The Evolution of the Legend of Zelda
"Since 1987 The Legend of Zelda has sold more than 52 million units worldwide," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications (Zelda to debut, 2007). From its original debut on the Classic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) to its most recent announcement for the Nintendo 3DS the legend of Zelda has evolved from an 8-bit wonder to a 3D phenomenon. The industry of gaming was revolutionized with the initial introduction of the main character, Link, and has continued to set the bar through two and a half decades of sword slashing, rupee collecting, and princess rescuing fun. Each introduction of Nintendo gaming systems have brought with them advancements in the legend's story as well as cutting edge technology for interactive game play.
Nintendo's technological advancements erupted in 1985 when the Classic NES redefined gaming. The 8-bit wonder of the NES was dwarfed by the arrival of the first Game Boy system in 1989. "Since its introduction in 1989, Game Boy has sold well over 150 million systems worldwide." (Nintendo - Company History, 1985-2011). Introduced in 1991, the Super NES (SNES) eventually reached over 49 million sales.
Again the technology of the future out shined that of the past when the 16-but marvel of the SNES was replaced by the 64-bit innovation of the Nintendo-64 and the Game Boy Pocket in 1996. Expounding upon the technologies of previous hand held systems the 2001 Game Boy Advance introduced a bigger and better version of the original Game Boy, and eventually reached sales in the tens of millions worldwide (Zelda.com, n.d.). Continuing to build upon previous systems the GameCube replaced and improved upon the previous N64 system. 2003 introduced another advancement in the Game Boy family by making the same system of the Game Boy Advance smaller, lighter, and collapsible "...to become truly pocket portable." (Nintendo - Company History, 1985-2011).
Since the introduction of the newest Game Boy system in 2003 there has additionally been the introduction and advancement of the Nintendo DS. The DS Lite was introduced in 2006 (the same year as the Wii's wireless technology) and was expounded upon with upgrades to the DS XL and finally the 3DS. This new wave of technology brought with it wireless game play and touch screen interaction.
The Legend of Zelda was first introduced on the Classic NES in 1987 and was adapted to the Game Boy Advance in mid-2004. In the first adventure Zelda is abducted by an evil king, Ganon, and Link (the player) is responsible for rescuing her by way of collecting all of the pieces of the shattered Triforce of Wisdom. The 8-bit NES version was the first game of its kind to allow the player to walk freely through an open screen, which was an innovation in comparison to the classic side-scrolling game play experienced with The Mario Bros. and other similar games of their time. Free to roam where he may, Link faces enemies coming from all directions. Step by step he collects rupees to buy armor and solve puzzles to win prizes by throwing bombs at rocks, burning bushes, and pushing levers.This classic version of one of the most popular and lucrative games in Nintendo's history set a standard for game play that leaves children of the 80's and 90's captivated by reminiscence.
The legend continued with Zelda II: The Adventure of Link introduced originally in 1988 on the NES and later in 2004 on the Game Boy Advance. This game play reverted back to the classic side scrolling platform and was less popular than its predecessor, but set up the RPG format that all proceeding Zelda games would follow. Armed with a sword, shield, and green tunic the adventure continues again as a sorcerer curses Princess Zelda, and Link races off to solve more puzzles and collect shards of a Magical Crystal in order to wake the princess.
With the introduction of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) Link continues his legend of rescuing the Princess Zelda from the clutches of evil. Ganon is back from his dark prison and Link must find a way to send him back to the Dark World. Though remarkably more advanced than the original game this 16-bit evolution was short lived, and the SNES was soon dwarfed by further system advancement. The story of the escape of Ganon and his journey back to the Dark World is little known in comparison to its more prominent story counterparts and more successful systems.
The Game Boy systems created worlds of their own and encompassed the stories of Link's Awakening (1993 and 1998), Oracles of Ages (2001), Oracle of Seasons (2001), The Minish Cap (2005), and a revitalized version of the original Legend of Zelda (2004). Link hits the high seas to bring peace to the Koholint Island, travels 400 years into the past to come head on with a dark sorceress, battles the seasons to destroy Onox and restore peace, and explore the tiny world of the Minish with the use of a magical cap. Players are tossed into the whirlwind of the classic puzzle solving green clad recruit in a handheld console monopoly.
Within the years of 1998 and 2000 the Nintendo 64 system gave us a 64-bit evolution and with it we gained two of the most memorable stories in the Legend of Zelda legacy. Ocarina of Time ventures between the past, present, and future to help Link unwind the evil that Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo Thieves, and bring Hyrule from a barren wasteland back to its lush green nymph-inhabited land. In addition to normal gape play, six of the characters in Ocarina of Time are named after towns in Zelda II as homage to the history of the Legend. Majora's Mask builds up the suspense to allow only 72 game hours to stop a suicidal moon from crashing into the world and stop the Skull Kid from letting havoc reign (Zelda.com, n.d.). Time travel is again a large part of the story line to allow the player to utilize the minuscule amount of game hours allotted by turning back the clock.
