128-567: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a 1993 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy . It is the first installment in The Legend of Zelda series to be released on a handheld game console . Link's Awakening is one of the few Zelda games not to take place in the land of Hyrule , and it does not feature Princess Zelda , Ganon or the Triforce relic. Instead,
256-401: A coming of age motif to identify with, journeying as an ordinary boy strengthened by trials to triumph over great challenges and rise to meet evil. The name of the titular princess came from Zelda Fitzgerald . Miyamoto explained that "Zelda was the wife of famous novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald . She was a famous and beautiful woman from all accounts, and I liked the sound of her name. So I took
384-619: A fantasy " setting. Tutankham , debuted by Konami in January 1982, was an action-adventure released for arcades . It combined maze, shoot 'em up, puzzle-solving and adventure elements, with a 1983 review by Computer and Video Games magazine calling it "the first game that effectively combined the elements of an adventure game with frenetic shoot 'em up gameplay." It inspired the similar Time Bandit (1983). Action Quest , released in May 1982, blended puzzle elements of adventure games into
512-477: A flip-screen overhead perspective as he travels the overworld , a large outdoor map with various environments. Link begins the game equipped only with a small shield, but can enter a cave and receive a sword from an old man who advises, " It's dangerous to go alone! Take this. " Throughout the adventure, Link finds and acquires various items that increase his abilities further, including heart containers which increase his life meter; magic rings which decrease
640-446: A joystick -controlled, arcade-style action game, which surprised reviewers at the time. While noting some similarities to Adventure , IGN argues that The Legend of Zelda (1986) by Nintendo "helped to establish a new subgenre of action-adventure", becoming a success due to how it combined elements from different genres to create a compelling hybrid, including exploration, adventure-style inventory puzzles , an action component,
768-566: A monetary system , and simplified RPG-style level building without the experience points . The Legend of Zelda series was the most prolific action-adventure game franchise through to the 2000s. Roe R. Adams also cited the arcade-style side-scrolling fantasy games Castlevania (1986), Trojan (1986) and Wizards & Warriors (1987) as early examples of action-adventure games. Games like Brain Breaker (1985), Xanadu (1985), Metroid (1986) and Vampire Killer (1986) combined
896-442: A spin-off , and he gave Tanabe instructions to omit common series elements such as Princess Zelda , the Triforce relic, and the setting Hyrule . As a consequence, Tanabe proposed his game world idea of an island with an egg on top of a mountain. Tezuka recalled that it felt as though they were making a "parody of The Legend of Zelda " rather than an actual Zelda game. Later on, Yoshiaki Koizumi , who had previously helped with
1024-759: A subgenre of open world action-adventure video games in the third-person perspective . They are characterized by their likeness to the Grand Theft Auto series in either gameplay or overall design. In these types of open world games, players may find and use a variety of vehicles and weapons while roaming freely in an open world setting. Metroidvania is a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania ; such games are sometimes referred to as "search action", and are generally based on two-dimensional platformers. They emphasize both exploration and puzzle-solving with traditional platform gameplay. Survival horror games emphasize "inventory management" and making sure
1152-527: A boy around Kyoto , where he explored nearby fields, woods, and caves, always trying through Zelda games to impart players some sense of that limitless wonder he felt through unknown exploration. According to Miyamoto: "When I was a child, I went hiking and found a lake. It was quite a surprise for me to stumble upon it. When I traveled around the country without a map, trying to find my way, stumbling on amazing things as I went, I realized how it felt to go on an adventure like this". The memory of being lost amid
1280-545: A choice of what to say. The NPC gives a scripted response to the player, and the game offers the player several new ways to respond. Due to the action-adventure subgenre's broad and inclusive nature, it causes some players to have difficulty finishing a particular game. Companies have devised ways to give the player help, such as offering clues or allowing the player to skip puzzles to compensate for this lack of ability. Brett Weiss cites Atari 's Superman (1979) as an action-adventure game, with Retro Gamer crediting it as
1408-448: A complex text parser and no free-moving character. While they share general gameplay dynamics, action-adventures vary widely in the design of their viewpoints, including bird's eye , side-scrolling, first-person, third-person , over-the-shoulder, or even a 3/4 isometric view . Many action-adventure games simulate a conversation through a conversation tree . When the player encounters a non-player character , they are allowed to select
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#17330855637471536-519: A feature the NES model did not include. It was used to defeat the large-eared rabbit-like monster Pols Voice by blowing or shouting. The U.S. instruction manual still hints that this enemy "hates loud noise", confusing many into thinking the recorder item could be used to attack (in actuality, it has no effect). The cartridge version made use of the Memory Management Controller chip (specifically
1664-610: A game and sent in a warranty card became a member of the Fun Club, whose members got a four-, eight- and eventually 32-page newsletter. Seven hundred copies of the first issue were sent out free of charge, but the number grew as the data bank of names got larger. From the success of magazines in Japan, Nintendo knew that game tips were a valued asset. Players enjoyed the bimonthly newsletter's crossword puzzles and jokes, but game secrets were most valued. The Fun Club drew kids in by offering tips for
1792-514: A half years to develop Link's Awakening . Tezuka recalled that the early free-form development of Link's Awakening resulted in the game's "unrestrained" contents, such as the unauthorized cameo appearances of characters from the Mario and Kirby series. A Link to the Past script writer Kensuke Tanabe joined the team early on and came up with the basis of the story. Tezuka sought to make Link's Awakening
1920-552: A half years, Link's Awakening was released in Japan in June 1993 and worldwide later in the year. Link's Awakening was critically and commercially successful. Critics praised the game's depth and number of features; complaints focused on its control scheme and monochrome graphics. An updated rerelease, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX , was released for the Game Boy Color in 1998 featuring color graphics, compatibility with
