Legend of Zelda video retrospective (part 1)

by Blake Snow { Oct 14th 2006 at 3:00PM }

Like it or not, the Legend of Zelda is credited for pioneering many video game play mechanics still used to this day as the above GameTrailers video retrospective shows. Part one of the series examines the first two games in the franchise (Legend of Zelda and Zelda II for the NES) leading up to the much anticipated Twilight Princess release on Wii and GameCube.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

KBeat @ Oct 14th 2006 3:14PM

That was great. I only came into Zelda on the 64. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Jeremy @ Oct 14th 2006 3:15PM

Goosebumps...

Jeremy @ Oct 14th 2006 3:19PM

#1 - That's awesome, you have 2 fantastic games to look forward to. I don't care what anyone says, they were both awesome. I beat both of them many times over as a kid.

Pedro Van Faulk @ Oct 14th 2006 3:40PM

The zelda theme wasn't present in Ocarina of time.

HoodOrnament @ Oct 14th 2006 3:43PM

I can hardly call myself a gamer because ive never played any of the Zelda games..... I know, its embarassing to me too. My first console was a genesis, i never got an NES until last year when i found a brand new gun with power pad and the console, but no zelda with it.

DrLove @ Oct 14th 2006 3:45PM

Van Faulk is correct, I believe. I don't recall that particular theme in OOT.

Where are the other parts of this retrospective?

Jon @ Oct 14th 2006 3:56PM

Awesome video. My last console was the SNES and I still play it regularly. I preordered a Wii and am excited to get back into the zelda series so this is a great way to fill in the missing Link (pun intended) ;o) Where can I find the rest of the videos?

comanderlink @ Oct 14th 2006 4:16PM

My first Zelda game was Link's Awakening when I was six. Sadly, my little six year old mind could not figure how to get to the first dungeon, so my babysitter beat it for me as I watched over his shoulder. Good times, good times...I look forward to the next installments.

aldo @ Oct 14th 2006 4:21PM

Eh my first game was Link's awakening as well just like #8 but it took me months to get to the final ganon fight and when I got to it i had to get my oldest cousin to beat it for me because I couldn't understand how to do it...

Judd @ Oct 14th 2006 4:24PM

Ok maybe Mario or Mega Man released more games, but if you asked me what the greatest series of all time is, it has to be LoZ. So many of the games were groundbreaking and unlike series such as Mega Man almost every one has been phenomenal(no one counts the Phillips games). I personally believe Ocarina of Time to be the greatest game ever made(and many people would agree with me). http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/simpleratings.asp?rankings=y
Some people might say Final Fantasy, others may say Metal Gear, but I say the best video games time and time again bear the name of The Legend of Zelda.

RaDd @ Oct 14th 2006 4:38PM

so many memories...

:-)

Masaki @ Oct 14th 2006 4:40PM

@ Judd

Amen to that, brother.

David @ Oct 14th 2006 4:41PM

Zelda Ocarina of Time is my most favourite game of all time. The only thing that can dislodge that could be Twilight Princess if it delivers. May pick up both versions to compare the controls. Also buying all the Zeldas off of the virtual console on launch of the Wii!

ageekintraining @ Oct 14th 2006 4:42PM

my first zelda game was also links awakening, me and my brothers slaved over it for months, and it was the only one that we managed to beat without a strategy guide or any sort of outside help! :). definitely good times... cant wait for twilight princess...

Matt @ Oct 14th 2006 4:56PM

Zelda has long been my favorite game series. The feeling of starting a new one has no equal. I'm not sure why either. But then again I don't really care.

Kanadwen @ Oct 14th 2006 5:17PM

Zelda 2 will always be the best in my heart!! :D

ejflex @ Oct 14th 2006 5:21PM

Actually OOT(Which is my favorite game of all time if you give a crap) did have music which was derived from the Original Zelda theme. Although it didnt have the Zelda theme in itself.. it did have baselines which were nearly identical. If that makes any sense.

