The Legend of Zelda History Thread

[Uncle Phatso]

I owned this game untill like the catfish's maw. Fucking got everything found out how to steal my bow. Got that and the game is eazy as hell after it. I recently dled it on my computer for a gba emulator, and lets just say a week and a half of pure fun. Ilove this game and to me its the best game in the series. Because on the memorys of hours and hours playing it. Sucking my ass off at it but still I had loads of fun.

 

[Lee]

The story

Ocarina of Time is set in Hyrule, a fictional kingdom and the setting of most Zelda games. Hyrule Field serves as a central hub connected to several outlying areas with diverse topography. Some of these areas are populated by one of the races of Hyrule: Hylians, Gorons, Zoras, Kokiri, and Gerudo.[10]

The game opens as the fairy Navi awakens Link from a nightmare, in which Link is seen on a stormy night as a man on horseback chases Princess Zelda, who is being escorted also on horseback by a woman. Navi brings Link to the guardian of his village, the Great Deku Tree, who is cursed and near death. Link breaks the curse, but cannot stop the tree from withering. The Deku Tree tells Link a "wicked man of the desert" has cursed him and seeks to conquer the land of Hyrule and that Link must stop him. Before dying, the Great Deku Tree gives Link the spiritual stone of the forest, the Kokiri's Emerald, and sends him to Hyrule to speak with the princess of destiny, Zelda.

The history

JP November 21, 1998
NA November 23, 1998
EU December 11, 1998

My opinion

This game reeked of total awesomeness! The first game to get a perfect score from Famitsu, it usually comes out top as the Greatest game ever in polls (Half life 2 another, resident evil gets no where near this).

Giving Link a horse, going 3D, making it first person, HUGE HUGE HUUUUUGE game. Lots of items, lots of games, brilliant plot, magical game. I can not give it any justice...It rocks!

Next game

My next game will be Majora's Mask

 

[drwow]

Greatest game ever. This is the game every game after has strived to be.
This game changed adventure gaming, from making a HUGE sandbox world, using the bow without a crosshair made it all the more satisfing when you hit something, perfecting the lock on system, epic story line, tons of side quests,
Perfect difficulty level, awesome boss battles, tons of weapons.

Just perfect, isn't that all you can really say about this game? Perfect

 

[klunderbunker]

This right here is either the best game of all time, or tied for best of all time. No way its anything less than #1 though. As everyone has said, name one thing bad about this game. The world is absolutely massive to the point that you could spend two weeks straight doing nothing but minigames and sidequests. The plot is masterful, the use of songs for teleporting is a great feature, there is a TON of weapons, and a ton of worlds and levels. This game is perfect, plain and simple.

 

[Skullz Crack'Em]

This is absolutely a Masterpiece, a perfect game on all levels. I remember getting this for Christmas in 1998 and I was thrilled, everybody was anticipating the first ever 3D Zelda(excluding those crappy ones) since ALTTP was such a hit. After a long 6 year wait, Nintendo delivered with one of their best games of all time, they tried to top it with Twilight Princess two years ago, but failed, OOT is still looked at as the better of the two, even though TP is basically a newer version of Ocarina of Time and is still an excellent game in it's own right. Every Temple and Dungeon in this game is etched into my brain lol, I will never get stuck or lost, I know exactly what to do from playing it countless times. I give OOT a definite 10/10.

 

[Derf]

In my haste to pack my stuff quickly for my upcoming move to a ifferent province, I stumbled across my ld N64. Although it still works, it's old, dusty, and the control sticks are so loose, it's impossible to move. And with me tossing everything I don't need away, I almost threw the N64 away, OOT with it. And then I read this. And I don't know if I'll play this version on it again, but I can't just toss away a masterpeice like that away. So thank you FlameLee, you helped convince me to keep a peice of history.

 

[strafro]

This is probably my favorite game of all time, it is just so perfect and everytime I go back to play it again, I come across something new and interesting to accomplish. This game is an absolute masterpiece and it basically breathed a breath of freshness and originality into all video games. The greatest and most influential game of all time right there the Ocarina of Time!!

