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The Legend of Zelda (1986)

Nintendo R&D4

Family Computer · Family Computer Disk System · Nintendo 3DS · Nintendo Entertainment System · Wii · Wii U

3.73 from 2919 ratings

6110 members have it in their collection · 201 playing now · 1189 backlogged · 576 wish listed

How long? Main story 10h · with extras 6h · 100% 10h (from 49 logged playthroughs)

The Legend of Zelda is the first title in the Zelda series, it has marked the history of video games particularly for it's game mechanics and universe. The player controls Link and must make his way through the forests, graveyards, plains and deserts of the Otherworld to find the secret entrances to the eight dungeons and try to restore the … Read more
The Legend of Zelda is the first title in the Zelda series, it has marked the history of video games particularly for it's game mechanics and universe. The player controls Link and must make his way through the forests, graveyards, plains and deserts of the Otherworld to find the secret entrances to the eight dungeons and try to restore the broken Triforce. Among the game's mechanics, it was the first time we saw a continuous world that could be freely explored, power-ups that permanently enhanced the main character's abilities and a battery save feature that allowed players to keep their progress instead of having to start over. The gameplay balanced action sequences with discovery, secrets and exploration. Read less
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Details

Developers
Nintendo R&D4
Publishers
Nintendo, Playtronic
Genres
Adventure
Themes
Action, Fantasy, Open world
Franchises
The Legend of Zelda
Series
The Legend of Zelda
Event
Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012

Release dates

  • Feb 21, 1986 (Full Release) (Japan) Family Computer Disk System
  • Aug 22, 1987 (Full Release) (North_America) Nintendo Entertainment System
  • Nov 15, 1987 (Full Release) (Europe) Nintendo Entertainment System
  • Feb 19, 1994 (Full Release) (Japan) Family Computer
  • Sep 1994 (Full Release) (Brazil) Nintendo Entertainment System
  • Nov 19, 2006 (Full Release) (North_America) Wii
  • Dec 02, 2006 (Full Release) (Japan) Wii
  • Dec 07, 2006 (Full Release) (Australia) Wii
  • Dec 08, 2006 (Full Release) (Europe) Wii
  • Mar 31, 2009 (Full Release) (Korea) Wii
  • Dec 22, 2011 (Full Release) (Japan) Nintendo 3DS
  • Apr 12, 2012 (Full Release) (Europe) Nintendo 3DS
  • Jul 05, 2012 (Full Release) (North_America) Nintendo 3DS
  • Aug 28, 2013 (Full Release) (Japan) Wii U
  • Aug 29, 2013 (Full Release) (North_America) Wii U
  • Aug 29, 2013 (Full Release) (Europe) Wii U
  • Feb 03, 2016 (Full Release) (Korea) Nintendo 3DS

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Featured in lists

Games Everyone Should Play At Least Once by Roach · 155 games · 5
Game of the Year: 1985-2025 by anarchistica · 40 games · 3
The Legend of Zelda - Ranked by lingsdook · 33 games · 3
Short Games by Roach · 42 games · 2
NSO Classics Collection - NES by Roach · 84 games · 2
Zeldathon Extravaganzafest by cakeatjobs · 6 games · 1

Rating distribution

5 stars
761
4 stars
949
3 stars
921
2 stars
240
1 star
48
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Community All Reviews Statuses

Balmora

Review Balmora 3/5 · Apr 10, 2022

Fun but I had to use a guide

I did not play this game when it came out. This is my first time completing it, which I'm truly impressed by the controls and gameplay for its time. The hidden doorways that need to be opened with a bomb, and no indicator on the wall that it needs to be broke. That was a huge detractor for me. I've …

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I did not play this game when it came out. This is my first time completing it, which I'm truly impressed by the controls and gameplay for its time. The hidden doorways that need to be opened with a bomb, and no indicator on the wall that it needs to be broke. That was a huge detractor for me. I've been on a kick lately to play older Nintendo games I missed on when I was a kid; This would have been a great one to see first hand at release, but it is hard to keep the frustrating parts of this game out of the forefront.

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BarnOwl

Review BarnOwl 4/5 · Jan 23, 2022

Great Classic NES

This game been one on my shelf from various consoles and PC emulators for years and I finally decided to take a chance. I knew going into this game that it was difficult. Finding each of the dungeons is annoying when you don't have a map to follow. But all in all, this is a great game. The patience it …

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This game been one on my shelf from various consoles and PC emulators for years and I finally decided to take a chance. I knew going into this game that it was difficult. Finding each of the dungeons is annoying when you don't have a map to follow. But all in all, this is a great game. The patience it takes to find items and areas without a guide was very rewarding. I will admit though, I used a guide for finding one of the very useful rings and Ganon's dungeon. And after seeing the dungeon map, I'm glad I did. It's gigantic! I absolutely recommend this game especially if you're a fan of Zelda games.

