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The wonderful world of Hyrule, and beyondA memorable quarter-centuryThe
Legend of Zelda is one of the best loved Nintendo franchises, over 25
years old and still finding new ways to thrill gamers. The significant
number of Zelda releases means it boasts an incredible history and
reputation, with each new entry’s adventure contributing its part to the
lore of the series.The recent launch of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward
Swordcontinues the fine traditions of its predecessors: familiarity
mixed with innovation, epic storytelling combined with small touches of
characteristic humour and humanity. With the original inspiration for
the series famously based on the imagination of Shigeru Miyamoto when
discovering local caves, Zelda titles celebrate the joy of exploration,
as well as the satisfaction of conquering quests vital to the world’s
survival, or even just to help out a villager in need.The Nintendo Life
staff decided to pick ten memorable Zelda moments, progressing from the
original game to the latest classic. With such a vast franchise it’s
impossible to recount all of our memories, but the following represents a
mixture of inspirational sequences and small, incidental doses of Zelda
charm that have made us smile.We’ve attempted to avoid major spoilers,
though some story-based moments simply had to be included.'It’s
dangerous to go alone' – The Legend of ZeldaThis quotation comes from
the second screen of The Legend of Zelda on NES, where it all began. At
the very beginning you don’t even have a weapon, yet the first cave that
you enter is home to a mysterious old man, who simply utters these
words and hands you a sword to help you on your adventure. The lesson
for gamers playing the original for the first time: explore and you
shall be rewarded.Inspiring t-shirts since 1988'I am Error' – The
mysteriously named figure in Zelda II: The Adventure of LinkNot too far
into Zelda II: The Adventure of Link you explore a village and,
naturally, poke your nose into every house that you can find. In one
room is a character who introduces himself by saying, 'I am Error'. It’s
a classic moment that's notorious among gamers, with a common
assumption being that this is, literally, an error manifesting itself in
text.Interestingly, there's a theory that Error was a deliberate name
and that another character in the game, Bagu, was actually incorrectly
translated from the Japanese word for 'Bug'. Some believe that by
introducing characters called Error and Bug the programmers were sharing
a joke through the game. It’s also worth noting that Error is actually
an important figure in the adventure who later provides vital
information for progressing in the game.Taking Bow Wow for a walk in The
Legend of Zelda: Link’s AwakeningLink's Awakening was the first Zelda
title on the Game Boy, and has most recently been made available on the
3DS Virtual Console, a release of the exceedingly pretty Game Boy Color
remake. One of many stand out moments comes when you’re invited to take
Bow Wow — who is actually recognisable as a Chain Chomp as seen in many
Mario games – for a walk. Not only is it a surreal moment to be walking
such a powerful creature that behaves like a dog, but it becomes a very
loyal companion that happily devours enemies and obstacles in your way.
Progress is impossible without it, and for a short period it truly is
Link’s best friend.The adventure's just beginningGaining the Master
Sword in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the PastThe Master Sword is a
big deal in many Zelda titles, an essential weapon against evil without
which triumph is impossible. A Link to the Past on the Super Nintendo is
a game full of wonderful moments and inventive gameplay mechanics, but
we particularly enjoy retrieving the Master Sword from the forest. The
build-up is tense and atmospheric, and the moment of triumph is greeted
by a burst of glorious music, parting clouds and an area transformed
with frolicking animals and sunlight. Grandiose and magical.Throwing
your sword into the mysterious pond in A Link to the PastThis is a
spoiler, or a secret, or whatever you’d like to call it. It’s worth
telling though, as anyone who has played through A Link to the Past
should consider doing so again just to try out this trick. There is a
moment near the end of the game where a particular item needs to be
thrown into a mysterious pond to be upgraded by a faerie. Apart from
this particular weapon many items don’t work, but just try throwing a
sword in and see what happens…Things are about to get epicRemoving the
Master Sword from the pedestal for the first time in The Legend of
Zelda: Ocarina of TimeOcarina of Time redefined the series with
revolutionary 3D gameplay and graphics, so playing through the original
title on the Nintendo 64 is a fond memory for many gamers. A moment that
epitomises the wonder of the experience is the first time Link removes
the Master Sword from the pedestal in the Temple of Time. A cinematic
swell of music is accompanied by wonderful imagery; it’s a moment that
lives on as emblematic of Zelda storytelling in the age of 3D
graphics.The Zelda series has often allowed gamers to experiment and
provoke interesting moments with their own imaginations, going all the
way back to the sprite-based 2D titles.Interacting with Cuccos in
Ocarina of TimeThe Zelda series has often allowed gamers to experiment
and provoke interesting moments with their own imaginations, going all
the way back to the sprite based 2D titles. In Ocarina of Time,
meanwhile, there are various interactions with the chicken-like cuccos
that stick in the mind. They can be used to descend slowly from high
areas or can be retrieved for a worried owner. Whatever you do, though,
don’t pick a fight with the poultry, as they will simply run you out of
Kakariko Village in a flurry of furious flying feathers: being the Hero
of Time will not spare you from their wrath.The ominous approach of the
moon in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s MaskMajora’s Mask is a follow up
to Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64 that's often, unfortunately,
overlooked or forgotten. That's a travesty, as it’s one of the most
moody, imaginative and creative titles in the franchise. The game's
intriguing premise sees Link striving to avert an impending doom, in the
form of the moon on a collision course with the town, Termina. The
continually looming moon is a daunting sight, a visual sign of the
danger of failure in the quest.An ingenious puzzle solution in The
Legend of Zelda: Phantom HourglassPhantom Hourglass was the first Zelda
title on the DS, introducing the concept of stylus controls and the
creative possibilities of Zelda across two screens. One moment that
truly shines as the epitome of imaginative puzzle design is the point
where the solution is to actually close the DS and open it again. We
won’t say where this happens, but it's a solution so left-field that it
no doubt perplexed many gamers.If you don't buy, you still pay a
price...Being thrown out of Beedle’s flying shop in The Legend of Zelda:
Skyward SwordAs you may have gathered from our The Legend of Zelda:
Skyward Sword review, we rate the Wii-exclusive Zelda adventure as one
of the finest games in the whole franchise. A feature that truly
delights is the quirky behaviour of some of the characters that Link
interacts with. A memorable example is Beedle’s flying shop: if you
browse the items but don’t actually complete a purchase, Beedle will
have his revenge…Those are ten memorable moments that we feel typify the
characteristics and appeal of The Legend of Zelda as a series. We’d
love to hear all about sequences or subtle touches in Zelda titles that
matter to you in the comments below. Please try to be sensitive and
either be selective in your descriptions or, where necessary, exclude
major spoilers.