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 * This article is about the first game in the series. For information on the series as a whole, see The Legend of Zelda (Series). For the television program, see The Legend of Zelda (TV series).

The Legend of Zelda (ゼルダの伝説, ) was the very first Zelda game released. It centers its plot around a boy named Link, who becomes the central protagonist throughout the series. It came out as early as 1986 for the Famicom in Japan, and was later released in the western world, including Europe and the US in 1987. It has since then been re-released several times, for the GameCube as well as the Game Boy Advance. The Japanese version of the game on Famicom was known as The Hyrule Fantasy: Legend of Zelda (ハイラルファンタジー：ゼルダの伝説, ), abbreviated as HF. Some use this title to keep people from getting confused with the other games in the series. Also the NES cartridge for The Legend of Zelda was formatted in 1987, with a internal battery to facilitate game saves.

Gameplay
The game itself introduces a new level of gaming, one that includes roleplaying, action, adventure, and puzzle/logic.

Dungeon Exploration
Barring Link's progress are creatures he must battle to locate the entrances to nine underground dungeons. Each dungeon is a unique, maze-like collection of rooms connected by doors and secret passages and guarded by monsters different from those found on the overworld. Link must successfully navigate each dungeon to obtain one of the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. Dungeons also hide useful items, such as a boomerang for retrieving items and stunning enemies, and a recorder with magical properties. The first six dungeons have visible entrances, but the remaining three are hidden. Except for the final dungeon, which cannot be entered until the previous eight have been completed, the order of completing dungeons is somewhat arbitrary, but many dungeons can only be reached using items gained in the previous one.

Overworld Exploration
Nonlinearity, the ability to take different paths to complete the game, separated Zelda from its contemporaries. Link can freely wander the overworld, finding and buying items at any point. This flexibility enables unusual ways of playing the game; for example, it is possible to reach the final boss of the game (but not defeat him) without taking a sword. Nintendo of America's management initially feared that players might become frustrated with the new concept, left wondering what to do next. As a result, the American version of the game's manual contains many hints, tips, and suggestions for players.

Second Quest
After completing the game, the player has access to a more difficult quest, officially referred to as the Second Quest, where dungeons and the placement of items are different and enemies stronger. Although a more difficult "replay" was not unique to Zelda, few games offered a "second quest" with entirely different levels to complete. Entering "ZELDA" as the player's name starts the second quest immediately. The Second Quest can be replayed each time it is completed.

Japanese Version
The Legend of Zelda was originally released in 1986 as a flagship title for the Famicom Disk System in Japan. Apart from facilitating data saving, the disk drive also added an extra sound channel on top of the Famicom's original five. This has caused the original release to sport a quite different sound compared to the more widespread cartridge release. This difference is most notable during the title screen.

The Book of Magic was known as Bible in the Japanese version of the game. This was likely changed because it violated Nintendo of America's, at the time, very strict content guidelines which among others disapproved of any religious content or references inside games released for their systems. Interestingly enough, all depictions of the cross were kept intact. Note that the legend of the three Golden Goddesses wasn't mentioned until 1991 in A Link to the Past.

Graphics and Audio
Being a game designed originally to be stored in an 8-bit cartridge, the game's graphics don't use too many elements, instead they use different colors for the same ones; the trees, in order to indicate the type of place they are placed in, are colored either green or orange; the dungeons are made of bricks painted blue, green, yellow or white. And so on.

The game features three background themes: The overworld tune, the dungeon tune and the final level's tune. Only the first theme was reused for subsequent games; in fact, over the years, it has become the franchise's signature music. Sound samples like the one when Link collects a new item and the one when a new path is open, are also frequent among current Zelda games as well.

Setting
Being as this game is the first in the franchise, it's the first time Hyrule is portrayed, and it's divided into numerous parts and landscapes, such as Lost Woods, Death Mountain, a central lake, a forest, a Graveyard, and a shore; as Link walks through them, he manages to find the hidden labyrinths where the fragments of the Triforce are kept. It's unkown whether or not the nameless regions reappeared in later games with official names.

Unlike most overworlds in the Zelda series, this incarnation of Hyrule is entirely explorable since the beginning, meaning that Link can go to almost any corner and space of it, in a total absence of linearity. It should be noted that it remains intact in the Second Quest, with the only changes being the locations of the labyrinths and those of special prizes.

Timeline Placement
Both this game and its sequel, The Adventure of Link, are linked in continuity, since the first game revolves around retrieving two of the major fragments of the Triforce, and Ganon is fought in order to rescue Princess Zelda; the second game revolves around finding the third major fragment in order to revive an incarnation of Zelda that was comatose for a very long time, and to impede the revival of Ganon.

The game is set chronologically after A Link to the Past, according to the back of the box for the SNES game, although Shigeru Miyamoto said in an interview that A Link to the Past occurs last (after The Adventure of Link). However, Miyamoto said in a later interview that the original order was correct, saying that Ocarina of Time led into A Link to the Past, which in turn led into The Legend of Zelda.

With the release of new Zelda games and the growing complexity of the timeline, the placement of these two games became unclear, leading to various unconfirmed theories. Therefore, this game's predecessor (or Zelda II's sucessor) in the timeline is not confirmed.

