The Legend of Zelda, an 8-bit NES game, launched the gaming brand in 1987. To date, the series has appeared on at least nine different systems!¹⁾

Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, and Toshihiko Nakago from Japan invented the game.²⁾

It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments have been outsourced to Capcom, Vanpool, and Grezzo.³⁾

The gameplay of the series combines aspects of action, adventure, and puzzle-solving games. One of Nintendo's most well-known franchises is The Legend of Zelda.⁴⁾

The series revolves around Link, the main protagonist and playable character.⁵⁾

Although Link is frequently tasked with rescuing Princess Zelda and the realm of Hyrule from Ganon, the series' main nemesis, different locales and adversaries have appeared in various titles.⁶⁾

The storylines of the games frequently include the Triforce, a group of three omnipotent golden triangles. The protagonist in each game is not always the same iteration as Link, although there are a few exceptions.⁷⁾

The Legend of Zelda series has grown to include 18 titles on all of Nintendo's major gaming platforms, as well as a variety of spin-offs, since the first was launched in 1986.⁸⁾

An animated TV show based on the games debuted in the United States in 1989, while separate manga adaptations commissioned by Nintendo have been released in Japan since 1997. The series had sold over 62 million copies as of 2011.⁹⁾

Later games in the series contain stealth gameplay, in which the player must dodge opponents as they go through a level, as well as racing components.¹⁰⁾

Although the games may be completed with little exploration and side quests, the player is regularly rewarded with useful goods or enhanced skills for solving puzzles or exploring secret locations.¹¹⁾

Some items are repeated throughout the series (for example, bombs and bomb flowers, which can be used as weapons as well as to open blocked or hidden doorways, boomerangs, which can kill or paralyze enemies, keys for locked doors, magic swords, shields, and bows and arrows), while others are unique to a single game.¹²⁾

Though the games have numerous role-playing aspects (the only one with an experience system being Zelda II: The Adventure of Link), they favor uncomplicated hack and slash action over the strategic, turn-based, or active time fighting of games like Final Fantasy.¹³⁾

However, the game's role-playing components have sparked much controversy about whether the Zelda games could be categorized as action role-playing games, a genre on which the series has had a significant effect.¹⁴⁾

Every game in the main Zelda series has three major areas: an overworld in which movement is multidirectional, giving the player some degree of freedom of action; areas of interaction with other characters in which the player gains special items or advice; and dungeons, areas of labyrinthine layout, usually underground, containing a variety of difficult enemies, bosses, and items.¹⁵⁾

Each dungeon often features one important item that is essential for completing many of the puzzles within that dungeon and frequently plays a crucial part in fighting the dungeon's monster and continuing through the game.¹⁶⁾

Navigating a dungeon is facilitated in practically every Zelda game by locating a map, which shows its layout, and a magic compass, which indicates the whereabouts of major and minor objects such as keys and equipment.¹⁷⁾

Later games in the series have a special “big key” that unlocks the entrance to the dungeon's boss monster and opens the loot chest.¹⁸⁾

The player's life meter is shown as a line of hearts in most Zelda games. The life meter may be restored in a variety of methods, including picking up hearts dropped by slain opponents, finding fairies or springs in specified areas, or utilizing an item such as a potion.¹⁹⁾

Most games award “heart containers” as a reward for defeating a dungeon's final boss and “pieces of heart” for completing certain side quests or discovering hidden chests; heart containers increase the life meter by one heart, and receiving a varying number of pieces of heart (on average four pieces) does the same. Both will fully restore Link's health.²⁰⁾

The original Legend of Zelda was the first console game to include a save function, allowing players to pause and restart play later.²¹⁾

The aiming mechanism introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time simplified 3D fighting.²²⁾

Rodrigo Lopes completed the game in 31 minutes and 37 seconds on June 12th, 2006.²³⁾

The opportunity to explore towns and accomplish side quests was incorporated in Zelda II: The Legend of Link.²⁴⁾

The sole adversary that appears in every game is the stalfos skeleton.²⁵⁾

Throughout the games, Zelda's looks and roles have varied; she has been a princess, a ninja, a pirate, and Link's childhood friend.²⁶⁾

The Triforce is a sign of strength, knowledge, and bravery. Din, Nayru, and Farore, the three Golden Goddesses, constructed it.²⁷⁾

In Japan, the game was called The Hyrule Fantasy, with the subtitle Legend of Zelda.²⁸⁾

The Legend of Zelda television program was a thirteen-episode cartoon series based on the original game that aired in the 1980s.²⁹⁾

Link has only spoken twice: “Come on!” in Wind Waker as a co-op character, and “Giddy-up!” when riding Epona in The Twilight Princess.³⁰⁾

Navi, Tatl, Link, King of Red Lions, Ezlo, Midna, Ciela and Linebeck, Zelda, and Phi have all been Link's friends.³¹⁾