2048-661: A magical recorder that lets Link teleport to the entrance of any dungeon he has previously cleared. Once Link has collected all eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom from these dungeons, he gains access to a ninth and final dungeon in order to defeat Ganon and rescue Zelda. The game may be completed by traversing any given dungeon on the overworld and is largely flexible to players, although gameplay steadily increases in difficulty, and some rooms can only be passed by using items gained in previous locations. There are dungeons with secret entrances which must be uncovered while freely wandering
2176-535: A major franchise, and has been regularly featured in lists of the greatest video games of all time . A sequel, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link , was first released in Japan for the Famicom Disk System less than a year after its predecessor, and numerous additional successors and spinoffs have been released in the decades since its debut. The Legend of Zelda incorporates elements of action , adventure , and role-playing genres. The player controls Link from
2304-463: A mountain; this idea was originally meant for A Link to the Past . Tanabe really wanted to see this idea in a game and was able to implement it in Link's Awakening as the basic concept. Masanao Arimoto and Shigefumi Hino designed the game's characters, while Yoichi Kotabe served as illustrator. Save for the opening and the ending, all pictures in the game were drawn by Arimoto. Yasahisa Yamamura designed
2432-484: A mural that details the reality of the island: that it is merely a dream world created by the Wind Fish. After this revelation, the owl tells Link that this is only a rumor, and only the Wind Fish knows for certain whether it is true. Throughout Koholint Island, nightmare creatures attempt to obstruct Link's quest for the instruments, as they wish to rule the Wind Fish's dreamworld. After collecting all eight instruments from
2560-525: A mysterious owl tells him that he must wake the Wind Fish, Koholint's guardian, in order to return home. The Wind Fish lies dreaming in a giant egg on top of Mt. Tamaranch, and can only be awakened by the eight Instruments of the Sirens. Link proceeds to explore a series of dungeons in order to recover the eight instruments. During his search for the sixth instrument, Link goes to the Ancient Ruins. There he finds
2688-460: A new arrangement of the overworld theme within one day, which has become an iconic motif echoing throughout continued entries of the series. In February 1986, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda as the launch game for the Family Computer 's new Disk System peripheral, joined by a re-release of Super Mario Bros. , Tennis , Baseball , Golf , Soccer , and Mahjong as part of
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#17330855637472816-530: A piece of straw to something of greater value. This concept also appeared in most sequels. To support the North American release of Link's Awakening , Nintendo sponsored a crosscountry train competition called the Zelda Whistle Stop Tour. The event, which lasted three days, allowed select players to test Link's Awakening in a timed race to complete the game. The event was meant not only to showcase
2944-414: A player can begin a more difficult version referred to as the "Second Quest" ( 裏ゼルダ , Ura Zeruda , translated literally to "Other Zelda") , which alters many locations, secrets, and includes entirely distinct dungeons and stronger enemies. Although more difficult "replays" were not unique to Zelda , few games offered completely different levels upon the second playthrough. By starting a new file with
3072-466: A remix of the game's "Tal Tal Heights" theme, which has since returned in subsequent Super Smash Bros. titles. In an interview about the evolution of the Zelda series, Aonuma called Link's Awakening the "quintessential isometric Zelda game". At another time, he stated that, had the game not come after A Link to the Past , Ocarina of Time would have been very different. Tezuka said that he prefers
3200-705: A side-scrolling platformer format with adventure exploration, creating the Metroidvania platform-adventure subgenre. Similarly, games like 005 (1981), Castle Wolfenstein and Metal Gear (1987) combined action-adventure exploration with stealth mechanics, laying the foundations for the stealth game subgenre, which would later be popularized in 1998 with the releases of Metal Gear Solid , Tenchu: Stealth Assassins , and Thief: The Dark Project . The cinematic platformer Prince of Persia (1989) featured action-adventure elements, inspiring games such as Another World (1991) and Flashback (1992). Alone in
3328-577: A similar feeling to the American television series Twin Peaks , which, like Link's Awakening , features characters in a small town. He suggested that the characters of Link's Awakening be written as "suspicious types", akin to those in Twin Peaks —a theme which carried over into later Zelda titles. Tanabe created these "odd" characters; he was placed in charge of the subevents of the story and wrote almost all of
3456-400: A single avatar as the protagonist . This type of game is often quite similar to role-playing video games . They are distinct from graphic adventures , which sometimes have free-moving central characters, but also a wider variety of commands and fewer or no action game elements and are distinct too from text adventures , characterized by many different commands introduced by the user via
3584-470: A single commercial could reach US$ 5 million, easily four or five times more than most companies spend. One of the first commercials made under Bill White, director of advertising and public relations, was the market introduction for the Legend of Zelda , which received a great deal of attention in the ad industry. In it, a wiry-haired, nerdy guy ( John Kassir ) walks through the dark making goofy noises, yelling out
3712-478: A solitary sequel , many prequels and spin-offs and is one of Nintendo's most popular series. It established important characters and environments of the Zelda universe, including Link , Princess Zelda , Ganon , Impa , and the Triforce as the power that binds Hyrule together. The overworld theme and distinctive "secret found" jingle have appeared in nearly every subsequent Zelda game. The theme has also appeared in various other games featuring references to
3840-479: A special stage inspired by the original Legend of Zelda in the video game Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS. There have also been a few substantially altered versions of the game that have been released as pseudo-sequels, and ura - or gaiden -versions. As part of a promotional advertisement campaign for their charumera ( チャルメラ ) noodles, Myojo Foods Co., Ltd. ( 明星食品 , Myoujou Shokuhin ) released
3968-514: A total of 1.69 million for the Famicom Disk System in Japan. In North America, the game was highly anticipated and topped the video game charts upon release. It became the first NES game to sell over 1 million cartridges in the United States during 1987, increasing to more than 2 million cartridges sold by 1988. It went on to sell 3 million cartridges in the United States by 1990, and eventually 6.51 million copies worldwide. Critics lauded
