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The Legend of Zelda

Original title: The Hyrule fantasy: Zeruda no densetsu
  • Video Game
  • 1986
  • E
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
3.4K
YOUR RATING
The Legend of Zelda (1986)
QuestActionAdventureFantasyMystery

Follows the story of a young boy named Link that must save a kidnapped princess from the evil, demonic Ganon, who put a spell on his lair which can only be removed with the 3 pieces of the T... Read allFollows the story of a young boy named Link that must save a kidnapped princess from the evil, demonic Ganon, who put a spell on his lair which can only be removed with the 3 pieces of the Triforce, a golden triangle with mystical powers.Follows the story of a young boy named Link that must save a kidnapped princess from the evil, demonic Ganon, who put a spell on his lair which can only be removed with the 3 pieces of the Triforce, a golden triangle with mystical powers.

  • Directors
    • Shigeru Miyamoto
    • Takashi Tezuka
  • Writers
    • Shigeru Miyamoto
    • Keiji Terui
    • Takashi Tezuka
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.5/10
    3.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Shigeru Miyamoto
      • Takashi Tezuka
    • Writers
      • Shigeru Miyamoto
      • Keiji Terui
      • Takashi Tezuka
    • 24User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos15

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    User reviews24

    8.53.3K
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    Featured reviews

    10hmmmbored

    This is the BEST GAME OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!

    The Legend of Zelda marked the birth of a series that is highly regarded in the gaming community as one of, if not the best series of games in existence. No review can really do the game justice but give it a try and find out for yourself! Shigeru Miyamoto (Creator of Zelda) is a Genius!!! Nintendo is simply the Best!
    Angel_Meiru

    The start of an awesome series

    One of the larger landmarks in the history of gaming, Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda broke away from the mold of nearly every other game out at the time, adopting an unprecedented, overhead action/RPG interface which shocked and amazed on its early NES debut. To say it was one of those innovations that ''worked'' and was passable would be an understatement. It was really and truly an amazing first effort by Shigeru Miyamoto, head of Nintendo, which along with Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong, helped propel rapidly not only Miyamoto's own career but the direction and pace gaming was moving at.

    Two of the features which set this esteemed Zelda precursor apart from other games out at the time, interestingly, appear even before the game has begun! What's this -- a detailed story in the same vein as the questionable follow up to Super Mario Bros., before the title screen even comes up?? A map, abundant with hints and tips, just vague enough not to rain on the parade of exploration and discovery??? And a Save Battery???? You don't see this kind of stuff every day, folks!

    And who could forget the main theme of Legend of Zelda? Quite possibly the most enjoyed and remembered tune in all of video-gaming, the fittingly titled ''main theme'', plays throughout the whole game except in dungeons(where an equally enjoyable tune plays). I don't know of anyone who has heard Zelda's main theme and not gotten in stuck in their head; it's just that enchanting.

    If the name of the game and the series which it is in didn't recommend this game to you already, then let me do so now! Legend of Zelda is a fabulous action/RPG that does wonderfully what no other game could at the time and that is create a challenging, exciting hybrid-RPG with enough thought and work put into it to keep its legendary status and appeal afloat for years and years in the ever-developing sea of electronic gaming. Relatively few people still play older games in this day and age, but let me tell you that Legend of Zelda is one of the first choices for anyone who does. Every gamer worth his salt in that era had played and beaten this game -- most of them doing so multiple times. What's not to like?
    8blanbrn

    A travel maze and journey challenge game which was a discovery of fun and magic.

    One of the earliest and first classic NES games was "The Legend of Zelda" a travel and journey adventure thru a magic world in which you as the player "Zelda" were on a journey to save and find a princess, yet your travel and journey took you thru many different lands of water, sand, and dark hidden dungeons as you faced all kinds of foes in the form of creatures and warriors. The key was obtaining magic, and learning spells and unlocking treasures and finding maps to guide you thru new lands and meeting new people to obtain knowledge and survive. Really a tough complex game as I never mastered, yet a friend of mine did after many times. Still a difficult mind numbing addictive travel journey classic that was a maze of thought and skill.
    9Raleon

    Still great to play

    Having the regular NES and being able to go back and play this masterpiece feels amazing. After almost all the other games from that era which could be tossed in the dumpster, this and Dragon Warrior were cornerstones of two golden empire series. Well worth having- this is the first of a great series.
    10Geeky Randy

    One Of The Greatest Video-Games Of All-Time.

    I read somewhere in a magazine that "The Legend Of Zelda (1986)" is one of the greatest video-games of all-time. I wouldn't be shocked if it was the greatest. It is certainly my favorite video-game. I have played thousands of video-games, and this easily tops them all. Old games and new. This game has no genre of the tops, it tops all of the genres.

    I remember crying when I was seven years old because my kid brother (who was about 3) deleted my Link. As I look back on that moment, to this day, it still seems logical to cry, because as a little boy, I put a lot of work into getting where I was. I think anybody, old and young, puts a lot of work into "The Legend Of Zelda (1986)". You spend so much time playing this game, and the game grows on you more and more. This game kind of becomes a part of your life. A classic never dies, my friend; and neither does a legend. :) It took me over five years to beat both of the quests together, while at the same time I was using Game Genie and a Walkthrough for some of it. This game is for the PROS ONLY! The score is unforgettable; I love the music so much. There is not one thing wrong with this game. I find it very shocking that they could've fit all this data into a NES game. 10/10. I don't think I'll ever see a video game, that tops this one.

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    Mystery

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      First console game that allowed the player to save their progress.
    • Goofs
      In one of the dungeons, you will receive a hint that the enemy Pols Voice dislikes noise - yet blowing the whistle does nothing to hurt the enemy. The Famicom (the original Japanese version of the NES) had a microphone, and the player could make noise in it to kill these enemies. As the American NES aborted this feature, this was not possible. Nintendo went ahead and translated this hint verbatim, but because of the lack of a microphone in the American NES, it no longer made any sense and was often misinterpreted.
    • Quotes

      Old Man: It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.

    • Crazy credits
      During the end credits, the entire crew except for executive producer Hiroshi Yamauchi is listed under pseudonyms. E.g. producer/director Shigeru Miyamoto is credited as "S. Miyahon", and composer Koji Kondo as "Konchan". See also Trivia.
    • Alternate versions
      The instruction manual for the game states that the Pols Voice, a yellow pointy-eared enemy, "hates loud noise". Although this fact was made irrelevant by the game's release on the North American NES, it was a useful tip in the game's original version for the Famicom Disk System in Japan. On the Famicom, a small microphone was built into the "player 2" controller, and blowing or shouting into this microphone would kill any Pols Voices in the area.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Legend of Zelda NES Commercial (1986)

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    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the censored NES Version and the Uncensored One?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 22, 1987 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Official site
      • Official site [Japanese]
    • Languages
      • English
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • The Hyrule fantasy: Zeruda no densetsu
    • Production companies
      • Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD)
      • Nintendo
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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