The Legend of Zelda
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2008-07-16T20:12:47Z
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{{Otheruses1|the first game in the series}}
{{Infobox VG
|title=The Legend of Zelda
|image=[[Image:Legend of zelda cover (with cartridge) gold.png|250px]]
|caption=Gold box art
|developer=[[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development|Nintendo R&D4]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|designer=[[Shigeru Miyamoto]]<br />[[Koji Kondo]]<br />[[Takashi Tezuka]]<br />Toshihiko Nakago
|engine=
|series=''[[The Legend of Zelda (series)|The Legend of Zelda]]''
|released=<b>NES version</b><br />{{vgrelease|JP=[[February 21]], [[1986]]<ref name="gamespot date">{{cite web|title=Zelda no Densetsu| publisher=[[GameSpot]]|url=http://www.gamespot.com/famicomds/adventure/zeldanodensetsu/index.html|accessdate=2006-09-30}}</ref>|NA=[[August 22]], [[1987]]<ref name="gamespot date2">{{cite web|title=The Legend of Zelda|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|url=http://www.gamespot.com/nes/adventure/legendofzelda/index.html|accessdate=2006-09-30}}</ref>|EU=[[November 27]], [[1987]]}}<b>Virtual Console</b><br /><sup><small>[[North America|NA]] </sup></small>[[November 19]] [[2006]]<br /><sup><small>[[Japan|JP]] </sup></small>[[December 2]] [[2006]]<br /><sup><small>[[Australia|AU]] </sup></small>[[December 7]] [[2006]]<br /><sup><small>[[Europe|EU]] </sup></small>[[December 8]] [[2006]]
|genre=[[Action-adventure game|Action-adventure]]
|modes=[[Single-player]]
|ratings={{vgratings|ESRB=E|OFLCA=G}}
|platforms=[[Famicom Disk System|FDS]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES/FC]], [[Game Boy Advance|GBA]], [[Nintendo GameCube|GCN]], [[Wii]] ([[Virtual Console|VC]])
|media=[[Floppy disk]] (FDS version), 1 [[megabit]] [[Cartridge (electronics)|cartridge]] (NES and FC version)
|requirements=22 blocks (Wii)
|input=
}}
{{nihongo|'''''The Legend of Zelda'''''|ゼルダの伝説|Zeruda no Densetsu|}} is a [[video game]] designed by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and developed and published by [[Nintendo]]. Set in the [[fantasy]] land of [[Hyrule]], the plot centers on a boy named [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]], the playable [[protagonist]], who aims to rescue [[Princess Zelda]] from the primary [[antagonist]], [[Ganon]], by collecting the eight fragments of the [[Triforce]], a powerful artifact.
As the inaugural game of [[The Legend of Zelda (series)|''The Legend of Zelda'' series]], it was first released in Japan as a launch title for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom]]'s Disk System peripheral, a year and five months before it was released in the United States. Because the [[Famicom Disk System]] was not released outside Japan, the game was published internationally on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]]'s [[cartridge (electronics)|cartridge]] format in 1987, with an internal battery to facilitate data saving. Nintendo released the game in Japan in 1994 on cartridge format for the Famicom.
==Gameplay==
When ''The Legend of Zelda'' was released, its gameplay defied categorization. The game incorporated elements from [[action game]]s, [[adventure game]]s, [[Console role-playing game|role-playing games]], and [[computer puzzle game|puzzle games]]. The game begins with the player controlling Link from an [[overhead perspective]], armed with a small shield. A sword becomes available to Link if he ventures into the cave, accessible from the beginning screen. When the game starts, [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]] travels in the [[overworld]], a large outdoor map with varied environments. Throughout the game, [[merchant]]s, [[gambler]]s, old ladies, and other people guide Link with cryptic clues. These people are scattered across the overworld and hidden in caves, shrubbery, or behind walls and waterfalls.
