In this, the beginning of these series of articles, I’ll be looking at a specific video game franchise (the definition of which is multiple games among different video game hardware sharing similar titles and worlds) and helping those who are new to the franchise learn what it’s all about and what the best titles are to start out with.
There are two criteria for this: availability and affordability. Some games may be (or are) out of print and may command obscene prices. The goal is that you should have little problem finding, affording and enjoying these games. With that, let’s get started.
What is The Legend of Zelda?
The Legend of Zelda is a video game franchise produced by Nintendo. The earliest title dates back to 1986, with the latest title coming out early 2019. As of this writing, Nintendo is developing a new Zelda title that will be coming out sometime in 2020 or 2021. Nintendo owns the rights to The Legend of Zelda, so all the titles will only be available on Nintendo video game hardware.
The general (and for the sake of this article, greatly simplified) story of The Legend of Zelda is that in the land of Hyrule, there exists an ancient artifact of immense power, the Triforce.
The Triforce is made up of three smaller triangles, each one representing an attribute: Wisdom, Courage, and Strength. Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, has the Triforce of Wisdom. The main antagonist, a pig-like monster named Ganon has the Triforce of Power. You play as Link, a young boy (in most games) who has the Triforce of Courage. Those who have all three parts of the Triforce can shape the world as they see fit and the Triforce cannot discern between good or evil, so in a lot of the games you are trying to stop the misuse of the Triforce. Every game is slightly different in story, tone and game play and not every title will have you fight Ganon or deal with the Triforce in any meaningful way.
What type of Game is The Legend of Zelda?
The Legend of Zelda is an Action Role Playing Game. In the majority of games, you are left to explore the land and find items to aid in your quest. You explore shrines, dungeons, temples and other places of interest while solving puzzles, battling enemies and bosses (large, powerful end of area/end of game enemies). All of the games in the series have a way for you to record your progress and continue at a later time.
The Legend of Zelda First Steps:
Here are the games I would recommend for a complete newcomer:
The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 3DS)
This goes over some of the lore of The Legend of Zelda and gives you a general feel of the series (just don’t expect Tolkien-levels of world building here). It is considered one of the best video games ever made, and although the game originally came out on the Nintendo 64, you should get the Nintendo 3DS remake. It’s cheaper, portable, and has some nice quality of life enhancements that make the game easier to navigate.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Nintendo Switch)
The latest entry in the series is actually a remake of a game that first appeared on the monochrome Nintendo Gameboy. The cute colorful graphics will appeal to kids and kids at heart. It is one of the easier entries in the series, so perfect for those who want something more relaxed.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch)
One of the newer entries on the list, you don’t need to know any history of the previous games to enjoy this one. This one is good for newcomers who like very challenging games. I would recommend this one for people who love to explore and don’t want a lot of hand-holding (being told where to go, what to do-type of thing). Did I mention the game is challenging?
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Super Nintendo/Gameboy Advance/Super Nintendo Mini/Nintendo Switch)
This is a top-down Legend of Zelda game, first showing up on the Super Nintendo. This is recommended for those who appreciate retro-pixel art graphics and gameplay. This title is slightly more linear than other titles, so keep that in mind if you are looking for something more open-world. If you own a Nintendo Switch, you will need to subscribe to Nintendo’s Online Service ($20 a year as of this writing) and download their Super Nintendo game service to play the game.
The Legend of Zelda Next Steps:
If you have already played the above games, here are a couple of recommendations if you want to go further into the series:
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (Nintendo 3DS)
This entry is darker in tone for a Legend of Zelda game which may not appeal to everyone. This game uses a Groundhog Day style mechanic where you have to stop the land of Termina from being destroyed by a moon crashing into it by going back in time and reliving the same 72 hours over and over again to prevent the catastrophe.
The Legend of Zelda (NES/Gameboy Advance/NES Mini/Nintendo Switch)
This is the one that started it all. You can play it on the Switch with a subscription to Nintendo’s Online Service and their Nintendo Entertainment System game service. The service also comes with an SP version of the game which gives you a few key items to start out with making the game slightly easier. As a note, this game is a little more rough around the edges and can be difficult due to its age and design but if you can get past that, you’ll find a game that is still as enduring 25 plus years later.
The Legend of Zelda is one of my favorite game series of all time. It is full of adventure, mystery, puzzles and good old-fashioned monster butt-kicking. Please give this series a chance if you are new to it, and I hope you will love it as much as I love it.
Written by Chris Murdock
Chris Murdock is a riddle wrapped in an enigma brought to you by patented space-age technology and electrons. He also likes video games, board games, and anime and is capable of giving off strong geek radiation burns. He also makes a mean chili and a nicely spicy Jamaican jerk chicken.