The Legend of Zelda Chronicle

Main Releases

The Legend of Zelda

System: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Release Date: July 1987

Here we are. The game that launched the Legend of Zelda series and told a story about a boy named Link who must rescue Hyrule’s Princess Zelda from the hands of the King of Evil, Ganon. Link must gather the eight pieces of the Triforce that Zelda had scattered throughout Hyrule and defeat the Evil Ganon.

The Legend of Zelda was the first NES title to feature a battery-backed save feature allowing gamers to continue their adventure at a later time. All following Zelda titles would utilize this feature.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

System: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Release Date: December 1988

An Evil Sorcerer has cursed Princess Zelda and she has now drifted into an eternal sleep. Link must find a way to rid the Princess of the curse and he discovers that the only way to break the seal of the palace that guards the Sorcerer, is to collect six shards of the magical crystal.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was the second game to be released on the NES and featured a new side-scrolling view on the action. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link also introduced some RPG elements such as gaining experience per each kill and a level-up feature which could be used to upgrade Link’s maximum magic, life, and attack power.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

System: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)

Release Date: April 1992

Aeons ago, the deities of power, courage, and wisdom descended to the world of chaos. They created the world of Hyrule and left behind a symbol of their strength, the Triforce, which they hid in a sacred realm within Hyrule. One day, a gate to the realm suddenly opened and men began to battle their way to obtain this golden power. Evil energy became flowing from the realm so the King of Hyrule ordered seven sages to seal the realm and lock the hidden power away forever. Much time has passed since then and the story soon became legend. An evil sorcerer named Agahnim has gained control of Hyrule and uses his power to free Ganon from his confines in the Dark World. Agahnim kidnaps the descendants of the seven sages and uses them to break the seal that the sages themselves have built. One night, a young boy named Link wakes from his sleep as he hears the cries of help from the Princess Zelda who is being held in the castle dungeon. Link must rescue Princess Zelda, recover the legendary master sword, save the kidnaped maidens, and defeat Agahnim and Ganon to restore peace and order to Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past would debut the series on the SNES and would see a return to the overhead presentation style of the original Legend of Zelda. This SNES adventure gave Link two worlds to explore by using the power of a mysterious mirror and offered a variety of new weapons and abilities.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening/DX

System: Nintendo Game Boy/Game Boy Color (DX Version)

Release Date: August 1993, December 1998 (DX Version)

After defeating the evil Ganon, Link decided that he must venture outside of Hyrule and seek enlightenment so he can better protect it if it were to again fall into peril. One night, while Link was sailing out at sea, a heavy storm suddenly appeared which caused his boat to get sidetracked. Link finds himself shipwrecked once he awakens on the mysterious Koholint Island. This mysterious island was unique for the gigantic egg which crowned its central mountain. Link was greeted by a young girl named Marin who looks very similar to Princess Zelda. She explained to him what had happened and told him, "Awaken the Wind Fish and all will be answered." Link wonders, "What is the Wind Fish?" and sets off on a journey to recover the eight instruments of the sirens to awaken the Wind Fish and solve the riddle of this mysterious island so that hopefully he can return to Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening would debut the series on the Game Boy portable game system. Now gamers could take their adventure wherever they wanted. The re-release of the DX version of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening in 1998 would see a full color face lift, a new dungeon accessible only on the Game Boy Color, and an in-game photoshop with Game Boy Printer compatibility.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

System: Nintendo 64 (N64)

Release Date: November 1998

Early one morning, a young Kokiri boy named Link was having a nightmare, the same nightmare he had every night. During a storm, Link would find himself standing in front of a mysterious castle. A rider on horseback carrying a girl would race by and the girl would look to Link as if to say something. Then another rider would appear. A big man in black would look down menacingly at Link and then Link would awaken. Link was awakened by the voice of a fairy named Navi. Of all the children in the Kokiri Forest, Link was the only child that didn’t have a fairy and he was often looked down upon because of it. Navi said that she was sent to summon Link to the Great Deku Tree. The Great Deku Tree was the guardian of the Kokiri Forest and all the Kokiri who lived within it. The Great Deku Tree asked Link to rid him of the curse put on him by an evil man in black who wanted the spiritual stone of the forest. Link entered the Great Deku Tree and broke the curse. The Great Deku Tree knew that Link was a child of destiny and that he would one day leave the forest. The Great Deku Tree then told Link to go to Hyrule Castle and there he would surely meet the princess of destiny. Before dying, the Great Deku Tree gave Link the spiritual stone of the forest. Link would have to recover all of the spiritual stones and prevent the man in black from possessing the power that was locked away in the Temple of Time.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the first Zelda title on the N64 and it would also be the first Zelda title in full 3D. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time set the standard for action/adventures games that followed it and would use new game mechanics such as the revolutionary Z-Targeting system. In this adventure, players would be able to control Link as a child and as an adult by traveling through time using the power of the Ocarina of Time and the Temple of Time. Link would learn many songs for his Ocarina of Time as the game progressed and his arsenal would consist of a mix of new and old weapons faithfully recreated in 3D and, for the first time, Link now had the ability to travel Hyrule on horseback.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

