Editing The Legend of Zelda (video game)

{{italic title|''The Legend of Zelda'' (video game)}}
{{Game infobox
|title=The Legend of Zelda
|image=[[File:TLOZ box art.jpg|250px]]
|developer=[[Nintendo EAD]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|released='''Family Computer Disk System''':<br>{{released|Japan|February 21, 1986}} '''Nintendo Entertainment System:'''<br>{{Released|USA|July 1987<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101221005931/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/nes_games.pdf NES Games]</ref> / August 22, 1987<ref>''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' [[smashwiki:Masterpieces|Masterpieces]]</ref>|Europe|1987|Japan|February 19, 1994 (Famicom)}} '''Game Boy Advance''':<br>{{released|Japan|February 14, 2004|USA|June 2, 2004|Europe|July 9, 2004}} '''Virtual Console (Wii):'''<br>{{Released|USA|November 19, 2006|Japan|December 2, 2006|Australia|December 7, 2006|Europe|December 8, 2006|South Korea|March 31, 2009}} '''Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program''':<br>{{Released|Japan|August 31, 2011|USA|August 31, 2011|Europe|September 1, 2011|Australia|September 1, 2011}} '''Virtual Console (Nintendo 3DS)''':<br>{{Released|Japan|December 22, 2011|Europe|April 12, 2012|Australia|April 12, 2012|USA|July 5, 2012|South Korea|February 3, 2016}} '''Virtual Console (Wii U)''':<br>{{Released|Japan|August 28, 2013|USA|August 29, 2013|Europe|August 29, 2013|Australia|August 29, 2013}} '''Nintendo Switch Online:'''<br>{{released|Japan|September 19, 2018|USA|September 19, 2018|Europe|September 19, 2018|Australia|September 19, 2018}}
|console=[[Family Computer Disk System]]<br>[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]<br>[[Game Boy Advance]]<br>[[Virtual Console]] ([[Wii]], [[Nintendo 3DS]], [[Wii U]]), [[Nintendo Switch Online]]
|genre=Action-adventure
}}
'''''The Legend of Zelda''''' is the first video game of ''[[The Legend of Zelda (series)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' series. It was first released in Japan, as a launch title of the [[Family Computer Disk System]] peripheral in 1986. A year later, in 1987, the game saw an overseas release on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], and is played from a gold cartridge. ''The Legend of Zelda'' is the first home console title with an internal battery for saving game data.<ref>[https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-legend-of-zelda-review/1900-6162256/ The Legend of Zelda Review - GameSpot]</ref>

At its time of release, ''The Legend of Zelda'' was noted for its expansive, nonlinear open world gameplay. It would eventually be regarded as one of the greatest and most influential video games of all time, laying the groundwork for the nonlinear RPG genre. A vastly different sequel for the same system, ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]'', was first released in Japan less than a year later. ''The Legend of Zelda'' would eventually spawn more successive titles and spin-offs and become one of Nintendo's most popular franchises.

==Plot==
[[File:TLoZ story introduction.png|thumb|left|The story, as told from the opening intro]]
The story of ''The Legend of Zelda'' is described in the instruction booklet and in the short prologue after the title screen.

During an age of chaos, a small kingdom of [[Hyrule]] is invaded by an army led by [[Ganon]], who steal the [[Triforce of Power]]. Ganon (initially spelled as "Gannon" in-game, which is changed in later revisions), nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness", sought parts of the [[Triforce]] to rule over the world with fear and darkness. Fearing his rule, [[Princess Zelda]] split the [[Triforce of Wisdom]] into eight fragments and hid them around the kingdom. She then commanded her trustworthy nursemaid, [[Impa]], to find someone with the courage to fight Ganon and his forces. Ganon finds out about her plan, so he angrily imprisons Zelda and sends his minions to search for Impa. 

Impa fled from Ganon's troops, through forests and mountains. Sometime during her escape, Impa loses all of her energy and gets cornered by Ganon's troops. She is saved by a young hero named [[Link]], whom she retells the whole story of Zelda and Ganon to. Link decides to go on a journey to rescue Zelda and recover each fragment of the Triforce of Wisdom, which he can use to confront Ganon.

During the course of the tale, Link locates and braves the eight underworld labyrinths, each containing a guardian monster, and retrieves a fragment from each one. With the completed Triforce of Wisdom, Link is able to infiltrate Ganon's hideout in [[Death Mountain]], where he confronts Ganon and destroys him with the [[Silver Arrow]]. Link recovers the Triforce of Power from Ganon's ashes, and he returns both the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Wisdom to the rescued Princess Zelda, allowing peace to return into Hyrule.

If the [[Second Quest]] is completed, the ending screen concludes with ''End of "The Legend of Zelda 1"'', hinting at a [[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|sequel]].
{{br|left}}

==Gameplay==
{{multiple image
|align=left
|direction=horizontal
|footer=Link exploring the Overworld (left) and the Level-3 dungeon (right).
|image1=TLoZ gameplay.png
|image2=TLoZ dungeon gameplay.png
|width=200
}}
''The Legend of Zelda'' is notable for incorporating elements from the action, adventure, and role-playing genres. From a top-down perspective, the player can move Link around the [[Overworld]], a large outdoor map with various environments. Link starts his adventure only equipped with a small [[shield]], but he can enter a nearby cave and obtain a [[sword]] from the [[old man]]. Throughout his adventure, Link is aided by several characters who give or sell equipment and clues to him; these characters are found in caves scattered throughout the land. Some are easily accessible, and others are hidden beneath obstacles such as rocks, trees, and waterfalls. The Overworld is divided into sections, and a few enemies spawn in nearly every part of the map. Link must either battle or avoid them as he searches for entrances to large dungeons.

There are nine [[dungeon]]s, each consisting of a maze which is individually separated into rooms, which are connected by doors and secret passages. The paths are usually closed off, and can only be opened if Link defeats every enemy in the room, or by moving [[block]]s around. There are some unique items that Link can obtain within the dungeon, such as a [[boomerang]]. A boss often appears inside a dungeon, and must be defeated by Link to recover a fragment of the Triforce of Wisdom.

''The Legend of Zelda'' is also noted for its flexibility meaning the player can decide on the order that they finish the dungeons. However, the dungeons steadily increase in difficulty by number, and a few dungeon entrances from the Overworld can only be entered by using items that are obtained in previous locations.

