180-462: The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia is a collector's book about Nintendo 's The Legend of Zelda series, published in English by Dark Horse Comics . The 276-page book reveals the official timeline of the fictional events in the series, following years of speculation by fans. The book also includes artwork for the games, a short manga, and a foreword and afterword written by the series' producers. It
360-541: A ROM cartridge format for video games as well as both a central processing unit and a picture processing unit . The Family Computer , or Famicom, was released in Japan in July 1983 along with three games adapted from their original arcade versions: Donkey Kong , Donkey Kong Jr. and Popeye . Its success was such that in 1984, it surpassed the market share held by Sega 's SG-1000 . That success also led to Nintendo leaving
540-468: A Triforce are embossed in gold. Also featured on the cover are the symbols of the three goddesses. The English edition was published by Dark Horse Comics on 29 January 2013. It was released in North America, Europe, and Australia. It was intended to sell for US$ 35 but many retailers sold it for around $ 20. Dark Horse started with a print run of 250,000 but expanded that to nearly 400,000 given demand for
720-430: A niche market , the slow and expensive manufacturing process, high product price, alongside long durability of the cards, which impacted sales due to the low replacement rate. As a solution, Nintendo produced a cheaper and lower-quality line of playing cards, Tengu , while also conducting product offerings in other cities such as Osaka , where card game profits were high. In addition, local merchants were interested in
900-545: A 28% stake in PUX Corporation, a subsidiary of Panasonic , to develop facial , voice , and text recognition for its video games. Due to a 30% decrease in company income between April and December 2013, Iwata announced a temporary 50% cut to his salary, with other executives seeing reductions by 20%–30%. In January 2015, Nintendo ceased operations in the Brazilian market due in part to high import duties . This did not affect
1080-568: A 3DS game titled My Nintendo Picross - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess , a picture-puzzle game made available through the My Nintendo rewards program. The Master Sword and Hylian Shield appear alongside Link's Champion's Tunic from Breath of the Wild as Amiibo-unlocked content in the Nintendo Switch version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim . In 2019, Link was added as a playable character in
1260-480: A 75% increase in income compared to the previous fiscal year, mainly contributed by the Nintendo Switch Online service. The year saw some changes to the company's management: outside director Naoki Mizutani retired from the board, and was replaced by Asa Shinkawa; and Yoshiaki Koizumi was promoted to senior executive officer, maintaining its role as deputy general manager of Nintendo EPD. By August, Nintendo
1440-703: A Tokyo branch in Chiyoda, Tokyo , and sold more than 1.5 million card packs, holding a high market share , for which it relied on televised advertising campaigns. In 1962, Nintendo became a public company by listing stock on the second section of the Osaka Securities Exchange and the Kyoto Stock Exchange. In the following year, the company adopted its current name, Nintendo & Co., Ltd. and started manufacturing games in addition to playing cards. In 1964, Nintendo earned ¥150 million . Although
1620-1477: A character to which anyone could relate. Link has been voiced by eight actors in the series and also voiced in other games: Nobuyuki Hiyama in Ocarina of Time as adult Link, Majora's Mask as Fierce Deity Link, Super Smash Bros. , Super Smash Bros. Melee and Soulcalibur II , Fujiko Takimoto in Ocarina of Time as young Link, Majora's Mask , A Link to the Past and Four Swords , and as Young Link in Hyrule Warriors , Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate , Sachi Matsumoto in The Wind Waker , Phantom Hourglass , Four Swords Adventures and as Toon Link in Hyrule Warriors , Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate , Akira Sasanuma in Twilight Princess , Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Link's Crossbow Training , Yūki Kodaira in Spirit Tracks , Takashi Ōhara in Skyward Sword , Mitsuki Saiga in A Link Between Worlds and Link's Awakening (2019), and Kengo Takanashi in Breath of
1800-448: A core aspect of Link's design is that players need to relate to him and put themselves in his shoes, while still playing as themselves. Link is silent to allow the player to interpret how he sounds, make decisions for the character and become the hero. Link's character design has been consistent, but it has evolved across the series. His sprite design was created by Tezuka. In an interview with Gamekult , Miyamoto said that Tezuka used
1980-452: A defining aspect of the series. Ganon, Zelda and Link embody the three pieces of the Triforce , with Ganon representing Power, Zelda representing Wisdom and Link representing Courage. This trinity dictates the enduring relationships of the three characters who are repeatedly reincarnated across the series in an endless battle for good and evil. The nature of Zelda and Link's relationship has been
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#17328585633582160-421: A descendant of earlier incarnations or a spiritual reincarnation. In some games, such as Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask , the same version appears in both, continuing that character's individual story. Skyward Sword , which was released in 2011, explained Link's incarnations by creating an origin story, in which the antagonist Demise curses the hero to be caught in an endless cycle of defeating evil in
2340-468: A face that turns red when pulling objects. The game reverted to a top-down perspective and features items that upgrade Link's moves with extra abilities such as running and swimming. It introduced several recurring elements, including the hookshot and the Master Sword . Link's combat abilities were developed to be more complex, giving him the ability to move diagonally, swing his sword in an arc and perform
2520-519: A financial crisis for the company. To try to find a more successful game, they put Miyamoto in charge of their next arcade game design, leading to the release of Donkey Kong in 1981, one of the first platform video games that allowed the player character to jump. The character Jumpman would later become Mario and Nintendo's official mascot . Mario was named after Mario Segale , the landlord of Nintendo's offices in Tukwila, Washington . Donkey Kong
2700-474: A fireball. In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity , which acts as a prequel to Breath of the Wild and exists within the same game world, Link is accompanied by a roster of characters to fight alongside on the battlefield. The game progresses in the form of various missions that level up Link and his allies. Among SNES games, Link makes a cameo in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest where he
2880-586: A follow-up art book to Hyrule Historia containing additional artwork and interviews, in February 2017. The third book titled The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia contains additional information about every title starting with the first game up until Twilight Princess HD and was due to release in April 2018, but was eventually published on 19 June. The final book in The Legend of Zelda series of art books titled Master Works
3060-548: A game world drained of colour and a story with a more mature tone. A direct sequel to The Wind Waker , Phantom Hourglass , was released in 2007 for the Nintendo DS . It follows Link as he embarks on a journey to save his friend Tetra. The game was designed to appeal to a wider audience, with 3D cel-shaded graphics and a light-hearted tone. It takes inspiration from the style and tone of The Wind Waker , with Toon Link displaying various humorous expressions. The game made use of
3240-609: A homage to Nintendo's previous name - Marufuku. In April 2020, Reuters reported that ValueAct Capital had acquired over 2.6 million shares in Nintendo stock worth US$ 1.1 billion over the course of a year, giving them an overall stake of 2% in Nintendo. Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in the production and distribution of some of Nintendo's products, the situation "had limited impact on business results"; in May 2020, Nintendo reported
3420-499: A hybrid design as a home and handheld console, Joy-Con controllers that each contain an accelerometer and gyroscope, and the simultaneous wireless networking of up to eight consoles. To expand its library, Nintendo entered alliances with several third-party and independent developers; by February 2019, more than 1,800 Switch games had been released. Worldwide sales of the Switch exceeded 55 million units by March 2020. In April 2018,
3600-585: A kiss from Zelda. Nintendo released a shooting video game in 2007 for the Wii titled Link's Crossbow Training . It is set within the Zelda universe and features Link as a playable character holding a crossbow. The game revisits the world of Twilight Princess and features the same landmarks and enemies. It involves the use of the Wii remote and nunchuck to create a light gun, which targets enemies with an onscreen reticule. In
3780-726: A level of Donkey Kong . The Skyward Sword incarnation of Link was introduced as a playable character in Mario Kart 8 riding a motorcycle. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe , his Breath of the Wild incarnation also appears. He is referenced in 2015 downloadable content for Monster Hunter 4 with armor resembling his tunic, Monster Hunter Generations DLC and also Monster Hunter Stories . Incarnations of Link from The Legend of Zelda , The Wind Waker , Twilight Princess and Tri Force Heroes also appear as "Mystery Mushroom" costumes in Super Mario Maker . In 2016, Link appeared in
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#17328585633583960-562: A long-time employee of the company. Yokoi was moved to the newly created department and was responsible for coordinating various projects. Yokoi's experience in manufacturing electronic devices led Yamauchi to put him in charge of the company's games department, and his products would be mass-produced. During this period, Nintendo built a new production plant in Uji , just outside of Kyoto, and distributed classic tabletop games such as chess , shogi , go , and mahjong , and other foreign games under