System: Nintendo 64 (N64)

Release Date: October 2000

On a journey to find his missing friend that had departed him at the end of his last adventure, Link accidentally finds himself thrown into a mysterious parallel world called Termina. He soon realizes that the world of Termina is doomed to be crushed by the moon in 72 hours and the person responsible for this and for Link being in this world, is a Skull Kid using the dark power of a relic known as Majora’s Mask. The Skull Kid steals the Ocarina of Time from Link’s possession and transforms him into a Deku child. Link, along with a mysterious fairy named Tatl, must find a way to return to his original form, recover his ocarina, stop the evil of Majora’s Mask, and save Termina from the danger of the descending moon.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask would be the second Zelda title on the N64 and it would use the same setup as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. In this adventure, Link would only be given three days to save Termina but Link could use his Ocarina to alter time and return to the beginning of the 72 hour period. Link would also be able to collect and use magical masks throughout his adventure that could turn him into a Goron, Deku child, and a Zora. During the 72 hour process, Link would be able to manipulate the lives of the villagers living in Clock Town and record his progress in his Bombers Log book. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask required the use of the N64 Expansion Pak which enabled more enemies on screen and a slightly improved graphical presentation.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

System: Game Boy Color

Release Date: May 2001

Link awoke one day to find himself in a strange forest. Link had been summoned to the land of Labrynna by the Triforce. As Link traveled deeper into the forest, he found a young woman singing. Link joined the group of animals that were sitting in a circle and listening to the girl’s song. The song penetrated all their ears and hearts. This was the voice of Nayru, the Oracle of Ages who controlled time in the land of Labrynna. Then a darkness began to surround Nayru. "Nayru! Oracle of Ages! I, Veran, Sorceress of Shadows, shall make you my own!" The shadow that called itself Veran began swooping about the forest before flying straight into the body of the singer, Nayru. A blinding light shone forth from Nayru’s body. When Link’s eyes had recovered focus, he realized that Nayru had lost her bright smile and her face seemed veiled in a shadow. "Ha ha ha ha ha! Now the power of the Oracle of Ages is mine! I can travel through time at will!" And with that, Veran vanished. When the Oracle was kidnaped, the flow of time in Labrynna was distorted, and strange things began to happen. Veran’s plan was to travel to the past and gather power from the sorrows of the people of Labrynna so that she could create her age of shadows. Link must find the Harp of Ages and travel through time, past and present, to recover the Eight Essences of Time so that he can save the Oracle and the land of Labrynna.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages was released simultaneously alongside The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. Both games offered different adventures and different items. Depending on how a person played, Link could befriend all-new characters like Moosh the winged bear, Ricky the boxing marsupial, and Dimitri the Dodongo. If a player completed his quest in one game, he could resume his adventure in the other using a link/password feature. Also, by using this link/password feature, players would get the chance to transfer items and unlock new, more powerful weapons and only by linking could player’s discover the true evil force behind the chaos.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

System: Game Boy Color

Release Date: May 2001

One day, a strange force drew Link deep within Hyrule Castle where the Triforce was resting. "Link... Link... Accept this quest of the Triforce!" Suddenly, Link was engulfed in a shaft of light. When Link awoke, he found himself in a forest he had never seen before. He heard pleasant music and laughing voices echoing from deep within the woods. Link followed the inviting voices until he came upon a traveling group of actors. He was immediately struck by the beauty of a young woman who was dancing near him. When the girl noticed Link, she smiled brightly and called to him. "Welcome to the land of Holodrum. I am Din, the dancer. Would you like to dance with me? Don’t be shy. It will be more fun if we dance together." She took Link by the hand, and he reluctantly began to dance. Unfortunately, this blissful moment did not last long. The sky suddenly went dark, and there was a loud crash of thunder, followed by a loud, thunderous voice. "I’ve found you, Din! You can’t deceive me by disguising yourself as a dancer. I am Onox, General of Darkness! Now reveal yourself, Oracle of Seasons!" Then a great tornado dropped from the sky and engulfed Din. "Help me, Link!" she cried. Link was blown back by the force of the tornado as Din was swept away into the wind. And then strange things began to happen throughout the land of Holodrum. Life was slowly being drained from the land, and all living things began to wither as the seasons fell into chaos and the land was deprived of the bountiful gifts of nature. And so Onox set in motion his plan to gather the power from the withering land and create a world of total darkness. Link must find the Rod of Seasons and use it’s power to change the seasons and recover the Eight Essences of Nature to save Oracle and the land of Holodrum.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons was released simultaneously alongside The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages. Both games offered different adventures and different items. Depending on how a person played, Link could befriend all-new characters like Moosh the winged bear, Ricky the boxing marsupial, and Dimitri the Dodongo. If a player completed his quest in one game, he could resume his adventure in the other using a link/password feature. Also, by using this link/password feature, players would get the chance to transfer items and unlock new, more powerful weapons and only by linking could player’s discover the true evil force behind the chaos.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords

