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Difference between revisions of "The Legend of Zelda series"

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|name_text=Zelda
 
|name_text=Zelda
 
|jpname=ゼルダの伝説
 
|jpname=ゼルダの伝説
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|jptrans=Zelda no Densetsu
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|jptranslation=Zeruda no Densetsu
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|jptrans=The Legend of Zelda
 
|colorscheme=Zelda
 
|colorscheme=Zelda
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|caption=Current series logo
 
|creator=[[Shigeru Miyamoto]]
 
|creator=[[Shigeru Miyamoto]]
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|first=''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''
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|first={{ga|The Legend of Zelda}}
 
|firstyear=1986
 
|firstyear=1986
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|bestselling={{zel|Ocarina of Time}}
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|bestselling={{zel|Breath of the Wild}}
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|bestsellingnumber=7.6 million
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|bestsellingnumber={{hover|31.15 million|As of September 30, 2023 (Nintendo Switch version only)}}<ref>[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/software/index.html Top Selling Title Sales Units]. nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved May 29, 2019.</ref>
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|latest=''[[Hyrule Warriors Legends]]''
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|latest={{zel|Echoes of Wisdom}}
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|latestyear=2016
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|latestyear=2024
 
|niwa=Zelda Wiki
 
|niwa=Zelda Wiki
 
}}
 
}}
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'''''The Legend of Zelda''''' (Japanese: '''ゼルダの伝説''' ''Zelda no Densetsu'') is a [[Nintendo]] franchise that debuted with a title on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] in 1986 (Japan release) and 1987 for American and European gamers. Nintendo has managed to release a title of the series for each handheld and console system, except the short-lived [[Virtual Boy]].
+
'''''The Legend of Zelda''''' (Japanese: '''ゼルダの伝説''' ''Zelda no Densetsu'') is a [[Nintendo]] franchise that debuted with a title on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] in 1986 (Japan release) and 1987 for American and European gamers. Nintendo has managed to release a title of the series for each handheld and console system released to date (with the exception of the short-lived [[Virtual Boy]]).
  
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Titles in the series typically follow the adventures of a young man named {{zw|Link}} as he journeys throughout a land (often {{zw|Hyrule}}), battling monsters to ultimately save the captive {{zw|Princess Zelda}}, who is often being held by the wicked {{zw|Ganondorf}}. Retellings, often with artistic liberties, of the games' plots are available through several paperback novels and mangas. Original stories can also be found as paperback novels.
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[[Shigeru Miyamoto]] is known to be the primary creator of the series and its characters. He has said that he was inspired by ''{{wp|The Lord of the Rings}}'' saga and his own exploration of caves near his childhood home. [[Eiji Aonuma]] has taken lead development roles on each game since {{zel2|Majora's Mask}}, with Miyamoto taking a supervisory role.
  
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==Developers==
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==Overview==
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[[Shigeru Miyamoto]] is known to be the primary creator of the series and its characters. He has said that he was inspired by the ''{{wp|Lord of the Rings}}'' saga and his own exploration of caves near his childhood home. [[Eiji Aonuma]] has taken lead development roles on each game since {{zel2|Majora's Mask}}, with Miyamoto watching over the games' development to see how it goes.
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===Main games===
 +
{{stub|type=section}}
  
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[[Capcom]] and [[Flagship]], two third-party developers, are responsible for the games which appeared on the [[Game Boy Color]] and [[Game Boy Advance]], while [[Nintendo of America]] is typically credited with creating the pseudo-minigame ''[[Link's Crossbow Training]]''.
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===Other games===
 +
Following their failed collaboration on the [[SNES-CD|Super Nintendo CD add-on]] project, Philips still retained the rights to have Nintendo characters appear in games for the {{wp|Philips CD-i}}. Under this deal, three ''The Legend of Zelda'' games were released by Philips Media. ''{{zw|Link: The Faces of Evil}}'' and ''{{zw|Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon}}'', released simultaneously in 1993, were both developed by Animation Magic and feature Link and Zelda as the respective star characters in a side-scrolling action game similar to ''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link''. The third game, ''{{zw|Zelda's Adventure}}'', was released in 1995, developed by Viridis, and features gameplay similar to other 2D ''The Legend of Zelda'' games. The three games have received widely negative reception from fans and critics, are widely considered to be non-canon to the series, and have rarely been acknowledged by Nintendo, though the games' poorly-animated cutscenes have been frequently used as a source in many remixes.
  
