Poco Tuesday: What Makes The Legend of Zelda So Great?

Published on 4/3/2012 7:55:24 PM by Rial Johnson

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Home > Poco Tuesday: What Makes The Legend of Zelda So Great?

The Legend of Zelda is known for having ridiculously stellar games, but why are these games so ridiculously stellar? Well, if you continue reading below, I’ll give you my five reasons. 5 - Revolutionary - Ever since the original Legend of Zelda launched on the NES back in 1986, Nintendo has done a great job in creating a game that is like no other. When The Legend of Zelda first hit shelves, there wasn’t a game even remotely similar to it. It truly introduced a whole new genre into the gaming industry. Back in the NES days, you had your RPG’s, and you had your level-based/plat forming/side -scrolling games. The Legend of Zelda introduced an over world you could truly explore. When playing The Legend of Zelda, you truly got a sense of adventure. However influential the original Legend of Zelda was, it doesn’t stand a chance against the revolutionary Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Ocarina of Time took 3D to a whole new level. The open world environment introduced in Ocarina of Time has been a corner stone for countless games today. 4 - Music - You wouldn’t think music could make or break a game, but music certainly does make a Legend of Zelda game. Themes like the Song of Storms, Saria’s Song, Gerudo Valley Theme, and countless others have stood the test of time as some of the best video game music ever. Even in the 8-bit era, you always new you would get excellent sound quality from the Legend of Zelda. In more recent times, entries such as Skyward Sword, have produced some beautiful songs, such as The Ballad of the Goddess. One thing’s for sure, Mr. Koji Kondo is a musical genius. 3 - Inventory - The weapons within The Legend of Zelda have a very unique feel to them. The weapon selection is somewhat medieval, with an occasional modern twist. I personally really like the implemented idea of using somewhat ordinary weapons, and adding a touch of magic, resulting in more powerful weapons and techniques. I really feel that The Legend of Zelda was one of the first series to really implement this, and has done the best job in maintaining this great selection of weapons and items in more recent installments. I am also a fan of the idea of getting a weapon in every dungeon, and how each dungeon features a certain item, but you’ll also use that item countless times after that dungeon. 2 - Dungeons - Dungeons are something virtually unknown before The Legend of Zelda came around. In most games dungeons are essentially specific areas (commonly temples) with a map, compass, and most importantly a boss. Most dungeons also contain a dungeon item, and most dungeons give you a reward upon completion. Any given Zelda game will have between 4-10 dungeons, differing drastically in length. I really think dungeons are one of the key points of the Zelda series, and add the special Zelda feel to the game. 1 - Story - The number one reason The Legend of Zelda is such a magnificent franchise, is due to it’s amazing storyline. While many complain that the story in most Zelda games is very repetitive and old, I beg to differ. Most games have the same basic gist, (rescuing the beloved Princess Zelda from the Dark Prince Ganon of course) but it’s the smaller things within the stories, such as characters and plot twists that really make the story in a Zelda game great. And while most games do follow the “Zelda forumla” a few titles, namely Majora’s Mask, are completely different. In the Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, you enter into a complete alternate dimension, and rescuing Princess Zelda definitely isn’t something to be worrying about. If I were you, I would suggest worrying about the gigantic moon that will come down and crush all of Termina in three days time. Even the Zelda games that do follow the formula turn out to be great story wise. In my opinion, the recently released Skyward Sword has the best story out of not only every Zelda game, but every video game.

About the Author: Rial Johnson

Rial Johnson founded Nintendo Castle in 2011 with hopes to build the largest collection of Nintendo walkthroughs, guides, and content on the web. He is an avid gamer with a special place in his heart for Nintendo, but often finds himself writing about games more than actually playing them. You'll likely see him around Nintendo Castle and on social media, mostly managing the front-end content of the site.