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4096-459: A version of the original The Legend of Zelda in 1986, Zelda no Densetsu: Teikyō Charumera ( ゼルダの伝説 提供 チャルメラ ) . It is one of the rarest video games available on the second-hand collector's market, and copies have sold for over US$ 1,000 . From August 6 to September 2, 1995, Nintendo, in collaboration with the St.GIGA satellite radio network, began broadcasts of a substantially different version of
4224-509: A voice actor narrator, broadcasting live from the St.GIGA studio, would give them plot and gameplay clues. In addition to the SoundLink elements, BS Zelda also featured updated 16-bit graphics, a smaller overworld, and different dungeons. Link was replaced by one of the two Satellaview avatars: a boy wearing a backward baseball cap or a girl with red hair. Between December 30, 1995, and January 6, 1996,
4352-440: Is backward compatible with the original Game Boy. Link's Awakening DX contains a new optional dungeon, with unique enemies and puzzles based on color (due to this, the dungeon cannot be accessed on the earlier non-color Game Boy models). After completing the dungeon, the player may choose to receive either a red or blue tunic, which increase attack and defense, respectively. The DX version also allows players to take photos after
4480-447: Is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, classical adventure games have situational problems for the player to explore and solve to complete a storyline, involving little to no action . If there is action, it is generally confined to isolated instances. Classical action games, on the other hand, have gameplay based on real-time interactions that challenges
4608-557: Is a game that has enough action in it not to be called an adventure game, but not enough action to be called an action game." In some cases an action game with puzzles will be classified as an action-adventure game, but if these puzzles are quite simple they might be classified as an action game. Others see action games as a pure genre, while an action-adventure is an action game that includes situational problem-solving. Adventure gamers may also be purists, rejecting any game that makes use of physical challenges or time pressure. Regardless,
4736-605: Is described in the instruction booklet and during the short prologue which plays after the title screen: The small kingdom of Hyrule is engulfed by chaos when an army led by Ganon , the prince of darkness, invades and steals the Triforce of Power, one part of a magical artifact which alone bestows great strength. In an attempt to prevent him from acquiring the Triforce of Wisdom, Princess Zelda splits it into eight fragments and hides them in secret underground dungeons. Before eventually being kidnapped by Ganon, she commands her nursemaid Impa to find someone courageous enough to save
4864-424: Is heavily reliant upon the player character's movement, which triggers story events and thus affects the flow of the game. Popular examples of action-adventure games include The Legend of Zelda , God of War , and Tomb Raider series. There is a good deal of controversy over what actually constitutes an action-adventure game. One definition of the term "action-adventure" may be '"An action/adventure game
4992-477: Is the first Zelda game to include a trading sequence minigame : the player may give a certain item to a character, who in turn gives the player another item to trade with someone else. It is also the first game in the Zelda series in which the A and B buttons may be assigned to different items, which enables more varied puzzles and item combinations. Other series elements originating in Link's Awakening include fishing, and learning special songs on an ocarina ;
5120-570: The Nintendo Switch Online - Nintendo Entertainment System service on September 18, 2018. A special "Living the life of luxury!" edition of the game, which grants players all equipment and extra items at the start of the game, was later added to the service on October 10. In November 2021, Nintendo released a Legend of Zelda edition of the Game & Watch console, similar to the rereleased Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch. This version includes
5248-580: The Ottawa Citizen ' s Bill Provick found the two-button control scheme awkward, as they needed to switch items on almost every screen. The Vancouver Sun ' s Katherine Monk called the dialogue "stilted", but considered the rest of the game to be "ever-surprising". Link's Awakening DX also received positive reviews with multiple critics highlighting the color graphics as an improvement; based on ten media outlets, it holds an average score of 91% on GameRankings. IGN 's Adam Cleveland awarded
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Misplaced Pages Continue
5376-576: The Uncharted franchise, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Ark: Survival Evolved . The Legend of Zelda (video game) The Legend of Zelda , originally released in Japan as The Hyrule Fantasy: Zelda no Densetsu , is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo . The first game of The Legend of Zelda series , it is set in the fantasy land of Hyrule and centers on an elf -like boy named Link , who aims to collect
5504-635: The Family Computer Disk System in February 1986. More than a year later, North America and Europe received releases on the Nintendo Entertainment System in cartridge format, being the first home console game to include an internal battery in the US for saving data . This version was later released in Japan in 1994 under the title The Hyrule Fantasy: Zelda no Densetsu 1 . The game
5632-628: The Game Boy Printer , and an exclusive color-based dungeon. The game has sold four million units worldwide, and have appeared on multiple game publications' lists of the best video games of all time . A high-definition remake developed by Grezzo for the Nintendo Switch was released worldwide in 2019. Like most games in The Legend of Zelda series, Link's Awakening is an action-adventure game focused on exploration and combat. The majority of
5760-549: The Zelda series. An arcade system board, called the Triforce, was developed jointly by Namco, Sega, and Nintendo, with the first games appearing in 2002. The name "Triforce" is a reference to Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series of games, and symbolized the three companies' involvement in the project. GameSpot featured The Legend of Zelda as one of the 15 most influential games of all time, for being an early example of open world , nonlinear gameplay , and for its introduction of battery backup saving worldwide, to laying
5888-411: The closing credits ). Miyamoto produced the game, and Tezuka wrote the story and script. Much of the programming was done by Toshihiko Nakago of Nintendo's partner SRD. Keiji Terui, a screenwriter who worked on anime shows such as Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball , wrote the backstory for the manual, drawing inspiration from conflicts in medieval Europe . Development began in the fall of 1984, and
6016-797: The "Top 100 Games of All Time" and "The Top 200 Games of All Time" (in 2001 and 2009 respectively), thirteenth in Electronic Gaming Monthly ' s 100th issue listing the "100 Best Games of All Time", fifth in Electronic Gaming Monthly ' s 200th issue listing "The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time", seventh in Nintendo Power ' s list of the 200 Best Nintendo Games Ever, 77th in Official Nintendo Magazine ' s 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time and 80th among IGN readers' "Top 99 Games". Zelda