 

[Lee]

The story

Majora's Mask begins with Link riding his horse, Epona, through the Lost Woods after the events of Ocarina of Time. A masked Skull Kid and his fairy friends, Tatl and Tael, steal Epona and also steal the Ocarina of Time from Link and run to a dark cave. Link follows, and the Skull Kid turns him into a Deku Scrub. The Skull Kid runs away with Tael, abandoning Tatl; upset over the betrayal, Tatl vows to help Link return to normal.

Link follows the Skull Kid through the cave to Clock Tower in Termina. He meets the Happy Mask Salesman, who says he can help Link if he retrieves the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask from the Skull Kid. They exit the Clock Tower in the center of Clock Town, which is preparing for the Carnival of Time. Link learns that the moon will crash into Termina in three days. He confronts the Skull Kid and Tael at midnight of the third day at the top of Clock Tower. He cannot take the mask, but he retrieves the Ocarina of Time and plays the Song of Time to send him back to when he first arrived in Termina.

The history

Japan: April 27, 2000
North America: October 26, 2000
Europe: November 17, 2000

My opinion
Overshadowed by Ocarina of Time, it was still a rather good game, but the problem is at this point people only ever compared Zelda games to OOT. I even didn't mind the '3 days thing' even though it annoyed some people.

 

[Derf]

I agree with the comparing thing. ALL major pltform Zelda games after OOC were great, but looked down upon because of being overshadowed. You can't beat a classic. But Majoras Mask will always have a place in my heart, 've always loved this game. The ability to become either a Zora or Goron (or a fuckin Deku) is amazing. Nothing beats just random swimming as a Zora, or trying to swim s a goron lol. I love the mask collection, the intertwining storylines in trying to get them, and I even love everyone having their own instruments. I once tried to buy the Zora Guitar, but I failed.

Thanks for following up Lee, I got scared you gave up, and I am quite looking forward to your review, and others opinions, on my personal favorite, Wind Waker.

 

[Skullz Crack'Em]

I always thought Majora's Mask was a game best suited for older players because when I was 12, I just could not get into this game at all, the time limit and all the sidequests is a bit too much for a kid to handle. Being the Zelda fan that I am, I still conquered it, but it was more like "I better get this game done, so i could put it away for good" kind of mentality. I didn't even try to collect all the heart pieces or collect the fairies in each dungeon, I just couldn't get into this game when I was a kid. After six years I decided to finally to start up another playthrough on my Collector's Edition for GameCube and it was a blast, I enjoyed collecting everything and filling out the Journal, now that I was more mature this game appealed to me more and it wasn't that long ago that I just finished another playthrough of MM. I will give this game a 9/10, it is a great game, but it doesn't appeal to everybody unlike OOT.

 

[drwow]

Majora's mask is deffintly is my favorite game in the series. To me, this game was always the harder version of OOT. The sword play was awesome, it looked smoother, (although, that might just be because that this game used the expansion pack) I loved the part where you go to lon lon (I can't remember the real name) ranch and have to protect the cows from aliens! So epic, The main story might've been short. but the mini-quests more then make up for the short story. It built on the amazing formula that was OOT and just managed to make it funner.
And, in my opponion, this is the only game that had awesome swimming controls.


you really have to be a big legend of zelda fan to actually have the patience to sit down and try to figure out this game.

 

[Manjmonkey]

I really liked this game as well it followed well what happened in oot but after oot no zelda game could really compare to the advances in oot. I actually liked the 3 day thing it was challenging so it was fun.

 

[Lee]

The story

Seasons begins as the Triforce calls out to Link from within Hyrule Castle. Link approaches it, and is transported to a dark forest where he encounters a traveling group led by a dancer named Din. After Din welcomes Link to Holodrum, the sky becomes covered in black clouds. A voice from the clouds calls Din the Oracle of Seasons and refers to himself as Onox, General of Darkness. A funnel cloud drops from the sky, taking Din into its dark heights. As the tornado dissipates, the seasons of Holodrum fall into disarray and change rapidly...