Mistranslations
The Legend of Zelda is littered with mistranslations and odd quotes.
 * The entire intro story is written poorly, such as saying the "Triforce with power", instead of Triforce of Power. For the GBA and Wii Virtual Console ports, the message was entirely rewritten.
 * This is the first and only Zelda game in which Ganon is written Gannon.
 * The Old Man is well-known for his vagueness in messages. One of his most famous quotations is "DODONGO DISLIKES SMOKE", indicating the Dodongo's weakness to bombs. Another odd quote is "DIGDOGGER HATES CERTAIN KINDS OF SOUND".
 * The list of items is titled "all of treasures". The "of" was omitted in subsequent re-releases.
 * At the end of the intro, Link holds up a piece of parchment that reads "Look up the manual for details".
 * When Link pays the Old Woman behind the waterfall, she will tell him to go "Up, up, up, the mountaintop." This was corrected to "up, the mountain ahead". This refers to the path to the Lizard Labyrinth.

Completion Records
According to "Twin Galaxies", the fastest completion time for The Legend of Zelda (with Up+A warps) is 31 minutes and 37 seconds by Rodrigo Lopes on June 12th, 2006.

Sales
The Legend of Zelda was commercially successful, selling 6.5 million copies worldwide and being the fourth best-selling Nintendo Entertainment System game of all time; it's also the second best-selling Zelda game to date, the best seller being Ocarina of Time, which sold 7.6 million copies.

Reviews
IGN journalist Craig Harris awarded the Game Boy Advance version of the game with an 8.0 out of 10, praising its faithful adaptation from the original version; Damien McFerran from Nintendolife gave the Virtual Console version (Wii) the same score, praising the length and the complexity of the quest. Nintendojo staff, when reviewing the GCN edition (Collector's Edition) praised the game for its "innovative and unique gameplay system, remarkably deep puzzle solving, and an epic score". Nintendo Power, in the December 2009 issue, placed the game third in the list of best The Legend of Zelda games, citing its influence on gaming industry and praising its gameplay.

Fan Reception
The game received support from the player community as well. It currently holds an average user score of 9.1 at GameSpot, as well as a current average reader score of 9.1 at IGN.

Ports and Remakes
In 2003, Nintendo released a bundle for the GameCube which included Collector's Edition, in which this game was playable.

In that same year, Nintendo released Animal Crossing for the GameCube, a game that had emulated NES games featured. While The Legend of Zelda is not obtainable through normal gameplay, it is located within Animal Crossing's code and hackable via an Action Replay.

The Game Boy Advance also saw a port of the game into Nintendo's "Classic NES Series" re-releases. The game suffers from the same occasional lag present in the original NES release, despite the Game Boy Advance's superior hardware.

When Nintendo launched the Wii, The Legend of Zelda was a launch title in their Virtual Console service. The game became available on August 31, 2011 as one of the games eligible for free download over the Virtual Console as part of the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program, a service available to players who bought a 3DS before its price dropped on August 11, 2011. It will later be released to the public through the Virtual Console on an unknown date.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl has a feature in which the player can play short, timed demos of classic games (called "Masterpieces" in-game, but a player may only play them for a certain amount of time each. About 1-5 minutes, varying each game). One of these games is The Legend of Zelda. The game allows for two minutes of gameplay, enough time to explore a small part of the Overworld.

Legacy
The Legend of Zelda is the first installment in the Zelda franchise, and its success allowed the development of sequels. In one or another way, nearly every title in the series is influenced by the standards shown here; some of the examples include:


 * The distinction between an overworld and a dungeon, as well as the need of travelling across the former to enter the latter, and to clear the latter to take a further step to the game's completion.
 * The use of items to progress on the adventure, be it to beat enermies more easily or to open new ways and solve puzzles.
 * The introduction of Link, Princess Zelda and Ganon.
 * The introduction of the first two fragments of the Triforce.
 * The introduction of a number of recurring locations (e.g. Lost Woods and Death Mountain) and items.
 * The presence of a Second Quest (although very few subsequent games reused this concept).

Trivia

 * The Moblin's quote "It's a secret to everybody" has become a popular meme among gamers over the years. It is first referenced in A Link to the Past when Link brings a chest to a man who stands next to a sign outside of the desert. He offers to open the chest under the condition that Link will "keep it secret from everyone else". It is also referenced in Ocarina of Time. If Link bribes the guard at the gate of Hyrule Castle, speaking after he opens the gate will result in him saying "KEEP IT A SECRET TO EVERYBODY." And in Majora's Mask, after talking to Kafei in his home behind the curiosity shop, he says "Keep what we just talked about a secret from everybody". It is even referenced in Twilight Princess when in Center Castle Town, Link can enter a door and walk up to a balcony, where a Goron sees the golden force around Hyrule Castle. He admits that he has kept it "a secret to everybody."
 * It is possible (although quite difficult) to make it through the game up until the last dungeon without a sword.
 * The last dungeon is over half the size of the entire overworld. If the entrance to the dungeon were placed directly on Spectacle Rock, the resulting world shape would be an L.
 * The game sold over 6.5 million copies on its first run.
 * In Japan this game is also known as "The Hyrule Fantasy".
 * This is one of the only games where Link can only have a maximum of 16 hearts, the other 2 being Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.
 * Most Legend of Zelda cartridges are gold, but there are very rare late releases of the game in standard grey cartridges.