After completing the game a first time, the player unlocks a harder mode known as the [[Second Quest]]. It is essentially a harder version of the first mode, featuring entirely different dungeons, relocated items, and stronger enemies. The Overworld remains largely unchanged except for the relocation of the dungeon entrances.

==Characters==
===Playable character===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Sprite
!Name
!Description
|-
!style="background:black"|[[File:Link TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ Link green pale.png]] [[File:Link (Blue Ring) TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ Link blue pale.png]] [[File:Link (Red Ring) TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ Link red pale.png]]
|[[Link]]
|style="text-align:left"|The main protagonist and playable character of the game. He embarks on a journey to stop Ganon and his forces.
|}

===Supporting characters===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Sprite
!Name
!Description
|-
!style="background:black"|[[File:Fairy TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Fairy]]
|style="text-align:left"|A helpful magical creature that can restore Link's health by contact if dropped from an enemy, or through a heart-giving spell at fountains.
|-
!style="background:black"|[[File:Goriya red TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Hungry Goriya]]
|style="text-align:left"|A guard in some dungeons that can be bribed with food.
|-
!style="background:black"|
|[[Impa]]
|style="text-align:left"|Although she does not appear in the game herself, Impa is mentioned in the instruction booklet, as Zelda's most trustworthy nursemaid, of whom Zelda sends out to find someone to take on Ganon and his forces, later found to be Link.
|-
!style="background:black"|{{nowrap|[[File:Merchant TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ merchant blue.png]] [[File:TLoZ merchant red.png]]}}
|[[Merchant]]
|style="text-align:left"|Various sellers of items found in various locations throughout the game, some hidden.
|-
!style="background:black"|[[File:Old Man TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ old man dungeon.png]]
|[[Old man]]
|style="text-align:left"|Old men also have various roles. One in the beginning gives Link his sword. In dungeons, they look slightly different and give Link advice, and will have their torches shoot fireballs at Link if he attacks them. In the overworld, one gives Link a letter to give to an old woman. Other ones can be found operating gambling games. Certain hidden ones will demand Link pay them for destroying the door to their hiding spot, which is done automatically, except for two in a dungeon in the second quest, which will give Link the option to either pay with Rupies or permanent loss of a Container Heart.
|-
!style="background:black"|[[File:Old Woman TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Old woman]]
|style="text-align:left"|Old women have various roles. One, if given a letter, will sell Link Water of Life. Other ones give advice if given a certain amount of money.
|-
!style="background:black"|[[File:Princess Zelda green TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ Zelda blue.png]] [[File:TLoZ Zelda red.png]]
|{{nowrap|[[Princess Zelda]]}}
|style="text-align:left"|Zelda is the princess of [[Hyrule]], and has been kidnapped by [[Ganon]] prior to the game's events. She has also scattered the eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom around the map. She is rescued by Link at the end of the game.
|-
!style="background:black"|[[File:Moblin TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Secret Molblin]]
|style="text-align:left"|Hidden Molblins that give Link Rupies if he discovers their hiding places, telling him to keep it a secret.
|}

===Enemies===
====Overworld enemies====
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Sprite
!Name
!Description
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Armos TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Armos]]
|style="text-align:left"|Statues that come to life and run around when touched.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Ghini TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Ghini]]
|style="text-align:left"|Ghosts that come out of gravestones when they are touched.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Leever red TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Leever blue TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Leever]]
|style="text-align:left"|Spinning, burrowing plants found in sandy areas. They come in red and blue.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Lynel red TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Lynel blue TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Lynel]]
|style="text-align:left"|Tough lion-like centaurs that can shoot sword beams. They are found in mountainous areas and come in red and blue.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Moblin TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Moblin blue TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Moblin|Molblin]]
|style="text-align:left"|Spear-throwing bulldog-like enemies found in forests. They come in orange and teal.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Octorok red TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Octorok blue TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Octorok]]
|style="text-align:left"|Simple octopus enemies that spit rocks, found throughout the overworld. They come in red and blue.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Peahat TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Peahat]]
|style="text-align:left"|Flying flower enemies that can only be attacked when landing.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Tektite red TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Tektite blue TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Tektite]]
|style="text-align:left"|Hopping spiders that come in orange and blue.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Zola TLoZ JP front.png]] [[File:Zora TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Zora|Zola]]
|style="text-align:left"|Territorial fish-people that spit fireballs before hiding back under the water.
|}