The GameCube as a system was a wash for the Nintendo empire, but allowed epic advancement in the Legend of Zelda graphic technology. This system introduced a graphic technique known as cel-based graphics, which presented a more realistic cartoon feel (Moore, n.d.). Though the GameCube system was not entirely successful due to the competition with the Game Boy Advance that was released the same year, the technological advancements were pivotal in later, more advanced, versions of the Legend of Zelda.
Wii's wireless console remote technology took our favorite green-clad forest nymph to a whole new level, and introduced the ability for Link to transform into a wolf during game play. The weapon maneuverability during combat created a more realistic interaction with Link in The Twilight Pricess (2006) and Link's Crossbow Training (2007).Wii also made available the Classic NES games for the first time since their replacements to newer systems; not having access to the original NES system was no longer a problem due to advancements in downloading the original Legend of Zelda from the Wi-Fi internet adaptations of the Wii.
The most recent technological marvel of the Nintendo empire introduced us to the same Legend of Zelda name while introducing us to Phantom Hourglass (2007) and Spirit Tracks (2009) on the DS system, and Ocarina of Time and Link's Awakening (2011) on the 3DS system. Spirit Tracks takes a new approach to the age-old story in introducing a locomotive as a means of transportation where in the past Link has traveled by horse or foot. The innovation of the story in Spirit tracks changes the dynamic of rescuing Princess Zelda by separating her from her body and having her spirit traveling with Link in the adventure to rescue her body.
In all adventures there are key points that remain the same and have stayed true to each addition of the family of The Legend of Zelda games. Each game has various levels to complete, new weapons to find, new puzzles to solve, and a princess to rescue. Along with the main points of the adventure remaining the same, the main concept designer has also remained the same. Joining the Nintendo empire in 1977, Shigeru Miyamoto was the main force behind The Legend of Zelda and its subsequent sotry additions. His most notable titles, aside from The Legend of Zelda, were Donkey Kong, and Super Mario Bros. Along with his two other more notable games The Legend of Zelda has marketed over 271 million unit sales worldwide as of 2005 (Hall, 2005).
From its 8-bit roots in 1987 to its more modern 3D achievements in 2011 the evolution of The Legend of Zelda has been a 25 year gaming legacy that will be difficult to top. Each introduction of Nintendo gaming systems have brought with them advancements in the legend's story as well as cutting edge technology for interactive game play. With all of the advancements there have been in the last 25 years it will be thrilling to see what the next 25 years have to offer.
SOURCES:
Hall, K. (2005, Nov 14). Gaming's grand master. Business Week, (3959), 24-25. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/236726413?accountid=131689
Moore, C (n.d.). Retrieved from eHow.com:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5335913_zelda-games-gamecube.html
Nintendo - Company History. (1985-2011). Retrieved from Nintendo.com:
http://www.nintendo.com/corp/history.jsp
Zelda.com (n.d.). Retrieved from Zelda.com:
http://www.zelda.com/universe/game/
Zelda to debut on Nintendo DS in October. (2007). Wireless news, , 1. retrieved from:
http://search.proquest.com/docview/210119673?accountid=131689
The Legend of Zelda was first introduced on the Classic NES in 1987 and was adapted to the Game Boy Advance in mid-2004. In the first adventure Zelda is abducted by an evil king, Ganon, and Link (the player) is responsible for rescuing her by way of collecting all of the pieces of the shattered Triforce of Wisdom. The 8-bit NES version was the first game of its kind to allow the player to walk freely through an open screen, which was an innovation in comparison to the classic side-scrolling game play experienced with The Mario Bros. and other similar games of their time. Free to roam where he may, Link faces enemies coming from all directions. Step by step he collects rupees to buy armor and solve puzzles to win prizes by throwing bombs at rocks, burning bushes, and pushing levers.This classic version of one of the most popular and lucrative games in Nintendo's history set a standard for game play that leaves children of the 80's and 90's captivated by reminiscence.
The legend continued with Zelda II: The Adventure of Link introduced originally in 1988 on the NES and later in 2004 on the Game Boy Advance. This game play reverted back to the classic side scrolling platform and was less popular than its predecessor, but set up the RPG format that all proceeding Zelda games would follow. Armed with a sword, shield, and green tunic the adventure continues again as a sorcerer curses Princess Zelda, and Link races off to solve more puzzles and collect shards of a Magical Crystal in order to wake the princess.