Plot Synopsis
Following the defeat of Ganon and rescue of Princess Zelda, the land of Hyrule began to recover from the ills that had been visited upon it by Ganon. Content to aid in the restoration of Hyrule, Link, at the age of sixteen, was disturbed one day by the appearance of a mark of three triangles on the back of his hand. Upon seeing this mark, Impa, the nurse of Princess Zelda, related to Link the story of how, ages ago, the King of Hyrule had hidden a third part of the Triforce, the Triforce of Courage, in the Great Palace to safeguard it from evil.

The story goes that upon the death of the king, his son had searched eagerly for the missing Triforce, but its location had been imparted only to the king's daughter, Princess Zelda. Angered upon learning this, the Prince tried to use the power of a wizard to force the truth from his sister, but when she refused the wizard cast a spell upon her to put her into a deep and unending sleep, the wizard died soon after. Only by uniting the Triforce of Courage with its counterparts could Link awake the sleeping Princess Zelda. Upon hearing this tale, Link received from Impa six gems that served as keys to open the seal on the Great Palace.

Even as Link learned all of this, the minions of Ganon had begun to stir once again. Believing that they could revive their master by pouring the blood of his conqueror (Link) over his ashes, they began again to spread across the land, seeking for him. Traveling the land and working with the peoples of its many remote towns, Link was able to discover each of the six palaces and overcome the tests that had been set against any who would seek to gain the Triforce of Courage. In the end, Link made his way into the depths of the Great Palace and discovered the Triforce guarded by a wizened old sage, who relinquished the prize to Link after putting him through one last test of courage: defeating his own shadow. Uniting the three Triforces, Link returned to the Northern Palace and awoke the slumbering Zelda.

Manual Excerpt
Hyrule was on the road to ruin. The power that the vile heart of Ganon had left behind was causing chaos and disorder in Hyrule. What's more, even after the fall of Ganon, some of his underlings remained, waiting for Ganon's return. The key to Ganon's return was the blood of Link - the valiant lad that overthrew the King of Evil. Ganon would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon.

Meanwhile, Link remained in the little kingdom of Hyrule and lent his hand to its restoration. But circumstances did not look very good. One day a strange mark, exactly like the crest of the kingdom, appeared on the back of Link's hand as he approached his 16th birthday. The worried Link went to Impa, Princess Zelda's nursemaid, who was shocked and frightened when she saw the birthmark. When she regained her composure, she took Link to the North Castle.

There was a door in the North Castle called "the door that does not open." Only the descendants of the Impa family who served the king knew how to open the door. Impa took Link's left hand and pressed the back of it against the door. There was a sound of a lock falling open, the door slowly creaked open and there on an altar in the middle of the room lay a beautiful woman. "Here lies the Princess Zelda." Impa began to speak calmly. "Link, the time has come when I must tell you the legend of Zelda handed down in Hyrule.

"It is said that long ago, when Hyrule was one country, a great ruler maintained the peace in Hyrule using the Triforce. However, the king too was a child of man and he died. Then, the prince of the kingdom should have become king and inherited everything, but he could inherit the Triforce only in part. The Prince searched everywhere for the missing parts, but could not find them.

Then, a magician close to the king brought him some unexpected news. Before he died, the king had said something about the Triforce to only the younger sister of the prince, Princess Zelda. The prince immediately questioned the princess, but she wouldn't tell him anything.

After the prince, the magician threatened to put the princess into an eternal sleep if she did not talk, but even still, she said nothing." "In his anger, the magician tried to cast a spell on the princess. The surprised prince tried to stop him, but the magician fought off the prince and went on chanting the spell. Then, when the spell was finally cast, Princess Zelda fell on that spot and entered a sleep from which she might never awake. At the same time, the magician also fell down and breathed his last.

"In his grief, the prince placed the princess in this room. He hoped that someday she would come back to life. So that this tragedy would never be forgotten, he ordered every female child born into the royal household should be given the name Zelda." From the stand next to the alter where Princess Zelda lay in a deep sleep, Impa took the six crystals and a scroll with the same crest and handed them to Link. "For generations, my family has been handed down these things which have been set aside for a time when a great king will come. They are written in ancient script that no one can read now. But you who have the crest may be able to read it. It is said that the key to uniting the Triforce is hidden there. Now it is time for you to read it." Link glanced at the scroll half in doubt, but what do you know? Although he never seen the letters before, he found that he could read them as if they were talking to him...

"This was written on the Scroll. "You who'll control the Triforce of the future. I shall hand down to you the secrets of the Triforce. There are three kinds of Triforce - Power, Wisdom, and Courage. When these three are brought together, the Triforce will share its maximum power. Of the three, I have left Power and Wisdom in the kingdom. But the Triforce of Courage I have hidden for a reason. Not everybody can use the Triforce. It requires a strong character with no evil thoughts. But an inborn special quality is also necessary. Unfortunately, I have not found such a person during my lifetime." "Therefore, I have decided to cast a spell on all of Hyrule. A crest will appear on a young man with that character who has been brought up correctly, has gained many kinds of experiences and reached a certain age. But, what will happen if someone else uses the Triforce before then? If it is misused, it will produce many evils".