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Three games released for the [[Philips CD-i]] were created by Animation Magic (''{{zw|Link: The Faces of Evil}}'' and ''{{zw|Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon}}'') and Viridis (''{{zw|Zelda's Adventure}}'') and published by [[Philips Media]], due to a broken deal with Philips to produce a CD-based addon to the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]. These games are considered by most fans to not be canon and are not acknowledged as such by Nintendo, though the games' poorly-animated cutscenes have been frequently used as a source in many remixes posted on YouTube.
+
Nintendo would collaborate with [[Koei Tecmo]] to develop ''[[Hyrule Warriors]]'', released for Wii U in 2014. The game features ''The Legend of Zelda'' characters and locations with the gameplay of Koei's ''{{wp|Dynasty Warriors}}'' franchise. The game later received a Nintendo 3DS port, ''[[Hyrule Warriors Legends]]'', in 2016.
 +
 
 +
===Other media===
 +
Airing alongside ''{{smw|The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!}}'' was ''{{zw|The Legend of Zelda (TV series)|The Legend of Zelda}}'', a cartoon based on the first two entries in the series by {{wp|DIC Entertainment|DiC Entertainment}}, which would air on Fridays in place of the ''Super Mario'' cartoon segment. ''The Legend of Zelda'' was also the basis for a number of episodes of another DiC animated series, ''{{wp|Captain N: The Game Master}}''.
 +
 
 +
For the 25th and 30th anniversaries of The Legend of Zelda series, Nintendo promoted the series in various ways, including in a series of concerts/orchestras. These were available on [[Nintendo Video]]. In Japan, music pieces from the 2011 (25th anniversary) concert are available to download as a [[My Nintendo]] prize, called Zelda no Densetsu Orchestra Shuuroku Eizou: Zelda no Densetsu Main Theme (Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 オーケストラ収録映像 ゼルダの伝説 メインテーマ), Zelda no Densetsu Orchestra Shuuroku Eizou: Megami no Uta (Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 オーケストラ収録映像 女神の詩) and Zelda no Densetsu Orchestra Shuuroku Eizou: Daiyousei no Theme (Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 オーケストラ収録映像 大妖精のテーマ).
 +
 
 +
===Other appearances===
 +
Link has made minor and cameo appearances in a number of other Nintendo games. ''{{smw|Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up}}'' features Link on two of the game's pages. In ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'', Link appears during the {{smw|Cranky's Video Game Heroes}} rankings in third place. In ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'', Link can be found sleeping at the {{smw|Rose Town}} inn after defeating {{smw|Bowyer}}. In ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'', the button puzzle in {{smw|Rainbow Run (level)|Rainbow Run}} reveals Link's original sprite when all of the buttons are pressed and plays a rendition of the series' main theme.
 +
 
 +
A number of elements from ''The Legend of Zelda'' series have appeared in {{ser|Super Smash Bros.}} Link has appeared as a playable character since the original game, while other series mainstays Zelda and Ganondorf were introduced in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. {{zw|Young Link}}, the child form of Link in {{zel|Ocarina of Time}}, also appears as a playable character in ''Melee'', while {{zw|Toon Link}}, the cartoon-stylized incarnation of the character popularized by {{zel|The Wind Waker}}, debuted in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''. While ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U'' did not introduce a new playable character from the series, it instead split Zelda and {{zw|Sheik}}, who could previously transform between each other, into two separate characters. Other characters include minor recurring character {{zw|Tingle}} and {{zw|Ghirahim}} from {{zel|Skyward Sword}}, who both appear as {{ssb|Assist Trophies}}. In the original game, {{ssb|Hyrule Castle}} appears as a stage. ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' features {{ssb|Great Bay}} from {{zel|Majora's Mask}} and {{ssb|Temple}} as a stage based on the series. In ''Brawl'', the {{ssb|Bridge of Eldin}} and {{ssb|Pirate Ship}} appear as new stages. Finally, ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' features {{ssb|Gerudo Valley}} as a new stage, while ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' features {{ssb|Skyloft}}. The games also feature a number of items based on items in the series, such as {{ssb|Heart Containers}}, the {{ssb|Bunny Hood}}, and {{ssb|Deku Nut}}s.
  