Copious @ Oct 14th 2006 5:26PM

Blake Snow, you should not be allowed to cover Nintendo news. Last night you come up with some absurd hypothetical situaion to show that the DS isn't actually successful in expanding the industry and reveal yourself by saying "Alas the DS is a success". Unless you don't know what alas mean your poor writing skills reveal your true feelings. Now it's "Like it or not, the Legend of Zelda is credited for pioneering many video game play mechanics still used to this day.." Talk about begrudging. Maybe you should leave to Nintendo news to someone who, you know, actually doesn't seem to strongly dislike Nintendo. You are an enthusiast site after all. I don;t think anyone comes here to read your cynical BS.

Infil @ Oct 14th 2006 5:39PM

The whole "Like it or not..." comment sure has me confused, too. Name one person who doesn't like the Legend of Zelda series, that considers himself a true gamer.

@15: Perhaps we all love starting a new Zelda adventure so much because we know it's going to be so special, and we're finally getting to see the fruits of the efforts of all of Nintendo's best game designers. That feeling only comes along once every few years, so it's something to relish.

If Twilight Princess does indeed deliver on the hype (and really, how could it not), I think each gamer will fall in love with it. I'm definitely reserving some serious time for Zelda this November.

I'm a little sad to think that some of the Zelda hype will get lost among the "how does it control on the Wii?" comments, but I think when people step back and realize that this IS the Zelda masterpiece we've been waiting for, we'll all just delight in playing through it. I want another dungeon like the Forest Temple in OOT (which, in my opinion, is the best dungeon Zelda has ever seen)!

fredrik dunder @ Oct 14th 2006 5:58PM

""Name one person who doesn't like the Legend of Zelda series, that considers himself a true gamer.""

lol

Me_Izme @ Oct 14th 2006 6:18PM

Back when I was in fourth grade, I didn't know what The Legend of Zelda was until my neighbor and friend showed me the game on his N64. I've played every iteration since, and every handheld version I could get my grimy paws on. The handheld Zeldas are some of the best of the series in my opinion. The Link's Awakening DX (remake for the Color Gameboy) and Seasons saga are amongst my favorite Zelda games, next to OoT, and since I refuse to play a Zelda game on a PC emulator (the temptation to use "Save State" is too great, and I wouldn't do that for my beloved Zelda franchise), the only other options I have (other than expensive Ebay auctions) is Nintendo's Virtual Console to finally get to experience the gems that started it all, and maybe enlighten my younger brother to what really makes gaming special.

I'm sure the Zelda Main Theme was somewhere in OoT. It was interlaced with the main Hyrule Field theme, if not the actual theme used on the Hyrule Field (I need to replay the game to be sure). My favorite themes, though, are both the Song of Storms and, especially, the Bolero of Fire.

Long Live the Legend of Zelda! ^o^

crimemaster gogo @ Oct 14th 2006 6:22PM

ahh OoT i remeber walking on to Hyrule field and feeling awestruck. Put zelda and damien rice together and i might just have an orgasm!!

Blake Snow @ Oct 14th 2006 6:28PM

@Copious

Sorry you don't dig my Nintendo coverage. Ninty is actually my favorite game publisher, but I've been known to show tough love at times when critiquing them as a company. "The like it or not" remark was merely used as a courtesy to the minority of gamers that read the site but don't care for the franchise. Those who know me personally, know that Zelda is my favorite game.

harvsorrow @ Oct 14th 2006 8:12PM

I just cried and peed my pants in the same time.

Bob422 @ Oct 14th 2006 8:40PM

What is the name of the orchestrated Zelda theme in the beginning??

DarkTetsuya @ Oct 14th 2006 9:13PM

What do you mean "like it or not"? The only time "Zelda" and "dislike" should be in the same sentence are:

Zelda II or,

The CDi "games."