Barring Link's progress are creatures he must battle to locate the entrances to nine underground dungeons. Each dungeon is a unique, maze-like collection of rooms connected by doors and [[secret passage]]s and guarded by [[mob (computer gaming)|monster]]s different from those found on the overworld. Link must successfully navigate each dungeon to obtain one of the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. Dungeons also hide useful items, such as a boomerang for retrieving items and stunning enemies, and a [[recorder]] with magical properties. The first six dungeons have visible entrances, but the entrances to the remaining three dungeons are hidden. Except for the final dungeon, which cannot be entered until the previous eight have been completed, the order of completing dungeons is somewhat arbitrary, but many dungeons can only be reached using items gained in the previous one.
[[Linearity (computer and video games)|Nonlinearity]], the ability to take different paths to complete the game, separated ''Zelda'' from its contemporaries. [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]] can freely wander the overworld, finding and buying items at any point. This flexibility enables unusual ways of playing the game; for example, it is possible to reach the final [[boss (video games)|boss]] of the game (but not defeat him) without taking the first sword.<ref name="rpgamer review">{{cite web|author=Andrew Long| title=Oldest School|publisher=[[RPGamer]]|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/zelda/z1/reviews/z1strev1.html|accessdate=2006-10-01}}</ref> Nintendo of America's management initially feared that players might become frustrated with the new concept, left wondering what to do next. As a result, the American version of the game's manual contains many hints, tips, and suggestions for players.
{{anchor|The second quest}}
After completing the game, the player has access to a more difficult quest, officially referred to as the Second Quest,<ref>ZELDA: The Second Quest Begins (1988), p. 27</ref> where dungeons and the placement of items are different and enemies stronger.<ref>ZELDA: The Second Quest Begins (1988), p. 28</ref> Although a more difficult "replay" was not unique to ''Zelda'', few games offered a "second quest" with entirely different levels to complete.<ref name="rpgamer review">{{cite web|author=Andrew Long|title=Oldest School|publisher=[[RPGamer]]|url= http://www.rpgamer.com/games/zelda/z1/reviews/z1strev1.html|accessdate=2006-10-01}}</ref> Entering "ZELDA" as the player's name starts the second quest immediately.<ref>ZELDA: The Second Quest Begins (1988), p. 26</ref> The Second Quest can be replayed each time it is completed.
==Story and characters==
[[Image:Link LOZ with items.png|130px|thumb|Link, carrying the many items he acquires in his quest.]]
''The Legend of Zelda''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[plot (narrative)|plot]] relies heavily on back story given in the short (in-game) [[prologue]] and the [[Instruction manual (computer and video games)|instruction booklet]]. Hyrule was engulfed in chaos after an army led by [[Ganon]], the Prince of Darkness, invaded the kingdom and secured the [[Triforce#Triforce of Power|Triforce of Power]], a magical artifact bestowing great strength.<ref name="manual three">The Legend of Zelda Instruction Booklet (1989), p. 3</ref> Hyrule's [[Princess Zelda]] split one of the artifact's two counterparts, the [[Triforce#Triforce of Wisdom|Triforce of Wisdom]], into eight fragments, hiding them in secret dungeons throughout the land to prevent them from falling into Ganon's hands.
According to the manual, [[Impa]] fled for her life, but was overtaken by her pursuers. As Ganon's henchmen surrounded her, a youth drove the monsters off. The boy's name was [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]], and Impa told him of Hyrule's plight.<ref name="manual four">The Legend of Zelda Instruction Booklet (1989), p. 4</ref> Link resolved to save Zelda, but to fight Ganon he had to find and reassemble the scattered fragments of the Triforce. Undeterred, Link set off for Hyrule in an epic adventure.<ref name="manual four">The Legend of Zelda Instruction Booklet (1989), p. 4</ref>
During the course of the game, Link locates the eight underground [[labyrinth]]s (or [[dungeon]]s) and retrieves the Triforce fragments from the clutches of powerful guardian monsters. Along the way, he picks up a variety of useful [[item#Computer games|item]]s and upgrades to aid him in his quest. With the [[Triforce]] of Wisdom, Link is able to infiltrate Ganon's [[fortress]] high upon [[Death Mountain]]. He confronts the Prince of Darkness, destroying him with a Silver Arrow discovered deep within Ganon's dungeons. Link picks up the Triforce of Power from Ganon's ashes and returns both Triforces to [[Princess Zelda]], whom he releases from her nearby cell. According to Zelda's words, peace would then return to Hyrule.