6144-813: The "first to utilize multiple screens as playing area". Mark J.P. Wolf credits Adventure (1980) for the Atari VCS as the earliest-known action-adventure game. The game involves exploring a 2D environment, finding and using items which each have prescribed abilities, and fighting dragons in real-time like in an action game . Muse Software 's Castle Wolfenstein (1981) was another early action-adventure game, merging exploration, combat, stealth, and maze game elements, drawing inspiration from arcade shoot 'em ups and maze games (such as maze-shooter Berzerk ) and war films (such as The Guns of Navarone ). According to Wizardry developer Roe R. Adams, early action-adventure games "were basically arcade games done in
6272-503: The "hefty" price tag of £39 or $ 69 (equivalent to $ 180 in 2023) in the United Kingdom. ACE magazine reviewed the game in 1989, calling it a "role-playing epic" that proves "consoles can be just as good at role-playing games as they are for arcade entertainment" while listing it as one of the top four best games available for the NES (along with Super Mario Bros. , Mike Tyson's Punch-Out and Super Mario Bros. 2 ). Zelda
6400-486: The Dark (1992) used 3D graphics , which would later be popularized by Resident Evil (1996) and Tomb Raider (1996). Resident Evil in particular created the survival horror subgenre, inspiring titles such as Silent Hill (1999) and Fatal Frame (2001). Action-adventure games have gone on to become more popular than the pure adventure games and pure platform games that inspired them. Recent examples include
6528-539: The Game Boy started to look promising. Following the 1991 release of the Super NES video game A Link to the Past , director Takashi Tezuka asked for permission to develop a handheld Zelda title; he intended it to be a port of A Link to the Past , but it evolved into an original game. The majority of the team that had created A Link to the Past was reassembled to advance this new project. Altogether, it took them one and
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#17330855637476656-618: The MMC1 model), which could use bank-switching to allow for larger games than had previously been possible, and could also use battery-powered RAM letting players save their data for the first time on the NES. When Nintendo published the game in North America, the packaging design featured a small portion of the box cut away to reveal the unique gold-colored cartridge. In 1988, The Legend of Zelda sold two million copies. Nintendo of America sought to keep its strong base of fans; anyone who purchased
6784-550: The NES. Upon release in Europe, Tony Takoushi reviewed the game in British magazine Computer and Video Games and called it a massive arcade adventure packed full of dragons, imprisoned princesses, traps and pitfalls. They said it has "an enormous country to examine" with "dozens of things to collect" along with hidden power-ups and bonuses, while praising the "supreme" playability and the "excellent" graphics and sound, but they criticized
6912-578: The North America Club Nintendo could redeem as a free gift. A high-definition remake was developed by Grezzo and released for the Nintendo Switch on September 20, 2019. Link's Awakening was included in a Zelda-themed Game & Watch console alongside The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link . It was released on November 12, 2021. In Japan, the game topped the Famitsu sales chart in June 1993. In North America, it
7040-420: The Past to the Game Boy, developed after-hours by Nintendo staff. It grew into an original project under the direction of Takashi Tezuka , with a story and script created by Yoshiaki Koizumi and Kensuke Tanabe . The majority of the Link to the Past team reassembled for Link's Awakening , and Tezuka wanted the game world to feel like the television series Twin Peaks . After a development period of one and
7168-558: The Super NES Zelda in both size and scope". They also lauded its humorous dialogue, hefty challenge, and incorporation of the best gameplay mechanics of its predecessors. Nintendo Power later named it the fifty-sixth best Nintendo game, and, in August 2008, listed the DX version as the second best Game Boy or Game Boy Color game. IGN' s readers ranked it as the 40th best game of all time, while
7296-565: The Super NES version of SimCity , and the exiled prince Richard from The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls . Chomp , an enemy from the Mario series , was included after a programmer gave Link the ability to grab the creature and take it for a walk. Enemies from Super Mario Bros. such as Goombas and Piranha Plants also appear in underground side-scrolling sections; Link may land on top of them much as with Super Mario Bros. , or he can attack them in
7424-464: The Wind Fish's spirit, and the Wind Fish confirms that Koholint is all his dream. When Link plays the Ballad of the Wind Fish again, he and the Wind Fish awaken; Koholint Island and all its inhabitants slowly disappear. Link finds himself lying on his ship's driftwood in the middle of the ocean, with the Wind Fish flying overhead. If the player did not lose any lives during the game, Marin is shown flying after
7552-481: The Year (handheld) and Best Advert of the Year. It also won the Game Boy categories for Graphics and Sound, Challenge, Theme and Fun, Play Control and Best Overall in the reader-chosen 1993 Nintendo Power Awards. It was awarded Best Game Boy Game of 1993 by Electronic Gaming Monthly . In 1997 Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked the Game Boy version the 28th best console video game of all time, saying it ended up "beating out
7680-489: The action-adventure label is prominent in articles over the internet and media. The term "action-adventure" is usually substituted for a particular subgenre due to its wide scope. Although action-adventure games are diverse and difficult to classify, there are some distinct subgenres. Many games with gameplay similar to those in The Legend of Zelda series are called Zelda clones or Zelda -like games. Popular subgenres include: A Grand Theft Auto clone belongs to
7808-548: The amount of damage Link takes from enemy attacks; and stronger swords which allow Link to inflict more damage to enemies. These items are mainly found in caves scattered throughout the land. Some are easily accessible, while others are hidden beneath obstacles such as rocks, trees, and waterfalls. Defeated enemies sometimes drop items including hearts, which refill the life meter, and Rupees, the in-game currency. Rupees can also be found in hidden treasure caves and are used to buy equipment, information, and ability upgrades. Hidden in
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#17330855637477936-437: The amount of damage the player character can survive; when all of the player's heart containers have been emptied, the game restarts at the last doorway entered by the character. Defeating a Nightmare also earns the player one of the eight instruments necessary to complete the game. Link's Awakening was the first overhead-perspective Zelda game to allow Link to jump; this enables sidescrolling sequences similar to those in