"The Triforce of Courage is hidden in the Great Palace in the Valley of Death on the largest island in Hyrule. However, to enter you must first fight the guardians and undo the 'binding force.' When you have defeated the guardians, which I made to prevent enemies from invading the six palaces in Hyrule, set a crystal in the forehead of the statue you find. When you have set crystals in all of the statues in the six palaces, the 'binding force' placed on the Valley of Death will be removed and you will be able to enter the great palace. There you must fight the last guardian. And you can obtain the Triforce only by defeating that guardian. There's nothing to fear. You are the one to get the Triforce. You are the beacon of hope for Hyrule." Impa implored Link, who raised his head slowly after reading the scroll. "The magic spell cast upon the Princess Zelda will sure to be broken if the Triforce is used. Please, Link. Unite the Triforce and save the princess. And bring back peace to Hyrule." Link nodded silently in approval, and left the room after taking a long glance at the altar. Then with a magical sword in his left hand and a magical shield in his right, he set off alone on his long travels. At that time, Ganon's underlings were calling up new allies from the Underworld, and were beginning to work devilishly towards the revival of Ganon.

Gameplay
The Adventure of Link was the sequel to the highly acclaimed The Legend of Zelda, and the second Zelda game ever to be released (not counting the Game & Watch Zelda). Like its prequel, The Adventure of Link features dungeons that must be located in the overworld; inside them is a boss that will challenge Link when they find each other, as well as a treasure item that will prove useful for Link eventually. However, the game features many and very significant gameplay changes from the previous installment, the quest progress is more complex and the difficulty level has reached a peak level.

Screen Interface
The first mechanic to be noted is the side-scrolling perspective, which conjugates with the also present top-view perspective. The former is used when the player is exploring a town, a cavern, a secret open field with some reward, a bridge, a mid-way track or a dungeon. The latter is just to move across the overworld so that the player can indeed travel towards any of the aforementioned places; in addition, when an enemy group (represented in the overworld map as black-colored creatures) manages to make contact with Link after chasing him, the perspective is side scroll as well, and here Link has to either defeat those who are bothering him and flee, or just do the latter (if he can do so easily, of course).

Magic Usage and Experience
The second mechanic, arguably more noteworthy, is that for attack, defense and action. Link, when he's on a side-scrolling place, is able to perform a spell. A spell has a specific purpose, and depending of its effect, it's used either for attack, defense or solving a puzzle; each spell consumes a certain amount of magic, and while its effect is of unlimited time, it automatically cancels after Link reaches a new segment or zone. If Link needs the spell again, he needs then to perform it again, and thus needs magic reserve once more. Certain enemies drop jars that contain magic power, ideal for replenishing the magic stock. There are eight spells in total:


 * Shield: Gives Link extra defense. enemies inflict half of the damage to him.
 * Jump: makes Link jump twice as high as before.
 * Life: Makes Link recover three segments of health energy (this is, in fact, one of the only three ways to recover energy, the others being collecting rare fairies and entering into a clinic in any town).
 * Fairy: Turns Link into a fairy, extremely useful to reach high places, escape from enemy battles and passing through locked doors).
 * Fire: Makes Link able to shoot fireballs (only two at a time, however).
 * Reflect: Hardens Link's shield, which allows it to counter stronger projectiles.
 * Spell: Turns strong enemies into other weaker ones.
 * Thunder: Eliminates every single foe in the screen.

The third mechanic, earnestly vital for survival, is the experience system. As Link defeats enemies, he gains experience points, when a certain number of points is matched, the player can make Link improve by an increment of 1 level one of these attributes: Health (enemies' attacks won't hurt too much, therefore will inflict less damage), Attack (the sword will gain strength, and enemies will take less hit to be pulverized) and Magic (spells will require less magic power to be performed); each attibute can be improved up to the eighth level, and the maximum experience amount to be matched is 8000. After nothing else can be enhanced, every time Link accumulates 9000 points he will gain an extra life (see below).

Lives and Item Usage
The fourth new mechanic is the life system. The player starts with Link having three lives; unlike all other Zelda games, there is no way to instantly revive after depleting the entire health meter. This means that when Link dies, he loses a life, but resumes his quest from the same place where he died; he can increase his life stock by collecting dolls portraying Link himself, generally hidden in secret spots or even in the last dungeons. When he loses all lives, the game is over and, while the player can save his progress in this moment, next time Link resumes his quest, he'll restart from the Northern Palace (where the game begins). Of course, unlike most video games with life system, which reset absolutely everything the player did after all lives were lost, The Adventure of Link retains everything Link collected, and losing all lives simply bring Link back to the starting line. Now, this also has a severe disadvantage: By "everything Link collected", this also includes the dolls Link collected to have more lives; they are gone forever after being collected the first and only time. Experienced Zelda fans recommend the average player to refrain from collecting any doll until the final dungeon is to be explored, due to it being more difficult than the also difficult rest of the game.

Fifth mechanic: A modified item usage. Besides the magic spells, traditional items can also be collected, but not all of them can be used directly (by pressing a button). For example, the hammer and the flute are indeed used in the overwold (by pressing certain buttons, to which said items are assigned permanently) to open new ways to new areas, whereas the boots and the raft are for crossing otherwise prohibitive spots (respectively, a lake and an entire ocean), but without the need of being used by a button press; the other half of the items have permanent effects for the side-scrolling mode. The candle illuminates darkened caves, the glove allows Link to break hardened blocks inside dungeons, the gold key can open an infinite amount of floors, and the cross allows Link to see invisible enemies.

Additionally, this game also cancels out the use of a map and a compass. Finding one's way around a palace can be quite difficult, especially in risk of a Game Over moment.

Second Quest
The game also offers a Second Quest, though the only changes seen after ending the game are the experience stats left intact, same for the spells learned.