4140-827: A million units were sold. Nintendo partnered with Magnavox to provide a light gun controller based on the Beam Gun design for the company's new home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey , in 1971. Other popular toys released at the time included the Ultra Hand , the Ultra Machine , the Ultra Scope, and the Love Tester , all designed by Yokoi. More than 1.2 million units of Ultra Hand were sold in Japan. The growing demand for Nintendo's products led Yamauchi to further expand
4320-610: A mini game in the 2012 party game Nintendo Land , which involves archery and sword fighting in a cloth style. His costume appears alongside that of Samus in Dynasty Warriors VS for the Nintendo 3DS. Link appears in Sonic Lost World as part of "The Legend of Zelda Zone", where he rides his signature Crimson Loftwing and Sonic wears his green cap and tunic. In the 2013 compilation game NES Remix , players can play remixed portions of NES games, including playing as Link in
4500-456: A new department focused on arcade game development was created. In 1980, one of the first handheld video game systems , the Game & Watch , was created by Yokoi from the technology used in portable calculators. It became one of Nintendo's most successful products, with over 43.4 million units sold worldwide during its production period, and for which 59 games were made in total. Nintendo entered
4680-616: A pair of interconnected games released in 2001 for the Game Boy Color , Link is controlled from a top-down perspective within a flat 2D game world. The two games involve Link being sent on a mission to the foreign lands of Holodrum and Labrynna in order to stop the disruption of the seasons by the General of Darkness, Onox, and the disruption of time by the Sorceress of Shadows, Veran. Link's key tools for uncovering areas and fighting his enemies are
4860-416: A partnership with The Walt Disney Company to incorporate its characters into playing cards, which opened it up to the children's market and resulted in a boost to Nintendo's playing card business. Nintendo automated the production of Japanese playing cards using backing paper, and also developed a distribution system that allowed it to offer its products in toy stores. By 1961, the company had established
5040-562: A problem with Link appearing in a violent game, as he had already been established as a fighter in the Super Smash Bros. series. As part of the styling of a Zelda -themed game mode, he is featured in the 2006 puzzle video game Tetris DS . In Scribblenauts Unlimited , many Zelda series characters are summonable in the Wii U version, including Link. He is referenced by an archer dressed in green in The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest ,
5220-451: A project together around 2009. However, Patrick Thorpe, who edited the English version, believes that fan demand was the real catalyst for the translation. The translation was announced in August 2012. Six people worked on the translations while three people were assigned to design duties. The handwritten production and design notes were all translated. The English version is slightly larger than
5400-665: A public company, Nintendo distributed its first console, the Color TV-Game , in 1977. It gained international recognition with the release of Donkey Kong in 1981 and the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Mario Bros. in 1985. Since then, Nintendo has produced some of the most successful consoles in the video game industry , such as the Game Boy , the Super Nintendo Entertainment System ,
5580-528: A result, the Hytopian king calls for adventurers to break the curse. The gameplay departs from the usual Zelda open-world structure and involves completing dungeons and collecting materials to fashion outfits that provide specific abilities. Breath of the Wild was released on the Nintendo Switch and Wii U in 2017 and reinvented the franchise by creating a massive open world for Link to explore. He has
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia - Misplaced Pages Continue
5760-412: A richer variety of expression and provided a better way of representing the puzzles and mechanisms than a more photorealistic design. After many experiments, the development team had decided that cel-shading was the best option for expressing a young, energetic boy. Although the team loved the idea of basing the next Zelda game on a cartoon Link, Aonuma held off presenting it to Miyamoto until later in
5940-546: A sharp nose and a slight build. His hair has been inspired by the fashion of the era, beginning with a mullet in the 1980s, then followed by blond curtain bangs and pierced ears in the 1990s, moving to choppy, layered side-swept bangs by the release of Twilight Princess . His look was updated in Breath of the Wild to include a ponytail and a wide variety of outfits. Although Link is a male character, Aonuma said that he wanted him to be gender neutral in Ocarina of Time : "I wanted
6120-411: A similar artwork style. Following the response to The Wind Waker , Nintendo reversed the art style for Twilight Princess in 2006, by depicting Link in a more realistic style with a darker, grittier tone. Nakano and Takizawa stated in The Legend of Zelda: Art and Artifacts that they had planned to design him aged mid-to-late twenties and that he would be well built, but this was rejected because
6300-632: A slightly taller 2D sprite wearing a similar green outfit. In the production art, his outfit was largely the same, but he wore brown trousers and longer hair. His shield was decorated with a cross, but this was removed in the games that followed. The game switches between top-down exploration and side-scrolling action sequences. Link's combat capability evolved with the ability to stab up and down with his sword while jumping. Experience points gained by defeating enemies enable his health and attack power to be levelled up. A series of magic spells also grant him special abilities, such as extra defence. To complete
6480-494: A spin attack that enables multi-directional attacks. His heart containers, which featured in the first game, were broken into pieces, necessitating the player to locate them and upgrade his health in smaller increments. The first handheld title in the series, Link's Awakening (1993) on the Game Boy , introduced Link in monochrome until the DX port brought the game to the Game Boy Color . It takes place on Koholint Island after Link
6660-467: A strategic alliance to develop the Nintendo 64 . NEC , Toshiba , and Sharp also contributed technology to the console. The Nintendo 64 was marketed as one of the first consoles to be designed with 64-bit architecture. As part of an agreement with Midway Games , the arcade games Killer Instinct and Cruis'n USA were ported to the console. Although the Nintendo 64 was planned for release in 1995,
6840-433: A sword and declares " It's dangerous to go alone! ". Link must rescue Princess Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule from the evil wizard Ganon, who has stolen the Triforce of Power . He explores 128 areas of Hyrule and nine dungeons, which contain special items that help him to defeat each dungeon boss; he must defeat them all before fighting Ganon. Link's second outing, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987), depicted him as
7020-463: A sword and shield. Link's age varies across the series, starting the first game at ten years old and its sequel at 16. In Ocarina of Time , he is initially aged nine and is aged up to 16 after the game's time shift. In The Wind Waker , Toon Link is 12, whereas in Twilight Princess , Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild , Link is aged 16 or 17 years old. In the mythology of the series, Link
7200-553: A three-dimensional environment with the aid of a sensor bar; the Nunchuk peripheral that includes an analog controller and an accelerometer; and the Wii MotionPlus expansion that increases the sensitivity of the main controller with the aid of gyroscopes . By 2016, more than 101 million Wii consoles had been sold worldwide, making it the most successful console of its generation, a distinction that Nintendo had not achieved since
7380-527: Is a fictional character and the protagonist of Nintendo 's video game franchise The Legend of Zelda . He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto . Link was introduced as the hero of the original The Legend of Zelda video game in 1986 and has appeared in a total of 21 entries in the series, as well as a number of spin-offs. Common elements in the series include Link travelling through Hyrule whilst exploring dungeons, battling creatures, and solving puzzles until he eventually defeats
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia - Misplaced Pages Continue
7560-449: Is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto . It develops, publishes and releases both video games and video game consoles . Nintendo was founded in 1889 as Nintendo Koppai by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade hanafuda playing cards. After venturing into various lines of business during the 1960s and acquiring legal status as
7740-421: Is a list of times in which Link has appeared, sorted by video game release date. Link made his debut on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in The Legend of Zelda (1986) as an 8-bit 2D character within a flat environment viewed from a top-down perspective . He was depicted as a short, stubby character with brown hair wearing a green cap and tunic. During the game, he meets an old man who offers him
7920-415: Is believed to be true at this time" allowing the possibility for future changes. The final major section, "Creative Footprints: Documenting 25 Years of Artwork", focuses on artwork based on chronological release date, depicting monsters and characters from rough drawings to final artwork, including the evolution of the main characters, Link , Zelda and Ganondorf . Some of the artwork had not been seen by
8100-411: Is commonly assumed to mean "leave luck to heaven", but the assumption lacks historical validation; it has also been suggested to mean "the temple of free hanafuda ", but even descendants of Yamauchi do not know the true intended meaning of the name. Hanafuda cards had become popular after Japan banned most forms of gambling in 1882, though tolerated hanafuda. Sales of hanafuda cards were popular with