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Mikedrop

Review Mikedrop 4/5 · Mar 7, 2021

Not for the faint of heart

I finally developed the patience to tackle this classic with a little help from COVID-19 and my lifelong infatuation with the Zelda franchise, at least for the most part. Around dungeon 7, my primitive brain was in dire need of walkthrough assistance. Regardless of my unorthodox approach to playing this classic (thank you, Dolphin’s save state feature) and broken window …

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I finally developed the patience to tackle this classic with a little help from COVID-19 and my lifelong infatuation with the Zelda franchise, at least for the most part. Around dungeon 7, my primitive brain was in dire need of walkthrough assistance. Regardless of my unorthodox approach to playing this classic (thank you, Dolphin’s save state feature) and broken window shutters (thank you, wizrobes) I’m happy that I got the chance to play through it at least once, and I’m willing to give it 4 stars because even today it has more substance and true adventurous qualities than even the shiniest of triple A titles. It’s definitely not unplayable, but I’d only recommend it to hardcore Zelda fans, game historians, or masochists.

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poisongirlss

Review poisongirlss 4/5 · Jan 24, 2019

The very first Zelda was actually the last one I played, fairly recently. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would; previous attempts had me bored quickly. If you want to play it for completion's sake, use a walkthrough. The dungeons are fairly straightforward but the overworld is not.

1 Comment
ludophile

Review ludophile 5/5 · Apr 8, 2017

there are countless 3d games with sprawling open worlds and hours worth of content which try to simulate what its like to go on an adventure.This game , made in 1986 ,shows how to really nail that feeling.

1 Comment
berilozcat

Review berilozcat 3/5 · Mar 12, 2017

In a whole new way

Played this on the virtual console and suddenly remembered I only got to level 6 without the aid of save state and a walkthrough. Not that I thought the game would have an ending of today's standards, but the anti-climatic finish made it much easier to bear because of those two hand holds. Despite this, I get the ingenuity of …

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Played this on the virtual console and suddenly remembered I only got to level 6 without the aid of save state and a walkthrough. Not that I thought the game would have an ending of today's standards, but the anti-climatic finish made it much easier to bear because of those two hand holds. Despite this, I get the ingenuity of the game and especially loved how each dungeon had an item that you needed to get through the next level. The game is in the dungeons obviously but I loved the overworld too.

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pete_cruickshank

Review pete_cruickshank 3/5 · Jan 13, 2017

surprisingly difficult

I understand why this is a classic game. A lot of depth and mechanics for its time, however it's damn difficult. I guess in those days we used to play the same bit to death until we got good.

1 Comment
LightningEllen

Status LightningEllen Oct 30, 2016

So far, poor 8 bit Link has met with his brutal demise a total of 34 times under my inept control. I'm making my way through the final dungeon to retrieve the last Triforce piece. If I wasn't shamefully following a guide, I would have never in a million years found the the hidden entrance to this Manhandla infested level...

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aqwelorr

Review aqwelorr 4/5 · Oct 13, 2016

Still classic

Still a showcase for Shigeru Miyamoto's brilliance in gameplay mechanics. I enjoyed this as much or more than when I started it as a kid. The open-world exploration is fun and challenging -- I started a hand-drawn map although I only finished about 1/4 of it. Gameplay is key here; light on story (in general and also compared to later …

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Still a showcase for Shigeru Miyamoto's brilliance in gameplay mechanics. I enjoyed this as much or more than when I started it as a kid. The open-world exploration is fun and challenging -- I started a hand-drawn map although I only finished about 1/4 of it. Gameplay is key here; light on story (in general and also compared to later Zelda games).

Replay: Second Quest

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Westane

Status Westane May 14, 2015

Day 1:

wpid-20150513_214351.jpg

I hope I remember to touch on this in my NES roundup, but part of playing through all these games almost feels like going on a scavenger hunt for key memories. "You jam bananas in your ears!" "I am error", seeing Samus at the end of Metroid. It's all great to hear about and read about, but actually …

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Day 1:

wpid-20150513_214351.jpg

I hope I remember to touch on this in my NES roundup, but part of playing through all these games almost feels like going on a scavenger hunt for key memories. "You jam bananas in your ears!" "I am error", seeing Samus at the end of Metroid. It's all great to hear about and read about, but actually seeing these bits of history in their original environment is special.

It's dangerous to go alone... here's a stick.

I explored 8-bit Hyrule (Am I in Hyrule?) for about 20 minutes before the inevitable frustration and boredom set in, at which point I grabbed a guide, leading me all over the field in search of hearths, rupees, better equipment and a magic candle. In doing this, I actually had a lot of fun!

Knowing where to go and what to see has helped my enjoyment of the game immensely, though I'll likely ease up on the guide when it comes to dungeons, which I still haven't encountered.

wpid-20150513_222838.jpg

Currently I'm at 198/250 rupees I need for the Blue Ring, which I'd really like to have before fighting the bigger bads. I managed to get myself killed in the field which made for a good stopping point for the night. Looking forward to picking it up again tonight though.

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