====Small underworld enemies====
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Sprite
!Name
!Description
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Bubble red TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Bubble blue TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Bubble]]
|style="text-align:left"|Floating, burning skulls that flash various colors. Touching them causes Link to be cursed into not being able to us his sword for a time. In the second quest, there are solid red ones that curse Link indefinitely, until he touches a solid blue one.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Darknut red TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Darknut blue TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Darknut]]
|style="text-align:left"|Knight enemies with blocking shields that must be attacked from the side. They come in orange and blue.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Gel TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ Gel blue.png]] [[File:TLoZ Gel green.png]] [[File:TLoZ Gel dark yellow.png]] [[File:TLoZ Gel bright green.png]] [[File:TLoZ Gel yellow.png]] [[File:TLoZ Gel gray.png]] [[File:TLoZ Gel dark gray.png]]
|[[Gel]]
|style="text-align:left"|Small slimes that move one tile at a time, and typically share their colors with the dungeon wall, though some are black to blend in in dark rooms.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Gibdo TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Gibdo]]
|style="text-align:left"|Mummies that can visibly carry items such as bombs and keys.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Goriya red TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Goriya blue TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Goriya]]
|style="text-align:left"|Boomerang-throwing canines that come in red and blue.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:TLoZ Head of Gleeok.png]]
|[[Head of Gleeok]]
|style="text-align:left"|[[Gleeok]]'s floating severed heads which can still breath fire.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Keese TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Keese red TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Keese TLoZ Second Quest L-5 sprite.png]] [[File:Keese TLoZ Second Quest L-9 sprite.png]]
|[[Keese]]
|style="text-align:left"|Bats that fly around the screen erratically. They are typically blue, though they appear black in some darker dungeons to blend in with unlit rooms. When a [[Vire]] is defeated, it splits into two red-colored ones which act the same.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Like Like TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Like Like]]
|style="text-align:left"|A tube-shaped enemy that will eat Link if touched, irrevocably stealing his [[Magical Shield]] if he is carrying one.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:TLoZ Mini Digdogger.png]]
|[[Digdogger|Mini-Digdogger]]
|style="text-align:left"|The result of [[Digdogger]] hearing the [[recorder]], they are fast and hard-hitting, but not durable.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Pols Voice TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Pols Voice TLoZ sprite 4.png]] [[File:Pols Voice TLoZ sprite 2.png]] [[File:TLoZ Pols Voice blue pale.png]] [[File:Pols Voice TLoZ sprite 3.png]] [[File:TLoZ Pols Voice red pale.png]]
|[[Pols Voice]]
|style="text-align:left"|Durable rabbit ghosts that are weak to the Family Computer Disk System's microphone, and arrows in Western releases. They share Link's palette.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Rope enemy TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Rope]]
|style="text-align:left"|Snakes that will charge at Link if they see him and are on the same x- or y-coordinate. There are also stronger ones flashing various colors in the second quest.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Stalfos TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Stalfos]]
|style="text-align:left"|Skeletons that walk slowly around dungeon rooms. In the second quest, they can shoot powerful sword beams.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Vire TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Vire]]
|style="text-align:left"|Hopping demons that split into two red Keeses upon defeat.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Wallmaster TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Wallmaster (The Legend of Zelda)|Wall Master]]
|style="text-align:left"|Hands that emerge from walls, sending Link back to the dungeon's entrance room if they grab him.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Wizzrobe red TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Wizzrobe blue TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Wizzrobe]]
|style="text-align:left"|Powerful wizards that shoot magic. The orange ones slowly warp around the room between magic blasts, and the blue ones move forward constantly and can warp across the room rapidly to surprise or evade Link.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Zol green TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Zol black TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ Zol bright green.png]] [[File:TLoZ Zol yellow.png]] [[File:TLoZ Zol gray.png]] [[File:TLoZ Zol dark gray.png]]
|[[Zol]]
|style="text-align:left"|Large slimes that split into two Gels upon defeat. Like Gels, their color is typically shared with the dungeon's own walls, but black in some darker ones.
|}

====Large underworld enemies====
These are usually signified with a roaring sound effect in their rooms and may be encountered as bosses or as enemies. Bosses are always found in the room directly before the goal and drop a [[Heart Container|Container Heart]] (or in [[Ganon]]'s case, the [[Triforce of Power]]).

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Sprite
!Name
!Description
!Level boss (1st quest)
!Level enemy (1st quest)
!Level boss (2nd quest)
!Level enemy (2nd quest)
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Aquamentus TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Aquamentus]]
|style="text-align:left"|A dragon-unicorn that can spit three fireballs at a time. The horn is the weak spot.
|1, 7
|none
|1
|4, 8
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Moldorm TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Moldorm TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Moldorm (The Legend of Zelda)|Moldorm]]s
|style="text-align:left"|Segmented worms that snake around the rooms in pairs. Their segments must be destroyed to defeat them.
|none
|2, 7
|none
|1, 8
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Dodongo TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Dodongo]]
|style="text-align:left"|A tough-skinned creature resembling a ''Triceratops'' or a rhinoceros that can be defeated by either feeding it two bombs directly, or stunning it with a bomb and then hitting it with a sword.
|2
|none
|none
|1, 4
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Dodongo TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Dodongo TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Dodongo TLoZ sprite.png]]
|Dodongo trio
|style="text-align:left"|Dodongos often appear with three at once.
|none
|5, 7
|3, 8
|4, 8
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Manhandla TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Manhandla]]
|style="text-align:left"|A four-headed [[Piranha Plant]] that can move and shoot fireballs from each head. Each must be defeated individually to destroy the whole plant.
|3
|4, 8
|none
|2, 5, 6, 7
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Gleeok two-headed TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Gleeok]] (two heads)
|style="text-align:left"|A double-headed dragon, both of which can shoot fireballs. After a head is defeated, it will turn red and start flying around, still able to shoot fire. Once all heads are detached, the creature will be defeated.
|4
|none
|2
|6
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Gleeok three-headed TLoZ sprite.png]]
|Gleeok (three heads)
|style="text-align:left"|A stronger form of Gleeok.
|none
|6
|5
|none
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Gleeok four-headed TLoZ sprite.png]]
|Gleeok (four heads)
|style="text-align:left"|The strongest form of Gleeok.
|8
|none
|7
|none
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Digdogger TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ Mini Digdogger.png]]
|[[Digdogger]] (one Mini-Digdogger)
|style="text-align:left"|A large sea urchin that shrivels up into a small, defeatable state when Link plays the recorder near it.
|5
|none
|none
|none
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Digdogger TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[File:TLoZ Mini Digdogger.png]] [[File:TLoZ Mini Digdogger.png]] [[File:TLoZ Mini Digdogger.png]]
|Digdogger (three Mini-Digdoggers)
|style="text-align:left"|A Digdogger than splits into multiple smaller versions when Link plays the recorder.
|none
|7
|4
|4, 8
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Gohma red TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Gohma]] (red)
|style="text-align:left"|A large, cycloptic, fire-shooting arthropod. Its eye is weak to arrows when it opens.
|6
|none
|none
|none
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Gohma blue TLoZ sprite.png]]
|Gohma (blue)
|style="text-align:left"|A stronger form of Gohma.
|none
|8
|6
|5, 7
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Lanmola red TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Lanmola blue TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[File:Lanmola red TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Lanmola blue TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Lanmola]]s
|style="text-align:left"|Segmented centipedes that move erratically around the room in pairs. To defeat them, the various segments must be destroyed. They come in orange and blue, with both in a pair being the same color.
|none
|9
|none
|9
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Patra TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Patra]]
|style="text-align:left"|A durable blue flying eye surrounded by circling smaller orange flying eyes it can manipulate in various ways.
|none
|9
|none
|9
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Ganon TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ Ganon petrified.png]]
|[[Ganon]]
|style="text-align:left"|The main antagonist, he warps around the room while invisible and shooting fire. After damaging him enough, he becomes visible to Silver Arrows, which will defeat him by turning him into dust.
|9
|none
|9
|none
|}