As with Seasons, in ages...the Triforce calls out to Link. Link is transported to a forest in the land of Labrynna, where he hears screaming. In a clearing, Link finds a woman encircled by monsters. When the monsters see Link, they scatter in all directions. The woman is Princess Zelda's nurse, Impa, who asks Link to help her find a singer in the forest. Continuing through the forest, the two find Nayru, a young woman with blue hair singing on a tree stump, surrounded by forest creatures. A shadow emerges from Impa and reveals itself as Veran, Sorceress of Shadows. Veran soars into Nayru's body and possesses her. Nayru was the Oracle of Ages; her abduction causes a disruption in the time flow of Labrynna

The history

JP February 27, 2001
NA May 14, 2001
EU October 5, 2001

My opinion
I've played them, they were good, but I honestly can't remember that much about them...methinks my next ebay purchase!

 

[Skullz Crack'Em]

I only have Oracle of Seasons, but one of my friends had Ages, so I borrowed it from him to complete two of them with the password connections. Both of them are great games, but I prefer Seasons more because it had four different worlds(Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter) when Ages only had two(Past and Present). I also liked the feature that you can have one of three animals to help you on your journey, whichever one you chose changed some of the landscaping in the game, so it added to the replayability. I give these games a 9/10.

 

[Lee]

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Four swords

The story

"Long ago, in the kingdom of Hyrule, there appeared a Wind Sorcerer named Vaati. Vaati could bend the wind to his will and used this awful power to terrorize many villages of Hyrule. In his assaults on the villages, Vaati would kidnap any beautiful girls who caught his fancy.

Many knights from the castle and other brave men set out to subdue the sorcerer and rescue the girls, but each one fell in turn to Vaati's awesome power. Just as the people had begun to lose hope, a lone young boy traveling with little but a sword at his side appeared.

When this boy heard what was happening, he said only, "I will defeat this sorcerer." He boldly entered Vaati's palace, mystically trapped the evil sorcerer inside the blade of his sword, and returned the young girls to their villages. The boy then went deep into the forest and disappeared.

The villagers asked the girls how a boy so young could have saved them all and defeated the sorcerer when no one else could. The young girls told a story of how with just a wave of his sword, the boy's body shattered into four pieces, each of which then formed a complete copy of the boy. These four young boys then worked together to defeat the sorcerer. The people did not believe the story, but they called it the Four Sword nonetheless. As rumors of the blade's power to divide a person into four entities spread, the people built a shrine to protect it.

Princess Zelda of the land of Hyrule was a beautiful young girl born with mysterious power to sense approaching forces of evil. For this reason, she was assigned with the sacred duty of protecting the shrine of the Four Sword and the blade itself. One day, Zelda was in Hyrule Castle when she sensed that something unusual was occurring at the Four Sword Shrine. She asked a boy named Link, whom she trusted above anyone else, to accompany her to investigate the happenings at the shrine..."

The history

NA December 2002
EU Feb 2003?
JP unknown release date

My opinion
well having a lack of friends with a GBA let alone ones that wanted to play zelda...this game is one of only two in the series I have not played.

Windwaker next...=)

 

[Lee]

​

The story

Set hundreds of years after the events of Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker finds the hero Link in a sea scattered with several islands, which necessitates frequent sailing and naval combat. Link lives with his grandmother and younger sister Aryll on Outset Island, one of the few inhabited islands in the Great Sea. The people of the Great Sea pass down a legend of a prosperous kingdom with a hidden golden power. An evil man found and stole this power, using it to spread darkness until a young boy dressed in green sealed the evil with the Blade of Evil's Bane. The boy became known as the Hero of Time and passed into legend. One day the sealed evil began to return, but the Hero of Time did not reappear. The inhabitants of the Great Sea are unsure of the kingdom's fate, but it is clear that this legend is the story of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time where the Hero of Time, Link, fought Ganondorf.

