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The Legend of Zelda turns 25 today, celebrate in your own special way

by Mike Schramm on Feb 21st 2011 9:15PM

We're wishing a happy 25th birthday today to one of gaming's seminal works: The Legend of Zelda. On February 21, 1986, Nintendo released the game in Japan, and since then we've all hunted down keys, slashed monsters with Master Swords, and bought bombs from random old men. The series has spanned more than 15 games, countless comics and spin-offs, and even -- excuuuse me princess -- a TV series.

You've got a few options for celebration: Maybe make a Triforce cake to eat, browse through this gallery of Zelda oddities or this video retrospective series, or watch the TV shows, all available on Hulu. Us? We'll be watching old Zelda commercials on YouTube. In the wise words of the rapping nerd, "It's The Legend of Zelda, and it's really rad."

Tags: 25th-anniversary, ds, japan, legend-of-zelda, nes, nintendo, the-legend-of-zelda, wii

Reader Comments (63)

If I was going to lets say "pour one out" for my dead homie gannon how many times do I pour?

@bxgt

Depends how many empty glass bottle you filled with Milk.

@bxgt
Just one red/pink fairy

@bxgt Hmm...

Zelda 1, 2, Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess...

About 7. That's a lot of beer.

@GuitarHero666

Gannon wasn't in Majora's Mask...

@GuitarHero666 oh lol

Zelda 1, LTTP, Ocarina, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and Link's Awakening. 6 Games.

The first ge I ever played was actually links awakaning and it was the first game where I needed a guide because it was so big and so deep. I love that game to this day and play it once a year since then. Thanks nintendo

So what is Nintendo gonna do to celebrate?

@RedFishFire
Release a collection pack of the first two games for a low LOW price of $50!

@RedFishFire

If they release a compilation with a version of Majora's Mask that DOESN'T freeze on me, then SOLD!

"The Legend of Zelda. On February 1, 1986

...Am I missing something, or is this 20 days late?

@Yuglyoshi

I guess it came out on the 21st in North America.

@Yuglyoshi

2011 - 1986 = 25. Maths. Its simple.

@Faenix I think Yugylyoshi was referencing the title of the article, Zelda Turns 25 TODAY.

As for the the game being released on Feb. 1st, that might be a typo. Wikipedia says the original game was released on Feb. 21st, 1986, making the title true. Wikipedia then lists the North American release date as August 22nd, 1987.

@Faenix He said *days* not *years*

@Faenix
You're kind of missing the point. Sure the math works for the years but the 1st was 20 days ago, so did we miss the birthday? Sure looks that way. So the article shouldn't say "The Legend of Zelda Turns 25 TODAY" It should say "...Turns 25 This Month"

@Shadowbender

I'm just going to pretend you did not just say that if Wikipedia says something, it is fact.

That cake looks delicious, and is not a lie.

@captcarl

I am sorry my friend, but the Portal Cake looked delicious as well, but it was a lie. All cake is a lie, no matter how innocent or delicious it looks.

@RuleBook
The Portal cake wasn't a lie. Did you not see it at the end of the game?

@captcarl
Hey, guys! That meme is ancient, and this isn't even a Portal thread! Please stop.

Becoming "Adult Link" in Ocarina of Time blew my mind more than any other moment in gaming.

...that and the time someone wrote "Bite Me' on the ice cream freezer at the Quick-E-Mart.

If there is a video game series responsible for my gaming addiction...this is it.

VIVA LA ZELDA!!!!!

I'm celebrating by breaking into people's houses, throwing their shit around and holding their money above my head.

If they have a problem, I'll pull out my own master sword and spin at them.

@Premature ejaculation man
After seeing your name and reading what you said... I don't want to be a witness to this.

@Peffse
You say that like you've got a choice...

@Premature ejaculation man

I bet you say that to all the girls...

@Premature ejaculation man - You'd better not fill your heart containers, or that sword might shoot some magical beams out and hurt someone that wasn't expecting it so soon.

