Well I say the one and only but in truth there have been
several different Links, each with their own story and past and of course in
most of his adventures he isn’t usually called Link at all, he’s called whatever
you want. In my case: Andy.
Created by Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto, the Legend of
Zelda has provided so many classic games over the years and has become one of
Nintendo’s biggest assets in the competitive world of the gaming industry.
My first experience of a Zelda game was back in 1998, when I
received the N64 classic, Ocarina of Time, for Christmas. I slotted in the
cartridge and slammed the power switch on to reveal the classic intro movie,
I’ve been in love with the whole Zelda franchise ever since. All before
Christmas dinner.
With it’s superb gameplay, fantastic story, fun characters
and epic musical score, Ocarina of Time was a huge benchmark in Zelda history.
Of course it was the first three dimensional Zelda and is soon set to become
even more three-dimensional with the help of the upcoming 3DS. Back in 1998 the
graphics of Ocarina were the best I’d ever seen. Sure, compared to Twilight
Princess on the Wii, Ocarina of Time looks like nothing, but although its graphics
are dated now they still hold the charm they had over a decade ago.
The Legend of Zelda hasn’t been one to stand still in the
graphics department, changing its format several times over the years. Back in
1986 The Legend of Zelda utilised the top down view that it later made its own.
Many have replicated it since, including another Nintendo franchise, Pokemon,
yet none have perfected it quite like Zelda did.
However, its success wasn’t solidified straight away. The
second game of the franchise: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link went with a
different style of gameplay, opting to go with the side-scrolling adventure
more likened to Mario than Link. Although it was popular to an extent, the
second didn’t really manage to capture the magic of the first.
It was four years later when Zelda really amalgamated itself
into gaming history when A Link to the Past was released on the Super Nintendo.
Still regarded as the best Zelda game by many, A Link to the Past had it all
and then some. Reverting back to the top-down method Nintendo created a
classic, it did everything The Legend of Zelda did but improved it greatly.
Building on the plot, the enemies, the polish and the items that have all
evolved further to become the excellence we take for granted today.
I didn’t play A Link to the Past until after Ocarina of
Time, when I played the remake on the Game Boy Advance, and after playing it I
felt like I’d been starved for all those years! Another game I played a remake
of was Link’s Awakening, originally on the Game Boy it was re-released on the
Game Boy Color as Link's Awakening DX. The thing I remember most about this
game was that it was so bloody difficult! To this day it’s been the hardest
Zelda game I’ve played, it took me seemingly forever to complete! It was
similar to A Link to the Past in its style, and it was just as big, which
wasn’t bad considering it was on the SNES’s little brother.
Post-Ocarina of Time there have been some other great Zelda
classics. Its sequel, Majora’s Mask was seen as a continuation of Ocarina’s
story, and my God it was amazing. Majora’s Mask effortlessly crafted out
something new whilst keeping all the things people loved about Ocarina of Time.
The game was set in three days, which might sound bad, only it isn’t. At
certain points of every day different things happen depending on what you do or
who you interact with, meaning you’d constantly be going back in time in order
to complete not just the quest, but all of the side quests too. If any game
were to steal Ocarina’s crown, this would be it.
Link’s move to the Gamecube created much controversy when
Nintendo decided to use a different graphical style with Wind Waker, going with
the cartoony graphics of cell-shading rather than the realistic graphics people
had gotten used to with Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. In the end the game
was still just as good as any other Zelda game and most people grew to like the
cell-shading even if they preferred the more realistic ones. Nintendo took this on board, and when Zelda rolled onto the
Wii in 2006 the graphics had been given a huge overhaul. Realism was back in
favour, and the visuals were simply stunning. Twilight Princess became another
hit for Nintendo, implementing new graphics, another story to get a hold of,
wolf-Link and of course the new way to play using the Wii remote to great
effect. Even now, five years since the Wii was launched, Twilight Princess is
one of the best titles on the console.
The cell-shaded graphics were not shelved completely though,
they made a re-appearance in the DS game: Phantom Hourglass. I loved Phantom
Hourglass, even if it was a little short, the way you could utilise the touch
screen was brilliant. The best thing was it didn’t feel forced, as if you had
to use the touch screen, it was just right. Some games shoe-horn in some touch
controls that aren’t necessary and I’m so glad Nintendo didn’t do so with this.
They continued the cell-shaded trend on the DS with the
latest Zelda title: Spirit Tracks, which I am yet to play. Zelda has always had
as much of a presence on the hand-held than it has had on the consoles. A
couple of great ones that should be mentioned are the Oracle of Seasons/Ages
titles and The Minish Cap. Oracle of Seasons/Ages were two Zelda games made by
Capcom. Both were totally different games in their own right and there was
connectivity available to those who could. Seasons was based on the
manipulation of the seasons, while Ages was based on the manipulation of time.
These two, especially Seasons, are amongst my favourite Zelda titles. If they
appear on the 3DS’s Virtual Console then I couldn’t recommend them more!
The Minish Cap, appeared in 2004 on the Game Boy Advance. It
was a little short but still a great game, reverting back to the top-down view
of its earlier years. The game worked on the idea of size, making Link big and
small in order to complete certain challenges. It’s a fun little game and worth
a look if you can find it.
The Legend of Zelda is my favourite gaming franchise, I
think many would agree with me in saying it’s definitely one of the best. Every
time a new one comes out, I have to play it, because I know just how good it’s
going to be. The next installment will be Skyward Sword, set to grace the Wii
with its presence sometime this year. It appears to have changed its graphical
style once more, opting for what looks like a blend of Twilight Princess and
Wind Waker. Needless to say I'm excited. I’ve not been disappointed with one
Zelda title yet, and I doubt it will happen. Unless I get hold of those
Phillips CD-i titles which I have banned myself from playing. Ouch, that was a
mistake.
After looking at all these great Zelda titles though,
Ocarina of Time still remains my favourite game, not just of the franchise, but
of all time, and I don’t think it will ever be beaten. It always has the great
childhood memories attached to it so any new game will never be able to compare
to it. Whether it be inside the Deku Tree fighting Gohma, pulling out the
Master Sword for the first time, sneaking into the Castle, or the final battle,
there are so many great memories linked to this game.
I think most people’s favourite will be the one they played
first, just like mine is. For some, Twilight Princess could have been their
first Zelda experience, or maybe some have been there from the start 25 years
ago. Either way whether your fondest memory is drawing a boomerang route across
your DS touch screen, defeating Vaati in The Minish Cap, seeing Ganon for the
first time in The Legend of Zelda, Tetra revealing her true identity in Wind
Waker, playing the Oath to Order in Majora's Mask, or even just hearing that
wondrous theme for the first time, there is no question that The Legend of
Zelda series is one of gaming’s great franchises that has given so much to the
gaming community and inspired much more.
So here’s to you Zelda! Happy 25th Birthday! Here’s to many,
many happy returns!
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