System: Game Boy Advance (GBA)

Release Date: December 2002

The Game Boy Advance would see a re-release of the SNES classic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to Past (see The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for full description) along with a new game The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords.

Long ago, in the kingdom of Hyrule, there appeared a Wind Sorcerer name Vaati who could bend the wind to his will and used this awful power to terrorize many villages in Hyrule. In his assaults on the villages, Vaati would kidnap any beautiful girls who caught his fancy. Many knights from the castle and other brave men set out to subdue the sorcerer and rescue the girls, but each one fell in turn to Vaati’s awesome power. Just as the people had begun to lose hope, a lone young boy traveling with little but a sword at his side appeared. When this boy heard what was happening, he said only, "I will defeat this sorcerer." He boldly entered Vaati’s palace, mystically trapped the evil sorcerer inside the blade of his sword, and returned the young girls to their villages. The boy then went deep into the forest and disappeared. The villagers asked the girls how a boy so young could have saved them all and defeated the sorcerer when no one else could. The young girls told a story of how with just a wave of his sword, the boy’s body shattered into four pieces, each of which then formed a complete copy of the boy. These four young boys then worked together to defeat the sorcerer. The people did not believe the story, but they called it the Four Sword nonetheless. As rumors of the blade’s power to divide a person into four entities spread, the people built a shrine to protect it. Princess Zelda of the land of Hyrule was a beautiful young girl born with the mysterious power to sense approaching forces of evil. For this reason, she was assigned with the sacred duty of protecting the shrine of the Four Sword and the blade itself. One day, Zelda was in Hyrule Castle when she sensed that something unusual was occurring at the Four Sword Shrine. She asked a boy named Link, whom she trusted above anyone else, to accompany her to investigate the happenings at the shrine.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords would be the first Zelda title to have a multi-player feature. In Four Swords, by using up to three Game Boy Advance game link cables, up to four players would be able to compete and play cooperatively at the same time to solve puzzles and defeat enemies in this new adventure.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

System: Nintendo Gamecube

Release Date: March 2003

Long Ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. One day, a man of great evil found this power and took it for himself, and with it at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom. But then... just as all hope had died, a young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding a blade that repelled evil, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light. This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time. The boy’s tale was passed down through the generations until it became legend. And then a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom, and the great evil once again crept forth from the depths of the earth. The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them. But the hero did not appear. On a certain island, it became customary to garb young boys in green when they come of age. Clothed in the green of fields, they aspire to find heroic blades and cast down evil. The elders wish only for the youths to know courage like the hero of legend. One day, on the small island of Outset, a young boy named Link was to celebrate his birthday. He was clothed in green garbs of the hero of legend to celebrate this occasion. As he was talking with his sister Aryll on the lookout near the edge of the island, Link noticed a giant bird carrying a mysterious girl in it’s beak. The giant bird was being chased by a pirate ship that was apparently trying to save the girl. The pirate ship hit the giant bird with a large rock from the ship’s catapult which caused the bird to drop the girl into the forest atop Outset Island. Link went to investigate the forest and check on the girl. While returning from the forest, the giant bird returned and kidnaped Link’s sister who was there to greet Link on his return. Back at shore, the islands bird-like postman Quill explained to the pirates and their small female leader Tetra, that it was Link who had saved her in the forest. Quill also explained to them that the bird who kidnaped Tetra accidentally mistook Link’s sister for her. Link told the pirates he wanted to ride with them so that he could save his sister. After some discussion, Tetra let Link join the pirates for a ride and his journey unfolds.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker would be the first Zelda title for the Nintendo Gamecube and it would use cel-shading animation to fit the style of Link’s adventure. With this new style, Link would be able to better portray emotions and the cartoon-like feel would fit well with the fluidity of the game’s animations. Link would use a magical conductor’s baton known as the Wind Waker to control the wind as he set sail in his boat across a vast, unexplored ocean. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker would also feature Game Boy Advance connectivity so that a friend could uncover secrets, read maps, and get hints during battle displayed on his/her GBA.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