With the introduction of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) Link continues his legend of rescuing the Princess Zelda from the clutches of evil. Ganon is back from his dark prison and Link must find a way to send him back to the Dark World. Though remarkably more advanced than the original game this 16-bit evolution was short lived, and the SNES was soon dwarfed by further system advancement. The story of the escape of Ganon and his journey back to the Dark World is little known in comparison to its more prominent story counterparts and more successful systems.
The Game Boy systems created worlds of their own and encompassed the stories of Link's Awakening (1993 and 1998), Oracles of Ages (2001), Oracle of Seasons (2001), The Minish Cap (2005), and a revitalized version of the original Legend of Zelda (2004). Link hits the high seas to bring peace to the Koholint Island, travels 400 years into the past to come head on with a dark sorceress, battles the seasons to destroy Onox and restore peace, and explore the tiny world of the Minish with the use of a magical cap. Players are tossed into the whirlwind of the classic puzzle solving green clad recruit in a handheld console monopoly.
Within the years of 1998 and 2000 the Nintendo 64 system gave us a 64-bit evolution and with it we gained two of the most memorable stories in the Legend of Zelda legacy. Ocarina of Time ventures between the past, present, and future to help Link unwind the evil that Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo Thieves, and bring Hyrule from a barren wasteland back to its lush green nymph-inhabited land. In addition to normal gape play, six of the characters in Ocarina of Time are named after towns in Zelda II as homage to the history of the Legend. Majora's Mask builds up the suspense to allow only 72 game hours to stop a suicidal moon from crashing into the world and stop the Skull Kid from letting havoc reign (Zelda.com, n.d.). Time travel is again a large part of the story line to allow the player to utilize the minuscule amount of game hours allotted by turning back the clock.
The GameCube as a system was a wash for the Nintendo empire, but allowed epic advancement in the Legend of Zelda graphic technology. This system introduced a graphic technique known as cel-based graphics, which presented a more realistic cartoon feel (Moore, n.d.). Though the GameCube system was not entirely successful due to the competition with the Game Boy Advance that was released the same year, the technological advancements were pivotal in later, more advanced, versions of the Legend of Zelda.
Wii's wireless console remote technology took our favorite green-clad forest nymph to a whole new level, and introduced the ability for Link to transform into a wolf during game play. The weapon maneuverability during combat created a more realistic interaction with Link in The Twilight Pricess (2006) and Link's Crossbow Training (2007).Wii also made available the Classic NES games for the first time since their replacements to newer systems; not having access to the original NES system was no longer a problem due to advancements in downloading the original Legend of Zelda from the Wi-Fi internet adaptations of the Wii.
The most recent technological marvel of the Nintendo empire introduced us to the same Legend of Zelda name while introducing us to Phantom Hourglass (2007) and Spirit Tracks (2009) on the DS system, and Ocarina of Time and Link's Awakening (2011) on the 3DS system. Spirit Tracks takes a new approach to the age-old story in introducing a locomotive as a means of transportation where in the past Link has traveled by horse or foot. The innovation of the story in Spirit tracks changes the dynamic of rescuing Princess Zelda by separating her from her body and having her spirit traveling with Link in the adventure to rescue her body.
In all adventures there are key points that remain the same and have stayed true to each addition of the family of The Legend of Zelda games. Each game has various levels to complete, new weapons to find, new puzzles to solve, and a princess to rescue. Along with the main points of the adventure remaining the same, the main concept designer has also remained the same. Joining the Nintendo empire in 1977, Shigeru Miyamoto was the main force behind The Legend of Zelda and its subsequent sotry additions. His most notable titles, aside from The Legend of Zelda, were Donkey Kong, and Super Mario Bros. Along with his two other more notable games The Legend of Zelda has marketed over 271 million unit sales worldwide as of 2005 (Hall, 2005).
From its 8-bit roots in 1987 to its more modern 3D achievements in 2011 the evolution of The Legend of Zelda has been a 25 year gaming legacy that will be difficult to top. Each introduction of Nintendo gaming systems have brought with them advancements in the legend's story as well as cutting edge technology for interactive game play. With all of the advancements there have been in the last 25 years it will be thrilling to see what the next 25 years have to offer.
SOURCES:
Hall, K. (2005, Nov 14). Gaming's grand master. Business Week, (3959), 24-25. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/236726413?accountid=131689
Moore, C (n.d.). Retrieved from eHow.com:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5335913_zelda-games-gamecube.html
Nintendo - Company History. (1985-2011). Retrieved from Nintendo.com:
http://www.nintendo.com/corp/history.jsp
Zelda.com (n.d.). Retrieved from Zelda.com:
http://www.zelda.com/universe/game/
Zelda to debut on Nintendo DS in October. (2007). Wireless news, , 1. retrieved from:
http://search.proquest.com/docview/210119673?accountid=131689
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