A "symbol of courage, strength and wisdom",<ref name="pedia">{{cite web|url=http://www.zelda.com/universe/pedia/l.jsp|title= The Great Hyrule Encyclopedia — Link|publisher=Zelda Universe|year=2006|accessdate=2005-09-20}}</ref> Link was designed by Miyamoto as a [[coming-of-age]] [[motif (literature)|motif]] for players to identify with: he begins the game an ordinary boy but grows in strength and fortitude to triumph over the ultimate evil.<ref name="origin">{{cite web| url=http://www.miyamotoshrine.com/theman/interviews/230403.shtml|title=Shigeru Miyamoto Interview|date=[[2003-04-23]]| publisher=Superplay Magazine|accessdate=2006-09-24}}</ref>
The name of the princess was inspired by [[Zelda Fitzgerald]]: "Zelda was the name of the wife of the famous novelist [[Francis Scott Fitzgerald]]. She was a famous and beautiful woman from all accounts, and I liked the sound of her name. So I took the liberty of using her name for the very first ''Zelda'' title," Miyamoto explained.<ref name="amazon">{{cite web|last= Mowatt|first=Todd|title=In the Game: Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto|publisher=[[Amazon.com]]|url= http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/117177/|accessdate=2006-10-01}}</ref>
==Development==
===Concept and design===
''The Legend of Zelda'' was designed by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]. His team worked on ''The Legend of Zelda'' and ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' concurrently, trying to separate the ideas: ''Super Mario Bros.'' was to be linear, where the action occurred in a strict sequence, whereas ''The Legend of Zelda'' would be the total opposite.<ref>{{Citation | year=October 1996 | title=Miyamoto Speaks | periodical=Nintendo Power | volume=89 | pages=64–67 | url=http://www.miyamotoshrine.com/theman/interviews/1096.shtml}}.</ref> In ''Mario'', Miyamoto downplayed the importance of the [[high score]] in favor of simply completing the game.<ref name="gamespot history">{{cite web | last=Vestal | first=Andrew | coauthors=Cliff O'Neill; and Brad Shoemaker | date=[[2000-11-14]] | title=History of Zelda | publisher=[[GameSpot]] | url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/hist_zelda/index.html | accessdate=2006-09-30}}</ref> This concept was carried over to ''The Legend of Zelda''. Miyamoto was also in charge of deciding which concepts were "''Zelda'' ideas" or "''Mario'' ideas." Contrasting with ''Mario'', ''Zelda'' was made non-linear and forced the players to think about what they should do next with riddles and puzzles.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ntsc-uk.com/feature.php?featuretype=int&fea=ShigeruMiyamoto | title=Shigeru Miyamoto Interview| date=[[2005-01-01]] | publisher=ntsc-uk | last=Bufton | first=Ben | accessdate=2006-09-23}}</ref>
With ''The Legend of Zelda'', Miyamoto wanted to take the idea of a game "world" even further, giving players a "miniature garden that they can put inside their drawer."<ref name="gamespot history" /> He drew his inspiration from his experiences as a boy around [[Kyoto]], where he explored nearby fields, woods, and caves, and through the ''Zelda'' titles he always tries to impart to players some of the sense of exploration and limitless wonder he felt.<ref name="gamespot history" /> "When I was a child," he said, "I went hiking and found a lake. It was quite a surprise for me to stumble upon it. When I traveled around the country without a map, trying to find my way, stumbling on amazing things as I went, I realized how it felt to go on an adventure like this."<ref name="Sheff 51">Sheff (1993), p. 51</ref> The memory of being lost amid the maze of sliding doors in his family's home in [[Sonobe]] was recreated in ''Zelda<nowiki>'s</nowiki>'' labyrinthine dungeons.<ref name="Sheff 52">Sheff (1993), p. 52</ref>
In the initial game designs, the player would start the game with the sword already in their inventory. According to Miyamoto, those in Japan were confused and had trouble finding their way through the multiple path dungeons. Rather than listening to the complaints, Miyamoto took away the sword, forcing players to communicate with each other and share their ideas to solve puzzles. This was a new form of game communication, and in that "Zelda became the inspiration for something very different: [[Animal Crossing (series)|Animal Crossing]]. This was a game based solely on communication."<ref>{{cite web| last=Fahey| first=Michael| date=[[2007-03-08]]| title=GDC07: Liveblogging Nintendo| publisher=[[Kotaku]]| url=http://kotaku.com/gaming/gdc07/gdc07-liveblogging-nintendo-242670.php}}</ref>
