'' franchise one of Nintendo's most successful game series, along with the likes of '' Mario '', '' Metroid '', and '' Pokémon ''. ''The Legend of Zelda'' was principally inspired by Miyamoto's explorations as a young boy in the hillsides surrounding his childhood home in Kyoto ,1 where he ventured into forests with secluded lakes, caves, and rural villages. According to Miyamoto, one of his most memorable experiences was the discovery of a cave entrance in the middle of the woods. After some hesitation, he apprehensively entered the cave, and explored its depths with the aid of a lantern. This memory has clearly influenced Miyamoto's work, and cave exploration is a major element of most ''Zelda'' games. Other than Miyamoto's childhood, Norse and Japanese Mythology have played a large role influencing the series, as well as Medieval European culture. Miyamoto has referred to the creation of the ''Zelda'' games as an attempt to bring to life a "miniature garden" for players to play with in every version of the game. Hearing of F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife Zelda , Mr. Miyamoto thought the name sounded pleasant and significant. Paying tribute, he chose to name the Princess after her, and titled his creation ''The Legend of Zelda'', even though she is not the main protagonist. SIDE QUESTS In addition to the primary quest of saving the land from destruction or domination by an evil force, there are also lesser quests upon which Link can embark at the discretion of the player. These "side quests" usually reward the player with items that make the primary quest easier to complete (such as Pieces of Heart, new weapons, etc.), and are occasionally necessary to complete the game. This gameplay device is not unique to ''The Legend of Zelda'', but it is fairly consistent in the series. The longest of these side quests, present in several games, is the trading sequence. In a trading sequence, Link first obtains an item from either a store or an in-game friend. He then takes that item to a character in the game who needs the item, and trades it for another item. This item is traded to another character for something else, and so on. These trading sequences may at times consist of as many as fifteen separate items. At the end of the sequence, the player usually gets a new weapon or a critical item. Other side quests include races, a search for hidden items or characters, or extra puzzles. Because of the time limit, ''Majora's Mask'' in particular relied heavily on side quests, ranging from short quests for a Piece of Heart to a long and arduous side quest to collect all the masks in the game and complete four challenging mini-dungeons in exchange for the powerful . ''The Minish Cap'' had a large number of minuscule sidequests in the form of searching for "Kinstone Pieces", which could be fused with in-game characters to trigger various events (opening a hole in a tree, providing a new path, making a beanstalk grow, making new characters appear, etc.). Returning from ''The Wind Waker'' were collectible figurines. ''The Minish Cap'''s figurines could be bought with shells, whereas the ''Wind Waker'' required the player to take a photo of who- or whatever the figurine would be based on. GAMES The following is a list of the main installments of the series, with the original year of release and the platforms they appeared on. Other Games include (not part of the main series): As well as several remakes/collections: Upcoming games A new game, entitled '' in 2004, and it's easily one of the most anticipated games in production. Game site Computer and Video Games calls it "One of the stars of this year's E3 and of course now the most eagerly anticipated Cube title of the year".2 Producer Eiji Aonuma reportedly said that the American market heavily influenced ''Twilight Princess'''s development. , 2006, that Twilight Princess would be released in the fall of 2006. {Link without Title} The game is currently set to debut in Autumn of 2006, to many fans' dismay, but some still believe that Nintendo should still be given time. During the 2005 E3 conference, it was revealed that there is a game in the works for the in 2005, many hypotheses emerged regarding how the new controller could be used. In demonstrations it acted as a virtual Fishing Rod and a Light Gun , but most suggestive was the notion from the trailer that the motion-sensitive controller could be wielded like a Sword . In addition, a ''Zelda'' game for the ''-style game, this has since been retracted, and the title is now assumed to focus on a single-player adventure, or perhaps something in an entirely new direction for the ''Zelda'' series. Apparently Eiji Aonuma himself is working on it with a Nintendo development team, rather than Capcom / Flagship , who created the recent handheld installments. Aonuma announced the game would have a "very unique control system" using the touch screen7. The game will feature online play, as confirmed in a recent interview in '' Hobby Consolas '' in May 2005 with Aonuma. In addition to this Nintendo DS ''Zelda'' game, Nintendo has revealed another ''Zelda''-related DS game is in development. It will be an RPG starring Tingle (a minor character appearing in some ''Zelda'' games) instead of Link. Not much is known yet about '' Tingle RPG ''. However, there have been some recent rumors that due to Tingle's weak popularity in the United States and Europe, Tingle's game was scrapped and parts were intergrated into the new Zelda DS game, Phantom Hourglass instead. Though no details have yet been disclosed about the game, at their media briefing at E3 2005 , Nintendo has confirmed that a Legend of Zelda game is in development for the Wii . This title is dubbed Zelda Revolution . CD-i games In the early 90s, three ''Legend of Zelda'' games were produced for Philips 's CD-i multimedia system under a special license agreement. These were made with