Legend of Zelda’s effect on modern gaming

Link – the true Hero of Time

One of the more respected characters in video game history, the Hero of Time, seems to be much more than that to many people – specifically gamers.

Link, the original make-your-own-adventure, green-tunic wearing playable character from Legend of Zelda was first seen in North America in 1988. The game sold two million copies within the first year on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Since then, many consider it the game that changed everything, being the first virtual roleplaying game.

Bryan Holmes, a 32-year-old programmer for Corum Digital, a local company, said before this game most home console games were transferred from arcade games directly causing a lot of issues.

“Legend of Zelda was one of the biggest games released as Nintendo was enjoying a reinvigoration towards video games,” said Holmes. “The most important part of which was the open world feeling.”

These early home consoles were the first systems allowing players to save their progress in games rather than losing everything when they left the arcade. Legend of Zelda also expanded into new grounds, on top of the battery saving, creating memorable boss fights requiring unique skill sets and items to overcome and the biggest open world map to date. Holmes said this translates to modern gaming by trying to create that “immersive experience.”

“Huge worlds that crave exploration and adventure, trying to puzzle out how to use tools in different ways to complete our objectives and bosses that fill screens,” said Holmes. “These hallmarks all show up in modern games because they work together to create an experience.”

Holmes said the best part of the original Legend of Zelda was that it gave players the opportunity to experience a world without being told what to do, whereas the newer games in the series, and roleplaying games in general, tend to hold your hand and tell you what you need to beat different sections.

“From a game design standpoint, while Zelda has been influential to developers the important thing to remember is that it’s the emotional connection people feel to the characters and their worlds that makes these games great,” said Holmes. “Falling moons, disposed kings, comatose fairies and sealed evils. Any great game mechanic not supported by some emotional connection is just another number for the player to crunch.”

Legend of Zelda, to date, is still rated one of the best games of all time across many reviewing companies and holds five world records in Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition, including “Highest-Rated Game of All Time” and “First Game with a Battery Powered Save Feature.”

Local gamer enthusiast from Amherstburg, Nate Buckwell, said he’s been a gamer since he was five years old and first played Legend of Zelda when he was six. He said it was the inspiration for many other well renowned games, such as the Final Fantasy series and the Dragon Warrior series.

“I think it was a great showcase of what gaming could be,” said Buckwell. “Prior to Zelda, most games were platformers, side-scrollers and the like. Games were very linear and when Zelda came out the sheer scope and size of it was unheard of.”

Buckwell said the idea of exploring and making your own adventure was very common for tabletop games at the time, such as with Dungeons & Dragons, but Legend of Zelda was the first to make it a digital experience and do it correctly.

“I think the idea of RPGs owe a lot to the Zelda franchise as well as ‘sandbox’ games, where everything happens in a huge landscape,” said Buckwell.

Since the original game a lot of debate regarding whether the series has gotten better or worse. They have become more hand-holding, story-driven games as opposed to a throw-you-in-a-world-and-have-you-fend-for-yourself game.

One thing is for certain, modern game developers owe a lot to the Hero of Time and his timeless franchise which still influences digital gaming today.