 
==Games==
 
==Games==
 
{{GameList/header|colorscheme=Zelda|textcolorscheme=series}}
 
{{GameList/header|colorscheme=Zelda|textcolorscheme=series}}
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{{GameList/section|colorscheme=Zelda|section_title=Main games|textcolorscheme=series}}
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{{GameList/section|colorscheme=Zelda|section_title=Main series|textcolorscheme=series}}
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{{GameList/cell|''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''|1986|1987|??|??|??|{{FDS}} / {{NES}}}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{ga|The Legend of Zelda}}|1986|1987|1987|N/A|N/A|{{FDS}} / {{NES}}}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]''|1987|1988|??|??|??|{{FDS}} / {{NES}}}}
+
{{GameList/cell|''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]''|1987|1988|1988|N/A|N/A|{{FDS}} / {{NES}}}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|A Link to the Past}}|1991|1992|??|??|??|[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|A Link to the Past}}|1991|1992|1992|N/A|N/A|[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Link's Awakening}}|1993|1993|??|??|??|[[Game Boy]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Link's Awakening}}|1993|1993|1993|1993|N/A|[[Game Boy]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Ocarina of Time}}|1998|1998|??|??|??|[[Nintendo 64]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Ocarina of Time}}|1998|1998|1998|N/A|N/A|[[Nintendo 64]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Majora's Mask}}|2000|2000|??|??|??|[[Nintendo 64]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Majora's Mask}}|2000|2000|2000|N/A|N/A|[[Nintendo 64]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Oracle of Seasons}}|2001|2001|??|??|??|[[Game Boy Color]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons}}|2001|2001|2001|2001|N/A|[[Game Boy Color]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Oracle of Ages}}|2001|2001|??|??|??|[[Game Boy Color]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Four Swords}}|2002|2003|2003|N/A|N/A|[[Game Boy Advance]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Four Swords}}|2002|2003|??|??|??|[[Game Boy Advance]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|The Wind Waker}}|2002|2003|2003|2003|N/A|[[Nintendo GameCube]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|The Wind Waker}}|2002|2003|??|??|??|[[Nintendo GameCube]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Four Swords Adventures}}|2004|2004|2005|2005|N/A|[[Nintendo GameCube]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Four Swords Adventures}}|2004|2004|??|??|??|[[Nintendo GameCube]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|The Minish Cap}}|2004|2005|2004|2005|N/A|[[Game Boy Advance]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|The Minish Cap}}|2004|2005|??|??|??|[[Game Boy Advance]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Twilight Princess}}|2006|2006|2006|2006|2009|[[Nintendo GameCube]] / [[Wii]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Twilight Princess}}|2006|2006|??|??|??|[[Nintendo GameCube]] / [[Wii]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Phantom Hourglass}}|2007|2007|2007|2007|2008|[[Nintendo DS]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Phantom Hourglass}}|2007|2007|??|??|??|[[Nintendo DS]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Spirit Tracks}}|2009|2009|2009|2009|N/A|[[Nintendo DS]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Spirit Tracks}}|2009|2009|??|??|??|[[Nintendo DS]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Skyward Sword}}|2011|2011|2011|2011|2011|[[Wii]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Skyward Sword}}|2011|2011|2011|??|??|[[Wii]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|A Link Between Worlds}}|2013|2013|2013|2013|2014|[[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|A Link Between Worlds}}|2011|2011|2011|??|??|[[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Tri Force Heroes}}|2015|2015|2015|2015|2016|[[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Tri Force Heroes}}|2015|2015|2015|2015|??|[[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Breath of the Wild}}|2017|2017|2017|2017|{{hover|2018|Nintendo Switch version only}}|[[Wii U]] / [[Nintendo Switch]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Breath of the Wild}}|2017|2017|2017|2017|N/A|[[Wii U]] / NX}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Tears of the Kingdom}}|2023|2023|2023|2023|2023|[[Nintendo Switch]]}}
−
{{GameList/section|colorscheme=Zelda|section_title=Non-canon / spin-off games|textcolorscheme=series}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Echoes of Wisdom}}|2024|2024|2024|2024|2024|[[Nintendo Switch]]}}
 +
{{GameList/section|colorscheme=Zelda|section_title=Spin-off games|textcolorscheme=series}}
 