When boys of Outset Island come of age they are customarily dressed in green, like the Hero of Time. The elders hope to instill the courage of the Hero of Time in the children. It is Link's birthday as The Wind Waker opens, and he receives the familiar green clothes and cap. Aryll's present to Link is permission to use her telescope. As he looks through the telescope, he sees a large bird, the Helmaroc King, carrying a girl to a nearby forest. After retrieving a sword, Link sets out to investigate. Link rescues the girl, only to have Aryll kidnapped by the Helmaroc King as he returns.

The history

JP December 13, 2002
NA March 24, 2003
EU May 3, 2003
AUS May 7, 2003

My opinion

According to the ‘Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2008’, The Wind Waker had around 500,000 pre orders and was at the time (2002) the most pre ordered game ever.

This game frustrated me no ends. First you have Miyamoto's genius of saying fuck you to graphics. Then you have an epic story, brilliant mini games, great play and just a new chapter of the Zelda legend.

On the other hand it's quite clearly rushed...the triforce is in bits everywhere and instead of doing a dungeon you have to sail. Tingle's in it and HE ANNOYS ME SO SO MUCH. Then there's Greatfish Isle which was obviously meant to be a proper island before time runs out.

However I still enjoyed this game, so so much!

 

[Derf]

I loved this game. Probably on my top 5 Fave adventure games ever, well above LOZ:TP. I don't kow what it was, but this game had somthing to it. it didn't follow the traditional "do everythng in order". When you beat a dungeon, you didn't nessisarily have another dungeon to follow for example. Great game, to hell with bad graphics. Some of the best games ever were for SNES, those graphics were awful.

 

[Lee]

​

The story

Long ago in the inner reaches of Hyrule, an evil wind sorcerer known as Vaati began kidnapping beautiful young maidens, one after another. Nobody could stop Vaati, and the people of Hyrule despaired. Then, a brave young wanderer carrying a single sword appeared. When the young lad took out his sword, he split into four separate beings. The legends say that these beings worked as one and defeated Vaati. The wanderer, united once again, imprisoned Vaati deep in Hyrule and sealed the prison with his own sword. This place became known as the Realm of the Four Sword.

After that, a long time passed...

The history

Japan: March 18, 2004
North America: June 7, 2004
Europe: January 7, 2005

My opinion

There's something about the four swords series that really pissed me off; ZELDA IS NOT A MULTIPLAYER GAME

Another game that really, I have not played, I hope someone else can recommend this to me or not...

Though there are three main games left, three spin offs and the cameo section...

 

[Derf]

I also never played this game. It just never seemed that interesting. And I might be wrong, but was the name Vaati not used in another Zelda game, cause it sounds familiar. I also agree that Zelda being a multiplayer game just isn't cool, although I kinda think the consept is cool for single player. And if it wasn't a Zelda game, it might be funner, that sounds wierd.

Keep going with this. It might not be getting that much traffic, but I know myself and others appreciate the detication. I'm looking forward to the TP review, and I want to see your opinion of Link in the SSB games.

 

[Lee]

​

The story

Evil spirits appeared in the land of Hyrule, and just when it seemed that the world was to be cast into the darkest of shadows, the tiny Picori descended from the skies and bestowed on a courageous human a shining golden light and a single sword. This bravest of men used his wisdom and courage, his golden light, and his sword to fight off the demons and restore peace to the world.

The people were so grateful to the Picori that they held an annual celebration in their honor. Whoever won the sword competition held at the festival would earn the honor of touching the sacred blade. The tradition of the Picori Festival continued, but over the generations, the Picori themselves passed into legend. The legend of the Picori tells of a mystic doorway that opens just once every hundred years. When the door is open, the Picori can cross from their world into Hyrule.