====Obstacles====
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Sprite
!Name
!Description
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Rock TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Boulder|Rock]]
|style="text-align:left"|Simple boulders that fall from mountains to their bases.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:TLoZ Stone Statue teal left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue teal right.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue blue-on-teal left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue blue-on-teal right.png]] [[File:Stone Statue TLoZ L-2 sprite.png]] [[File:Stone Statue TLoZ L-2 sprite 2.png]]<br>[[File:TLoZ Stone Statue red-on-blue left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue red-on-blue right.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue soft green left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue soft green right.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue red-on-soft green left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue red-on-soft green right.png]]<br>[[File:TLoZ Stone Statue yellow left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue yellow right.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue blue-on-yellow left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue blue-on-yellow right.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue bright green left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue bright green right.png]]<br>[[File:TLoZ Stone Statue red-on-bright green left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue red-on-bright green right.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue red-on-yellow left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue red-on-yellow right.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue blue-on-bright green left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue blue-on-bright green right.png]]<br>[[File:TLoZ Stone Statue gray left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue gray right.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue blue-on-gray left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue blue-on-gray right.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue red-on-gray left.png]] [[File:TLoZ Stone Statue red-on-gray right.png]]
|[[Stone statue|Stone Statue]]
|style="text-align:left"|Gargoyles that typically act as decoration, but in some cases shoot fireballs in Link's direction.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Trap TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Blade Trap|Trap]]
|style="text-align:left"|Invincible spined mechanisms that slide quickly at Link when he crosses their x- or y-coordinates.
|}

==Items==
===Pickups===
These are common enemy drops that cannot be used from the [[subscreen|sub screen]]:
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Sprite
!Name
!Description
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Clock TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Clock]]
|style="text-align:left"|Permanently freezes every enemy that is currently on screen. The effect wears off when Link moves to the next screen or room.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Heart TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Heart]]
|style="text-align:left"|These items restore missing portions of Link's health.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Rupee TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:Rupee TLoZ 5-count sprite.png]]
|[[Rupee|Rupy]]
|style="text-align:left"|Rupies are the currency used in game. Most Rupies flash between orange and blue. A solid blue Rupy, named 5 Rupies (or 5 Rupees), is at the value of five Rupies. They are called "Rupies" in-game, "rubies" in the manual, and "rupees" in the ''Tips & Tricks'' guide and the 2003 version.
|}

===Assignable items===
These are items that can be assigned to the B button from the sub screen:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Sprite
!Name
!Description
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Arrow TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ arrow green pale.png]] [[File:TLoZ arrow blue.png]] [[File:TLoZ arrow blue pale.png]] [[File:TLoZ arrow red.png]] [[File:TLoZ arrow red pale.png]]
|[[Arrow]]
|style="text-align:left"|Can be shot at enemies at the cost of a single Rupy per shot. They are the weakness of Pols Voices in the Western releases. To use them initially, they first must be bought at a shop.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Blue Candle TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Candle|Blue Candle]]
|style="text-align:left"|Can create a slow-moving fire that can be used to light up dark rooms, burn bushes, or attack certain enemies, but can only be used once at a time per map section/room visit. It can be bought at a shop.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Bomb TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Bomb]]
|style="text-align:left"|Can be used to defeat enemies or find hidden doorways, which can be marked by a crack or indistinguishable from the wall. Link can hold eight at a time, but twice he can find old men that can boost the capacity by four bombs each. Bombs can be found in a variety of places, including as enemy drops.
|-
!style="background:gray"|{{nowrap|[[File:Boomerang TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ boomerang green pale.png]] [[File:TLoZ boomerang blue.png]] [[File:TLoZ boomerang blue pale.png]] [[File:TLoZ boomerang red.png]] [[File:TLoZ boomerang red pale.png]]}}
|[[Boomerang]]
|style="text-align:left"|Can be thrown to stun enemies. It is a dungeon treasure.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Bow TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ bow blue.png]] [[File:TLoZ bow red.png]]
|[[Bow]]
|style="text-align:left"|Can be used to shoot arrows.  It is a dungeon treasure.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Food TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Food]]
|style="text-align:left"|Can be used to bait monsters, including the hungry Goriyas. Food can be bought at shops, but only used once per purchase.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Letter TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Letter]]
|style="text-align:left"|Can be given to a little old lady, who will then sell Link both types of potions. It is obtained from an old man.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Magical Boomerang TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Magic Boomerang|Magical Boomerang]]
|style="text-align:left"|Like the boomerang, but with a wider reach. It is a dungeon treasure.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Magical Rod TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Magic Rod|Magical Rod]]
|style="text-align:left"|Can be used to shoot powerful magic blasts. It is a dungeon treasure.
|-
!style="background:gray"!style="background:black"|[[File:Red Candle TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Candle|Red Candle]]
|style="text-align:left"|It has the same function as the Blue Candle but can produce unlimited flames. It is a dungeon treasure.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Silver Arrow TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Silver Arrow]]
|style="text-align:left"|Used to deal the final blow to Ganon. It is a dungeon treasure.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Recorder TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Whistle|Recorder]]
|style="text-align:left"|Can be used to warp using tornadoes, weaken Digdogger, and drain certain lakes. It is a dungeon treasure.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Life Potion TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:2nd Potion TLoZ sprite.png]] 
|[[Sacred Water|Water of Life]]
|style="text-align:left"|The Water of Life replenishes Link's health if used, but must be refilled to be used again. The blue variant, named '''Life Potion''', has one use, and the red variant, named '''2nd Potion''', becomes a Life Potion when used. It can be bought from a little old lady or taken from an old man.
|}

===Dungeon items===
These are items used for dungeon navigation. They cannot be assigned from the sub screen:
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Sprite
!Name
!Description
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Compass TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Compass]]
|style="text-align:left"|Shows the location of the labyrinth's boss on the map.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Key TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Small Key|Key]]
|style="text-align:left"|Unlocks a single door, and can be used between dungeons.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Map TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Dungeon Map|Map]]
|style="text-align:left"|Shows the room layout of the dungeon it is in.
|}