8280-471: Is controlled by a different player. The four versions of Link must then work together to complete the game's challenges. The Wind Waker , which was released in 2002 on the GameCube , depicted Link and the game world in a cute childlike graphical style. He appears as a preteen cartoon character with a large head and huge eyes. His facial expressions communicate a range of emotions. The game involves exploring
8460-544: Is one of the wealthiest and most valuable companies in the Japanese market. Nintendo was founded as Nintendo Koppai on 23 September 1889 by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi in Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto , Japan, as an unincorporated establishment, to produce and distribute Japanese playing cards , or karuta ( かるた , from Portuguese carta , 'card') , most notably hanafuda ( 花札 , 'flower cards') . The name "Nintendo"
8640-660: Is ranked against the player next to Mario and Yoshi . Alongside Samus Aran , he makes a cameo in Super Mario RPG , where they are seen sleeping in separate beds at an inn. Link can be also be found at the start of a challenge course in F1 Race . He is a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series and has appeared in every title since the first Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64 . In 2008, Toon Link from The Wind Waker appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl on
8820-584: Is reincarnated within a seemingly ordinary boy or young man whenever evil arises. To defeat Ganon, Link usually obtains the mystical Master Sword or a similar legendary weapon obtained after completing many trials. In addition to the main series, Link has appeared in other Nintendo media, including merchandise, comics and manga , and an animated television series . He is a prominent character in various spin-off games, including Hyrule Warriors , Cadence of Hyrule and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity . He has appeared in several other game franchises, including
9000-425: Is set within the same world as A Link to the Past and was designed with a similar art style. Players are able to explore the two separate worlds of Hyrule and Lorule, which are reminiscent of the contrasting worlds of light and dark in A Link to the Past . The game introduced the ability for Link to turn into a painting, allowing him to walk along walls and switch between the two worlds. Tri Force Heroes (2015)
9180-467: Is the Nintendo Entertainment System , or NES, which was released in North America in 1985. The landmark games Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda were produced by Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka . Composer Koji Kondo reinforced the idea that musical themes could act as a complement to game mechanics rather than simply a miscellaneous element. Production of the NES lasted until 1995, and production of
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#17328585633589360-481: Is the "Hero of Hyrule", the archetypal hero and protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series. Whenever a great malevolence threatens the Kingdom of Hyrule, typically in the form of Ganon, Link is the counterpart who is destined to fight that evil and restore peace to the people of Hyrule. He begins each game as either a child or young adult who is often lazy and unprepared for battle, but develops his skills and experience over
9540-778: Is the first in an official trilogy of art books known as the "Goddess Collection" that was published by Dark Horse in partnership with Nintendo and was completed by the publication of The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts and The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia . Hyrule Historia topped Amazon.com 's list of bestselling books in February 2013 and was Amazon's sixth best-selling print book of 2013. Hyrule Historia contains 276 pages of content that documents information about The Legend of Zelda series, including artwork and production notes. It includes three major sections: "The Legend Begins: The World of Skyward Sword", "The History of Hyrule: A Chronology", and "Creative Footprints: Documenting 25 Years of Artwork". Outside of those three sections,
9720-501: Is the most critically acclaimed video game playable character and the most ubiquitous action-adventure video game character. He was recognized by the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition as the second best video game character after Mario. Critics have named him as one of the greatest and most influential video game characters of all time. Link's creator, Shigeru Miyamoto , said that his concept of The Legend of Zelda
9900-464: Is the reincarnated soul of a hero, chosen by the goddess Hylia to protect the kingdom of Hyrule from Ganon and save Princess Zelda whenever the need arises. He is also the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, one of the three components that combine to form the Triforce , a sacred artefact and symbol of power. The Triforce of Courage symbolises the essence of Link, specifically the courage and curiosity of
10080-413: Is washed ashore and features a combination of mostly top-down adventuring and some side-scrolling action sequences. It was the first overhead game in which Link's move set includes the ability to jump. Link is depicted in an anime art style in the game's cutscenes. The game involves collecting eight musical instruments from eight dungeons to wake the sleeping Wind Fish. Ocarina of Time (1998), which
10260-556: The Super Smash Bros. series, SoulCalibur II and Mario Kart 8 , and has also been referenced in other games, such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim . Alongside fellow Nintendo character Mario , Link is one of the most recognizable characters in the video game industry. He has been instrumental in the establishment of the role-playing video game genre as the protagonist of the series, which has influenced numerous other video games with its concepts of open world and nonlinear gameplay . According to Guinness World Records , Link
10440-661: The 128-bit Gekko processor and the DVD drive to be used in Nintendo's next home console. Meanwhile, a series of administrative changes occurred in 2000 when Nintendo's corporate offices were moved to the Minami-ku neighborhood in Kyoto, and Nintendo Benelux was established to manage the Dutch and Belgian territories. In 2001, two new Nintendo consoles were introduced: the Game Boy Advance , which
10620-704: The 1973 oil crisis caused both a spike in the cost of plastics and a change in consumer priorities that put essential products over pastimes, and Nintendo lost several billion yen. In 1974, Nintendo released Wild Gunman , a skeet shooting arcade simulation consisting of a 16 mm image projector with a sensor that detects a beam from the player's light gun . Both the Laser Clay Shooting System and Wild Gunman were successfully exported to Europe and North America. However, Nintendo's production speeds were still slow compared to rival companies such as Bandai and Tomy , and their prices were high, which led to
10800-578: The CD-i , and Sony's independent efforts resulted in the creation of the PlayStation console . The first issue of Nintendo Power magazine, which had an annual circulation of 1.5 million copies in the United States, was published in 1988. In July 1989, Nintendo held the first Nintendo Space World trade show with the name Shoshinkai to announce and demonstrate upcoming Nintendo products. That year,
10980-467: The Disney character Peter Pan as a source of inspiration when creating Link in order to make the character recognizable. Due to the limited capabilities of the technology at the time, the development team was only able to use three colours and chose green as Link's signature colour, as the first game was mainly set within a forest environment. Link's sword and shield, long hat and ears were all created to make
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#173285856335811160-637: The Game Boy Advance SP , an improved version of the Game Boy Advance with a foldable case, an illuminated display, and a rechargeable battery. By the end of its production cycle in 2010, over 43.5 million units had been sold worldwide. Nintendo also released the Game Boy Player , a peripheral that allows Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games to be played on the GameCube. In 2004, Nintendo released
11340-459: The Game Boy Color was released. In addition to backward compatibility with Game Boy games, the console's similar capacity to the NES resulted in select adaptations of games from that library, such as Super Mario Bros. Deluxe . Since then, over 118.6 million Game Boy and Game Boy Color consoles have been sold worldwide. In May 1999, with the advent of the PlayStation 2 , Nintendo entered an agreement with IBM and Panasonic to develop
11520-445: The Nintendo 2DS , a version of the 3DS that lacks the clamshell design of Nintendo's previous handheld consoles and the stereoscopic effects of the 3DS. With 13.5 million units sold worldwide, the Wii U is the least successful video game console in Nintendo's history. In 2014, a new product line was released consisting of figures of Nintendo characters called amiibos . On 25 September 2013, Nintendo announced its acquisition of
11700-992: The Nintendo DS , the Wii , and the Nintendo Switch . It has created or published numerous major franchises, including Mario , Donkey Kong , The Legend of Zelda , Metroid , Fire Emblem , Kirby , Star Fox , Pokémon , Super Smash Bros. , Animal Crossing , Pikmin , Xenoblade Chronicles , and Splatoon , and Nintendo's mascot, Mario , is internationally recognized, as well as other characters like Donkey Kong , Link , Samus Aran , Kirby , and Pikachu . The company has sold more than 5.592 billion video games and over 836 million hardware units globally, as of March 2023. Nintendo has multiple subsidiaries in Japan and abroad, in addition to business partners such as HAL Laboratory , Intelligent Systems , Game Freak , and The Pokémon Company . Nintendo and its staff have received awards including Emmy Awards for Technology & Engineering , Game Awards , Game Developers Choice Awards , and British Academy Games Awards . It