The history

USA January 10, 2005
Japan November 4, 2004
Europe November 12, 2004

My opinion

During 2004, I didn't like many things. In that time I even grew bored of gaming. So it was my complete surprise when researching this thread that I found the minish cap hidden away. It looks a good typical Zelda game and it will be an ebay purchase methinks.

But next up will be something different...it's spin off time.

 

[Lee]

As is usually the case with successful franchises there are three 'spin off' games for the Legend of Zelda series.

These are;
Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland
Tingle's Balloon Fight DS
Links Crossbow training

Following my rule for this thread that the game must have been released in all major gaming territories we bring it just down to one;

History

North America November 19, 2007
Japan May 1, 2008
Europe December 7, 2007
Australia December 13, 2007

Plot and my opinion

There's no plot to this, it was just used to sell the wii Zapper. It's the sort of game you pick up, play for 30 mins at a time, put away, forget about, play again. An allright game, nothing special.

 

[Derf]

Hahaha. The Duck Hunt of the future... I never played it. Nor will I. I'm not one for buying all those cheap assessories for the wiimotes. Tennis Rackets, Steering wheels, Light Sabers, they're all just added parts to make the experience "realer", but I don't think they're foolin anyone. I also don't see the point in using Link to sell this, other then the name of the franchise. He never had a crossbow! He had a bow and arrow! Or at the very least a slingshot!

I might try this if I'm ever visiting a friend who has it, but I doubt that'll happen, so... No. I'll never play this.

 

[Lee]

​

The story

Link, a young adult at the beginning of the game and descendant of the Hero of Time, is a ranch worker (but has also been called a cowboy of sorts) in his home town of Ordon Village in the Ordona Province of Hyrule. Strange beasts begin to appear in the forest outside of the village just before Link is supposed to make a trip to Hyrule Castle to present a gift to the royal family, a sword and wooden shield crafted by the townsfolk of Ordon. Three young children of the village, who serve in the beginning as one of Link's main motivations for fighting, are captured by Bokoblins while playing with a forest monkey, and taken to the entrance of the Forest Temple. With wooden sword in hand, Link goes to save them. He is able to free the monkey and his friend Talo who was caged by the Bokoblins, but this is only the beginning of his trouble....

The history

Wii release
North America November 19, 2006
Japan December 2, 2006
Europe December 8, 2006
Australia December 7, 2006

GameCube release
North America December 12, 2006
Japan December 2, 2006
Europe December 15, 2006
Australia December 14, 2006

My opinion

Oh Link where did your magic go? Oh Link when did you get so dark? Oh Link, how people slated this game. Oh Link, how I care not, this game reeked of total awesomeness.

I loved the in depth story, I loved the controls with the Wiimote, I loved the mini games. I loved how there was finally a sky castle, I loved the return of Epona. It was a game I can finally compare to OOT. To me this is a true Zelda game, it had the excitement and brilliance of what we should expect.

 

[Lee]

​

The story

Set some time after The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass opens with Tetra and her pirate crew along with Link chasing down a ghost ship claimed to have taken sailors and residents of the local islands. The crew discovers the ship, but when Tetra goes aboard to explore, she disappears. Link attempts to follow her but ends up adrift in the ocean.

The history

North America October 1, 2007[1]
Japan June 23, 2007
Europe October 19, 2007[1]
Australia October 11, 2007

My opinion

Brilliant game in its own right, but compare it to other Zelda games and it really pissed me off. It took a good few hours for me to get into it and another few after that before it started to feel like a Zelda game.

It's critically acclaimed and scored pretty high on reviews, but to me there was something lacking.

 

[RVDgurl]

Oh Lee...You know that I simply adore Zelda. Well, the first couple, anyway. I'm not much of a gamer (I still fire up my original nintendo when I feel like a video game) so I have only experienced the original, Link and A Link to the Past. Since the SuperNES is the most advanced I get when it comes to gaming systems, I really don't have alot of insite into how the game has evolved. I will say that the series is by far my favorite and for the record, I am the best ever at the original Zelda game. Seriously...ever.