===Equipment===
Equipment items are automatically assigned to Link; some are later replaced:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Sprite
!Name
!Description
|-
! colspan=3 style="background:#b2f3b2"| '''Swords'''
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Sword TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ sword green pale.png]] [[File:TLoZ sword blue.png]] [[File:TLoZ sword blue pale.png]] [[File:TLoZ sword red.png]] [[File:TLoZ sword red pale.png]]
|[[Sword]]
|style="text-align:left"|The weakest sword. An old man gives it to Link at the very start of the game.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:White Sword TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[White Sword]]
|style="text-align:left"|The medium sword. It is gained from an old man at the top of a waterfall once Link has at least five hearts to his life gauge.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Magical Sword TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Magical Sword]]
|style="text-align:left"|The strongest sword. It is gained from an old man under the graveyard once Link has at least twelve hearts to his life gauge.
|-
! colspan=3 style="background:#b2f3b2"| '''Shields'''
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Wooden Shield TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ shield pale.png]]
|[[Shield]]
|style="text-align:left"|Link's small shield that can block weak projectiles, like Octorok's rocks and Molblin's spears. Link starts out with it and is permanently equipped with it; it is even part of his sprite.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Magical Shield TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ magical shield pale.png]]
|[[Magical Shield]]
|style="text-align:left"|Defends against strong projectiles like fireballs, but can be eaten by Like Likes. It can be bought at a shop.
|-
! colspan=3 style="background:#b2f3b2"| '''Rings'''
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Blue Ring TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Blue Ring]]
|style="text-align:left"|Boosts Link's defense and makes his clothing blue. It can be bought at more expensive shops.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Red Ring TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Red Ring]]
|style="text-align:left"|Boosts Link's defense and makes his clothing red. It is a dungeon treasure.
|-
! colspan=3 style="background:#b2f3b2"| '''Miscellaneous'''
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Book of Magic TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Book of Magic]]
|style="text-align:left"|A book that can be used to boost the Magical Rod into creating fire. It is a dungeon treasure.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Heart Container TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Heart Container|Container Heart]]
|style="text-align:left"|Permanently boost Link's health. In the second quest, there are two instances in which they can be taken away, however. They can be found across the land.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Magical Key TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Magical Key]]
|style="text-align:left"|Unlocks an infinite amount of doors. It is a dungeon treasure.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Power Bracelet TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Power Bracelet]]
|style="text-align:left"|Allows Link to move rocks to find secrets. It can be found under an [[Armos]] in the mountains.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Raft TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ raft green pale.png]] [[File:TLoZ raft blue.png]] [[File:TLoZ raft blue pale.png]] [[File:TLoZ raft red.png]] [[File:TLoZ raft red pale.png]]
|[[Raft]]
|style="text-align:left"|Can be used to travel between docks across bodies of water. It is a dungeon treasure.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Stepladder TLoZ sprite.png]] [[File:TLoZ stepladder pale.png]]
|[[Stepladder]]
|style="text-align:left"|Can be used to cross holes or rivers in Link-sized spaces. It is a dungeon treasure.
|}

===Plot items===
These are rewards for completing dungeons:
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Sprite
!Name
!Description
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:Triforce shard TLoZ sprite.png]]
|[[Triforce Shard|Triforce fragment]]
|style="text-align:left"|The eight units of the Triforce of Wisdom, needed to access Death Mountain.
|-
!style="background:gray"|[[File:TLoZ Triforce of Power.png]]
|{{nowrap|[[Triforce of Power|Triforce with Power]]}}
|style="text-align:left"|The part of the Triforce Ganon has, obtained from his ashes after defeating him.
|}

==Locations==
===Overworld===
The [[Overworld]] is the hub location of the game. Aside from [[dungeon|labyrinth]]s, some other locations appear from the overworld itself:

*[[Cave]]
*[[Fairy Fountain]]
*[[Graveyard]]
*[[Lost Hills]]
*[[Lost Woods]]
*[[Main screen]]
*[[Spectacle Rock]]

While technically not a location, Link can play the [[Money Making Game]] from a few of the caves.

===Levels===
Every level takes place in a labyrinth:
{|class="wikitable"
!Name
!Description
!Item
!Boss
|-
| Level-1: [[Eagle]]
| A bird-shaped dungeon located in a hollow tree on an island north of the starting point.
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Boomerang TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Boomerang]]<br>[[File:Bow TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Bow]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Aquamentus]]
|-
| Level-2: [[Moon (labyrinth)|Moon]]
| A crescent-shaped dungeon to the east, in a rocky forested area.
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Magical Boomerang TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Magic Boomerang|Magical Boomerang]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Dodongo]]
|-
| Level-3: [[Manji]]
| A manji-shaped dungeon to the west, deep in the forest.
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Raft TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Raft]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Manhandla]]
|-
| Level-4: [[Snake (labyrinth)|Snake]]
| A snake-shaped dungeon on an island reachable by [[Raft]].
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Stepladder TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Stepladder]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Gleeok]] (2)
|-
| Level-5: [[Lizard]]
| A lizard head-shaped dungeon located to the north of the [[Lost Hills]].
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Recorder TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Recorder]]<br>[[File:Bomb TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Bomb]] upgrade
| style="text-align:center"| [[Digdogger]] (1)
|-
| Level-6: [[Dragon (labyrinth)|Dragon]]
| A swoopily shaped dungeon found in the graveyard beyond the [[Lost Woods]].
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Magical Rod TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Magic Rod|Magical Rod]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Gohma]] (red)
|-
| Level-7: [[Demon (labyrinth)|Demon]]
| A somewhat K-shaped dungeon found under a pool drained by the [[Recorder]].
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Red Candle TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Candle|Red Candle]]<br>[[File:Bomb TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Bomb]] upgrade
| style="text-align:center"| [[Aquamentus]]
|-
| Level-8: [[Lion]]
| A lion-shaped dungeon found under a burnable bush blocking a path in a forest.
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Book of Magic TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Book of Magic]]<br>[[File:Magical Key TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Magical Key]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Gleeok]] (4)
|-
| Level-9: [[Death Mountain]]
| A skull-shaped dungeon found within [[Spectacle Rock]].
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Red Ring TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Red Ring]]<br>[[File:Silver Arrow TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Silver Arrow]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Ganon]]
|}