11880-570: The Nintendo DS , which featured such innovations as dual screens – one of which is a touchscreen – and wireless connectivity for multiplayer play. Throughout its lifetime, more than 154 million units were sold, making it the most successful handheld console and the second bestselling console in history. In 2005, Nintendo released the Game Boy Micro , the last system in the Game Boy line . Sales did not meet Nintendo's expectations, with 2.5 million units being sold by 2007. In mid-2005,
12060-645: The Nintendo Labo line was released, consisting of cardboard accessories that interact with the Switch and the Joy-Con controllers. More than one million units of the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit were sold in its first year on the market. In 2018, Shuntaro Furukawa replaced Kimishima as company president, and in 2019, Doug Bowser succeeded Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé . In April 2019, Nintendo formed an alliance with Tencent to distribute
12240-643: The Nintendo World Store was inaugurated in New York City. Nintendo's next home console was conceived in 2001, although development commenced in 2003, taking inspiration from the Nintendo DS. Nintendo also considered the relative failure of the GameCube and instead opted to take a " Blue Ocean Strategy " by developing a reduced performance console in contrast to the high-performance consoles of Sony and Microsoft to avoid directly competing with them. The Wii
12420-609: The Sharp Corporation . In 1988, Gunpei Yokoi and his team at Nintendo R&D1 conceived the Game Boy , the first handheld video game console made by Nintendo. Nintendo released the Game Boy in 1989. In North America, the Game Boy was bundled with the popular third-party game Tetris after a difficult negotiation process with Elektronorgtechnica . The Game Boy was a significant success. In its first two weeks of sale in Japan, its initial inventory of 300,000 units sold out, and in
12600-426: The Taishō era dated to 1915 indicates that the business was named Yamauchi Nintendo but still used the Marufuku Nintendo Co. brand for its playing cards. Japanese culture stipulated that for Nintendo to continue as a family business after Yamauchi's retirement, Yamauchi had to adopt his son-in-law so that he could take over the business. As a result, Sekiryo Kaneda adopted the Yamauchi surname in 1907 and headed
12780-414: The arcade video game market with Sheriff and Radar Scope , released in Japan in 1979 and 1980 respectively. Sheriff , also known as Bandido in some regions, marked the first original video game made by Nintendo, was published by Sega and developed by Genyo Takeda and Shigeru Miyamoto . Radar Scope rivaled Galaxian in Japanese arcades but failed to find an audience overseas and created
12960-450: The iOS and Android systems, Miitomo , was released. Since then, Nintendo has produced other similar apps, such as Super Mario Run , Fire Emblem Heroes , Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp , Mario Kart Tour , and Pokémon Go , the last being developed by Niantic and having generated $ 115 million in revenue for Nintendo. In March 2016, the loyalty program My Nintendo replaced Club Nintendo . The NES Classic Edition
13140-423: The natural environment and regional culture of Sonobe , popular culture influences like Westerns and detective fiction , along with folk Shinto practices and family media . These would each be seen in most of Nintendo's major franchises which developed following Miyamoto's creative leadership. Two key events in Nintendo's history occurred in 1979: its American subsidiary was opened in New York City, and
13320-450: The yakuza -run gaming parlors in Kyoto. Other card manufacturers had opted to leave the market not wanting to be associated with criminal ties, but Yamauchi persisted without such fears to become the primary producer of hanafuda within a few years. With the increase of the cards' popularity, Yamauchi hired assistants to mass-produce to satisfy the demand. Even with a favorable start, the business faced financial struggle due to operating in
13500-518: The "Hardcover Advice & Misc". category. and began at No. 1 on Publishers Weekly ' s Hardcover Nonfiction charts. It topped the Sunday Times bestseller list on 3 February and 17 February 2013. Publishers Weekly estimated that the book sold approximately 441 copies each day in order to stay in Amazon.com's top five bestselling books. Nielsen BookScan estimated that the book sold 8,573 copies during
13680-637: The "Play It Loud!" advertising campaign for Game Boys with different-colored casings. The Advanced Computer Modeling graphics used in Donkey Kong Country for the Super NES and Donkey Kong Land for the Game Boy were technologically innovative, as was the Satellaview satellite modem peripheral for the Super Famicom, which allowed the digital transmission of data via a communications satellite in space. In mid-1993, Nintendo and Silicon Graphics announced
13860-616: The 1990s with the Super NES. Several accessories were released for the Wii from 2007 to 2010, such as the Wii Balance Board , the Wii Wheel and the WiiWare download service. In 2009, Nintendo Iberica S.A. expanded its commercial operations to Portugal through a new office in Lisbon . By that year, Nintendo held a 68.3% share of the worldwide handheld gaming market. In 2010, Nintendo celebrated
14040-475: The 2014 hack and slash video game Hyrule Warriors another incarnation appears as a Hyrulian soldier-in-training who helps to lead the campaign against the forces of evil. Young Link from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask also appears in the game as a playable character via downloadable content , while Toon Link from The Wind Waker appears as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors Legends ,
14220-570: The 25th anniversary of Mario's debut appearance, for which certain allusive products were put on sale. The event included the release of Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition and special editions of the Nintendo DSi XL and Wii. Following an announcement in March 2010, Nintendo released the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. The console produces stereoscopic effects without 3D glasses. By 2018, more than 69 million units had been sold worldwide;
14400-566: The European release of the GameCube in May 2002, Hiroshi Yamauchi announced his resignation as the president of Nintendo, and Satoru Iwata was selected by the company as his successor. Yamauchi would remain as advisor and director of the company until 2005, and he died in 2013. Iwata's appointment as president ended the Yamauchi succession at the helm of the company, a practice that had been in place since its foundation. In 2003, Nintendo released
14580-555: The Famicom in America was also impacted. To differentiate the Famicom from its competitors in America, Nintendo rebranded it as an entertainment system and its cartridges as Game Paks, with a design reminiscent of a VCR . Nintendo implemented a lockout chip in the Game Paks for control on its third party library to avoid the market saturation that had occurred in the United States. The result
14760-560: The Famicom lasted until 2003. In total, around 62 million Famicom and NES consoles were sold worldwide. During this period, Nintendo created a copyright infringement protection in the form of the Official Nintendo Seal of Quality, added to their products so that customers may recognize their authenticity in the market. By this time, Nintendo's network of electronic suppliers had extended to around thirty companies, including Ricoh (Nintendo's main source for semiconductors ) and
14940-481: The Famicom. In the early 1980s, several video game consoles proliferated in the United States, as well as low-quality games produced by third-party developers , which oversaturated the market and led to the video game crash of 1983 . Consequently, a recession hit the American video game industry , whose revenues went from over $ 3 billion to $ 100 million between 1983 and 1985. Nintendo's initiative to launch
15120-429: The GameCube, even with such distinguishing features as the miniDVD format of its games and Internet connectivity for a few games, its sales were lower than those of its predecessors, and during the six years of its production, 21.7 million units were sold worldwide. The GameCube struggled against its rivals in the market, and its initial poor sales led to Nintendo posting a first half fiscal year loss in 2003 for
15300-404: The Japanese arcade market in late 1985. At this time, Nintendo adopted a series of guidelines that involved the validation of each game produced for the Famicom before its distribution on the market, agreements with developers to ensure that no Famicom game would be adapted to other consoles within two years of its release, and restricting developers from producing more than five games per year for
15480-433: The Japanese version and uses heavier-weight paper, but it has essentially the same content as the original. Cary Grazzini designed the cover of the English version. The cover for the English version was originally to include a brown background with artwork that included all the different versions and forms of Link . The intended cover was redesigned. The final English version featured a forest green cover. The series logo and
15660-446: The LCD wristwatch product line licensed to and developed by Nelsonic Industries . In addition to its timekeeping function, the unit features gameplay based on the original The Legend of Zelda game but without a storyline. It features Link adventuring through eight dungeons comprising four rooms in each. He also appears in Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce (Barcode Battler II), which
15840-493: The Master Sword. The game introduced Link's stamina meter for climbing surfaces and sprinting, and the ability to craft materials to make new items. A Link Between Worlds was released in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS and is a sequel to A Link to the Past . The plot revolves around a sorcerer named Yuga who has the ability to merge into walls and turn people into paintings. Link must foil his plan to revive Ganon. The storyline
