Top 50 Video Games: Number 21

#21: The Legend of Zelda
System: Nintendo Entertainment System
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 1987
Players: 1


Better a wooden sword than no sword at all.


The Legend of Zelda introduced to me free, open gameplay. Being given the choice to reach the end of a game in whichever manner works best for me and at my own pace is something I truly love in a game. I'd never seen that before I played this first of many Zelda titles. There was no score at all. I could go in whichever direction I wanted and I wasn't confined to a small area. When the game began, my character was simply standing there in front of a cave with the option to enter or move up, left or right to the next area. I needed to find out what to do and how to do it on my own. This makes advancing in the game rewarding because it requires skill in finding your way and figuring out what has to be done as well as actually doing it.

The story goes like this: Link - he come to town, come to save the Princess Zelda. Ganon took her away, now the children don't play but they will when Link saves the day HALLELUJAH! Ok, so those are actually lyrics from the System of a Down song about Legend of Zelda. But that pretty much sums up the story. Ganon is a dickhole who wants the Triforce of Wisdom, probably to take over the world, get illegal cable access, cheat on his taxes, etc. Now Princess Zelda gets wind of this, smashes the Triforce into 8 pieces and scatters them throughout Hyrule in dungeons full of traps, puzzles and nasty guardians. Ganon responds by kidnapping her (kidnapping? I'd have beheaded her, make an example so the others will quiver and fear the mighty Ganondorf! I'd make a great villain PR guy.) Link gets to recover the Triforce, kick Ganon's ass AND rescue the princess.


Link in a room full of Darknuts. These guys were tough - they moved erratically and they were only vulnerable when struck in the back or blown up with a bomb.


In addition to a Triforce piece and a guardian, each dungeon contains an item for Link to find and use. These range from a bow to a boomerang to a raft and others. These places are also filled with puzzles which require you to move blocks, blow up weak walls with bombs and the such. The enemies are varied and provide a solid, steady challenge throughout. The music in this game is absolutely classic Nintendo. Anyone who played it more than once remembers the catchy background music, the haunting dungeon theme and the various little diddies that play when you find an item or uncover a secret passageway. This game also contributed to Alright Guy Lore when AGs Tom and Bryan performed the Zelda rap song from the Gameboy Zelda TV commercial - "Down with Zelda from the very start!" Funny shit.

Zelda is one of those must-have, essential classics. It's seen a great many sequels and to this day remains one of Nintendo's big money franchises. There's a new game due out this year on the Gamecube - check out the trailer on the website I linked to above. I was less than thrilled when the series made the jump to 3d, but they're still making good 2d, top down view Zelda games for the Gameboy Advance. This game is still quite playable and enjoyable today. Know your gaming heritage! Remember your roots! Play The Legend of Zelda today!