System: Nintendo Gamecube

Release Date: June 2004

Long Ago, in the inner reaches of Hyrule, an evil wind sorcerer known as Vaati began kidnaping beautiful young maidens, one after another. Nobody could stop Vaati, and the people of Hyrule despaired. Then, a brave young wanderer carrying only a single sword appeared. When the young lad took out his sword, he split into four separate beings. The legend say that these four beings worked as one and defeated Vaati. The wanderer, united once again, imprisoned Vaati deep in Hyrule and sealed the prison with his own sword. This place became known as the Realm of the Four Sword. After that, a long time passed until one day, a dark shadow tricked young Link into drawing the sword from its resting place. Vaati broke out of his prison and then snatched Princess Zelda of Hyrule. Now, divided by the sword’s curse, the four Links must unite to save Princess Zelda and free Hyrule from darkness.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures would bring the GBA like style of Four Swords to the Gamecube with excellent 2D visuals and beautiful animations. Because of the power of the Nintendo Gamecube, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, at times, would fill the T.V. screen with an impressive amount of enemies and objects. By using up to four GBA/GC game link cables (one packaged for free with the game) and four GBA/SP systems, players would be able to compete and play cooperatively at the same time using various player formations to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Whenever a player went into a cave or magic portal on the T.V. screen, the action would resume on the GBA screen.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

System: Game Boy Advance (GBA)

Release Date: January 2005

Long ago, evil spirits descended on the land of Hyrule. Just when it seemed that the world was to be cast into the darkest of the shadows, the tiny Picori appeared from the skies and bestowed on a courageous human a shining golden light and a single sword. This bravest of men used his wisdom and courage, his golden light, and his sword to fight off the demons and restore peace to the world. The people were so grateful for the Picori’s help that they held an annual celebration in their honor. The tradition of the Picori Festival continued, but over the generations, the Picori themselves passed into legend. The legend of the Picori tells of a mystic doorway that opens just once every hundred years. When the door is open, the Picori can cross from their world into Hyrule. This year is that year in one hundred, and the festival is unusually grand. Hyrule Castle is hosting a tournament of sword fighting skill, recalling the great battles of legend. This year’s champion is a man by the name of Vaati. He has one the tournament with an almost magical ease, and all of Hyrule is abuzz with rumors about this shadowy figure. "Who is this Vaati?" they ask. "What has brought him to Hyrule?" A young boy named Link was to present the winner of the tournament a sword for his victory. Shortly after the reward ceremony began, Vaati revealed his true intentions and broke the sacred sword that was used to lock a chest that contained unspeakable evil. Before vanishing, Vaati placed Princess Zelda under a curse that turned her to stone. Link was knocked unconscious but when he came to the King of Hyrule sent him on a quest to find the legendary Picori and reforce the sacred Picori blade. Using the power of a mystical hat called the Minish Cap, Link will be able to shrink to microscopic sizes and just might be able to save Zelda and defeat the evil sorcerer Vaati.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is the latest entry in the Zelda franchise for Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance portable game system. It would use a similar graphical style of the previously released The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords/Four Swords Adventures but feature a new story/single player adventure. Players would be able to use new items such as the Minish Cap, Gust Jar, and the mysterious Kinstones to solve puzzles, and unlock hidden areas.

Other Releases

Fantastic!! I love that you showed the original covers of each game along with a screenshot, and description! You rock!ZeldaFalcon

NICE!!!! I really like it.

Really good. Informative, well written and nice pics/box art. Keep stuff like this coming guys, Zelda Rocks!!!:D

I'm glad you guys like it. I was actually a little sick of seeing it because I fried my brain working on it yesterday. lol. I think it turned out pretty well.

I'm glad you guys like it. I was actually a little sick of seeing it because I fried my brain working on it yesterday. lol. I think it turned out pretty well.

Link2025

Wow. Simply wow. And I thought I had a lot of free time. :D
Anyway, looks like it's all there. Well done!

who doesnt knowSkull_Kid_Rox

what?

Ocarina of Time= the best Zelda game so far!!!Lets hope Twilight Princes changes our minds!!:DLink_Soul

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yeah just what i would say except in the form of spam lol

[QUOTE="Link_Soul"]Ocarina of Time= the best Zelda game so far!!!Lets hope Twilight Princes changes our minds!!:Dimnotwhite

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yeah just what i would say except in the form of spam lol

i had beat all the games exept the nes games

Amazing atricle!! Your work is exceptional!!!

Amazing atricle!! Your work is exceptional!!!

Link_Soul