It's Dangerous to Go Alone: The History of 'The Legend of Zelda'

It's dangerous to go alone. Take this!

Few video games have the power to inspire such unequivocal delight as the "Legend of Zelda" series of video games by Nintendo.

From its first game in 1986 to "A Link Between Worlds" released for the Nintendo 3DS in Nov. 2013, to the upcoming "Hyrule Warriors" just announced on Dec. 18, "The Legend of Zelda" has thrilled players and inspired designers for generations. 

Today millions of people have grown up playing these games, and "The Legend of Zelda" is practically a household name. But all legends have a beginning. Here's how one of gaming's most treasured legends got its start.

Jill Scharr is a creative writer and narrative designer in the videogame industry. She's currently Project Lead Writer at the games studio Harebrained Schemes, and has also worked at Bungie. Prior to that she worked as a Staff Writer for Tom's Guide, covering video games, online security, 3D printing and tech innovation among many subjects.