Graphics and Audio
The overworld map has a similar visual style to that of the first Zelda game, but more polished and incorporating new elements that reflect the variety of the ecosystems; there is also a clear distinction between the enemy-free paths and the rest of the ground territory (grass, trees, sand, etc.). The side-scrolling visuals are more reminiscent of the platform games for NES, especially Super Mario Bros.; it's also worth mentioning that each dungeon has a different texture and architecture, favoring realism.

Unlike all other games in the series, none of the music in this game was composed by famed composer Koji Kondo with the exception of the overworld theme, which was based off of his original overworld theme. Therefore, almost none of the music in this game was brought back in other games. The Temple music, however, has been remixed several times, and can be heard in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The composer of this game is Akito Nakatsuka who also composed the music for Ice Climbers.

As for sound effects, there are also many differences in the Japanese version. A few examples include different music for the title screen and for when Link encounters an enemy. In the Famicom version, the bosses also roar, and the sound effects are more harsh sounding than in the NES version.

Setting
The Adventure of Link features the largest incarnation of Hyrule in the entire franchise, the only game that can compare to the NES game in that aspect is Twilight Princess; this expansion covers two continents and two islands. It features eight towns, named (in-universe) after characters from Ocarina of Time (mostly Sages): The first four towns are located in Western Hyrule; the other four are in Eastern Hyrule.

Like the first game's incarnation of the land, and unlike that of most of the others, this one is not landlocked, meaning that Link will have to travel overseas to move from one side of Hyrule to the other. Death Mountain, which used to be north, is now in the southwestern zone, and it's been now explored further, as it's now a complex rocky labyrinth.

Timeline Placement
Both this game and the first are linked in continuity, since the first game revolves around retrieving two of the major fragments of the Triforce, and Ganon is fought in order to rescue Princess Zelda; the second game revolves around finding the third major fragment in order to revive an incarnation of Zelda that was sleeping for a very long time, and to impede the revival of Ganon.

The game, being a sequel to the first and features the same hero, is set chronologically after The Legend of Zelda. This first game is said to be preceded by A Link to the Past, according to the synopsis on the back of the game's packaging for the Super Nintendo. However, Shigeru Miyamoto said in an interview that the two games are set before A Link to the Past. A later interview confirmed the original placement, meaning that the two games occur after both Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past.

With the release of new Zelda games and the growing complexity of the timeline, the placement of The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link became unclear, leading to various unconfirmed theories. Therefore, this game's sucessor (or The Legend of Zelda's predecessor) in the timeline is not confirmed.

Completion Records
The fastest single-segment completion time for The Adventure of Link is 1 hour, 13 minutes and 5 seconds by Kristian 'Arctic_Eagle' Emanuelsen on August 1, 2009. The fastest completion time with deaths and Up+A warps is 57 minutes and 59 seconds by Rodrigo Lopes on April 10, 2009. The fastest 100% run is 1 hour, 9 minutes and 23 seconds by Kristian Emanuelsen on May 8, 2009.

Sales
The Adventure of Link was commercially succesful, selling 4.3 million copies worldwide and being the fifth best-selling Nintendo Entertainment System game of all time; however, it sold less than its predecessor, which sold 6.5 million copies.

Reviews
In terms of critical reception, IGN reviewer Lucas M. Thomas gave the Virtual Console version a score of 8.5/10, encouraging players to give it a try and forget about the common belief that it is a "bad game"; he praised the sound, the gameplay, the length and the presentation, but admitted that the graphics "did not age very well". Kristian Reed from Eurogamer, when reviewing the Game Boy Advance version, justified the game being underrated, saying that the game was "an ill-fated experiment", and that it aged "badly". When reviewing Spirit Tracks, Game Observer editor Jacob Crites cited The Adventure of Link as one of the black sheeps in the series, along with Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks itself.

The original version earned a score of 36/40 from Famitsu, and was placed 110th on Nintendo Power's Top 200 best Nintendo games of all time (however, in the December 2009 Issue, they changed their mind and placed it last in their list of best The Legend of Zelda games).

Fan Reception
Years after its release, The Adventure of Link has received positive feedback among fans of the franchise. It currently holds an average reader score of 9.4 at IGN, as well as a current average user score of 8.0 in GameSpot.

Ports and Remakes
In 2003, Nintendo released a bundle for the GameCube which included Collector's Edition, a disk which featured, amongst other games, The Adventure of Link.

Nintendo also re-released the game to the Game Boy Advance in their "Classic NES Series" re-release series.

The Adventure of Link has also been re-released for download on the Wii's Virtual Console. The game became available on August 31, 2011 as one of the games eligible for free download over the Virtual Console as part of the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program, a service available to players who bought a 3DS before its price dropped on August 11, 2011. It will later be released to the public through the Virtual Console on an unknown date.