16020-562: The N64 with the release of Majora's Mask (2000). Appearing again as a child, he must save the land of Termina from the evil of Majora's Mask, which has drawn the moon into a decaying orbit, threatening to crash into Termina's Clock Town in three days. Link uses the Ocarina of Time to play the Song of Time, which allows him to repeatedly travel back in time to relive the three days until he successfully prevents
16200-743: The NES. In response to the competition, Uemura designed the Super Famicom , which launched in 1990. The first batch of 300,000 consoles sold out in hours. The following year, as with the NES, Nintendo distributed a modified version of the Super Famicom to the United States market, titled the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Launch games for the Super Famicom and Super NES include Super Mario World , F-Zero , Pilotwings , SimCity , and Gradius III . By mid-1992, over 46 million Super Famicom and Super NES consoles had been sold. The console's life cycle lasted until 1999 in
16380-467: The Nintendo 3DS port of Warriors . Link is also a playable character in the 2019 Nintendo Switch rhythm game Cadence of Hyrule , a crossover between Crypt of the NecroDancer and The Legend of Zelda series. Players can choose to play as either Link or Zelda and both are required at the end of the game. Link can perform a spin attack and carries a shield, while Zelda uses an ethereal block and
16560-664: The Nintendo Switch in China starting in December. The theme park area Super Nintendo World opened at Universal Studios Japan in 2021. In early 2020, Plan See Do, a hotel and restaurant development company, announced that it would refurbish the former Nintendo headquarters from the 1930s as a hotel, with plans to add 20 guest rooms, a restaurant, a bar, and a gym. The building is owned by Yamauchi Co., Ltd., an asset management company of Nintendo's founding family. The hotel later opened in April 2022, with 18 guest rooms, and named Marufukuro in
16740-628: The Nippon Game brand. The company's restructuring preserved a couple of areas dedicated to playing card manufacturing. In 1970, the company's stock listing was promoted to the first section of the Osaka Stock Exchange, and the reconstruction and enlargement of its corporate headquarters was completed. The year represented a watershed moment in Nintendo's history as it released Japan's first electronic toy—the Beam Gun , an optoelectronic pistol designed by Masayuki Uemura . In total, more than
16920-590: The Ocarina of Time, which when played is used for teleportation. In Breath of the Wild , Link's key tool is the Sheikah Slate, a handheld tablet featuring various runes that enable him to manipulate the game world. A similar device named the Purah Pad provides Link with a multitude of functions, including a camera, map and telescope, in Tears of the Kingdom . Link's relationships with the other two main characters have been
17100-552: The Rod of Seasons and his magic harp. In 2002, Nintendo published A Link to the Past & Four Swords on the Game Boy Advance . Four Swords was an original title packaged together with the rereleased entry A Link to the Past . Diverging from the traditional single-player approach, Four Swords was based on cooperative gameplay , allowing four players to interact together by connecting four Game Boy Advance systems. In Four Swords , four Links of different colours appear, each of which
17280-503: The Ultrahand ability, which enables the construction of vehicles, and the Ascend ability, which enables Link to ascend through ceilings. In the main quest line, Link also obtains Autobuild, which gives the ability to rebuild vehicles automatically without needing to manually build with Ultrahand. Echoes of Wisdom (2024) is the first mainline Zelda game to feature Zelda rather than Link as
17460-696: The United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, and Australia. In 1992, Nintendo acquired a majority stake in the Seattle Mariners baseball team, and sold most of its shares in 2016. On July 31, 1992, Nintendo of America announced it would cease manufacturing arcade games and systems. In 1993, Star Fox was released, which marked an industry milestone by being the first video game to make use of the Super FX chip. The proliferation of graphically violent video games, such as Mortal Kombat , caused controversy and led to
17640-555: The United States, and until 2003 in Japan. In March 1990, the first Nintendo World Championship was held, with participants from 29 American cities competing for the title of "best Nintendo player in the world". In June 1990, the subsidiary Nintendo of Europe was opened in Großostheim , Germany; in 1993, subsequent subsidiaries were established in the Netherlands (where Bandai had previously distributed Nintendo's products), France,
17820-482: The United States, an additional 40,000 units were sold on its first day of distribution. Around this time, Nintendo entered an agreement with Sony to develop the Super Famicom CD-ROM Adapter , a peripheral for the upcoming Super Famicom capable of playing CD-ROMs . However, the collaboration did not last as Yamauchi preferred to continue developing the technology with Philips , which would result in
18000-406: The Wii. He was also introduced in 2014 in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U . Link later returned in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch in various incarnations, including green tunic Link, blue tunic Link from Breath of the Wild , Toon Link and Young Link. In the GameCube version of Namco 's Soulcalibur II , Link is a guest character. Miyamoto did not see
18180-606: The Wild , Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity , Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Tears of the Kingdom . Link was voiced by Yuki Kaji in Hyrule Warriors . In Cadence of Hyrule , he was voiced by Caitlyn Bairstow . In the cutscenes of the CD-i titles Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon , he was voiced by Jeffrey Rath. On television, Link was voiced by Jonathan Potts in both The Legend of Zelda animated series and Captain N: The Game Master . Link
18360-502: The Wild nearly 100 designs were considered to ensure that Link remained a neutral character. Aonuma commented: "We thought that the iconic green tunic and hat had become expected, so we wanted to mix things up and update his look. Interestingly, though, nobody on the team said, 'Let's make him blue!' It just organically ended up that way". Link's physical features have also evolved, influenced by trends in masculinity. His handsomeness has been defined by soft, androgynous facial features,
18540-426: The ability to climb most surfaces, jump from structures and soar across the sky using a paraglider. He was designed to interact with the environment, collect materials for cooking and react to cold and heat. The complex nature of the environment also determined that his preexisting autojump functionality had to be developed into the ability to jump manually. The game introduced significant changes to his design, notably
18720-448: The absence of his signature green outfit. The player can instead dress Link in a variety of outfits and more emphasis is placed on using a bow as a prominent weapon. Link appears in Tears of the Kingdom , a direct sequel to the previous game released in 2023, which is set in the same version of Hyrule. Link loses his right arm after being attacked by a substance called Gloom and is saved by
18900-415: The adventure, Link must defeat his doppelgänger Dark Link to awaken sleeping Zelda. A Link to the Past (1991) recreated Link in a 16-bit colour palette for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System , with the unusual characteristic of pink hair. By contrast, the game manual depicts Link as a tall blond character. Link's sprite was designed to appear more expressive, by featuring an animated hat and
19080-468: The animal to be the best representation of a hero and that this function gave the adult version of Link limited human abilities, allowing him to mature over the course of the game. Link's signature green tunic and cap have evolved over the course of the series. At a Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Takizawa described the subtle changes made to Link's outfit. For Twilight Princess he, "made
19260-460: The book includes a foreword by series creator Shigeru Miyamoto , and an afterword from Eiji Aonuma , who produced recent games in the series. It also includes an art piece created for the 25th anniversary of the series (and the original cover of the English edition). Information about commemorative merchandise is also included. The book includes a manga at the end as a "Special Comic". It was written by Akira Himekawa , who have created other manga for
19440-418: The book was its star chapter, despite some of the reproductions being somewhat small. Henry Gilbert writing for GamesRadar+ responded positively to the book, calling it "an incredibly classy collection that was worth the wait". He applauded the inclusion of the fictional timeline stating that " Historia at last gives the fans what they’d wanted for so long". He also praised the production quality, including
19620-401: The book, describing it as "impressive" and reasonably priced. Destructoid 's Chris Carter considered the physical aspect of the book to be "wonderfully crafted" and complimented the "beautifully minimalistic cover". He noted the book's heavy focus on Skyward Sword , but commented that the "first section was so well done that I gained a bit more appreciation for the game". He considered that
19800-474: The book. A collector's edition was also released. It had a limited print run of 4,000 copies and contains the same content as the standard edition. The limited edition features a faux leather hardcover that depicts the Gate of Time on the front and also has gold gilded pages. A digital version of the book was also included with a limited edition Wii U bundle featuring The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD , which
19980-542: The business in 1929. By that time, Nintendo was the largest playing card business in Japan. In 1933, Sekiryo Kaneda established the company as a general partnership named Yamauchi Nintendo & Co., Ltd. investing in the construction of a new corporate headquarters located next to the original building, near the Toba-kaidō train station . Because Sekiryo's marriage to Yamauchi's daughter produced no male heirs, he planned to adopt his son-in-law Shikanojo Inaba, an artist in