8064-496: The camera added gameplay depth and allowed players to show off trophies. The Daily Telegraph ' s Samantha Amjadali wrote that the addition of color made the game easier by reducing deaths caused by indistinct graphics. Total Games noted that the new content added little to the game, but found it addictive to play nonetheless. The game won several awards. At the Golden Joystick Awards , it won two awards, for Game of
8192-420: The character dialog, with the exception of the owl's and the Wind Fish's lines. Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost had previously met with a Nintendo engineer in 1990 for a conversation regarding a Twin Peaks video game, and they discussed the inspiration of Twin Peaks in regards to the expansion of the Zelda universe. Tanabe implemented a previous idea of the world ending when a massive egg breaks on top of
8320-594: The completed Triforce of Wisdom, he is able to infiltrate Ganon's hideout in Death Mountain , confronting the prince of darkness and destroying him with the Silver Arrow. Obtaining the Triforce of Power from Ganon's ashes, Link returns it and the restored Triforce of Wisdom to the rescued Princess Zelda, and peace returns to Hyrule. The Legend of Zelda was directed and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka (credited as S. Miyahon and Ten Ten respectively in
8448-433: The dungeons, which included the conception of rooms and routes, as well as the placement of enemies. Shigeru Miyamoto , who served as the producer of Link's Awakening , did not provide creative input to the staff members. However, he participated as game tester , and his opinions greatly influenced the latter half of the development. The music for Link's Awakening was composed by Minako Hamano, Kozue Ishikawa, for whom it
8576-418: The earlier Zelda II: The Adventure of Link . Players can expand their abilities with items , which are discovered in dungeons and through character interactions. Certain items grant access to previously inaccessible areas and are needed to enter and complete dungeons. The player may steal items from the game's shop, but doing so changes the player character's name to "THIEF" for the rest of the game and causes
8704-424: The eight dungeons across Koholint, Link climbs to the top of Mt. Tamaranch and plays the Ballad of the Wind Fish. This breaks open the egg in which the Wind Fish sleeps; Link enters and confronts the last evil being, a Nightmare that takes the form of Ganon and other enemies from Link's past. Its final transformation is "DethI", a cyclopean, dual-tentacled Shadow. After Link defeats DethI, the owl reveals itself to be
8832-402: The eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom in order to rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon . The player controls Link from a top-down perspective and navigates throughout the overworld and dungeons , collecting weapons, defeating enemies and uncovering secrets along the way. Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka , it was originally released in Japan as a launch title for
8960-554: The ending credits finish. Link's Awakening began as an unsanctioned side project; programmer Kazuaki Morita created a Zelda -like game with one of the first Game Boy development kits , and he used it to experiment with the platform's capabilities. Other staff members of the Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development division joined him after-hours and worked on the game in what seemed to them like an "afterschool club". The results of these experiments with
9088-431: The events of A Link to the Past , the hero Link travels by ship to other countries to train for further threats. A storm destroys his boat at sea, and he washes ashore on Koholint Island, where he is taken to the house of Tarin by his daughter Marin. She is fascinated by Link and the outside world, and tells Link wishfully that, if she were a seagull, she would leave and travel across the sea. After Link recovers his sword,
9216-459: The extra sound channel provided by the system was utilized for certain sound effects; most notably Link's sword beam at full health, roars and growls of dungeon bosses, and those of defeated enemies. Sound effects had to be altered for the eventual cartridge release version of Zelda which used the Famicom's PCM channel. The game also took advantage of that system's controller having a built-in microphone,
9344-418: The foundations for later action-adventure games like Metroid and role-playing video games like Final Fantasy , while influencing most modern games in general. In 2009, Game Informer called The Legend of Zelda "no less than the greatest game of all time" on their list of "The Top 200 Games of All Time", saying that it was "ahead of its time by years if not decades". In 2011, Nintendo celebrated
9472-465: The game a perfect score, and noted that "throughout the color-enhanced version of Zelda DX , it can easily be inferred that Nintendo has reworked its magic to fit new standards", by adding new content while keeping the original game intact. Cameron Davis of GameSpot applauded the game's camera support and attention to detail in coloration and style, while reviewers for the Courier Mail believed that
9600-475: The game also spawned several clones trying to emulate the game. Despite this, Miyamoto did not consider Zelda an RPG, but classified Zelda as "a real-time adventure game"; he said he was "not interested in systems where everything in the game is decided by stats and numbers" but what's "important to me is to preserve as much of that "live" feeling as possible" which he said " action games are better suited in conveying" to players. The Legend of Zelda spawned
9728-633: The game is by using an Action Replay . An official re-release was included in 2003's The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for the GameCube , and the game was again re-released on the Game Boy Advance in 2004 along with its sequel, The Adventure of Link , as part of the Famicom Mini/Classic NES Series . In 2006, it was released on the Wii 's Virtual Console , and a timed demo of the game
9856-558: The game over A Link to the Past , as he enjoyed the challenge of making a similar game on lower-specced hardware. Several elements from Link's Awakening were re-used in later Zelda titles; for example, programmer Morita created a fishing minigame that reappeared in Ocarina of Time , among others. Tanabe implemented a trading sequence; Tezuka compared it to the Japanese Straw Millionaire folktale, in which someone trades up from
9984-427: The game takes place from an overhead perspective. The player traverses the overworld of Koholint Island while fighting monsters and exploring underground dungeons. Dungeons steadily become larger and more difficult, and feature "Nightmare" boss characters that the player must defeat, taking different forms in each dungeon, and getting harder to defeat each time. Success earns the player heart containers, which increase
10112-463: The game was originally intended to be a launch game for the Famicom Disk System . The development team worked on The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. concurrently, and tried to separate their ideas: Super Mario Bros. was to be linear, where the action occurred in a strict sequence, whereas The Legend of Zelda would be the opposite. In Mario , Miyamoto downplayed the importance of