Legacy
Despite featuring many radical changes from the previous Zelda title, the game also offered canonical elements to be part of the series' standards. It contributed largely to the overall storyline and gameplay of the series. For instance:
 * The ability of Ganon to be revived/return after defeat/death.
 * The Triforce of Courage was introduced.
 * The first appearance of Dark Link was in this game.
 * A magic system, even though it was never used so excessively after this game.
 * The introduction of several new enemies.
 * The ability to learn new moves (though still limited to only two).
 * The world of Hyrule became significantly larger. The overworld of no other Zelda title can be considered this large, with this many towns and this many different environments.
 * The Sages in Ocarina of Time are named after the towns in this game (in-game chronology, however, indicates the opposite: The towns were named after the Sages).
 * The need to do tasks outside the main mission 'Quest' like having to save a trophy or finding medicine for a sick child.
 * This is the first game where Link shapeshifts (into a fairy) as well the first game where the process is voluntary and benefitious.
 * Contrary to popular belief, this isn't the only Zelda game to feature side-scrolling gameplay. It is used briefly in the first game when taking secret passages. It is also used in the Game Boy games Link's Awakening and Oracle of Ages and Seasons and in Four Swords Adventures when taking underground paths.

Trivia

 * This is the only title in the series to not be named The Legend of Zelda. It's a mild case of irony since the game's manual does refer the background story as a "Legend of Zelda", unlike the other games in the series (note that the discrepancy is in the modern literary sense of parallel contradiction, not the wordplay sense or the completely incorrect sense of a mere coincidence or intentional contrast/allusion).
 * The same style of gameplay is used in two of the CD-i Zelda games, Link: The Faces of Evil, and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. Part of the games' poor reception is due to their poor gameplay, which involves side-scrolling.
 * This game marks the first time Link speaks in a canon game. He says "I found a mirror under the table" while in the town of Saria.
 * This is the only The Legend of Zelda game where hearts are absent, and replaced with red squares.
 * This is the only game where Link must place items at the end of the dungeons, rather than receive important quest items.
 * The game Rambo is a side scroller with the gameplay almost identical to this game's, but it differs in level design and overall theme. Although it was released after Zelda II in Japan, it was released first in the United States.

The Imprisoning War
One day, a band of evil thieves managed to open the gateway to the Sacred Realm, where the mystical Triforce was hidden. Upon finding the sacred golden relic, the leader of the thieves, Ganondorf, slew his followers and claimed it as his own. Before long, dark power began to flow forth from the Sacred Realm. People were drawn into this darkness, and never heard from again. As a result, the King of Hyrule ordered the seven sages to seal the entrance to the Sacred Realm. A great battle ensued--monsters poured into the light world from the sacred land and attacked the castle. The Knights of Hyrule defended the sages during the great battle against evil, and, though most of them perished in the struggle, the sages were able to cast their seal, stopping the flow of darkness and trapping the evil king Ganon within. This battle became known as the Imprisoning War.

The Wizard
Once the conflicts against Ganon had ceased, Hyrule entered a time of peace which lasted for centuries, until one year, when unexplained catastrophes began to occur. Pestilence and drought ravaged the land. Thinking the recent disasters plaguing Hyrule were somehow linked to the sages' seal, the king ordered his sages to investigate--but the seal was still intact. Desperate for answers, he offered rewards for anyone who could find the source of Hyrule's troubles.

In response, a stranger named Agahnim appeared as if from nowhere and stayed the catastrophes with mighty magic. As a reward, the king gave him a new position as chief adviser to the throne, and the common folk proclaimed him their hero. Once more, peace appeared to have returned to Hyrule. Yet all was not well. Agahnim began to govern Hyrule in place of the king and abuse his political power as he saw fit. Rumors spread saying that Agahnim planned to remove the king and take the crown for himself, and that strange magical experiments were taking place in the castle tower at night. He cast spells on the soldiers and kidnapped the young maidens descended from the seven sages, using their powers in an attempt to break the seal placed on the Sacred Realm.

Link's Quest
The game starts with Link being awakened in the middle of the night by a telepathic plea from Princess Zelda, who tells him that she is being held prisoner in the dungeon of the castle. Now wide awake, Link finds his uncle with sword and shield in hand. He tells Link not to leave the house, then sets off for the castle. Link ignores his uncle's warning and follows him, only to arrive at the castle to find him gravely wounded. He gives Link his sword and shield and entrusts him with the fate of Princess Zelda. Link proceeds to rescue Zelda, and the two escape the castle through its sewer system to the sanctuary just north of the castle.

There, the priest tells Link that the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Agahnim was the legendary Master Sword. He then sends him to find the elder, Sahasrahla, who explains that not just anyone could wield the Master Sword, and that a hero must appear from the descendants of the Knights of Hyrule. To prove himself worthy of wielding the sacred blade, Link would need to acquire the three Pendants of Virtue.

After successfully obtaining the pendants and withdrawing the blade from its pedestal in the Lost Woods, Zelda calls out to Link yet again, this time warning that soldiers have invaded the sanctuary. Link hurries off to the sanctuary only to find that he was a moment too late, and that the soldiers had already taken Zelda off to Hyrule Castle. Once again, Link hurries to her rescue, and once again arrives too late, as Agahnim was already in the process of sending Princess Zelda to the Dark World. Upon completing this ritual, little time was needed before the sages' seal was completely broken. Link goes on to defeat Agahnim, who then draws him into the Dark World.

There, Link is contacted telepathically by Sahasrahla, who tells him that he is standing in what was once the Sacred Realm, but was transformed by Ganon's evil wish to conquer the world. He then commissions Link with the task of rescuing the imprisoned maidens from the dungeons scattered across the Dark World. Upon freeing them all, Link travels to Ganon's Tower, where the seven maidens used their combined power to dispel the barrier sealing off the entrance. Link proceeds to traverse the tower and defeat Agahnim a second time. Upon his defeat, the shadow of Ganon rises from the body, turns into a bat, and flies off to the Pyramid of Power, where Link and Ganon would face off. With the power of the Silver Arrows and the Master Sword, Link vanquishes Ganon, recovers the Triforce, and by making a wish, reverts the effects of Ganon's evil reign over Hyrule and restores the land to its former glory.