20160-549: The business styled itself as Marufuku Nintendo Card Co. The war created considerable difficulties for companies in the leisure sector, which were subject to new levies such as the Karuta Zei ("playing cards tax"). Nintendo subsisted and, in 1907, entered into an agreement with Nihon Senbai—later known as the Japan Tobacco —to market its cards to various cigarette stores throughout the country. A Nintendo promotional calendar from
20340-574: The character easily distinguishable. For Ocarina of Time , Miyamoto said that the team started by designing a grown-up model followed by a child model, but realised that both could be used in the game, "to tell the story of a boy growing up". Link's teenage appearance in Ocarina of Time was designed with the aim of making him more handsome, influenced by developer Yoshiaki Koizumi 's wife declaring, "all of Nintendo's characters have funny noses; don't you have any handsome ones?" Nintendo illustrator Yusuke Nakano said that Link's design in Ocarina of Time
20520-496: The company was experiencing a period of economic prosperity, the Disney cards and derived products made it dependent on the children's market. The situation was exacerbated by the falling sales of its adult-oriented playing cards caused by Japanese society gravitating toward other hobbies such as pachinko , bowling , and nightly outings. When Disney card sales began to decline, Nintendo realized that it had no real alternative to alleviate
20700-426: The company's employ and the father of his grandson Hiroshi , born in 1927. However, Inaba abandoned his family and the company, so Hiroshi was made Sekiryo's eventual successor. World War II negatively impacted the company as Japanese authorities prohibited the diffusion of foreign card games, and as the priorities of Japanese society shifted, its interest in recreational activities waned. During this time, Nintendo
20880-421: The console's touchscreen functionality, which enabled the player to control Link using a stylus instead of the traditional button controls. Following on from Phantom Hourglass , Spirit Tracks (2009) reintroduced Toon Link to the Nintendo DS. The game is a sequel to its predecessor and has a similar format but replaces sailing by boat with travelling by train. Link must explore four main map pieces, return
21060-566: The course of the game as the player upgrades his weapons and health. His story varies from game to game, but typically involves a similar thread of solving dungeon puzzles, saving Princess Zelda and defeating Ganon or some other evil. He displays the characteristic traits of the Hylian race, being of humanoid form with elfin features, including pointed ears. Since the first The Legend of Zelda video game, he has been repeatedly depicted wearing his characteristic green cap and tunic and typically wields
21240-419: The cover design, translation and paper stock. Damien McFerran of Nintendo Life praised the quality of the content, stating that "it feels as if Nintendo has opened up its vaults and made available every single shred of information regarding the franchise". He commented on an imbalance in the coverage of some games compared to others, but noted that this is probably due to the higher availability of assets for
21420-702: The creation of the Interactive Digital Software Association and the Entertainment Software Rating Board , in whose development Nintendo collaborated during 1994. These measures also encouraged Nintendo to abandon the content guidelines it had enforced since the release of the NES. Commercial strategies implemented by Nintendo during this time include the Nintendo Gateway System , an in-flight entertainment service available for airlines, cruise ships and hotels, and
21600-438: The development process for the game, presenting concept art for characters and locations, including artwork that was never used in the game. The second section titled, "The History of Hyrule: A Chronology" establishes the official timeline of the fictional events that take place within the series, following years of speculation by fans. Nintendo qualified the timeline by stating that "this chronicle merely collects information that
21780-441: The disaster. During the game, Link finds various magical masks that transform him into a Goron , Deku Scrub , or Zora , which each grant him special abilities such as gliding, swimming underwater and rolling. In the final boss battle with Majora , Link is transformed into Fierce Deity Link, a dark, adult version of himself with white eyes, before finally reverting to his child form. In Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages ,
21960-558: The discontinuation of some of their light gun products. The subsidiary Nintendo Leisure System Co., Ltd., which developed these products, was closed as a result of the economic impact dealt by the oil crisis. Yamauchi, motivated by the successes of Atari and Magnavox with their video game consoles , acquired the Japanese distribution rights for the Magnavox Odyssey in 1974, and reached an agreement with Mitsubishi Electric to develop similar products between 1975 and 1978, including
22140-476: The early part of the game, he becomes trapped in the Twilight, which transforms him into a wolf. Throughout the game, he is aided by Midna , an imp-like creature, who rides on his back and helps him on his quest. The game uses a variety of animal abilities for progression, such as the ability to follow scents. Twilight Princess aimed to provide a stark contrast to the cartoonish style of The Wind Waker , presenting
22320-460: The fictional timeline positions each game without it getting "too ridiculous". He opined that the "Creative Footprints" section is heavily focused on the more popular games in the series and that the list of games at the end feels like an afterthought as it only includes some of the spin-off games. He considered the manga to be too brief and wished it had more colour. He recommended the book to general Zelda fans but not to casual fans, partially due to
22500-520: The figure increased to 75 million by the start of 2019. In 2011, Nintendo celebrated the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda with the orchestra concert tour The Legend of Zelda : Symphony of the Goddesses and the video game The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword . In 2012 and 2013, two new Nintendo game consoles were introduced: the Wii U , with high-definition graphics and a GamePad controller with near-field communication technology, and
22680-658: The first microprocessor for video games systems, the Color TV-Game series, and an arcade game inspired by Othello . During this period, Takeda developed the video game EVR Race , and Shigeru Miyamoto joined Yokoi's team with the responsibility of designing the casing for the Color TV-Game consoles. In 1978, Nintendo's research and development department was split into two facilities, Nintendo Research & Development 1 and Nintendo Research & Development 2 , respectively managed by Yokoi and Uemura. Shigeru Miyamoto brought distinctive sources of inspiration, including
22860-418: The first World of Nintendo stores-within-a-store , which carried official Nintendo merchandise, were opened in the United States. According to company information, more than 25% of homes in the United States had an NES in 1989. In the late 1980s, Nintendo's dominance slipped with the appearance of NEC 's PC Engine and Sega 's Mega Drive , 16-bit game consoles with improved graphics and audio compared to
23040-498: The first company to succeed in mass-producing plastic playing cards in Japan. Some of the company's employees, accustomed to a more cautious and conservative leadership, viewed the new measures with concern, and the rising tension led to a call for a strike . However, the measure had no major impact, as Hiroshi resorted to the dismissal of several dissatisfied workers. In 1959, Nintendo moved its headquarters to Kamitakamatsu-cho, Fukuine, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. The company entered into
23220-453: The first time since the company went public in 1962. In 2002, the Pokémon Mini was released. Its dimensions were smaller than that of the Game Boy Advance and it weighed 70 grams, making it the smallest video game console in history. Nintendo collaborated with Sega and Namco to develop Triforce , an arcade board to facilitate the conversion of arcade titles to the GameCube. Following
23400-593: The form of Ganon . As no canonical game in The Legend of Zelda series to date has contained substantial spoken dialogue for Link, he is mostly a silent protagonist , but not a mute character. His voice acting consists only of grunts, battle cries, and other sounds, although in The Wind Waker , he can be heard saying, "Come on!" Despite lacking spoken dialogue, Link interacts with other characters through visual responses, such as nodding or shaking his head, reactions from side characters, or game text that expresses his dialogue. Series producer, Eiji Aonuma explained that
23580-470: The four Links to explore the game world and defeat enemies in order to complete each level. The release of The Minish Cap in 2004 on the Game Boy Advance returned the series to a single-player format. Link appears as a child viewed from a top-down perspective and is tasked with saving his friend Princess Zelda. After a mysterious stranger arrives at a festival celebrating the coming of the Picori , he destroys
23760-406: The fragments of the Triforce were supposed to be electronic chips. The game was to be set in both the past and the future and as the main character would travel between both and be the link between them, they called him Link". In the Nintendo book Hyrule Historia he said that the character is named Link because he, "connects people together" and, "he was supposed to spread the scattered energy of
23940-529: The game's development. When he did view it, Miyamoto reportedly cringed, believing that the game would not sell, but the team insisted that there was not enough time to develop a realistic art style. Toon Link eventually carved his own identity into the franchise by appearing in multiple entries in the series and being introduced as a playable character in Super Smash Bros . Aonuma said that despite some initial outrage, gamers began to accept Toon Link, so Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks were created with
