The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition

The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition is a compilation title for the Nintendo GameCube released in 2003. It includes four playable The Legend of Zelda games, a 20-minute playable demo of and trailer for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and a retrospective video of The Legend of Zelda series. The title only saw a release through promotions and bundles, and it was never released through traditional means.

Overview
The four playable titles include every title released for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo 64: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. If is pressed while playing one of the NES games, a menu appears with options to reset, quit, or resume the game. When selecting one of the Nintendo 64 games, the player receives the option to enable or disable the rumble feature. If playing with a WaveBird controller, this option cannot be selected.

The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition has some similarities with another GameCube compilation, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Both compilations have a selection menu in which the Hyrule Field theme plays, and both menus use the same sound effects.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker content
A 20-minute playable demo for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is included in this compilation. The demo features three save files, titled Dungeon, Stealth, and Island, which are set in Dragon Roost Cavern, in the Forsaken Fortress, and on Windfall Island, respectively. The files cannot be deleted or copied.

In addition to the demo, a short video showcasing montages of gameplay from the The Wind Waker is featured in the collection, titled The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Special Movie.

The Legend of Zelda: A Retrospective
The Legend of Zelda: A Retrospective is a 1:50 video that features a sequence of short gameplay clips from all games in The Legend of Zelda series up to The Wind Waker, followed by artwork of Link from each game quickly flashing on screen.

Availability
In North America, Australia, and Europe, The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition originally could only be obtained by purchasing a GameCube bundled with the disc, by registering a GameCube and two select games at Nintendo.com, or by subscribing or renewing a subscription to Nintendo Power (in North America) or Club Nintendo in Sweden. In the United Kingdom, 1,000 copies were made available through the Club Nintendo Stars Catalogue program. After these were quickly claimed, Nintendo gave a copy to customers who mailed in proof of purchases from select Nintendo GameCube games. In Japan the game was sold through Club Nintendo for 500 points, or for 150 points if purchased alongside The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures.

Even though the collection never saw a traditional release, Nintendo Power created a guide covering all four games included on the disc.

Changes to The Legend of Zelda

 * The copyright date on the title screen now reads "&copy;1986-2003 Nintendo."
 * The screen seen when saving the game no longer warns the player to hold the reset button on the NES while turning the power off.
 * Various text has been rewritten, most notably the game's story told in the intro.

Changes to Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

 * The copyright date on the title screen now reads "&copy;1987-2003 Nintendo."
 * The screen seen when saving the game no longer warns the player to hold the reset button on the NES while turning the power off.
 * Various text has been rewritten.
 * The line from the game's story introduction, "NO.3 TRIFORCE" now reads, "THE THIRD TRIFORCE."

Changes to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

 * The copyright date on the title screen now reads "&copy;1998, 2003 Nintendo."
 * The game's rendering resolution is increased from 320x240 to 640x480.
 * The icons for and  have been changed to reflect their colors on a GameCube controller.

Changes to The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

 * The copyright date on the title screen now reads "&copy;2000, 2003 Nintendo."
 * The game's rendering resolution is increased from 320x240 to 640x480.
 * The icons for the and  buttons have been changed to reflect their colors on a GameCube controller.

Game descriptions
Each of the games and bonus features in the collection have a brief description that can be accessed by pressing while a game is selected. When a description is opened or closed, one of Navi's sound clips from Ocarina of Time plays.

The Legend of Zelda

 * "This is where the legend began—the game that started the Zelda series. It boasted an innovative and unique game-play experience, remarkably deep puzzle solving, and an epic score. Even now, over 15 years after it first launched, that appeal is still going strong."

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

 * "The Zelda series saw a dramatic change when its side-scrolling second installment appeared. While it adhered to the majestic story and puzzle-solving elements of the original, this new Zelda featured improved action and was appropriately dubbed The Adventure of Link."

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

 * "Taking full advantage of gaming in three dimensions, and innovative new Zelda exploded onto the scene in 1998. Featuring gorgeous cinematics, hordes of hostile enemies, a revolutionary targeting system, and the freedom of traveling on horseback, Ocarina of Time left all who played it amazed and impressed."

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

 * "While it was a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask was clearly a Zelda of a different color, as Link wandered into a three-day journey in a mysterious parallel world. Set in a town that would be crushed by the moon in three days, the story unfolded around masks that transformed their wearers."

The Legend of Zelda: A Retrospective

 * "Every game has a story. Only one is a legend. Journey through Zelda history, from the groundbreaking NES hit to the Nintendo GameCube masterpiece. With The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition and the Game Boy Player, it is now possible to play the complete Zelda legend on one system—the Nintendo GameCube."

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Special Movie

 * "A legend lingers on the wind's breath...a legend that speaks of a great evil, the rise of the Hero of Time, and the unknown fate of a doomed kingdom. To the simple people on the islands of the Great Sea, the legend is merely a story, but to one young boy, it will be much more—it will be his destiny. Let it be yours in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker."

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker demo

 * "Pioneering new forms of expression through the use of innovative "Toon Shading" techniques, The Wind Waker wove a tapestry of adventures set on the stage of the Great Sea. Players immediately found themselves immersed in their own cartoon adventure, playing the lead role of Link, the Hero of Winds."

Glitches
The following glitches are not present in the original releases of the games.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

 * Inconsistencies with the game's sound emulation occur. This is acknowledged in a disclaimer shown each time the game is loaded, stating the player may notice "sound irregularities."

Regional differences

 * The Japanese version features the Club Nintendo logo against a white background, while international versions feature the standard Nintendo logo against a black background.
 * The Japanese version features a menu theme that is entirely unique to this game, while the international versions reuse the menu theme from the Ocarina of Time collection for the Nintendo GameCube.