Celebrate The Legend of Zelda's 35th anniversary with Tom's Guide

Celebrate The Legend of Zelda'due south 35th anniversary with Tom'south Guide

(Prototype credit: Nintendo)

The Fable of Zelda debuted for the Nintendo Amusement Organization on February 21, 1986. Since then, we've followed Link, Zelda and Ganon on near xx unforgettable adventures. From intense swordplay to devious puzzles to wide-open exploration, The Legend of Zelda has ever thrilled, delighted and surprised players. With The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2017, the series arguably came full circumvolve, imbuing Hyrule with a placidity sense of mystery and wonder that players simply had to discover for themselves.

To celebrate 35 years of Zelda, the Tom's Guide staff has put together a series of stories that highlight our personal favorite titles, as well every bit the impact the series has had on players, game blueprint and fifty-fifty popular culture equally a whole. The Legend of Zelda isn't just a serial of fantabulous games, after all; at this bespeak, it's an establishment. By presenting a fresh take on historic period-old fantasy tropes, this ambitious serial has always melded cutting-edge technology with rich tradition.

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The Fable of Zelda games, ranked

Read on to find out how the Tom's Guide staff is celebrating The Legend of Zelda's 35th anniversary, and what the games have meant to us over the years.

skyward sword hd — (Paradigm credit: Nintendo)

The Legend of Zelda 35th anniversary stories

To gloat The Fable of Zelda'southward 35th anniversary, Nintendo announced an Hd Switch port of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, as well every bit some fashionable limited edition Skyward Sword Joy-Cons. I discussed why The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is the perfect choice for a remaster.

Staff writer Rory Mellon discussed how he started the Zelda serial with 2017'southward Jiff of the Wild — and how the classic Zelda games now feel dated in comparison. As it turns out, The Legend of Zelda looks very unlike to someone who started with 1 of the most experimental games in the franchise.

Roland Moore-Colyer, our UK editor, wrote about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and his years-long quest to finish the game. Even without seeing the ending, Roland argues that the game has more than than earned its sterling reputation. Even mod open-globe titles tin can't quite match its many charms.

I took a deep dive into Joseph Campbell'southward literary theory to discuss why The Legend of Zelda isn't but fun; it's downright mythic. Link follows the archetypal Hero's Journeying, which helps explain why Zelda has persisted non merely every bit a fun game serial, but as a veritable piece of modern-mean solar day mythology.

The Fable of Zelda 35th anniversary reflections

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was the first game to impart upon me a feeling of space. The wide, mysterious body of water pulled me into a world that seemed vast, with genuine unknowns worth uncovering. Those feelings of open up hazard, anxiety and trepidation must be how Marco Polo and Ferdinand Magellan felt, sailing out into the open bounding main. To compartmentalize that for a 12-year-erstwhile child was design brilliance past Nintendo. Very few games will ever compare. — Imad Khan

Earlier The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time came out, gaming was something I did just to pass the time. Mario, Mega Man and co. were simply sprites on a screen, meant to while away a few hours after school or on the weekends. But Ocarina of Fourth dimension was and so much more. Hither was an epic fantasy hazard, with well-developed characters, a huge globe to explore and a story that's filled to the brim with drama, sense of humor, romance, excitement and heartbreak. Stepping into Link's Hylian boots wasn't merely a style to challenge my gaming skills; it was a whole world, and I felt privileged to alive in information technology for xxx hours, right up until the bittersweet ending. The incredible affair is that since so, the series has only gotten amend. — Marshall Honorof

The Legend of Zelda feels synonymous with gaming in a manner that but a handful of series are. Fifty-fifty people who have never touched a single title in the serial are aware of the franchise'due south iconography. Prove someone the Hylian Shield, and they'll likely identify who carries information technology.

Breath of the Wild was my get-go Zelda championship, and remains ane of my fondest gaming experiences. Exploring a vast open Hyrule, uncovering the secrets of the Divine Beasts and the addictive shrines, was a complete joy. Since then, I've been able to dive into the back catalog of classic Zelda titles, and I await forwards to the upcoming Switch ports, which volition requite me even greater exposure to this dearest series. — Rory Mellon

My commencement experience with Link and his puzzle-centric adventures started with The Legend of Zelda: Link'due south Awakening on the venerable Nintendo Game Boy. I call back the thrill of solving dungeon puzzles, discovering hole-and-corner routes, meeting fourth-wall-breaking characters and smashing lots of pots. Despite its rudimentary visuals, the island of Koholint felt similar a deeply rich globe. I didn't finish the game.

Next up was Ocarina of Time on the N64, offer an open up-world experience before the likes of Fable and Skyrim. I still recall the joy of Hyrule Field during the twenty-four hour period, and the horror of Hyrule Castle Boondocks after Link draws the Primary Sword. I didn't finish the game.

Then came a Link Between Worlds on the 3DS, a seriously smart game that made use of the stereoscopic 3D on Nintendo'due south handheld panel. I didn't finish the game.

My latest Zelda experience was with Jiff of the Wild: not only a stunning entry in the Zelda series only arguably one of the all-time games of all time. And reader, I finished the game. — Roland Moore-Colyer

I grew up with The Legend of Zelda and I've played a lot of the games, but the one I remember the most fondly is Ocarina of Time. I can tell yous everything about that game, hum every ocarina melody, and reminisce about how 6-year-sometime me cried at the cease, when Link had to return the Ocarina of Fourth dimension and the Main Sword. I was terrified of the Well and it still makes me uneasy to this day, despite knowing what'southward coming. Having the game rereleased on the 3DS was a wonderful nostalgia trip, and I still play information technology or the Master Quest redux from time to time. I also loved Twilight Princess, Majora's Mask and Breath of the Wild, only nothing comes close to matching Ocarina of Time for me. — Jordan Palmer

The only game I've played from the Zelda series was The Legend of Zelda: Link'due south Awakening. That was more than enough to become me hooked. I purchased Link'due south Awakening when the national lockdown start hit the Britain (March 2020), and I couldn't become enough of information technology. Apart from the cute cartoony experience, I was actually impressed with the clever (though at times head-scratching) puzzles, the adventurous gameplay and the stunning game design. I've never played any of the original games, so everything was new and heady for me. Merely those who are familiar with the series might find information technology repetitive, to an extent. At the fourth dimension, it was one of the very starting time games I had installed on my Nintendo Switch Low-cal, and fifty-fifty now, information technology remains one of my favorites to play on a gloomy mean solar day. — Denise Primbet

I had no clue what I was getting into when my dad purchased the Legend of Zelda for me dorsum in the '80s. At the fourth dimension, Super Mario Bros. and Rad Racer were my preferred way of video game. However, several potions, dungeons and rupees later on, The Legend of Zelda wound up condign ane of my favorite video games of all time. Sure, the riddles were frustrating, and the game itself felt borderline repetitive. But nil was more satisfying than finding the entrance to a hush-hush dungeon after pushing a random bedrock in the mountains of Hyrule. Subsequent Zelda/Link games take been fun (and difficult), simply tell me that you crush the '80s archetype and you'll get nix just respect from me. — Louis Ramirez

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site'due south coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you can detect him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.