24120-425: The games were licensed by Nintendo to use official Zelda characters, they were not produced or supervised by Nintendo. As well as being critically panned, none of these games are recognized by Nintendo as part of the series' official chronology. Unlike the main series, Link has the ability to speak. His personality mirrors his animated series counterpart in which he yearns for adventure and repeatedly attempts to get
24300-511: The general public prior to the book's release. A list of all official games in the series is included at the end of this section. Some spin-offs are not included, although The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition , The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest , the Satellaview Zelda games and Link's Crossbow Training are mentioned. Producer Eiji Aonuma said staff members pored through "stacks of ancient documents" to produce
24480-585: The greatest of all time . In 1995, Nintendo released the Virtual Boy , a console designed by Gunpei Yokoi with stereoscopic graphics . Critics were generally disappointed with the quality of the games and red-colored graphics, and complained of gameplay-induced headaches. The system sold poorly and was quietly discontinued. Amid the system's failure, Yokoi formally retired from Nintendo. In February 1996, Pocket Monsters Red and Green , known internationally as Pokémon Red and Blue , developed by Game Freak
24660-411: The hat long, so it would flap in the wind and move around", but for Skyward Sword , he made it more diminutive and gave it less motion. The release of Breath of the Wild in 2017 broke the conventions of Link's design, notably by the absence of his signature green outfit. Takizawa explained that "as the graphic fidelity has increased it becomes more difficult to make that hat look cool". For Breath of
24840-414: The heavy focus on Skyward Sword . Christian Donlan of Eurogamer described the book as a "handsome glossy-papered volume" and considered that the book reveals extensive information about the series without removing its mystery. He opined that the attempt to position all of the Zelda games on a single fictional timeline was "an odd idea, perhaps, but quite a nice one". He felt that the third section of
25020-482: The islands that are dotted around the map to encounter characters and uncover dungeons. Link's key tool is the titular Wind Waker, a magical baton that enables him to manipulate the breeze as he crosses the Great Sea. Nintendo artist Satoru Takizawa explained that the game's sequel was abandoned due to being set on land and Toon Link's proportions not being suitable for horseback riding. Four Swords Adventures , which
25200-452: The kingdom of Hyrule. His abilities were extensively developed to perform a variety of movements, including a swipe, stab, roll, dodge and dive. The game's Z-targeting system enables him to lock on to enemies and circle around them in combat. Through a built-in autojump function, he can also jump from a ledge. During his adventure, he is accompanied by the fairy Navi , who gives him hints about enemies and his surroundings. Link returned on
25380-480: The long history of the franchise". He noted that the book focuses more heavily on the newer games in the series and considered that there is not enough emphasis on the pre- Nintendo 64 era and also no acknowledgement of the Philips CDi games , animated series or other multimedia spin-offs. He found the manga to be entertaining but wished it was printed entirely in colour. He also praised the quality and construction of
25560-416: The newer games. He considered the fictional timeline to offer a fresh perspective on each of the games and opined that this creates a renewed appreciation for them. Overall, he described the book as "a standout publication" and said, "even if you've only a passing interest in the adventures of Link , this should be a permanent addition to your coffee table or bookshelf". Nintendo Nintendo Co., Ltd.
25740-407: The offices, for which he acquired the surrounding land and assigned the production of cards to the original Nintendo building. Meanwhile, Yokoi, Uemura, and new employees such as Genyo Takeda , continued to develop innovative products for the company. The Laser Clay Shooting System was released in 1973 and managed to surpass bowling in popularity. Though Nintendo's toys continued to gain popularity,
25920-440: The player can then use in gameplay. Many of these objects possess magical properties that bestow specific abilities on Link, such as a magic cape that makes Link invisible when he wears it, or potions that replenish his health. Others have various practical purposes, such as the hookshot, which enables Link to pull items towards him, and bombs for detonating walls. Link has used various musical instruments on his travels, most notably,
26100-451: The player character. The game begins with a sequence in which Link saves Zelda from Ganon but is sucked through a portal into another dimension. In 1989, Link appeared in Zelda , which was released in the Game & Watch series of handheld electronic games . The unit features a multi-screen liquid-crystal display (LCD). The lower display renders Link fighting against dungeon monsters, while
26280-443: The player setting out on the adventure. In several Zelda games, Link's main objective is to recover the fragments of the Triforce in order to defeat Ganon. Although Link can carry an arsenal of weapons, including bows, boomerangs and magic rods, his signature weapon is the Master Sword , a powerful magic sword with the ability to repel evil. Throughout each game, Link is able to obtain various items during his adventures, which
26460-414: The player to think 'Maybe Link is a boy or a girl'. If you saw Link as a guy, he'd have more of a feminine touch. Or vice versa, if you related to Link as a girl, it was with more of a masculine aspect". For Twilight Princess , he created a more masculine Link, but later decided to return him to a more gender neutral character. He said that Link is definitely male in Breath of the Wild , but wanted to create
26640-556: The power of the spirit tracks using the Spirit Flute, and navigate the Spirit Tower, the main labyrinth hub, aided by the spirit of Zelda. The gameplay also incorporates the mechanic of controlling both Link and Zelda in a series of cooperative puzzles and boss battles. Skyward Sword was released in 2011 on the Wii and made use of the Wii MotionPlus to swipe Link's sword, control a mechanical beetle, and ride his loftwing through
26820-490: The presidency and headed manufacturing operations. His first actions involved several important changes in the operation of the company: in 1951, he changed the company name to Nintendo Playing Card Co., Ltd. and in the following year, he centralized the manufacturing facilities dispersed in Kyoto, which led to the expansion of the offices in Kamitakamatsu-cho, Fukuine, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. In 1953, Nintendo became
27000-672: The production schedules of third-party developers influenced a delay, and the console was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in the United States and March 1997 in Europe. By the end of its production in 2002, around 33 million Nintendo 64 consoles were sold worldwide, and it is considered one of the most recognized video game systems in history. 388 games were produced for the Nintendo 64 in total, some of which – particularly Super Mario 64 , The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time , and GoldenEye 007 – have been distinguished as some of
27180-502: The prospect of continuous renewal of decks, thus avoiding the suspicions that reusing cards would generate. According to Nintendo, the business' first western-style card deck was put on the market in 1902, although other documents postpone the date to 1907, shortly after the Russo-Japanese War . Although the cards were initially meant for export, they quickly gained popularity not only abroad but also in Japan. During this time,
27360-479: The rest of Nintendo's Latin American market due to an alliance with Juegos de Video Latinoamérica. Nintendo reached an agreement with NC Games for Nintendo's products to resume distribution in Brazil by 2017, and by September 2020, the Switch was released in Brazil. On 11 July 2015, Iwata died of bile duct cancer , and after a couple of months in which Miyamoto and Takeda jointly operated the company, Tatsumi Kimishima
27540-518: The sacred Picori Blade and turns Zelda to stone. During the game, Link is accompanied by a magical talking cap named Ezlo, who helps him on his quest and teaches him to shrink to the size of the Minish . Twilight Princess (2006) was released on the GameCube and Wii and offers a darker adventure to previous entries in the series. The game features a more detailed depiction of a teenage Link who appears ready for battle wearing chainmail beneath his tunic. In
27720-428: The series' primary antagonist, Ganon , and saves Princess Zelda . Throughout the series, Link has made multiple appearances in a variety of incarnations, but has been traditionally depicted in his signature green cap and tunic wielding a sword and shield. He has appeared as both a child and young adult of the elf -like Hylian race. Within Zelda mythology, Link is the soul of a legendary hero that throughout history
27900-420: The series. The manga takes place before the events of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword . The first section, "The Legend Begins: The World of Skyward Sword", focuses on the world of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword due to the book being released alongside Skyward Sword in Japan. Images from the game, such as character designs, and commentary by the development team are also included. The section explores
28080-418: The situation. After the 1964 Tokyo Olympics , Nintendo's stock price plummeted to its lowest recorded level of ¥60 . In 1965, Nintendo hired Gunpei Yokoi to maintain the assembly-line machines used to manufacture its playing cards. Yamauchi's experience with the previous initiatives led him to increase Nintendo's investment in a research and development department in 1969, directed by Hiroshi Imanishi,
28260-539: The skies. The plot involves a romantic relationship between Link and Zelda. Beginning in Skyloft, a land floating above the clouds, Link is forced to descend to the surface after Zelda is kidnapped and then travels between the two lands wielding the Goddess Sword, a magical sword that holds a spirit named Fi , who acts as his guide. During his journey, Link imbues the Goddess Sword with three sacred flames and reforges it into