Pal @ Oct 14th 2006 9:34PM

I've only liked "Link's Awakening" so far (well, more like love). I bought "A Link to the Past" on the GBA to see what the fuss was about, but...I couldn't like it if I lied to myself. "Ocarina of Time" didn't catch me either when I played it way back when. Oh well.

Elrando @ Oct 14th 2006 10:10PM

I replayed Link to the Past last week.
I honestly believe that was the series high point, however everything after (and before) it was still amazing. Maybe Twilight Princess will best it.

striderhayasa @ Oct 14th 2006 10:17PM

I loved OoT but liked the darker theme of Majora's Mask better. I took me over a year to get over the cell shaded nature of Wind Waker but once I got into it, I loved it, especially the ending. Zelda alone was worth a Gamecube.

I finished and still have the original gold Legend of Zelda for NES and I finished Zelda 2. I passed on the SNES version because I liked Secret of Mana more. But I plan on getting the SNES version on VC.

Oracle of Ages is a blast even though I didn't finish it and I'll have Twilight Princess with the Wii on 11/19 provided nothing stupid happens.

Zelda is truly one of the greatest series ever made. The only series that has influenced me as much is Metroid. This is why I had to buy the Wii first instead of the 360.

Rein @ Oct 14th 2006 11:11PM

I have to agree with #16 about Zelda 2. Even though it made me want to break my controller or hit my dog, the feeling I got after beating it was so relieving I felt like I had died. It was a great game with kick ass themes.

But other than that, I wasn't so fond of OoT, but my favorite one is Majora's Mask. Go figure...

FooAtari @ Oct 14th 2006 11:58PM

I havent been able to get into any Zelda games despite my best attempts...

*runs and hides*

Adv2k1 @ Oct 15th 2006 1:03AM

zelda 2 blew. I played it for the first time on my cube via the zelda collection.
zelda 1 is very nice however even if its insanely hard to today's standards. "Invisble walls" that you have to walk into is LAME.

How many parts will this thing be? I mean after SNES,GB it has n64, another GBC, and GBA and Gamecube and finally wii. Only doing 2 games is going to take a while to do them all.

MM is awesome.

samfish @ Oct 15th 2006 4:25AM

I actually JUST beat WindWaker tonight (it was on my List Of Things To Do Before I Buy A Wii). The ending left me feeling indifferent, but as someone who has played all the Zelda games (CDi excluded, mostly), I think Wind Waker had the best play mechanics...
Although if you asked me which was best, my head would probably explode after a few hours of trying to decide between Ocarina Of Time and A Link to The Past.

Zo� K. @ Oct 15th 2006 10:17AM

Link's Awakening was the best the series had to offer, followed closely by both Wind Waker and A Link to the Past.

But I came in to say what I've seen a few others say already... Zelda's iconic theme was Not in Ocarina of Time. That was one of the few complaints I heard people aim at the game. They rectified that issue with Majora's Mask.

SirHilly @ Oct 15th 2006 10:42AM

The main Zelda theme is nowhere to be found in OoT, regardless of how similar some of the cues are. This made hearing it once again in Majora's Mask that much cooler in my opinion.

plake @ Oct 15th 2006 1:50PM

Excellent, just excellent video. Looking forward to part 2!

Josh @ Oct 15th 2006 1:59PM

Ah, the memories...The first game I ever played was The Legend of Zelda for NES when I was about two years old.

crankbait @ Oct 16th 2006 2:16PM

2 years old?

whatever....

crono141 @ Oct 16th 2006 5:49PM

Zelda II haters out there... you just don't get the game is all.

Its not the best Zelda, but I'd say it was my favorite, because it was dark, and has remained the darkest zelda to date. Not to mention that it was truly epic, with a huge world you were free to explore.

Also, the first action RPG/sidescroller, and probably the ONLY zelda game that could be called an RPG.

Oh yes, Zelda II was the shiznite!