===Technology===
[[Image:Famicom Zelda Disk.png|thumb|left|Legend of Zelda Famicom Disk]]
In February 1986, Nintendo released the game on the [[Famicom]]'s new [[Famicom Disk System|Disk System]] peripheral. ''The Legend of Zelda'' was joined by a re-release of ''Super Mario Bros.'' and ''[[Tennis (video game)|Tennis]]'', ''[[Baseball (Nintendo game)|Baseball]]'', ''[[Golf (video game)|Golf]]'', ''[[Soccer (video game)|Soccer]]'', and ''[[Mahjong video game|Mahjong]]'' in its introduction of the Famicom Disk System. It made full use of the Disk System’s advantages over the Famicom with a disk size of 128 [[kilobytes]], which was expensive to produce on cartridge format.<ref name="gamespot history" /> Due to the still-limited amount of space on the disk, however, the Japanese version of the game was only in [[katakana]]. It used rewritable disks to [[Saved game|save the game]], rather than [[Password (video games)|passwords]] The Japanese version used the extra sound channel provided by the Disk System for certain sound effects; most notable are the sounds of Link's sword when his health is full, and enemy death sounds. It also used the microphone built into the Famicom's controller that was not included in the NES. This led to confusion in the U.S. as the instruction manual reads that Pols Voice, a rabbit-like enemy in the game, "hates loud noise".<ref name="manual 36">The Legend of Zelda Instruction Booklet (1987), p. 36</ref> Blowing or shouting into the Famicom's microphone kills these creatures. However, they cannot be killed through use of the flute, and on the NES must be killed with either the sword or bow and arrow. The cartridge version made use of the Memory Management Controller chip, specifically MMC1 model. The MMC was smaller, cheaper, and held more memory than previous Nintendo game pak chips. They also allowed for battery powered RAM, which let players save progress.<ref name="NP-20">{{Citation| date= January 1991| title= Why Your Game Paks Never Forget| periodical= [[Nintendo Power]]| publisher= Nintendo| issue= 20| pages= 28–31}}</ref>
===Release===
Contrary to the fears of Nintendo's management, the game was wildly popular and well received. The game was so popular that within a year Nintendo issued the sequel ''The Legend of Zelda 2: Link no Bōken'' for the Famicom Disk System. ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]'', as the second ''Zelda'' came to be known in the western markets, would not be released in America for almost two years after its initial release on the Famicon Disk System. The original ''Zelda'' had been out a year and a half and ''Zelda 2'' a full six months before Nintendo brought the game to North America.
[[Nintendo]] published the game close to a year and a half later in North America, with a small portion of the box cut out to display the unique gold-colored cartridge. In 1987, ''The Legend of Zelda'' became the first NES title aside from ''Super Mario Bros.'' to sell one million copies.<ref name="Sheff 172">Sheff (1993), p. 172</ref> In 1988, 7 million more NES units were sold, along with 33 million game cartridges. Nintendo of America sought to keep its strong base of fans: anyone who purchased a game and sent in a [[warranty]] card became a member of the Fun Club, whose members got a four-, eight-, and eventually thirty-two-page [[newsletter]]. Seven hundred copies of the first issue were sent out free of charge, but the number grew as the data bank of names got longer.<ref name="Sheff 178">Sheff (1993), p. 178</ref>
From the success of magazines in Japan, Nintendo knew that game tips were an incredibly valued asset. Players enjoyed the bimonthly newsletter's [[crossword puzzle]]s and jokes, but game secrets were most valued. The Fun Club drew kids in by offering tips for the more complicated games, especially ''Zelda'', with its hidden rooms, secret keys, and passageways.<ref name="Sheff 178">Sheff (1993), p. 178</ref> The mailing list grew. By early 1988, there were over 1 million Fun Club members, which led then-Nintendo of America president [[Minoru Arakawa]] to start ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' magazine.<ref name="Sheff 178">Sheff (1993), p. 178</ref>
Since Nintendo did not have many products, it made only a few [[television advertisement|commercial]]s a year, meaning the quality had to be phenomenal. The budget for a single commercial could reach [[United States dollar|US $]]5 million, easily four or five times more than most companies spent.<ref name="Sheff 188">Sheff (1993), p. 188</ref> One of the first commercials made under Bill White, director of advertising and public relations, was the market introduction for ''The Legend of Zelda'', which received a great deal of attention in the ad industry. In it, a wiry-haired, nerdy guy ([[John Kassir]]) walks through the dark making goofy noises, yelling out the names of some enemies from the game, and screaming for Zelda.<ref name="Sheff 188">Sheff (1993), p. 188</ref>
