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

By Jill Scharr
published

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

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

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. 

6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Warsaw
    Whaa...you don't include little articles about Wind Waker, Twilight Princess or Skyward Sword? Though they are not as impactful as the others I still believe them to be worth at least a short article each.
    Reply
  • spookyman
    Hmm a half finished article. Sounds like CNN reporting to me.
    Reply
  • knowom
    The adventure of Link was actually my favorite Zelda game was a bit like Nintendo's version of a Konami Castlevania game or a bit like Metroid with a rpg theme as opposed to sci-fi.
    Reply
  • tomate2
    Long live Nintendo 64!
    Reply
  • Spanky Deluxe
    It feels like half the article is missing.
    Reply
  • tobalaz
    A Link to the Past was my all time favorite Zelda.
    I've played LttP through so many times as a kid I've got every boss and item location still burned into my memory!
    Good times.
    Zelda never really felt the same again after that.
    Reply