no involvement of Nintendo, and deviated significantly from the other games in terms of style and gameplay. To understand the nature of these games, one must understand their origin. In 1989, Nintendo signed a deal with Sony to begin development of a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Famicom ("The SNES Play Station"). However, Nintendo suddenly broke the contract and signed with Philips in the early 1990s (This later led to the development of the Sony PlayStation ). The CD-ROM add-on was later dropped, but Nintendo had licensed the rights to Philips to use some of its characters, including Link, Zelda, and Ganon. This was done in hopes of gaining Philips as a partner on the way to making a Compact Disc -based console. Philips used the characters to create three CD-i games. Like the system they were created for, these were never very popular and today are obscure, none of the stories considered Canon . ''Zelda's Adventure'' was never officially released outside of Europe, hence its rarity and extremely high value. Note that Philips did not actually make these games; independent development studios handled these titles. For all these reasons, the CD-i titles are considered by most to be drastically inferior. They are: #'''' (1993 – CD-i ) — by Animation Magic #'''' (1993 – CD-i ) — by Animation Magic #'' Zelda's Adventure '' (1995 – CD-i ) — by Viridis LCD games See Also: Zelda LCD Games There were also two LCD-based games, the confusingly-named "Zelda Game & Watch " and Nelsonic's "Zelda Game Watch" (which was actually built into a Wristwatch ). Compared to other games in the series, they were relatively simple, consisting of only a few screens of monochrome action. HISTORY '' on the Nintendo console.]] The first game, '' The Legend Of Zelda '' appears relatively crude and simple by today's standards, but it was a very advanced game for its time. Innovations included the ability to use dozens of different items, a vast world full of secrets to explore, and the cartridge's ability to save progress via "battery backup". The game also featured a "Second Quest" in which, upon completing the game, players could replay the game using a similar overworld layout but with new dungeon layouts, and shop, item, and dungeon locations changed. This second quest could also be accessed immediately by entering "ZELDA" as the character name when starting a new Save File . Besides the game's technical innovations, the gameplay (which consisted of finding items and using them to solve puzzles, battle monsters in real-time, and interact with the environment) was a successful formula, and was widely copied. The game was wildly popular in Japan and America, and many consider it one of the most important videogames ever made. A modified version known as '' BS Zelda '' was released for the Super Famicom 's satellite-based expansion, Satellaview , in the mid 1990s in Japan . The second game, known as '''' (in defiance of the naming convention for the other games, although in Japan it is called ''The Legend of Zelda 2''), was a departure from the concept of the first game. It exchanged the top-down view for a side-scrolling one and introduced RPG elements (e.g., Experience Points ) not found in other installments of the series. It was also the only ''Zelda'' until ''Four Swords Adventures'' not to include Rupee s. Because of these fundamental changes, many consider it the " Black Sheep " of the series. Both this and its predecessor were noted for their gold-colored game cartridges, which stood out in the system's general array of dull gray cartridges. Four years later, '''' (initially known as ''Super Zelda''), returned to the top-down view and added the concept of an alternate dimension to explore, a land known as the Dark World. It was released for the Super Nintendo in April 1992. It was later re-released for the Game Boy Advance on December 9 th, 2002 in North America, on a cartridge with '' Four Swords '', the first multiplayer ''Zelda''. .]] The next game, '''', was the first ''Zelda'' for Nintendo's Game Boy Handheld , and the first to take place outside of Hyrule. It was re-released for the Game Boy Color in 1998 as ''Link's Awakening DX'' with some additional features. After another hiatus, the series made the transition to ''. ''Ocarina of Time'', initially known as ''Zelda 64'', retained the core gameplay of the previous games and was very successful both commercially and critically. It is considered by some to be the best game ever made, and scored perfect 10s in several video game publications. It recently was rated the best Nintendo game out of the best 200 by Nintendo Power. The title was originally slated for the ill-fated, Japanese-only 64 Disk Drive , but was ported to cartridge with the advancements in memory compression technology. Innovations included the use of lock-on targeting, a new gameplay mechanic that focused the camera on a nearby target and altered the player's actions to be relative to that target. Such mechanics allowed precision-based swordfighting in a 3D space, a revolutionary development. ''Ocarina of Time'' saw a limited re-release on the '' disc in 2003. The follow-up title, '''', used the same 3D Game Engine as the previous Nintendo 64 game (dropping the Fixed 3D elements), but added a novel time-based concept, which led to somewhat mixed reactions from series fans. It was originally called "Zelda Gaiden" – Japanese loosely translating to "Zelda, Another Story." Durning the first stages of development, There were going to be two Zelda expansions for the ill-fated Nintendo 64DD. The two games were intended for use with the Ocarina of Time, one of them entitled the "Ura Zelda" (see above) the would include different layouts of the dungeous and the enemies would be stronger. The second game to be include in the expansions was the Zelda Gaiden, this game was basically would contain a new and different overworld ( Termina ) and the game would have a new adventure/ storyline. Sadly, due to the failure of the 64DD, Ura Zelda would be unreleased until the Ocarina of Time Master Quest. The Zelda Gaiden remained unreleased for the 64DD as an expanison. It was later released as a standalone game known as the Majora's Mask. Gameplay changed significantly; in addition to the partial time limit, Link, with the aid of special masks, could transform into alternate versions of himself, each a different species with unique skills. While ''Majora's Mask'' retained the graphical style of the landmark ''Ocarina of Time'', it was also a departure, particularly in atmosphere – the game was much darker, dealing with death and tragedy in a manner not previously seen in the series, and had a sense of impending doom due to the moon poised to fall on the land of Termina . The next two games, '''', were released simultaneously for the Game Boy Color and were loosely connected; through various means they could be combined to form a single extended story. They were developed in conjunction with Flagship under Capcom , with supervision from Mr. Miyamoto. The games were originally to be a trilogy, known as the "Triforce Trilogy" and consisting of updated remakes of ''The Legend of Zelda'' and ''The Adventure of Link'', plus an original third installment. After consulting with Shigeru Miyamoto, the studio decided to make an original trilogy. However, the password system linking the games for a unique experience became too troublesome, and the concept was reduced to just two titles. Fans initially criticized the Oracle series for "selling out" by copying the Pokémon ideology of two similar games coming out at one time to increase profits. Such claims faded when the games were released, as they are radically different. ''Ages'' is often seen as a puzzle-based adventure while ''Seasons'' is more action-oriented. The next ''Zelda'', for the '', would be fully cel-shaded – a more cartoon-like style of color design first seen in games such as Sega 's '' Jet Set Radio ''. Initial fears that this would affect the quality of gameplay fans had grown accustomed to were eased when the game was released to critical acclaim in Japan in 2002 and elsewhere in 2003. It featured gameplay centered on control of the wind and sailing a small boat around a massive ocean-based world, and puzzles requiring the use of enemy weapons or sidekick-like secondary characters. The game also featured a Second Quest that clarified some story elements. Next in the series came '''', ''FSA'' was another deviation from previous ''Zelda'' gameplay, focusing on multiplayer gameplay and "level-based" action (like the later '' Super Mario Bros. '' titles). The game contains 24 individual stages and a map screen; there is no huge connecting overworld. For the multiplayer features of the game, each player was required to use a Game Boy Advance system linked to the Nintendo GameCube via a GBA-GCN Cable . Although it focused on multiplayer, a single player feature was included; for this mode a Game Boy Advance system was optional. ''FSA'' was really two games in one: ''Hyrulean Adventure'', which had a plot and storyline and the closest thing to traditional ''Zelda'' action; and ''Shadow Battle'', a free-for-all melee "battle mode" which pitted Link against Link as the players struggled for dominance over uniquely Hyrulean arenas. The Japanese version included a third segment, known as ''Navi Trackers'' (originally designed as the stand-alone game ''Tetra's Trackers''), which was not included in any other incarnation of the title. ''Trackers'' contains an important first for ''Zelda'': the game has spoken dialogue for most of the characters. On '' in America. The central concept of ''The Minish Cap'' is Link's ability to shrink in size (and thus literally combat evil on all scales) with the aid of a mystical living cap named Ezlo. While tiny, Link could see previously-explored parts of a dungeon from a new perspective, and enter new areas through otherwise impassable openings. Because Link could make the switch from big to small at special portals available in most areas, the gameplay was further enhanced, once again giving Link two "worlds" to play in. Sometime in late 2006, the last GCN installment of the series, '''', will arrive. The new game once again strives for a realistic look, improved far beyond even the Spaceworld 2000 technology demo. This game chronicles the struggle of a more mature Link to rid Hyrule of the "Twilight Realm", a mysterious force plaguing the land. When Link enters this realm, he transforms into a wolf and the gameplay shifts radically. ''Twilight Princess'' also relies heavily on horseback transportation and mounted battle scenarios, such as a boss battle with the "Marauder". At the 2006 , and standard Zelda gameplay optimized for the DS’s features. No other information has been released. Zelda DS was once rumored to be a new "Four Swords" game, but the latest news suggests otherwise (see Upcoming Games , above). Eiji Aonuma and Reggie Fils-Aime have also confirmed that a ''Zelda'' title is in the works for Wii , a system due out in 2006. No further details have yet been disclosed about this Zelda Revolution . CHRONOLOGY The precise Chronology of the ''Zelda'' universe is hotly debated among fans. As time progressed and more games were released, the exact order of the games in an overall timeline became complex and heavily disputed. There are bits and pieces of definitive information to connect certain games to each other, but there is no definitive explanation for how every game relates to each other in a standardized timeline of events. The creators of the series have repeatedly dropped hints as to the order of the series, but over time most of these "revelations" have been overridden by newer materials, games, and statements. |
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