The Legend of Zelda

by Nintendo

• The original title in the classic adventure series
• Help Link save Princess Zelda
• Explore the world of Hyrule and interact with its inhabitants
• Many power-ups and items to discover
• For one player

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00004SVXW
• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: 1987
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,512 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Ganon, the King of Evil, broke free from the Dark World and captured Hyrule's beloved Princess Zelda. Before she was caught, Zelda managed to shatter the Triforce of Wisdom and scatter its eight pieces throughout Hyrule. Link swore to recover the Triforce pieces and rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon's clutches.

Product Description

Ganon, the King of Evil, breaks free from the Dark World and captures Hyrule's beloved Princess Zelda. Before she is caught, Zelda manages to shatter the Triforce of Wisdom and scatter its eight pieces throughout Hyrule. Link swears to recover the Triforce pieces and rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon's clutches.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 63 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars C L A S S I C January 15, 2003

By The Man On The Flaming Pie

The Legend Of Zelda is an important milestone in video game history. It was the first of it's kind--it combined action/adventure with puzzles and some role-playing elements. Even nowadays, there STILL aren't too many games like this. I recently purchased this game and I must say that unlike many old video games who have lost their luster over the years, the Legend Of Zelda is still just as fun to me as it was when I was a kid. What else is there to say about this classic game? If you own an original NES, you MUST have this one!

A word of warning: If you're buying a used copy, I suggest getting a gray-colored one instead of a gold one. Yes, the gold ones look cooler and are the classic issue of the game, but they're so old that the internal memory (which stores your quest data) may be worn out. Get a gray copy just to be on the safe side.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars still my favorite game of all time May 9, 2003

By Joe Sherry

So many years after I first played the game on the Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda remains my favorite game of all time. Even after playing so many games, nothing really holds a candle to this 8 bit elf. The premise of the game is simple and very common. You play as Link and you are trying to rescue Princess Zelda from the clutches of the evil Ganon. To do this you must venture through 8 dungeons and collect pieces of the powerful Tri-Force. A simple story, yet this game is loads of fun. You begin with a wooden sword, but can upgrade twice to a more powerful sword (the White Sword, and the Master Sword). As you progress in the game, you acquire various items (a raft, whistle, candle, boomerang) that will held you conquer later dungeons. The idea behind this game is so basic, but it has produced some of the best games on any system (Zelda: A Link to the Past, Zelda: Ocarina of Time). Even considering how good some of the later games are, this one remains my favorite to play. When you conquer the game once, there is still a second world for you to play through. The layout of the world is the same, but the dungeons and some items are in different places, the dungeon layout is different, and the enemies are harder to defeat. A classic game, and my personal favorite game. I still play it.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The start of the Zelda series... June 28, 2003

By "zt86"

Legend of Zelda was released around 1986 in Japan, and 1987 in the U.S. This game was way ahead of its time, and here is why...

Legend of Zelda was one of the first games to have battery back-up memory which let you save your game. No more entering long passwords and making a small mistake when writing them down, which could lead to having to start over from the beginning. There are 3 files, so at least 3 people can keep a save file. The battery is supposed to go dead after 5 years or so, but if you take good care of the cartridge, it'll last a whole lot longer.

The Zelda's have always been about the gameplay, and the original certainly doesn't disappoint. You start out in front of a cave, where you'll find your first sword. From there, this excellent adventure game begins. There is an overworld, where you'll go around searching for dungeons, finding places to buy items, and getting stuff such as heart containers. The underworld, or the dungeons, are where you'll do most of the fighting. You move from room to room, getting keys, beating all the bad guys in a room, and finding clues from wisemen who are located in almost every dungeon. There are 9 dungeons in all, in addition to an item (or 2), a map, and a compass in each. Plus, at the end of each dungeon, you'll have a boss to deal with. You must first beat the first 8 dungeons to get into the 9th. At the end of these first 8 dungeons, you'll find a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom. Collect all 8 to enter the final dungeon to defeat Ganon and save Zelda. I think the challenge of this game is moderate on the 1st quest, and moderate to hard on the 2nd quest.

The story was also very advanced for its time. You're a young boy named Link. The evil Ganon has kidnapped Zelda, because she had in her possession the Triforce of Wisdom. However, before she was kidnapped, she broke the Triforce into 8 pieces and hid them, and she also sent her nursemaid, Impa, to find a hero who could save her. Impa was attacked by enemies, and Link saved her from them. From there, this great adventure starts. As mentioned before, you must go through the 8 dungeons, get all 8 pieces of the Triforce, then enter the 9th to fight Ganon and rescue the kidnapped Princess Zelda.

This is one of my favorite Zelda's, and one of the most fun games of all-time. It's very easy to just pick up and start playing, and it has VERY good replay value. You can even go through the quest a 2nd time after you beat it, but it's a whole lot tougher, and the dungeons are even different, including them being located in different places throughout the overworld.

I recommend this game to anyone who enjoys action/adventure games. Hint: If you want to start off on the 2nd quest without going through the 1st, enter your name as "ZELDA" at the beginning. But be warned: the 2nd quest is incredibly challenging compared to the 1st.