On February 21st 1986, a brand new game called The Legend of Zelda was released in Japan for the Family Computer Disk System. More than a year later, the game was released outside of Japan for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and became the first home console game to include an internal battery for saving data directly to the cartridge. The game’s directors Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, both relatively new to creating games, unlikely realised at the time the lasting impact they would leave on the videogame industry.
Now thirty-five years on, the series truly has become a legend. With 19 main entries to the series spanning decades of home and portable consoles, multiple spin-off games, an animated TV series, novels and manga, and even a live-action Netflix series (which has reportedly been cancelled). Certainly Zelda has become one of the most widely-celebrated video game series of all time, and more recently the legend continues with the announcement of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for Nintendo Switch, and the continuing development of Breath of the Wild 2.
It’s a series that has definitely had a profound impact on me; the first game I ever played and completed was Link’s Awakening for the Gameboy. Without this series I don’t think I ever would have been quite so passionate about games, and I’m sure the same goes for many of you reading this.
So what are some of your favourite memories of The Legend of Zelda? I’d love to hear from you!
Here are some of mine:
1. The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Nintendo 3DS console – I bought the 3DS on launch solely to play Ocarina of Time 3D. 
2. Link’s Awakening remake on Nintendo Switch – was overwhelmed by nostalgia while playing this. 
3. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, one of my favourite handheld Zelda games and quite underrated. 
4. My “Zelda shelf”, a collection of items from the series including several collector’s editions. 
5. Hero of Time on vinyl, an orchestrated arrangement of the Ocarina of Time soundtrack. 
6. Ganon loathes Phantom Hourglass, as he does not appear in it at all. 
7. My first ever Zelda game. Almost as old as me! It’s a bit worse for wear, but still works fine. 
8. Majora’s Mask on the 3DS. Get it? 
9. Cadence of Hyrule, a Zelda music/rhythm game. Never thought I’d see a Zelda game like this! Has an excellent soundtrack with classic Zelda tunes remixed by Danny Baranowsky. 
10. Skyward Sword Wii remote bundled with the collector’s edition of the game. 
11. Majora’s Mask on the Nintendo 64 (and also running on the Gamecube in the background).
Please leave some of your favourite Zelda memories below, or reach out to me on social media.