10240-528: The game's 25th anniversary in a similar vein to the Super Mario Bros. 25th anniversary celebration the previous year. This celebration included a free mailout Club Nintendo offer of the Ocarina of Time soundtrack to owners of the 3DS version of that particular game, the first digital for Nintendo eShop release of Link's Awakening DX , special posters that are mailed out as rewards through Club Nintendo, and
10368-461: The game's five music tracks. He had planned to use Maurice Ravel 's Boléro as the title theme as it perfectly matched its speed. In Japan, music is publicly released over 50 years after the composer's death. But Kondo was forced to change it in November 1985, late in the game's development cycle, after learning that it had only been 47 years and 11 months after Ravel's death. As a result, Kondo wrote
10496-483: The game's music and story. Multiple sources touted it as an excellent portable adventure for those without the time for more sophisticated games. Complaints about the game included its control scheme and monochrome graphics; certain critics believed that they made it difficult to discern the screen's contents, and wished that the game was in color. Critic William Burrill dismissed the game's visuals as "dim Boy graphics [that are] nothing to write home about". Both Carter and
10624-461: The game, but also the Game Boy's superior battery life and portability, the latter of which was critical to the accessibility of a portable Zelda title. The company-owned magazine Nintendo Power published a guide to the game's first three areas in its July 1993 issue. In 1998, to promote the launch of the Game Boy Color , Nintendo re-released Link's Awakening as The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX . It features fully colorized graphics and
10752-406: The gameplay still follows a number of adventure game genre tropes (gathering items , exploration of and interaction with one's environment, often including an overworld connecting areas of importance, and puzzle-solving). While the controls are arcade-style (character movement, few action commands) there is an ultimate goal beyond a high score. In most action-adventure games, the player controls
10880-530: The genre. GamesRadar ranked it the third best NES game ever made. The staff praised its "mix of complexity, open world design, and timeless graphics". The Legend of Zelda has continued to receive critical acclaim from modern critics and remains well regarded. It is often featured in lists of games considered the greatest or most influential. In 1995, Flux ranked the game 2nd on its "Top 100 Video Games". It placed first in Game Informer ' s list of
11008-469: The gold cartridge, full color manual, and fold-out map. In 2016, The Strong National Museum of Play inducted The Legend of Zelda to its World Video Game Hall of Fame . The Legend of Zelda is considered a spiritual forerunner of the modern action role-playing video game (RPG) genre. Though it is often not considered part of the genre since it lacked key RPG mechanics such as experience points , it had many features in common with RPGs and served as
11136-541: The graphics, storytelling and setting, and gameplay, hailing the latter as groundbreaking. In Japan, Famicom Tsūshin ( Famitsu ) magazine gave it a full score of 5 out of 5 stars, while the first Famitsu Best Hit Game Awards gave Zelda the award for best background music and listed it as the third best Game of the Year (just below Dragon Quest and Gradius ). Upon release in North America, Computer Entertainer called it an "excellent" adventure game that exceeded expectations and said it had "more to offer than
11264-420: The high score in favor of simply completing the game. This concept was carried over to The Legend of Zelda . Miyamoto was also in charge of deciding which concepts were " Zelda ideas" or " Mario ideas". Contrasting with Mario , Zelda was made non-linear and forced the players to think about what they should do next. According to Miyamoto, those in Japan were confused and had trouble finding their way through
11392-478: The kingdom. While wandering the land, the old woman is surrounded by Ganon's henchmen, when a young boy named Link appears and rescues her. Upon hearing Impa's plea, he resolves to save Zelda and sets out to reassemble the scattered fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom, with which Ganon can then be defeated. During the course of the tale, Link locates and braves the eight underworld labyrinths, and beyond their defeated guardian monsters retrieves each fragment. With
11520-410: The latter mechanic is central to the next Zelda game released, Ocarina of Time . Unlike most The Legend of Zelda titles, Link's Awakening is set outside the kingdom of Hyrule . It omits locations and characters from previous games, aside from protagonist Link and a passing mention of Princess Zelda . Instead, the game takes place entirely on Koholint Island, an isolated landmass cut off from
11648-518: The liberty of using [it] for the very first title". Early Zelda concepts involved technological elements, with microchips for the Triforce made of electronic circuits and a time-traveling hero, another factor of their name relating to the idea of a computer hyper-"link". While the final game and subsequent games in the series follow a more traditional medieval -like sword and sorcery setting, later entries have incorporated some technology-based concepts. Koji Kondo (credited as Konchan) composed
11776-502: The maze of sliding doors in his family's home in Sonobe was recreated in Zelda ' s labyrinthian dungeons . Tezuka finalized the designs for each "level" of dungeons and handed them all to Nakago in December 1985 so he could closely replicate them in the actual game. Nakago ended up using only half of all the dungeon pieces while copying the whole map. Miyamoto said it was good enough, and
11904-485: The more complicated games, especially Zelda , with its hidden rooms, secret keys and passageways. The mailing list grew. By early 1988, there were over 1 million Fun Club members, which led then-Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa to start the Nintendo Power magazine. Since Nintendo did not have many products, it made only a few commercials a year, meaning the quality had to be phenomenal. The budget for
12032-442: The multi-path dungeons, and in initial game designs, the player would start with the sword already in their inventory. Rather than merely simplifying matters for players, Miyamoto forced the player to listen to the old man who gives the player their sword, and encouraged interaction among people to share their ideas with each other to find the various hidden secrets, a new form of gaming communication. Relatedly, this concept turned into
12160-444: The name entered as "ZELDA", this mode can instead be accessed without needing to beat the game first. Within the official Zelda Chronology, The Legend of Zelda takes place in an Era called "The Era of Decline", which exists within an alternative reality. In this era, Hyrule has been reduced to a small kingdom where the residents now live in caves, setting the background for The Legend of Zelda . The story of The Legend of Zelda
