STACK March 2016 Issue 71

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The Legend Of Zelda (1986)
The very first Zelda title was originally
released as The Hyrule Fantasy:
The Legend of Zelda – which makes
more sense considering the game
revolves around Link anyway. Shigeru
Miyamoto’s masterpiece goes on to
define a generation, alongside a little
red plumber.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
(1988)
The Adventure of Link is the first
game is a direct sequel to the previous
instalment. The title introduces Dark
Link, and came out less than a year
after the original in Japan.
A Link to the Past (1992)
A Link to the Past is the inception of
Link’s namesake as a “link” between
the past, present and future.
This release heralds the initial
reveal of the Master Sword
– which has the power to
repel evil – often used by
Link to take on Ganon (or
Ganondorf), his arch-nemesis.
Link’s Awakening (1993)
Link’s Awakening began as a
SNES port of A Link to the Past,
developed after hours by staff,
before eventually becoming a full-
fledged project. The game is one
of the few in the franchise not to
feature Princess Zelda or the Tri-
Force relic, and doesn’t take place
in the land of Hyrule.
Ocarina of Time (1998)
Originally a Nintendo 64 title, Ocarina
of Time introduced 3D graphics to the
world of Zelda, and played a large part in
the commercial popularity of Ocarinas.
Tasked once again with defeating Ganon
(Ganondorf in this iteration), Link must
learn songs on his Ocarina and travel
through time to prevent his enemy from
retrieving the Tri-Force.
Majora’s Mask (2000)
“You’ve met with a terrible fate,
haven’t you?” The Happy Mask
Salesman is only one of the creepy
elements in this time-bound tale. Link
has only three days to save the world,
using a variety of different masks
to transform – and ultimately stop
– the moon crashing into the planet
and destroying life as we know it. No
pressure.
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle
of Seasons/Oracle of Ages
(2001)
Launched for the GameBoy
Colour, Oracle of Seasons
and Oracle of Ages
The endearing Zelda series celebrates its 30th birthday this year.
We’ve done our best to compile a list of the biggest releases in
Zelda’s 30-year history, from ‘86’s
The Legend of Zelda
all the way through to HyruleWarriors. By Alesha Kolbe.
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