Legend of Zelda
The Legends of Zelda is a collection of action adventure games that changed the way we play video games. Since the first game was released in 1986, the series has gone on to sell over 60 million copies. The latest games in the series have been less successful than in the past (with perhaps the exception of twilight princess). Let’s take a look at the game that started it all.
The Plot
The Legend of Zelda was the first game of the series released in February of 1986. The game is based in the mythical land of Hyrule. The prince of darkness, Ganon, has acquired the triforce of power. In an attempt to keep the triforce of wisdom from Ganon, the princess Zelda splits it into eight pieces and hides them throughout Hyrule. The Princess is then kidnapped by Ganon. Our hero, Link, sets out to save the princess and defeat Ganon. To do this he must first acquire all of the scattered pieces of the triforce so that he can be strong enough to face him. This leads our hero on a search across the land and dungeons of Hyrule.
Game Play
The graphics in this game seem a little crude now, but at the time they were on the leading edge. The overhead perspective was new at the time and really aided the adventure aspects of the game. The game starts with an unarmed Link, but he quickly acquires a sword to fend off enemies. The vast landscape had players searching relentlessly for the entrance to new dungeons. Each dungeon had was unique and challenging, rewarding the player with a new item and piece of heart each time. Throughout the game Link would collect rupees for killing enemies. The rupees could be saved to buy new weapons, health, information, and could even be used for gambling. The game was really the first of its kind, and set the standard for all action adventure games in the future.
Conclusion
The Legend of Zelda was the first NES game to sell over a million copies, and eventually sold 6 million. This made it one of the top selling NES games of all time. The overwhelming response lead to quick development and release of its sequel, The Adventure of Link. The game was ultimately not as successful as the first. If you have the chance to play this classic game do not hesitate. Its innovation and game play is still impressive after all of these years.
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