Just a word of advice.

@BananaBoat
Okay, the metaphor has now officially gone far enough to be incomprehensible.

@gatotsu911 - Would you say that it went too far too fast?

*rimshot*

Well excuse me 8-bit hoe

I'll celebrate by marveling upon the wondrous nostalgia I have for Wind Waker, which is around my top 3 all-time favorite video games. I make no lie, if I think about that game and the memories, I'll probably cry. What an amazing masterpiece.

@Shadowbender
I hear that. I've yet to experience another game capable of capturing the sheer majesty of sailing the vast, beautifully rendered seas, keeping my eyes glued to the horizon as I search for exotic and uncharted lands, my trusty boat by my side.

@gatotsu911

By your side? Dude, you're supposed to be IN the boat! ;)

I share a birthday with The Legend of Zelda?! Neat!

Though, now I'm 30 :(

Old man is old.

@GewurztraminerX

Happy Birthday.

@GewurztraminerX Happy Birthday!

Both of those dates seem really odd to me. I remember my mom getting me Zelda for Valentine's day because we saw those insane old commercials of that guy running around, looking for Zelda. But if it came out in August, that means I would have had to have waited 6 months for it, which just doesn't seem right to me. Oh well.

Felix's parents clearly dont like him too much.

Nintendo should celebrate like they did with Mario recently. I would love to have all of the old games on a Wii disc with some cool collectables. It would be such an easy job for them and people would snatch them up just as quickly as the Mario discs. No brainer, right?

@Uncle Jesse
That's a fantastic idea. Nintendo seems to miss out on alot of these opportunities.

Where is Skyward Swords?!?!?!

Is the rapping nerd referred to in the article supposed to be AVGN?

(Also, that is a pretty outrageous cake)

That the ugliest f*cking cake I've ever seen.

@A Sandwich
Well, EXCUUUUUUUUUSE me!!

@gatotsu911
Princess!

I'm going to celebrate by playing through my favorite Legend of Zelda game!

Time to finish twilight princess :D

Can I make a birthday wish that Link gets to use the hand he's supposed to be using in Skyward Sword?

I celebrate by putting on my invisible hero's cloths.

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Breaking News

The Legend of Zelda turns 25 today, celebrate in your own special way

Reader Comments (63)

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:19PM bxgt said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:33PM tchuks said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:36PM Premature ejaculation man said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:38PM GuitarHero666 said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 10:29AM A Sandwich said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 3:40PM TheTjalian said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:24PM PR0F3TA said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:27PM RedFishFire said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:59PM Peffse said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 11:17PM False said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:29PM Yuglyoshi said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:33PM Nofriendo said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:40PM Faenix said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:54PM Shadowbender said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:58PM BigE4284 said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:58PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 12:00PM Dlord said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:31PM captcarl said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 11:07PM RuleBook said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 6:25AM VeeDeeVee said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 1:24PM gatotsu911 said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:32PM Nofriendo said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:33PM religiousjedi said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:34PM Premature ejaculation man said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 10:00PM Peffse said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 10:11PM Premature ejaculation man said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 10:41PM A Sandwich said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 10:56PM BananaBoat said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 12:18AM gatotsu911 said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 12:44AM BananaBoat said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:35PM atriux said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:46PM Shadowbender said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 12:17AM gatotsu911 said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 5:05PM ThePenIsMightier said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:50PM GewurztraminerX said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 9:56PM Shadowbender said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 10:25PM Hank Hill said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 10:07PM EazySCT said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 10:12PM Chanka said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 10:36PM Uncle Jesse said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 11:32PM MBMBaM fan said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 10:39PM Anticrawl said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 10:40PM Uracat said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 10:42PM A Sandwich said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 12:14AM gatotsu911 said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 12:32AM The Only Girl said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 11:20PM wardob said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 11:38PM MBMBaM fan said

Posted: Feb 21st 2011 11:59PM Red Runner said

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011 12:09AM The Only Girl said

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