;Second Quest
{|class="wikitable"
!Name
!Description
!Item
!Boss
|-
| [[Level-1 (Second Quest)|Level-1]]
| An E-shaped dungeon located in a hollow tree on an island north of the starting point.
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Boomerang TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Boomerang]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Aquamentus]]
|-
| [[Level-2 (Second Quest)|Level-2]]
| An A-shaped dungeon found under a coastal [[Armos]] statue to the west.
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Recorder TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Recorder]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Gleeok]] (2)
|-
| [[Level-3 (Second Quest)|Level-3]]
| An L-shaped dungeon found under a pool drained by the [[Recorder]].
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Magical Boomerang TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Magic Boomerang|Magical Boomerang]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Dodongo]] (3)
|-
| [[Level-4 (Second Quest)|Level-4]]
| A D-shaped dungeon uncovered by moving a rock to the north with the [[Power Bracelet]].
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Raft TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Raft]]<br>[[File:Book of Magic TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Book of Magic]]<br>[[File:Bomb TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Bomb]] upgrade
| style="text-align:center"| [[Digdogger]] (3)
|-
| [[Level-5 (Second Quest)|Level-5]]
| A Z-shaped dungeon on an island reachable by [[Raft]].
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Bow TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Bow]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Gleeok]] (3)
|-
| [[Level-6 (Second Quest)|Level-6]]
| An amorphous dungeon found in the graveyard after playing the [[Recorder]].
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Stepladder TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Stepladder]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Gohma]] (blue)
|-
| [[Level-7 (Second Quest)|Level-7]]
| A swirly dungeon found in the forest to the southeast.
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Red Candle TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Candle|Red Candle]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Gleeok]] (4)
|-
| [[Level-8 (Second Quest)|Level-8]]
| A swirly dungeon found behind a bombable wall across the mountainside river to the north.
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Magical Rod TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Magic Rod|Magical Rod]]<br>[[File:Magical Key TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Magical Key]]<br>[[File:Bomb TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Bomb]] upgrade
| style="text-align:center"| [[Dodongo]] (3)
|-
| [[Level-9 (Second Quest)|Level-9]]
| A pig head-shaped dungeon in the furthest northeast reaches of the mountains.
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Red Ring TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Red Ring]]<br>[[File:Silver Arrow TLoZ sprite.png]]<br>[[Silver Arrow]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Ganon]]
|}

==Development==
[[File:Zelda 1 CHR concept art.jpg|thumb|220px|Concept art showing how sprites would be stored in the game's CHR.]]
''The Legend of Zelda'' was developed and directed by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and [[Takashi Tezuka]]. Miyamoto produced the game and Tezuka produced the script. The manual's backstory was written by Keiji Terui, whose writing was inspired by conflicts in {{wp|Middle Ages|medieval Europe}} and resulted in the legend of the [[Triforce]]. During development, the game was known as 「デス・マウンテン」 (''Desu Maunten'', [[Death Mountain]]).<ref>December 1, 1998. [http://oni.skr.jp/terui.html 照井啓司さんのコメントコーナー]. Retrieved September 16, 2020.</ref>

''The Legend of Zelda'' began development in 1984, at the same time as ''[[mariowiki:Super Mario Bros.|Super Mario Bros.]]'', which had a largely similar development team. The ideas were separated between both games, for instance, how ''Super Mario Bros.'' had linear gameplay contrasting with ''The Legend of Zelda'''s open world exploration. According to Miyamoto, those in Japan were confused and had trouble finding their way through the multi-path dungeons, and in initial game designs, the player would start with the sword already in their inventory. Rather than merely simplifying matters for players, Miyamoto forced the player to listen to the old man who gives them the sword, and he encouraged interaction among people to share ideas on finding various hidden secrets, a new form of gaming communication. Many years later, this concept was used as the root of the ''[[nookipedia:Animal Crossing (series)|Animal Crossing]]'' series.<ref>Game Developers Conference 2007</ref>

With ''The Legend of Zelda'', Miyamoto wanted to flesh out the idea of a game "world" even further, giving players a "miniature garden that they can put inside their drawer." He drew his inspiration from his experiences as a boy around Kyoto, where he explored nearby fields, woods, and caves, always trying through Zelda titles to impart players some sense of that limitless wonder he felt through unknown exploration.<ref name=gamespot>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060117115729/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/hist_zelda/page2b.html The History of Zelda - GameSpot] (Wayback Machine)</ref>

Early concepts of the game involved technological elements, with microchips for the Triforce made of electronic circuits and a time-travelling protagonist. While the final game follows a traditional heroic fantasy setting, subsequent games in the series have incorporated some technology based concepts.<ref>[https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/interview-miyamoto-un-equilibre-difficile-a-trouver-165131.html Gamekult interview with Shigeru Miyamoto]</ref>

The five music tracks were composed by [[Koji Kondo]]. The orchestral piece {{wp|Boléro}} was originally planned as the title theme, but Kondo was forced to change it late in the development cycle after learning that the song's copyright had not yet expired. As a result, Kondo wrote a new arrangement of the overworld theme within one day, which has become an iconic motive echoing throughout continued entries of the series.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20151105134956/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=7&cId=3140040 Zelda Exposed by 1up.com] (Wayback Machine)</ref>

==Release==
In February 1986, Nintendo released ''The Legend of Zelda'' as a launch title on the Family Computer add-on, the [[Family Computer Disk System]] peripheral. It made full use of the Disk Card media's advantages over traditional ROM cartridges, with an increased size of 128 kilobytes which would be expensive to produce on cartridge format.<ref name=gamespot/>

However, due to the disk space's limitations, all of the text was only sourced from the {{wp|katakana}} alphabet. Players could save their progress by using rewritable disks rather than using a password system that many other games had. The Family Computer Disk System utilized an additional sound channel for certain sound effects, such as Link's sword beam at full health, the roars and growls of dungeon bosses, and those of defeated enemies. The sound effects had to be altered for the eventual cartridge release, which used the Family Computer's PCM channel.

When Nintendo published the game in North America, the packaging design featured a small portion of the box cut away to reveal the unique gold-colored cartridge. The cartridge made use of the Memory Management Controller chip (specifically the MMC1 model), which could use bank-switching to allow for larger games than had previously been possible.<ref>''Nintendo Power'' Volume 20, page 30.</ref> This release was notable for being the first cartridge-based game to utilize battery-powered RAM that allowed players to save their progress.