12288-527: The names of some enemies from the game, and screaming for Zelda. The Legend of Zelda was first re-released in cartridge format for the Famicom in 1994. The cartridge version slightly modified the title screen of the Disk Card version of the game, such that it displayed the number 1 at the end of the title. In 2001, the original game was re-released in the GameCube game Animal Crossing . The only way to unlock
12416-555: The original Legend of Zelda , as well as Zelda II: Adventure of Link , and the Gameboy version of Link's Awakening . The Zelda Game & Watch also includes a modified version of the Game and Watch original, Vermin , with Link replacing Mr. Game and Watch. The Legend of Zelda received highly positive reviews from critics and was a best-seller for Nintendo. Upon release in Japan, it sold 1 million copies on its first day of release, and sold
12544-578: The original The Hyrule Fantasy: Legend of Zelda for a Super Famicom peripheral, the Satellaview —a satellite modem add-on. The game, BS Zelda no Densetsu ( BS ゼルダの伝説 ) , was released for download in four episodic, weekly installments which were rebroadcast at least four times between the game's 1995 premiere and January 1997. BS Zelda was the first Satellaview game to feature a " SoundLink " soundtrack—a streaming audio track through which, every few minutes, players were cautioned to listen carefully as
12672-545: The original script; for example, hint messages were added to the boss battles. For the new dungeon, Yuichi Ozaki created a musical piece based on Kondo's dungeon theme from the original The Legend of Zelda . Nintendo later re-released the DX version on the Virtual Console of the Nintendo 3DS in June 2011. In July 2013, Link's Awakening DX was offered as one of several Virtual Console games which "elite status" members of
12800-402: The overworld after acquiring useful items. This freedom allows many ways of progressing through the game. It is possible to reach the final boss without receiving the normally vital sword at its outset. The game world contains 600 separate scenes, with the overworld consisting of over 97 scenes and the underworld consisting of nine multi-scene labyrinths. After initially completing the game,
12928-441: The overworld are entrances to eight large dungeons housing the pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. Each dungeon has a unique maze-like layout of rooms connected by doors and secret passages , often barred by monsters (which must be defeated) or by blocks (which must be moved to gain entrance). Dungeons also contain useful items Link can add to his inventory, such as a boomerang for stunning enemies and retrieving distant items, and
13056-489: The player has enough ammunition and recovery items to " survive " the horror setting. This is a thematic genre with diverse gameplay, so not all survival horror games share all the features. The Resident Evil franchise popularized this subgenre. Action-adventure games are faster-paced than pure adventure games, and include physical as well as conceptual challenges where the story is enacted rather than narrated. While motion-based, often reflexive, actions are required,
13184-399: The player visits a camera shop; its owner will appear in certain locations throughout the game. A total of twelve photos can be taken, which may be viewed at the shop, or printed with the Game Boy Printer accessory. For Link's Awakening DX , Tezuka returned as project supervisor, with Yoshinori Tsuchiyama as the new director. Nobuo Matsumiya collaborated with Tsuchiyama on applying changes to
13312-400: The player's reflexes and eye-hand coordination . Action-adventure games combine these genres by engaging both eye-hand coordination and problem-solving skills. An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action game and an adventure game , especially crucial elements like puzzles inspired by older adventure games. Action-adventures require many of
13440-467: The player's poll "Top 30" in Nintendo Power ' s first issue and continued to dominate the list into the early 1990s. The Legend of Zelda was also voted by Nintendo Power readers as the "Best Challenge" in the Nintendo Power Awards '88. The magazine also listed it as the best Nintendo Entertainment System video game ever created, stating that it was fun despite its age and innovated on
13568-420: The plot of A Link to the Past , was brought into the team. Koizumi was responsible for the main story of Link's Awakening , provided the idea of the island in a dream, and conceived the interactions with the villagers. Link's Awakening was described by series producer Eiji Aonuma as the first Zelda game with a proper plot, which he attributed to Koizumi's romanticism. Tezuka intended the game's world to have
13696-510: The protagonist Link begins the game stranded on Koholint Island, a place guarded by a whale -like deity called the Wind Fish. Assuming the role of Link, the player fights monsters and solves puzzles while searching for eight musical instruments that will awaken the sleeping Wind Fish and allow him to escape from the island. Development began as an effort to port the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game A Link to
13824-646: The rest of the world. The island, though small, contains a large number of secrets and interconnected pathways. Within the Zelda timeline , Link's Awakening takes place after Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past , but before Oracle of Seasons and Ages . In Link's Awakening , the player is given advice and directions by non-player characters such as Ulrira, a shy old man who communicates with Link exclusively by telephone. The game contains cameo appearances by characters from other Nintendo titles, such as Wart , Yoshi , Kirby , Dr. Wright (renamed Mr. Write) from
13952-406: The root of another series to be developed many years in the future: Miyamoto said that Zelda became the inspiration for Animal Crossing , a game based solely on communication. With The Legend of Zelda , Miyamoto wanted to flesh out the idea of a game "world" even further, giving players a "miniature garden that they can put inside their drawer". He drew his inspiration from his experiences as
14080-439: The same physical skills as action games, but may also offer a storyline, numerous characters, an inventory system, dialogue, and other features of adventure games. They are typically faster-paced than pure adventure games, because they include both physical and conceptual challenges. Action-adventure games normally include a combination of complex story elements, which are often displayed for players using audio and video. The story
14208-443: The shopkeeper to knock out the character upon re-entry of the shop. In addition to the main quest, Link's Awakening contains side-missions and diversions. Collectible "secret seashells" are hidden throughout the game; when twenty of these are found, the player can receive a powerful sword that fires energy beams when the player character is at full health, similar to the sword in the original The Legend of Zelda . Link's Awakening
14336-540: The staff placed it at 78th; the staff believed that, "while handheld spin-offs are generally considered the low point for game franchises, Link's Awakening proves that they can offer just as rich a gameplay experience as their console counterparts". In 2009, Official Nintendo Magazine ranked the DX version of the game 25th in a list of the greatest Nintendo games, calling it "an absolute masterclass in handheld game design". Action-adventure game An action-adventure game