{{GameList/cell|''[[Zelda (Game & Watch)|Zelda]]''|N/A|1989|N/A|N/A|N/A|[[Game & Watch]]}}
 
{{GameList/cell|''[[Zelda (Game & Watch)|Zelda]]''|N/A|1989|N/A|N/A|N/A|[[Game & Watch]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[BS Zelda no Densetsu: Inishie no Sekiban|BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets]]''|N/A|1997|N/A|N/A|N/A|[[BS-X Broadcasting System]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|''[[BS Zelda no Densetsu: Inishie no Sekiban|BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets]]''|N/A|1997|N/A|N/A|N/A|[[Satellaview|BS-X Broadcasting System]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland]]''|2006|N/A|??|??|??|[[Nintendo DS]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|''[[Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland]]''|2006|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|[[Nintendo DS]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[Link's Crossbow Training]]''|2007|2008|??|??|??|[[Wii]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|''[[Link's Crossbow Training]]''|2007|2008|2007|2007|2010|[[Wii]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[Tingle's Balloon Fight DS]]''|2007|N/A|??|??|??|[[Nintendo DS]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|''[[Tingle's Balloon Fight DS]]''|2007|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|[[Nintendo DS]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[Color Changing Tingle's Love Balloon Trip]]''|2009|N/A|??|??|??|[[Nintendo DS]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|''[[Color Changing Tingle's Love Balloon Trip]]''|2009|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|[[Nintendo DS]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[Hyrule Warriors]]''|2014|2014|2014|2014|??|[[Wii U]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|''[[Hyrule Warriors]]''|2014|2014|2014|2014|N/A|[[Wii U]]}}
 +
{{GameList/cell|''[[My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]''|2016|2016|2016|2016|N/A|[[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
 +
{{GameList/cell|''[[Cadence of Hyrule - Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring the Legend of Zelda]]''|2019|2019|2019|2019|N/A|[[Nintendo Switch]]}}
 +
{{GameList/cell|''[[Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity]]''|2020|2020|2020|2020|2020|[[Nintendo Switch]]}}
 
{{GameList/section|colorscheme=Zelda|section_title=Ports and remakes|textcolorscheme=series}}
 