From the success of magazines in Japan, Nintendo knew that game tips were a valued asset. Players enjoyed the bimonthly {{wp|Nintendo Fun Club}} newsletter's crossword puzzles and jokes, but game secrets were most valued. The Fun Club drew kids in by offering tips for the more complicated games, especially Zelda, with its hidden rooms, secret keys and passageways.<ref name=scheff>Sheff, David. ''Game Over''. Page 178.</ref> The mailing list grew. By early 1988, there were over a million Fun Club members, which led Minoru Arakawa to start the [[Nintendo Power]] magazine.<ref name=scheff/>

==Reception and legacy==
''The Legend of Zelda'' was a bestseller for Nintendo, selling over 6.5 million copies.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20051126100623/http://www.the-magicbox.com/game032504.shtml The Magic Box: International Video game News]</ref> The game placed first in the player's poll "Top 30" in Nintendo Power's first issue and continued to dominate the list into the early 1990s. ''The Legend of Zelda'' was also voted by Nintendo Power readers as the "Best Challenge" in the Nintendo Power Awards '88. In 2016 GamesRadar ranked it the third best NES game ever made. The staff praised its "mix of complexity, open world design, and timeless graphics".<ref>http://www.gamesradar.com/best-nes-games-all-time/</ref>

''The Legend of Zelda'' is often featured in lists of games considered the greatest or most influential. It placed first in Game Informer's list of the "Top 100 Games of All Time" and "The Top 200 Games of All Time" (in 2001 and 2009 respectively), fifth in Electronic Gaming Monthly's 200th issue listing "The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time", seventh in Nintendo Power's list of the 200 Best Nintendo Games Ever and 77th in Official Nintendo Magazine's 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time. In 1997 the 32nd issue of Next Generation listed the North American release under their "Five Greatest Game Packages of All Time" list, citing the die-cut hole which revealed the gold cartridge, full color manual, and fold-out map.

In a review of the Wii Virtual Console rerelease Lucas M. Thomas from IGN praised the game's graphics, music, gameplay, and lasting appeal, while criticizing that the game can be too cryptic for new players. He stated that "''The Legend of Zelda'' is a timeless adventure, worth playing through again and again.", while giving the game a nine out of ten.<ref>https://ca.ign.com/articles/2007/02/15/the-legend-of-zelda-vc-review</ref> Damien McFerran from Nintendo Life gave the NES version of the game an eight out of ten, stating that the game is "one of the finest 8-bit RPGs available".<ref>http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/vc/legend_of_zelda_nes</ref> In a negative review David Fisher from Game Shinny gave the game a six out of ten, praising the game's exploration, difficulty balance, and graphical presentation, while criticizing the game's boss variety, the map not telling the player where items are, the game's controls, stating that "In my own run I died about 5 times between the start of the game and the end of the first boss. This might suggest highlighting ''The Legend of Zelda'' (NES) as a game geared toward "hardcore" players, however, the deaths are not because of the game's inherent difficulty. Instead, the difficulty is a result of the faulty controls.", and the game's reliance on the manual.<ref>https://www.gameskinny.com/6rfbj/rewind-review-the-legend-of-zelda-nes</ref>

The Classic NES series port of ''The Legend of Zelda'' received a score of eighty-four on Metacritic.<ref>https://www.metacritic.com/game/game-boy-advance/classic-nes-series-the-legend-of-zelda</ref>

{|class="wikitable review_template" style="border:2px solid black; width:100%; font-size:100%; text-align:center; margin-bottom:5px;" cellpadding="4"
!colspan="4" style="font-size:120%; text-align:center; background-color:gold;"|Reviews
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6"
!style="background-color:#DDD"|Release
!style="background-color:#DDD"|Reviewer, Publication
!style="background-color:#DDD"|Score
!style="background-color:#DDD"|Comment
|-
|[[Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[Wii]], [[Nintendo 3DS]]
|Lucas M. Thomas,<br>[https://ca.ign.com/articles/2007/02/15/the-legend-of-zelda-vc-review IGN]
|9/10
|''"The Legend of Zelda's sequel, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, will benefit even more from be played through the VC but that's a tale for another time. For now, experience the original. Revisit Link's first journey through the land of Hyrule, and see where the franchise first was formed. The Legend of Zelda is absolutely worth your 500 Wii Points, even if you already own it in other forms. For me, I think it's time to take another shot at the Second Quest - I wonder what Drew is up to these days?"''
|-
|[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]
|Damien McFerran,<br>[http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/vc/legend_of_zelda_nes Nintendo Life]
|8/10
|''"This ranks as one of the finest 8-bit RPGs available. If you don't already own a copy of this (and you might do if you got the GBA version or you own the GameCube Zelda disc) you should download it right away!"''
|-
|[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]
|David Fisher,<br>[https://www.gameskinny.com/6rfbj/rewind-review-the-legend-of-zelda-nes Game Skinny]
|6/10
|"''The Legend of Zelda despite having a number of failings is still a rather enjoyable game. It has a certain charm to it that time itself cannot take away. However, new players should certainly be aware of its failings. The controls have not aged well at all, and without a guide newcomers should be ready to wander the Kingdom of Hyrule aimlessly for a long time before stumbling upon their first dungeon. That said, the game is certainly playable, and is a worthwhile game to pick up if you are willing to invest the time.

''As such, I give The Legend of Zelda (NES) a 6 out of 10 for being a game that only a dedicated fan of the series - or of adventure games - can truly bring themselves to play anymore.''"
|-
!colspan="4" style="font-size:120%; text-align:center; background-color:gold;"|Aggregators
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6"
!colspan=2 style="background-color:#DDD"|Compiler
!colspan=2 style="background-color:#DDD"|Platform / Score
|-
|colspan=2|Metacritic
|colspan=2|[https://www.metacritic.com/game/game-boy-advance/classic-nes-series-the-legend-of-zelda 84]
|-
|}