Commonplace Mechanics
A Link to the Past retains various gameplay elements from the original NES game, among them the top-view perspective; Link can collect rupees once more and use items by assigning them to a button, as well as recovering his life energy with hearts. Returning from The Adventure of Link is the ability to use magic to perform spells and to make special items functional, as well as a major interaction with non-playable characters to obtain vital information regarding the quest.

A returning mechanic from both games is the availability of dungeons, which must be conquered in order to archive success in the adventure. Each dungeon has a map and a compass, the former shows the layout of the dungeon in particular and the latter locates the boss's whereabouts; keys must be collected in order to open locked doors, puzzles must be solved to progress, and enemies must be defeated if they are interrupting the exploration. The dungeons are multi-leveled, ranging in number from two to ten, and Big Keys are needed both to open major chests (containing items that increase Link's inventory and help him progress through his adventure) and to open boss rooms.

Similar to the bombs in the first NES game and the magic meter in the second game, various items in A Link to the Past can be upgraded either in capacity or by being turned into more advanced versions. This can be done through completing sidequests or entering certain special places. Optional weapons and items are hidden through Hyrule as well.

Light and Dark World dichotomy
This game introduces a very important mechanic: The Light World/Dark World dichotomy. The game has actually two maps of Hyrule, which are related to each other in several ways; for example, by switching from the Dark World to the Light World while standing in an apparently empty dead end, Link can find in the latter world a secret cave or a passage that was otherwise inaccessible, leading to secret prizes. By doing the opposite (switching from the Light World to the Dark World), Link can gain access to new dungeons, which is important to have success in the quest. A Link to the Past is praised for using cleverly this gameplay device, which in some ways has been reused in subsequent Zelda games.

A Link to the Past is also the first title to have a more developed storyline, which reflects for the first time the dungeon's different purposes. The first three house the sacred pendants that give Link access to the Master Sword, the fourth has to do with a failed attempt to rescue Princess Zelda, the next seven dungeons house the imprisoned maidens, who (once freed) help Link break the seal of the final dungeon's entrance. This style of story progression was used in various subsequent Zelda games, among them Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker, although the latter added various twists and subversions to the concept (by adding the Triforce sub-quest, lacking a dungeon for the third pearl, etc.).

Japanese Version
The Japanese version of the game is titled The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods, which is the English translation of the original Japanese name, Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce. It is said that Nintendo of America changed the name of the game to "A Link to the Past" because they wanted to avoid any references that could be considered religious in the title of the game. For the same reason, parts of the background story were modified as well, for example Agahnim is a priest in the original version, but only a wizard in the English version. Likewise, in the Japanese version the text symbols seen in scripts that are translated by the Book of Mudora are based on Egyptian symbols, in the English version they were replaced by random, meaningless figures.

Graphics and Audio
The game made use of the SNES capabilities to offer more realistic graphics, not only in regards of the areas' textures and colors, but also to add new visual effects, such as the mist and the upper leaves' shadows in Lost Woods, the thunders in the Dark World equivalent of Death Mountain, and so on.

The game's audio retains the overworld tune that debuted in the first Zelda game, although it's only heard while Link stands on the Light World; Kakariko Village's theme is heard here for the first time, and so is Hyrule Castle's background tune. The Dark World's themes are different in all regards (overworld, dungeons, etc.), meaning that the overall soundtrack of the game is far more diverse than that of the first two titles in the series.

Setting
Like its predecessors (and, for that matter, most Zelda games), A Link to the Past is set in the fictional land of Hyrule; notably, the territory of the land is bigger than in the first game, but smaller than in The Adventure of Link.

However, its Dark World counterpart is now included and explorable. In the Light World, familiar zones like Lost Woods and Death Mountain are present, while Kakariko Village and Lake Hylia are introduced here. In the Dark World, every location is different in name and presentation; for example, the Lost Woods is replaced by the Skeleton Forest, Kakariko Village is the Village of Outcasts, and the southwestern desert is the Swamp of Evil. The replacements also affect the dungeons which, instead of housing the Pendants of Virtue, hold captive the maidens who were supposed to break the seal protecting Ganon's Tower.

Timeline Placement
The synopsis on the back of the game's packaging identifies Link and Zelda as the "predecessors" of the original characters, thus placing A Link to the Past at the beginning of the timeline. However, Shigeru Miyamoto made a statement in an interview (following the release of Ocarina of Time) that contradicts the aforementioned statement. In this interview, Miyamoto places A Link to the Past after Ocarina of Time, the original The Legend of Zelda, and The Adventure of Link. Miyamoto gave another interview a year later that seemed to confirm the game's placement after Ocarina of Time, although this time it is said to be before the original Legend of Zelda and its sequel.

The title's placement after Ocarina of Time is supported by Satoru Takizawa, the Character Designer of Ocarina of Time. Takizawa would confirm the theory that Ocarina of Time's plot is the enactment of the Imprisoning War, an event that takes place prior to the events of A Link to the Past.

Although there is some controversy concerning the game's chronological predecessor, it is a widely accepted fact that Link's Awakening is its direct sequel, thanks to a prologue in the game's manual that ties Link's Awakening directly to A Link to the Past.

