Happy Birthday Zelda....A cracked style look

[Lee]

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As if anyone else would be posting this. Monday marks the 25th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda, released in Japan on the 21st February 1986 this game changed the gaming world just like Mario had done in the September before. However Zelda did things a bit differently, unlike Mario we hadn't already seen the characters in other games before this and unlike Mario Nintendo aren't making a big hoo ha about this. Now the good people over at IGN have made a great post on 25 great things about the original game (http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/115/1150966p1.html) however I won't be doing that. I'll look at five things that always strikes me as odd as I've played through the series (and no I will not mention Tingle!)...

5) The people of Hyrule surely have safety deposit boxes.

Anyone who has ever played a Zelda game has had a crazy moment where they just go into someone's house and look for some Rupees (we'll also ignore the fact that you're a hero of a video game who actually steals from other people). So you go in the house, ah there's a safe (I assume) surely the money's in here...oh wait it's not. How about here in a drawer? No. Maybe under their mattress like my Granny used to? No. Bloomin heck this is frustrating. I could just throw something off the wall in anger Picks up pot...throws it...MONEY!!! Yes that's right the people of Hyrule keep their hard earned cash in pots or they just randomly throw it on the ground into the grass. I'll not go into how you can only legally carry a certain amount of money unless you buy a certain wallet or how colour blind people wouldn't be able to tell the differences in monetary values!

4) You're how old?

Miyamoto originally intended link to be an adolescent child adventurer but age changes quite often, in Zelda II Link is 15 almost 16, OOT he's 10-12 as a kid or 17-19 as an “adult” with Majora's mask also in the 10-12 bracket. Wind Waker starts on his twelfth birthday with Phantom Hourglass being about 13 and Twilight Princess is probably the oldest he's been at about 19-20. Yes I know the Zelda games have various Links throughout but sending a 10-12 year old on a very dangerous quest is surely dangerous!

3) The people of Hyrule have no concept of anything.

I've mentioned about the severe lack of regard for money, but what about when the world around them is crumbling? What's that in order for the world to be saved the Hero of Time must have this random item which I have? Can he have it? Can he flip. He can go on a daring adventure to get me something which is cheap as chips and I'll then give him it. Take that Cameron's Big Society I'm helping no one!

2) Link has ADHD

His one task is to save the world. Simples. Then we come across things like Link going to a shooting range, how about a shooting range on a horse, what's that a guy needs help rounding up goats? No problem. Ahhh fishing how I love you, some bomb based mini games, collecting bugs and hook shot star games. That's just scratching the surface, Link has a task but he's more interested in doing medial games as he can't concentrate long enough!

1) IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR NAME IS

Short and sweet but after twenty five years I still say it to people, even seasoned gamers...

Spoiler

THE HERO OF THE GAMES IS CALLED LINK NOT ZELDA. ZELDA IS THE PRINCESS!!!

This will be uploaded on the 21st to NintendoLee.com

 

[Decarow]

Haha I was just thinking about the money thing myself a few weeks ago while playing Phantom Hourglass. My exact thought was, "These people are just cool with a random kid breaking and entering, vandalizing the house, and stealing their money?" Oh Hyrule, you are video gaming's Canada.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Definitely is hard to believe that the Zelda series is 25 years old now, and I completely agree 100% on the last two points of Lee's post. Link's out to save the world and rescue the princess but theoretically, he'd let Ganon kill Zelda if it meant earning another heart piece. Then there's also the issue of people not knowing the name of Link and thinking he's Zelda. So annoying. You'd think that people would know that by now because it's been 25 years, but that makes two of us, Lee.... I too have had to inform countless people (some just recently) that Zelda's the princess not the hero of the series. Awesome thread to commemorate an awesome moment in gaming history.