Saturday 5 November 2011

25 Years of Zelda

25 Years of Greatness


You'd have to have been living under a rock for the whole of 2011 to not know it was the 25th anniversary of Nintendo's famous The Legend of Zelda franchise. From humble beginnings on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) to Link's latest quest on the Wii, Skyward Sword, Nintendo has managed to gather a large following of devoted fans with the series gracing their many game systems.


With the technology of modern times, many people like myself are now able to publish their work and opinions online for the world to see. Youtube is one site where many fans of The Legend of Zelda have posted countless videos as tributes to the franchise.


However, some fans go the extra mile.





Youtube poster Joeysan24 posted this brilliant fan-made Zelda tribute (I'm assuming they are the one to have made it). Marvellously edited, well put-together, and truly capturing the adventurous essence of what makes the Zelda franchise so great, this is definitely a video any Zelda fan should watch. 


The video also shows just how much the technology available to game developers has improved over the past 25 years. Remembering Link's early days as an 8-bit sprite to now being a cel-shaded Hero, you've really got to stop and admire how impressive the change is.


1986 - 2011

It's not just the fans who have been celebrating. Nintendo have done a lot this year to celebrate the past quarter of a century. With the release of the 3D remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - the most widely popular and critically acclaimed game in the franchise's history - Nintendo made a good decision to remake the timeless classic. While leaving the core gameplay unchanged, the remake's visuals were remastered to look up to date with modern games, and to also take full advantage of the Nintendo 3DS' stereoscopic 3D capabilities. The game was as well received as the original, if not even more so. Older fans were able to play the game they knew and loved as if it were brand new, and Nintendo managed to make Ocarina of Time available to a new generation of gamers.


You'd think that would be enough, but Nintendo would beg to disagree. DSi and 3DS owners are now able to download a version of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords for free to their handhelds. For free. It's no Minish Cap, but it can definitely be fun to play Zelda cooperatively with your friends.

So 2011 has been a solid year for Zelda  in the handheld space. Pretty much anybody who has played a Zelda game must have a favorite tune from the series, right? Well, Nintendo are fully aware of that. In recent weeks, there have been numerous concerts around the world playing some of the franchise's most iconic musical pieces in celebration of the 25th anniversary. Each concert sold out of tickets within hours, which just goes to show the massive popularity the series has garnered for itself.

Awesomeness incarnate.


And here we are, in November. I shouldn't have to say what this month means for Zelda fans, but I will anyway with two words: Skyward Sword. That's right, the wait for Link's latest epic journey to begin on our Wii systems is almost over. The release date has been pushed back for a number of months, but it has been worth the wait. Shigeru Miyamoto wanted the Zelda team to make a game that is as close to perfection as possible, and to reach that quality, the game's release was delayed. Now multiple sites are giving Skyward Sword astronomically brilliant reviews. In just two weeks, the fans will finally be able to get their hands on the Master Sword once again and play as Link in Nintendo's latest masterpiece, and end 2011 with a bang.

The wait is nearly over...

Happy 25th Anniversary to The Legend of Zelda series!



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