The Legend of Zelda
The great adventure saga created by Shigeru Miyamoto.
- First game
- 1986 (Japan)
- Creators
- Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Series sales
- Over 150 million copies
The Legend of Zelda is a series of action-adventure games produced by Nintendo, with the first entry released in Japan in 1986 on the Famicom Disk System. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, the saga most often follows the hero Link, who explores the kingdom of Hyrule to save Princess Zelda and thwart the evil lord Ganon.
A blend of exploration, puzzle-solving and combat, the series is known for its clever dungeons and sense of discovery. Titles such as Ocarina of Time (1998) and Breath of the Wild (2017) are regularly cited among the most influential games in history.
An adventure born from a childhood memory
Shigeru Miyamoto has said he drew inspiration from his childhood explorations of the countryside near Kyoto, where he discovered caves and trails. This feeling of free exploration lies at the heart of Link's first adventure, which invites players to roam the world without a set route.
Across its entries, the series moves between top-down views, three-dimensional worlds and vast open lands, while keeping its signature elements: dungeons, unlockable items, ocarina melodies and environmental puzzles.
Why it is iconic
Ocarina of Time, released in 1998 on the Nintendo 64, is often described as one of the most acclaimed games of all time for its successful move into three dimensions. Nearly twenty years later, Breath of the Wild (2017) reinvented the formula with a huge open world and great freedom of approach.
The series has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide and continues to influence countless adventure games thanks to its balance of exploration, storytelling and puzzles.
In the magazine
Articles that cover this topic.