''The Legend of Zelda'' was a gold mine for Nintendo, which released a slew of ''[[The Legend of Zelda series|Zelda]]''-related merchandise, from [[Toy#Promotional merchandise|toy]]s and guidebooks to watches, apparel, trash cans, and even a breakfast cereal called the [[Nintendo Cereal System]]. The game and its sequel, ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|The Adventure of Link]]'' were adapted into an [[The Legend of Zelda (animated series)|animated series]], episodes of which were shown each Friday on television's ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show]]''. Link and Zelda appeared in select episodes of ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]'' that revolved around themes from ''The Adventure of Link''.
==Reception==
''The Legend of Zelda'' was a [[bestseller]] for Nintendo, selling over 6.5 million copies.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.the-magicbox.com/game032504.shtml | title=March 25, 2004 | date=[[2004-03-25]] | publisher=The Magic Box | accessdate=2007-04-01 | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20051126100623/http://www.the-magicbox.com/game032504.shtml |archivedate=2005-11-26}}</ref> It was reissued in 1990 as part of Nintendo's "Classic Series", along with [[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|''Zelda II'']], ''[[Metroid]]'', and other high-profile games. The game placed first in the player's poll "Top 30" in ''Nintendo Power''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s first issue<ref>{{Citation | year=July/August 1988 | title=Top 30 | periodical=Nintendo Power | volume=1 | pages=102}}.</ref> and continued to dominate the list into the early 1990s. ''The Legend of Zelda'' was also voted by ''Nintendo Power'' readers as the "Best Challenge" in the Nintendo Power Awards '88.<ref name="NP-66">{{citation| last= | first=| publication-date= May/June 1989| title=Nester Awards| periodical=[[Nintendo Power]]| publication-place= | publisher=[[Nintendo]]| issue=6| pages=18-21}}</ref>
''The Legend of Zelda'' places prominently in lists of games considered the greatest or most influential: it placed first in ''[[Game Informer]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s list of the greatest games ever, fifth in ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 200th issue listing "The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time,"<ref name="egm">{{cite web | author=S.B. | year=February 2006 | title=The 200 Greatest Video Games of their Time | publisher=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] | url=http://egm.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=6&cId=3147448 | accessdate=2006-10-01}}</ref> seventh in ''Nintendo Power''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s list of the 200 Best Nintendo Games Ever,<ref name="np2006">{{Citation | year=February 2006 | title=NP Top 200 | periodical=Nintendo Power | volume=200 | pages=58–66}}.</ref> and 80th among IGN readers' "Top 99 Games."<ref name="ign readers">{{cite web | author= | year=April 11, 2005 | title=Readers' Picks Top 99 Games: 80-71 | publisher=[[IGN]] | url=http://microsites.ign.com/kfc/top99games/3.html | accessdate=2006-09-30}}</ref> ''Zelda'' was inducted into [[GameSpy]]'s Hall of Fame in August 2000<ref name="gamespy hall of fame">{{cite web | last=Buecheler | first=Christopher | year=August 2000 | title=The Gamespy Hall of Fame | publisher=[[GameSpy]] | url=http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/zelda_a.shtm | accessdate=2006-09-30}}</ref> and voted by GameSpy's editors as the tenth best game of all time.<ref name="gamespy best">{{cite web | author=GameSpy Staff | year=July 2001 | title=GameSpy's Top 50 Games of All Time | publisher=[[GameSpy]] | url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july01/top501aspe/ | accessdate=2006-09-30}}</ref> Editors of the popular Japanese magazine ''[[Famitsu]]'' voted the game among the best on the Famicom.<ref name="pinkgodzilla">{{cite web | author=taragan | year=2006 | title=Famitsu Readers' All-time Favorite Famicom Games | publisher=Pink Godzilla | url=http://www.pinkgodzillagames.com/pinkytsu_news/famitsu_readers_alltime_favori_1.php | accessdate=2006-09-20}}</ref>