==Alternate versions and re-releases==
[[File:TLoZ Classic NES Series gameplay.png|thumb|Gameplay from the 2004 Game Boy Advance port]]
*1986 - Original release on the [[Family Computer Disk System]] (Japan)
*1987 - Original release on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (North America/Europe/Australia)
*1992 - Re-released on the NES as part of the "Classic Series", featuring a gray cartridge.
*1994 - Back-ported to a Family Computer cartridge and renamed to ''The Hyrule Fantasy: The Legend of Zelda 1''  (Japan)
*1995/1996 - A remake, titled ''[[BS Zelda no Densetsu]]'', was broadcast for the [[Satellaview]] add-on of the [[Super Nintendo]] in four episodic, weekly installments.
*2001 - The original game is unlockable in ''[[nookipedia:Animal Crossing (GCN)|Animal Crossing]]'' for the [[Nintendo GameCube]]. It is one of the "[[nookipedia:Forbidden Four|Forbidden Four]]," and cannot be accessed in-game without a cheating device.
*2003 - The original game is one of the four full games on ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition]]''
*2004 - Ported to the [[Game Boy Advance]] as part of the [[Classic NES Series]]
*2006 - Ported as one of the first [[Virtual Console]] titles on the [[Wii]]
*2008 - Available as a [[smashwiki:Masterpiece|Masterpiece]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''
*2011/2012 - Ported to select [[Nintendo 3DS]] units as an Ambassador Program title, and later became more widely available with a Virtual Console release in 2012 (December 2011 in Japan).
*2013 - Ported to the [[Wii U]] as a downloadable Virtual Console title
*2014 - Also appears as a Masterpiece on ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]''  
*2016 - Released as one of the 30 games included on the NES Classic Edition and its Japanese counterpart, Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer.
*2018 - Included as a playable title on the Nintendo Switch Online service. A "special save data" version was released a month later, allowing the player to start the game with more items and Rupies.
*2021 - Included on ''[[Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda]]'' as a playable title

==Version differences==
{{multiple image
|align=right
|direction=horizontal
|footer=A comparison of the title screens between the original Family Computer Disk System and Family Computer cartridge versions. Changes with the Family Computer release include: the number 1 being added into the game's logo, the "Push Start Button" text being recycled from the NES release, and the inclusion of 1992 as a copyright year.
|width=256
|image1=TLoZ FDS title screen.png
|image2=TLoZ Famicom title screen.png
}}
There are four versions of ''The Legend of Zelda''{{'}}s original release: the Family Computer Disk System, the PRG0 and PRG1 revisions, and the Family Computer re-release. The PRG1 revision is the Classic Series re-release<ref>[https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/563433-the-legend-of-zelda/data The Legend of Zelda – Release Details - GameFAQs]</ref>, and the PRG0 and PRG1 respectively have a product ID of <code>NES-ZL-USA</code> and <code>NES-ZL-USA-1</code>. The Nintendo Entertainment System release features many audio differences from the Family Computer Disk System version, to accommodate for the NES's inferior sound channel, and also includes a couple of minor differences from the original.
 
Starting with 2003, when ''The Legend of Zelda'' was included on ''Collector's Edition'', many translation errors were fixed, most notably from the title screen intro. This version was reused in subsequent ports, except for the Virtual Console release on 3DS, which is based on the PRG1 version. The 2003 release's title screen was updated to include 2003 (or 2004 in the Classic NES Series re-release) as a copyright year. In Japan, the ''Collector's Edition'' version was released in 2004, and thus the title screen's copyright year was also updated to 2004. This version is based on the first Family Computer Disk System, but retains the rewritten intro from. Similarly, the Japanese 3DS Virtual Console opted to use the original translation.

There are a couple of other notable differences:

*The Bible was renamed to the [[Book of Magic]] from the introduction in international releases. This was done in order to comply with Nintendo of America's censorship policies against adding religious content in-game. The Family Computer cartridge re-release also reads "Book of Magic" text but the katakana text still reads Bible.
*In the Family Computer Disk System and Family Computer versions, one way to defeat a [[Pols Voice]] is to yell into the Family Computer's built-in microphone. Since the NES hardware does not have this feature, Link can instead defeat a Pols Voice by firing [[Arrow]]s at it.
*In the NES release, the [[Zora|Zola]] sprites changed to have a black outline surrounding them, which gives them further on-screen visibility.
*The NES release features the thicker, common font present in many NES games.
*In the PRG1 NES version, the save option screen warns users on how to prevent losing their save data. While this message was removed from the hidden ''Animal Crossing'' version, the text layout was left unchanged.
*The Family Computer Disk System version has a smoother screen transitional effect than the NES and Family Computer cartridge releases.
*The PRG1 version of the NES release adds a trademark symbol to the title screen.
*The Family Computer cartridge re-release was updated to include the number "1" in its title. This change is also reflected on the title screen.
*In Japan's 2004 re-release, the copyright info and "Press Start" message reuse the original Family Computer Disk System font.

==Staff==
[[File:TLoZ credits.png|thumb|The complete ending credits from the Family Computer Disk System release.]]
Everyone except the producer, [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]], is listed under a pseudonym during the end credits:

'''Executive producer:'''
*Hiroshi Yamauchi

'''Producer:'''
*[[Shigeru Miyamoto]]

'''Directors:'''
*Shigeru Miyamoto
*[[Takashi Tezuka]]

'''Designer:'''
*Takashi Tezuka

'''Programmers:'''
*Toshihigo Nakago
*Yasunari Soejima
*I. Marui

'''Sound composer:'''
*[[Koji Kondo]]

{{br}}
==Gallery==
{{main|Gallery:The Legend of Zelda}}
<gallery>
Link TLoZ artwork.png|[[Link]]
TLoZ item-whistle art.jpg|[[Recorder]]
TLoZ main scene art.jpg|Primary artwork
Classic NES Series Z1 box.jpg|Classic NES Series box art
TLOZ NA gold cartridge.jpg|Gold NES cartridge
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=ゼルダの<span class="explain" title="でんせつ">伝説</span><br>''Zeruda no Densetsu''<br>ゼルダの伝説1<br>''Zeruda no Densetsu 1''
|JapM=Legend of Zelda (subtitled "''The Hyrule Fantasy''" on the logo)<br><br>The Legend of Zelda 1 (Family Computer 1994 re-release)
}}

==References==
{{Other wikis|Wikipedia=1}}
<references/>
{{Games}}
{{TLOZ}}
[[Category:The Legend of Zelda|*]]
[[Category:The Legend of Zelda series]]
[[Category:Home console games]]
[[Category:Handheld games]]
[[Category:1980s games]]
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