28440-555: The spirit Rauru who grafts his own arm onto Link. This new arm plays a major role as the source of his abilities. It was designed to distinguish him from previous iterations, as the theme of "hands" was chosen as a key recurring aspect of the game for creating items as well as cooperating with other characters. Link's abilities include the Recall ability, which rewinds an object's movement, the Fuse ability, which merges objects to create new weapons,
28620-401: The subject of speculation and remains ambiguous. A romantic relationship was particularly emphasised in an official "romance trailer" for Skyward Sword . In an interview with Game Informer , Aonuma said, "we wanted the player to feel like this is a person who's very important to me, who I need to find. We used that hint of a romance between the two to tug at the heartstrings". The following
28800-407: The team expected that fans wanted to see Link as he appeared in Ocarina of Time . Aonuma explained that the design team wanted to express Link as an older teenager: "The fact that we're seeing Link on horseback and swinging a sword, I think that's one more way in which Link has matured". In Twilight Princess , Link has the ability to transform into a wolf. Aonuma said that the design team considered
28980-400: The timeline in the book. Hyrule Historia was originally released in Japanese with a brown cover and gold type, on 21 December 2011. It was released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the series and the release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword . The book was published in Japan by Shogakukan Japan. English book publisher Dark Horse Books inquired to Nintendo about working on
29160-404: The upper display features the inventory. The gameplay is simpler than the NES game and replaces Ganon with eight dragons that kidnap Zelda. After battling through a dungeon, Link must defeat a dragon on the upper screen to receive a piece of the Triforce, before freeing Zelda with the eight recovered Triforce pieces. In the same year, The Legend of Zelda Game Watch was released, which was part of
29340-457: The week ending 24 February and 6,128 during the week ending 3 March 2013. Sunday Times estimated that the book had sold 9,255 copies in the U.K. as of 17 February 2013. The concept of the book was well-received, although reviewers leveled some criticisms at specific choices in the book. Jesse Schedeen from IGN gave it a score of 8.4 out of 10, describing the book as a "handsome hardcover tome...devoted entirely towards exploring and celebrating
29520-480: The world through the ages". Link is the playable character who appears in every installment of The Legend of Zelda series. Although there are many iterations of Link, each with a similar role and appearance, they are not the same individual. The series spans thousands of years in Hyrule's history across The Legend of Zelda fictional timeline , so that each version of the character is a different Link, sometimes being
29700-575: Was a financial success for Nintendo both in Japan and overseas, and led Coleco to fight Atari for licensing rights for porting to home consoles and personal computers. In 1983, Nintendo opened a new production facility in Uji and was listed in the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange . Uemura, taking inspiration from the ColecoVision , began creating a new video game console that would incorporate
29880-454: Was based on a well-known American actor at the time of the game's development; several gaming publications speculated this comment to reference Leonardo DiCaprio . Prior to The Wind Waker a cartoon version of Link was created by graphic designer Yoshiki Haruhana as a way to evolve the series, which was well received by the development team. According to designer Satoru Takizawa, this oversized anime-inspired design with huge eyes offered
30060-466: Was based on his childhood memories as well as books and movies that he and video game designer Takashi Tezuka had enjoyed, notably J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Lord of the Rings . Miyamoto wanted people to have the opportunity to be heroes and created Link as a normal boy, with "a destiny to fight great evil". On the origin of the character's name, Miyamoto said: "Link's name comes from the fact that originally,
30240-412: Was designed by Gwénaël Nicolas with stylistic departure from its predecessors, and the GameCube . During the first week of the Game Boy Advance's North American release in June 2001, over 500,000 units were sold, making it the fastest-selling video game console in the United States at the time. By the end of its production cycle in 2010, more than 81.5 million units had been sold worldwide. As for
30420-643: Was named as Iwata's successor on 16 September 2015. As part of the management's restructuring, Miyamoto and Takeda were respectively named creative and technological advisors. The financial losses caused by the Wii U, along with Sony's intention to release its video games to other platforms such as smart TVs , motivated Nintendo to rethink its strategy concerning the production and distribution of its properties. In 2015, Nintendo formalized agreements with DeNA and Universal Parks & Resorts to extend its presence to smart devices and amusement parks respectively. In March 2016, Nintendo's first mobile app for
30600-419: Was named the richest company in Japan. In June 2021, the company announced plans to convert its former Uji Ogura plant, where it had manufactured playing and hanafuda cards, into a museum tentatively named "Nintendo Gallery", targeted to open by March 2024. In the following year, historic remains of a Yayoi period village were discovered in the construction site. Link (The Legend of Zelda) Link
30780-514: Was partly supported by a financial injection from Hiroshi's wife Michiko Inaba, who came from a wealthy family. In 1947, Sekiryo founded the distribution company Marufuku Co., Ltd. responsible for Nintendo's sales and marketing operations, which would eventually go on to become the present-day Nintendo Co., Ltd., in Higashikawara-cho, Imagumano, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto . In 1950, due to Sekiryo's deteriorating health, Hiroshi Yamauchi assumed
30960-545: Was published for the GameCube in 2004, again reinterpreted traditional Zelda gameplay with a multiplayer approach. The plot centres on Link being split into four versions of himself by the Four Sword, resulting in four Links of different colours. He must embark on a quest that involves rescuing seven princesses from an evil sorcerer. The game depicts the Links in a 16-bit top-down perspective and involves each player controlling one of
31140-560: Was released by Epoch Co. in 1992 in Japan but not in North America. It was developed for the Barcode Battler II console and involves swiping cards to unlock various characters from A Link to the Past . Link appears in Link: The Faces of Evil , Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon and Zelda's Adventure , The Legend of Zelda CD-i games published by Philips Interactive Media for its Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-i) players. While
31320-514: Was released by Dark Horse on 20 November the same year in North America under the subtitle Creating a Champion . The book sold well. Preorders took the book to the top spot on Amazon.com's U.S. sales charts, moving Fifty Shades of Grey out of the top position. It reached the No. 1 position on Amazon.com's bestselling books list in August 2012 and January 2013. It spent three months in the top 100 books. It topped The New York Times Best Seller list in
31500-399: Was released for the Nintendo 64 (N64), was the first 3D game in the Zelda series. Link was depicted with blonde hair and his horse Epona was introduced as a mode of transport. The plot's time shifts allow the player to control Link first as a child and later as a young adult. His green outfit reflects his role in the story as a Kokiri and his shield was updated to display the crest of
31680-466: Was released in Japan for the Game Boy, and established the popular Pokémon franchise. The game went on to sell 31.37 million units, with the video game series exceeding a total of 300 million units in sales as of 2017. In 1997, Nintendo released the Rumble Pak , a plug-in device that connects to the Nintendo 64 controller and produces a vibration during certain moments of a game. In 1998,
31860-578: Was released in November 2006, with a total of 33 launch games. With the Wii, Nintendo sought to reach a broader demographic than its seventh-generation competitors, with the intention of also encompassing the "non-consumer" sector. To this end, Nintendo invested in a $ 200 million advertising campaign. The Wii's innovations include the Wii Remote controller, equipped with an accelerometer system and infrared sensors that allow it to detect its position in
32040-555: Was released in November 2016. The console is a version of the NES based on emulation, HDMI , and the Wii remote. Its successor, the Super NES Classic Edition , was released in September 2017. By October 2018, around ten million units of both consoles combined had been sold worldwide. The Wii U's successor in the eighth generation of video game consoles , the Nintendo Switch , was released in March 2017. The Switch features
32220-513: Was released on 20 September 2013. The book was eventually released in digital format on 14 April 2020. Hyrule Historia was the first in a series of three books published by Dark Horse in partnership with Nintendo. The trilogy, known as the "Goddess Collection" was designed with the colours of the Golden Goddesses at the centre of Zelda lore, named Farore , Din , and Nayru . Dark Horse released The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts ,
32400-440: Was the second original Zelda entry for the Nintendo 3DS and a departure from the series' tradition, with a focus on a three-player cooperative campaign. Link appears alongside two companions that can be stacked to reach high places, solve puzzles and defeat tall enemies. The storyline revolves around the theme of fashion and is set in the realm of Hytopia, where a witch has cursed Princess Styla to wear an ugly brown body suit. As
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