{{GameList/section|colorscheme=Zelda|section_title=Ports and remakes|textcolorscheme=series}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[The Legend of Zelda (game)|BS The Legend of Zelda]]''|1997|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|[[BS-X Broadcasting System]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|''[[The Legend of Zelda (game)|BS The Legend of Zelda]]''|1997|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|[[Satellaview|BS-X Broadcasting System]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|A Link to the Past}}|??|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|[[BS-X Broadcasting System]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|A Link to the Past}}|1997|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|[[Satellaview|BS-X Broadcasting System]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[The Legend of Zelda|Classic NES Series: The Legend of Zelda]]''|2004|2004|2004|2004|??|[[Game Boy Advance]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX]]''|1998|1998|1999|1999|N/A|[[Game Boy Color]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|Classic NES Series: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]''|2004|2004|2005|2005|??|[[Game Boy Advance]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{ga|The Legend of Zelda|Classic NES Series: The Legend of Zelda}}|2004|2004|2004|2004|N/A|[[Game Boy Advance]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D]]''|2011|2011|2011|??|??|[[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|Classic NES Series: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]''|2004|2004|2005|2005|N/A|[[Game Boy Advance]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition]]''|2011|2011|2011|2011|??|[[Nintendo DSi]] / [[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Ocarina of Time 3D}}|2011|2011|2011|2011|2012|[[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD]]''|2013|2013|2013|??|??|[[Wii U]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Four Swords Anniversary Edition}}|2011|2011|2011|2011|N/A|[[Nintendo DSi]] / [[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D]]''|2015|2015|2015|2015|??|[[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|The Wind Waker HD}}|2013|2013|2013|2013|N/A|[[Wii U]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[Hyrule Warriors Legends]]''|2016|2016|2016|2016|??|[[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Majora's Mask 3D}}|2015|2015|2015|2015|2016|[[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
−
{{GameList/cell|''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD]]''|2016|2016|2016|2016|N/A|[[Wii U]]}}
+
{{GameList/cell|''[[Hyrule Warriors Legends]]''|2016|2016|2016|2016|2016|[[Nintendo 3DS]]}}
 +
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Twilight Princess HD}}|2016|2016|2016|2016|N/A|[[Wii U]]}}
 +
{{GameList/cell|''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Nintendo Switch)|The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening]]''|2019|2019|2019|2019|2019|[[Nintendo Switch]]}}
 +
{{GameList/cell|{{zel|Skyward Sword HD}}|2021|2021|2021|2021|2021|[[Nintendo Switch]]}}
 
{{GameList/footer}}
 
{{GameList/footer}}
  
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== Related Imagery ==
+
==Related imagery==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
File:Zelda logo.jpg
 
File:Zelda logo.jpg
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 +
 +
==External links==
 +
{{otherwikis|title=''The Legend of Zelda'' series|SmashWiki=The Legend of Zelda (universe)|StrategyWiki=Category:The Legend of Zelda}}
 +
* [https://zelda.nintendo.com The official home for The Legend of Zelda on Nintendo's website]
 +
* {{wp|The Legend of Zelda|''The Legend of Zelda'' series on Wikipedia}}
 +
{{clear|right}}
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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<div class="references-small">
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{{ref}}
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<references/>
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{{-}}
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</div>
 
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== External links ==
 
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* {{wp|The Legend of Zelda|Wikipedia Article}}
 
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<!--*  Affiliate Wiki Link, if Any. -->
 
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* {{sw|Category:The Legend of Zelda|StrategyWiki Series category}}
 
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Legend of Zelda, The}}
 
 
{{Zelda series}}
 
{{Zelda series}}
 
{{Nintendo flagship series}}
 
{{Nintendo flagship series}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Legend of Zelda, The}}
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[[de:The Legend of Zelda (Spieleserie)]]
 

Latest revision as of 14:58, 1 October 2024

Zelda Wiki logo.png This article is a short summary of The Legend of Zelda series.
Zelda Wiki features a more in-depth article.
The Legend of Zelda
ゼルダの伝説
Zeruda no Densetsu
The Legend of Zelda logo.png
Current series logo
Creator: Shigeru Miyamoto
First game: The Legend of Zelda (1986)
Best-selling game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (31.15 million[1] copies)
Latest game: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (2024)
For in-depth information:
NIWA
Zelda Wiki
is dedicated to chronicling the The Legend of Zelda series.
For additional information:
NIWA
Bulbapedia
is another wiki dedicated to {{{niwa2-purpose}}} the The Legend of Zelda series.

The Legend of Zelda (Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 Zelda no Densetsu) is a Nintendo franchise that debuted with a title on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986 (Japan release) and 1987 for American and European gamers. Nintendo has managed to release a title of the series for each handheld and console system released to date (with the exception of the short-lived Virtual Boy).

Shigeru Miyamoto is known to be the primary creator of the series and its characters. He has said that he was inspired by The Lord of the Rings saga and his own exploration of caves near his childhood home. Eiji Aonuma has taken lead development roles on each game since Majora's Mask, with Miyamoto taking a supervisory role.