Even in its [[Game Boy Advance]] port, created 17 years after its initial release, ''The Legend of Zelda'' passes the test of time, scoring 79% at the [[Game Rankings]] and 87% at the Game Ratio rankings compilations. In individual ratings, IGN scored ''The Legend of Zelda'' with an 8 out of 10, ''[[GamePro]]'' a 4.5 out of 5, ''Nintendo Power'' a 4.5 out of 5, and [[1UP.com]] a 9 out of 10.<ref name="gamerankings">{{cite web | author= | year= | title=Classic NES Series: The Legend of Zelda | publisher=[[Game Rankings]] | url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/919777.asp?q=Legend%20of%20Zelda | accessdate=2006-10-01}}</ref><ref name="gameratio">{{cite web | author= | year= | title=Classic NES Series: The Legend of Zelda | publisher=Game Ratio | url=http://www.gameratio.com/gba/games/Classic_NES_Series_The_Legend_of_Zelda/index.php | accessdate=2006-10-01}}</ref>In Gamespot, both Game Boy Advance and the Wii scored 7.2 for its originality.
==Impact and legacy==
''The Legend of Zelda'' is considered a spiritual forerunner of the [[console role-playing game]] (RPG) genre.<ref name="rpgamer review" /> Though its gameplay elements are different from those of typical computer or console RPGs, its bright, [[cartoon]]ish graphics, fantasy setting, and musical style were adopted by many RPGs. Its commercial success helped lay the groundwork for involved, nonlinear games in fantasy settings, such as those found in successful RPGs, including ''[[Crystalis]]'', ''[[Soul Blazer]]'', [[Square Co.|Square]]'s ''[[Seiken Densetsu]]'' series, and more recently, ''[[Alundra]]'' and ''[[Brave Fencer Musashi]]''.
''The Legend of Zelda'' spawned numerous sequels and [[spin-off]]s and remains one of Nintendo's most popular series. Although the plot of ''Zelda'' is simplistic by today's standards, it established important [[fictional character|character]]s and environments of the ''Zelda'' universe: [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]], [[Princess Zelda]], [[Ganon]], [[Impa]], and the [[Triforce]] as the power that binds [[Hyrule]] together.<ref name="gamespot history" /> The overworld theme and distinctive "secret found" jingle have appeared in one form or another in nearly every subsequent ''Zelda'' title. The theme has also appeared in various other games featuring ''Zelda'' series references.
===Sequels and remakes===
''The Legend of Zelda'' has been re-released on multiple platforms, most recently on the [[Wii]]'s [[Virtual Console]] in 2006. The game was re-released in cartridge format on the Famicom in 1994.<ref name="NinDB">{{cite web | author=Fryguy64 | year=[[2001-06-28]] | title=The Legend of Zelda/The Hyrule Fantasy: Zelda no Densetsu (JP) | publisher=Nintendo Database | url=http://nindb.classicgaming.gamespy.com/fmc-zel.shtml| accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref> The Famicom version slightly modified the title screen of the FDS version of the game, reading The Legend of Zelda 1 instead of just The Legend of Zelda. The game also spawned a clone for the [[TRS-80 Color Computer]] III called "The Quest for Thelda," written by [[Eric A. Wolf]] and licensed to [[Sundog Systems]]. It was released in 1989 and was available on [[floppy disk]] only. The game can be played with either the keyboard or a joystick, and requires only the computer's stock 128K of [[RAM]] to run. Game play is set in the land of Galaduirl and revolves around a nameless squire who must rescue Princess Thelda from the evil wizard Divinax by collecting the six pieces of Life Force scattered throughout the underground.<ref>{{cite web | author= | year=[[2003-10-06]] | title=Quest For Thelda | publisher= | url=http://nitros9.lcurtisboyle.com/questforthelda.html | accessdate=2008-04-02}}</ref>
The game was also included in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition]]'' for the [[Nintendo GameCube]],<ref name="collectors">{{cite web | author=IGN Staff | year=[[2003-10-06]] | title=True Zelda Love | publisher=[[IGN]] | url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/453/453356p1.html | accessdate=2006-10-01}}</ref> and is also obtainable in the GameCube game ''[[Animal Crossing]]'' using various cheat devices such as the [[Action Replay]]. The game was also re-released on the [[Game Boy Advance]] in [[2004 in video gaming|2004]] along with its sequel, ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|The Adventure of Link]]'', as part of the [[Classic NES Series]]. A timed demo of the game is also available in the Vault section of the Wii game ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''.