14464-582: The system's introduction. It made full use of Disk Card media's advantages over traditional ROM cartridges, with an increased size of 128 kilobytes which would be expensive to produce on cartridge format. Due to the still-limited amount of disk space, all of the text used in the game was from only a single syllabary known as katakana , which under normal circumstances primarily relates more to foreign words which supplement those of traditional Japanese origin as with hiragana and kanji characters. Rather than passwords , rewritable disks saved players' game progress, and
14592-552: The team decided to use half of the left-over memory to create the Second Quest. Tezuka also wrote the setting to be a fairytale adventure, taking inspiration from fantasy books such as J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Lord of the Rings . The hero "Link" was so named in part to connect players inserted into this world with their interactive role, as something of a blank slate representing their individuality or methods. Designed by Miyamoto as
14720-440: The template for the action role-playing game genre. The game's fantasy setting, musical style and action-adventure gameplay were adopted by many RPGs. Its commercial success helped lay the groundwork for involved, non-linear games in fantasy settings, such as those found in successful RPGs, including Crystalis , Soul Blazer , Square 's Seiken Densetsu series, Alundra , and Brave Fencer Musashi . The popularity of
14848-507: The typical hack-and-slash " epics, with "monsters to fight, secret doors to discover, and plenty of frustration" rewarded with new treasures, weapons, experience, places and discoveries. The review also praised the "very appealing" and "beautiful, fairy-tale" quality, the battery backup save feature, the "charming graphics, superb original music, excellent animation, and smooth transitions in scrolling between locations". They called it "an incredibly rich, deep gaming experience that goes far beyond
14976-489: The typical cartridge game" with appeal "to both male and female players" of all ages, making it a "must-have" for every Nintendo owner. Computer Gaming World in 1988 named the game as the best adventure of the year, stating that Zelda had been a "sensational success" in bringing elements of computer action-adventures to consoles. In 1990, the magazine implied that the game was a killer app , causing computer RPG players who had dismissed consoles as "mere arcade toys" to buy
15104-414: The usual way: the two methods yield different bonuses. Director Takashi Tezuka said that the game's "freewheeling" development made Link's Awakening seem like a parody of The Legend of Zelda series. Certain characters in the game break the fourth wall ; for example, little children inform the player of game mechanics such as saving, but admit that they do not understand the advice they are giving. After
15232-486: The whole thing for being one of those 'It's all a dream!' fakeouts". Game Informer ' s Ben Reeves called it the third best Game Boy game and called it influential. The Washington Post ' s Chip Carter declared that Nintendo had created a "legend that fits in the palm of your hand", and praised its portability and depth. An Jōkiri of ITMedia echoed similar comments. A writer for the Mainichi Shimbun enjoyed
15360-554: Was ported to the GameCube and Game Boy Advance , and was available via the Virtual Console on the Wii , Nintendo 3DS and Wii U . It was also one of 30 games included in the NES Classic Edition system, and is available on the Nintendo Switch through the Nintendo Switch Online service. The Legend of Zelda was a critical and commercial success for Nintendo. The game sold over 6.5 million copies, launched
15488-402: Was inducted into GameSpy ' s Hall of Fame in August 2000 and voted by GameSpy ' s editors as the tenth best game of all time. Editors of the popular Japanese magazine Weekly Famitsu voted the game among the best on the Famicom. In 1997 Next Generation listed the North American release in their "Five Greatest Game Packages of All Time", citing the die-cut hole which revealed
15616-446: Was released for the 2008 Wii game Super Smash Bros. Brawl , available in the Vault section. All re-releases of the game are virtually identical to the original, though the GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Virtual Console versions have been altered slightly to correct several instances of incorrect spelling from the original, most notably in the intro story. A tech demo called Classic Games
15744-522: Was released to the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in September 2011, as a part of the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program, and was later released to the Nintendo 3DS eShop on December 22 in Japan; in 2012, it was released in Europe on April 12 and on July 5 in North America. The version released to the Japanese 3DS Virtual Console was the cartridge version. The game was released for the Nintendo Switch as part of
15872-469: Was reviewed in 1992 by Total! where it received a 78% rating due in great part to mediocre sub-scores for music and graphics. A 1993 review of the game was printed in American magazine Dragon #198 by Sandy Petersen in the "Eye of the Monitor" column, scoring the game 4 out of 5 stars. It was reissued in 1992 as part of Nintendo's "Classic Series" and featured a grey cartridge. The game placed first in
16000-460: Was shown for the Nintendo 3DS at E3 2010 , showcasing more than a dozen classic games using 3D effects, including The Legend of Zelda . Reggie Fils-Aimé , president of Nintendo of America , said that the games were slated for release on the 3DS, including The Legend of Zelda , Mega Man 2 , and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island , using some of the 3DS's features, such as 3D effects, analog control, or camera support. The Legend of Zelda
16128-555: Was the top-selling Game Boy game in August 1993. Link's Awakening sold well and helped boost Game Boy sales 13 percent in 1993—making it one of Nintendo's most profitable years in North America up to that time. The game remained on bestseller lists for more than 90 months after release, was re-released as part of the Player's Choice series, and went on to sell 3.83 million units by 2004. The DX version sold another 2.22 million units. The Virtual Console release of Link's Awakening DX
16256-447: Was the top-selling downloadable Nintendo 3DS game of 2011, selling over 338,700 units, or an estimated $ 2.3 million in gross revenue. Link's Awakening was critically acclaimed, and holds an average score of 90% on aggregate site GameRankings . In a retrospective article, Electronic Gaming Monthly writer Jeremy Parish called Link's Awakening the "best Game Boy game ever, an adventure so engrossing and epic that we can even forgive
16384-498: Was their first game project, and Kazumi Totaka , who also was responsible for the sound programming and all sound effects. As with most Zelda games, Link's Awakening includes a variation of the recurring overworld music; The staff credits theme, "Yume o Miru Shima e" was later arranged for orchestra by Yuka Tsujiyoko and performed at the Orchestral Game Music Concert 3 in 1993. Super Smash Bros. Brawl includes
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