Overview

Main games

NintendoWiki logo.png This section is a stub. You can help NintendoWiki by expanding it.


Other games

Following their failed collaboration on the Super Nintendo CD add-on project, Philips still retained the rights to have Nintendo characters appear in games for the Philips CD-i. Under this deal, three The Legend of Zelda games were released by Philips Media. Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, released simultaneously in 1993, were both developed by Animation Magic and feature Link and Zelda as the respective star characters in a side-scrolling action game similar to Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The third game, Zelda's Adventure, was released in 1995, developed by Viridis, and features gameplay similar to other 2D The Legend of Zelda games. The three games have received widely negative reception from fans and critics, are widely considered to be non-canon to the series, and have rarely been acknowledged by Nintendo, though the games' poorly-animated cutscenes have been frequently used as a source in many remixes.

Nintendo would collaborate with Koei Tecmo to develop Hyrule Warriors, released for Wii U in 2014. The game features The Legend of Zelda characters and locations with the gameplay of Koei's Dynasty Warriors franchise. The game later received a Nintendo 3DS port, Hyrule Warriors Legends, in 2016.

Other media

Airing alongside The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! was The Legend of Zelda, a cartoon based on the first two entries in the series by DiC Entertainment, which would air on Fridays in place of the Super Mario cartoon segment. The Legend of Zelda was also the basis for a number of episodes of another DiC animated series, Captain N: The Game Master.

For the 25th and 30th anniversaries of The Legend of Zelda series, Nintendo promoted the series in various ways, including in a series of concerts/orchestras. These were available on Nintendo Video. In Japan, music pieces from the 2011 (25th anniversary) concert are available to download as a My Nintendo prize, called Zelda no Densetsu Orchestra Shuuroku Eizou: Zelda no Densetsu Main Theme (Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 オーケストラ収録映像 ゼルダの伝説 メインテーマ), Zelda no Densetsu Orchestra Shuuroku Eizou: Megami no Uta (Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 オーケストラ収録映像 女神の詩) and Zelda no Densetsu Orchestra Shuuroku Eizou: Daiyousei no Theme (Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 オーケストラ収録映像 大妖精のテーマ).

Other appearances

Link has made minor and cameo appearances in a number of other Nintendo games. Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up features Link on two of the game's pages. In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Link appears during the Cranky's Video Game Heroes rankings in third place. In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Link can be found sleeping at the Rose Town inn after defeating Bowyer. In Super Mario 3D World, the button puzzle in Rainbow Run reveals Link's original sprite when all of the buttons are pressed and plays a rendition of the series' main theme.

A number of elements from The Legend of Zelda series have appeared in Super Smash Bros. Link has appeared as a playable character since the original game, while other series mainstays Zelda and Ganondorf were introduced in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Young Link, the child form of Link in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, also appears as a playable character in Melee, while Toon Link, the cartoon-stylized incarnation of the character popularized by The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, debuted in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. While Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U did not introduce a new playable character from the series, it instead split Zelda and Sheik, who could previously transform between each other, into two separate characters. Other characters include minor recurring character Tingle and Ghirahim from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, who both appear as Assist Trophies. In the original game, Hyrule Castle appears as a stage. Super Smash Bros. Melee features Great Bay from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and Temple as a stage based on the series. In Brawl, the Bridge of Eldin and Pirate Ship appear as new stages. Finally, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS features Gerudo Valley as a new stage, while Super Smash Bros. for Wii U features Skyloft. The games also feature a number of items based on items in the series, such as Heart Containers, the Bunny Hood, and Deku Nuts.