''[[BS Zelda no Densetsu]]'', based on the original ''The Legend of Zelda'', was released for download in four episodes on the [[Satellaview]], a satellite modem add-on to Nintendo's [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom]] system, from [[August 9]], [[1995]] to [[August 30]], [[1995]]. The first game broadcast on the Satellaview, ''BS Zelda'' featured updated [[computer graphics|graphics]], a smaller overworld, and different dungeons. Link was replaced by the Satellaview [[mascot]]s, a boy wearing a backward baseball cap and a girl with red hair. It also featured "Sound Link", where every few minutes players were cautioned to listen carefully as a live narrator, broadcast over the network, gave them play clues.<ref name="bs zelda">{{cite web | author= | year= | title=BS The Legend of Zelda | publisher=[[IGN]] | url=http://cheats.ign.com/objects/010/010808.html | accessdate=2006-10-01}}</ref> When the game was rebroadcast in December 1996, the layout of the world was changed again. This revision had a smaller broadcast audience and is known as Map 2. Sometimes these two games are known as the Third and Fourth Quest, similar to the NES game's Second Quest.
==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}
==References==
*{{cite book | year=1993 | last=Sheff | first=David | title=[[Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children]] | publisher=Random House | id=ISBN 0-679-40469-4}}
*{{cite book | year=1987 | title=The Legend of Zelda Instruction Booklet | publisher=Nintendo of America, Inc. | language=English | id=Stock No. 004-000-00345-4}}
*{{Citation | year=July/August 1988 | title=ZELDA: The Second Quest Begins | periodical=Nintendo Power | volume=1 | pages=26–36}}
==External links==
; Official sites
*[http://www.zelda.com/universe/game/zelda/ ''The Legend of Zelda''] at Zelda.com
*[http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda ''The Legend of Zelda''] at The Legend of Zelda Wiki, a wiki from Wikia
; General resources
*{{moby game|id=/legend-of-zelda}}
*{{StrategyWiki}}
*[http://www.zeldalegacy.net ''The Legend of Zelda'' series] at Zelda Legacy
*[http://gigagames.org/2007/04/04/the-legend-of-zelda-history/ ''The Legend of Zelda History''] at GigaGames
{{The Legend of Zelda}}
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[[Category:1986 video games]]
[[Category:Action-adventure games]]
[[Category:Famicom Disk System games]]
[[Category:Game Boy Advance games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development games]]
[[Category:The Legend of Zelda games]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games]]
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[[de:The Legend of Zelda (Spiel)]]
[[es:La leyenda de Zelda (videojuego)]]
[[fr:The Legend of Zelda (jeu vidéo)]]
[[gl:The Legend of Zelda (videoxogo)]]
[[ko:젤다의 전설]]
[[nl:The Legend of Zelda (spel)]]
[[ja:ゼルダの伝説]]
[[no:The Legend of Zelda (videospill)]]
[[pl:The Legend of Zelda]]
[[pt:The Legend of Zelda]]
[[ru:The Legend of Zelda (игра)]]
[[simple:The Legend of Zelda (video game)]]
[[fi:The Legend of Zelda]]
[[sv:The Legend of Zelda]]
[[vi:The Legend of Zelda]]
[[zh:塞尔达传说]]