Games

Game JP release NA release EU release AUS release KOR release Platform
00
Main series
The Legend of Zelda 1986 1987 1987 N/A N/A Famicom Disk System / NES
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 1987 1988 1988 N/A N/A Famicom Disk System / NES
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 1991 1992 1992 N/A N/A SNES
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening 1993 1993 1993 1993 N/A Game Boy
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 1998 1998 1998 N/A N/A Nintendo 64
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 2000 2000 2000 N/A N/A Nintendo 64
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons 2001 2001 2001 2001 N/A Game Boy Color
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords 2002 2003 2003 N/A N/A Game Boy Advance
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker 2002 2003 2003 2003 N/A Nintendo GameCube
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures 2004 2004 2005 2005 N/A Nintendo GameCube
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap 2004 2005 2004 2005 N/A Game Boy Advance
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 2006 2006 2006 2006 2009 Nintendo GameCube / Wii
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 Nintendo DS
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks 2009 2009 2009 2009 N/A Nintendo DS
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 Wii
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 Nintendo 3DS
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes 2015 2015 2015 2015 2016 Nintendo 3DS
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2017 2017 2017 2017 2018 Wii U / Nintendo Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 Nintendo Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom 2024 2024 2024 2024 2024 Nintendo Switch
00
Spin-off games
Zelda N/A 1989 N/A N/A N/A Game & Watch
BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets N/A 1997 N/A N/A N/A BS-X Broadcasting System
Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland 2006 N/A N/A N/A N/A Nintendo DS
Link's Crossbow Training 2007 2008 2007 2007 2010 Wii
Tingle's Balloon Fight DS 2007 N/A N/A N/A N/A Nintendo DS
Color Changing Tingle's Love Balloon Trip 2009 N/A N/A N/A N/A Nintendo DS
Hyrule Warriors 2014 2014 2014 2014 N/A Wii U
My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 2016 2016 2016 2016 N/A Nintendo 3DS
Cadence of Hyrule - Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring the Legend of Zelda 2019 2019 2019 2019 N/A Nintendo Switch
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 Nintendo Switch
00
Ports and remakes
BS The Legend of Zelda 1997 N/A N/A N/A N/A BS-X Broadcasting System
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 1997 N/A N/A N/A N/A BS-X Broadcasting System
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX 1998 1998 1999 1999 N/A Game Boy Color
Classic NES Series: The Legend of Zelda 2004 2004 2004 2004 N/A Game Boy Advance
Classic NES Series: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 2004 2004 2005 2005 N/A Game Boy Advance
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D 2011 2011 2011 2011 2012 Nintendo 3DS
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition 2011 2011 2011 2011 N/A Nintendo DSi / Nintendo 3DS
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD 2013 2013 2013 2013 N/A Wii U
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D 2015 2015 2015 2015 2016 Nintendo 3DS
Hyrule Warriors Legends 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 Nintendo 3DS
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD 2016 2016 2016 2016 N/A Wii U
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 Nintendo Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 Nintendo Switch

Related imagery

  • Zelda logo.jpg

External links

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The Legend of Zelda series on other NIWA Wikis:
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 SmashWiki
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 StrategyWiki

References

  1. ↑ Top Selling Title Sales Units. nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved May 29, 2019.


The Legend of Zelda series logo
Main series

The Legend of Zelda (Classic NES Series) • The Adventure of Link (Classic NES Series) • A Link to the Past • Link's Awakening (DX • Nintendo Switch) • Ocarina of Time (Master Quest • 3D) • Majora's Mask (3D) • Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons • The Wind Waker (HD) • Four Swords (Anniversary Edition) • Four Swords Adventures • The Minish Cap • Twilight Princess (HD) • Phantom Hourglass • Spirit Tracks • Skyward Sword (HD) • A Link Between Worlds • Tri Force Heroes • Breath of the Wild • Tears of the Kingdom • Echoes of Wisdom

Other games
BS-X games BS The Legend of Zelda • The Ancient Stone Tablets • Triforce of the Gods
Tingle games Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland • Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love • Tingle's Balloon Fight DS • Dekisugi Tingle Pack
Other games
Picross games Picross NP Vol. 5 • My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Unreleased games / demos Mystical Seed of Courage • Retro Studios prototype • Tingle horror game • Zelda HD Experience
Publications
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia • The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts • The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Explorer's Guide
Related NIWA Wiki: Zelda Wiki icon English Zelda Wiki icon • Zeldapendium icon German Zeldapendium icon
Nintendo logo white.png
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