Completion Records

 * The fastest single-segment completion time is 1 hour, 35 minutes and 45 seconds by Philippe 'Wak' Brisson on June 12th, 2009.
 * The fastest single-segment 100% completion time is 2 hours, 0 minutes and 1 second by Philippe 'Wak' Brisson on July 31st, 2007.

Sales
A Link to the Past was commercially successful, selling 4.61 million copies worldwide, making it the third best selling game in the series (before the release of Twilight Princess).

Reviews
A Link to the Past received a near-perfect score of 39/40 from Japanese magazine Famitsu, and sold 4.6 million copies worldwide.

Both the Game Boy Advance and the Virtual Console versions of the game gained IGN's and Gamespot's recommendation, with praises in matter of presentation, graphics, sound, gameplay and lasting appeal. Criticism on the GBA version focused on the possibility that Zelda fans, at that time, would complain for the lack of a new game for the handheld console, while the Virtual Console version was recommended only for those who didn't play the game in any of the past versions already.

Even today, A Link to the Past remains as a piece of collection for Zelda for fans, as well as one of the highest-ranked games for the SNES, and frequently rivals games like Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess for being the best in the series. Nintendo Power ranked it second in their list of best The Legend of Zelda games, citing the game's improvements over its NES predecessors.

Fan Reception
A Link to the Past received critical acclaim from fans of the series, currently holding an average user score of 9.5 on GameSpot, as well as a current reader average score of 9.8 at IGN.

Ports and Remakes
A Link to the Past was remade for the Game Boy Advance in 2002, introducing Four Swords into the same GBA cartridge.

Changes and additions
The game added sounds and music from Ocarina of Time and altered the sprites somewhat. Link screams whenever he swings his sword or takes damage. The Ice Palace dungeon was altered to make travel slightly less difficult, and the sprite of the Witch's Hut's assistant has changed to look like Maple.

Another major change is that the GBA port changes the original "seven wise men" to "seven Sages", as Ocarina of Time clearly showed that only two of the seven Sages were actually men.

The Palace of the Four Sword was also added in the GBA remake of the game as an optional dungeon. The dungeon features the first four Dark World bosses with amplified power, which must be defeated to obtain the four swords needed to access the final battle against four doppelganger Links.

The Pegasus Shoes were renamed Pegasus Boots to reflect later games.

Other changes include the addition of a "Press Start" prompt at the title screen, the ability to skip the Triforce sequence at startup, and a "save and continue" feature on-demand instead of when Link dies. The player can also start from where they saved and the "start from" menu is displayed after Link dies instead of going to the file select menu.

The Chris Houlihan Room is accessible in the GBA version, but Chris Houlihan's name is not mentioned in the game text.

The shop to the east of the Village of Outcasts was changed to sell only shields, and was surrounded by Like Likes, which are an enemy type that did not appear at all in the original SNES version.

While not significantly affecting gameplay, this remake of A Link to the Past featured newer artwork of Link.

Virtual Console
The original SNES version was also ported to the Wii's Virtual Console on January 22, 2007.

BS The Legend of Zelda
The game's engine and features were used in the later released service, BS-X Broadcasting System. Three The Legend of Zelda games were broadcasted on the service for limited time. The first, BS The Legend of Zelda and its Second Quest, would be a de facto enhanced remake of The Legend of Zelda with altered dungeons, effectively a Third and Fourth Quest. BS The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Stone Tablets followed, presented as a sequel and much like a unique additional quest to A Link to the Past. Finally, A Link to the Past itself released through the service as BS The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods.

With the service having never been brought into the west, the games were never saw release outside of Japan, making them obscure to many fans for years. In spite of their nature of distribution, they were eventually translated and compiled fully playable after a lot of research and work, in a resurrection project done with the BS Zelda Homepage as headquarters.

Legacy
Like its predecessors, A Link to the Past introduced elements that became mainstream for the Zelda franchise, including:


 * The Master Sword. Games like Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess featured it with a similar function and purpose as in the SNES game.
 * The dungeons became more thematically distinctive, reflecting different architectures and purposes. Dungeons based on forest, water and ice, for instance, are played for the first time here.
 * This is the first game where Pieces of Heart are shown, leading to more sidequests (assuming they existed at all in the NES titles).
 * A Link to the Past was the first game in the series to use the now standardized Zelda logo in American releases. Japan would later use this standardized logo by the release of Ocarina of Time.
 * This game introduces the Cucco Revenge Squad, where a flock of Cuccos will attack Link if he attacks one continuously.
 * Kakariko Village and Lake Hylia debut in this title.
 * This also is the first Zelda game in which Princess Zelda is garbed in a white and pink (later changed to purple in Twilight Princess) ornamented dress. This outfit has become a staple in her design ever since.
 * This is the first Zelda game where a member of Link's family is shown. The only other games that do this are The Wind Waker and The Minish Cap.

Trivia

 * With a total of twelve dungeons, A Link to the Past has more dungeons than any other official Zelda game.
 * The bronze plates on the walls of inside the houses in Kakariko Village, which occasionally dispense Rupees when pulled by Link, strongly resemble Mario.

Related Articles

 * The Ancient Stone Tablets
 * Secret Chris Houlihan room
 * The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Comic)

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (ゼルダの伝説 夢をみる島, ), is the fourth installment in the series, and the only Zelda title on the Game Boy; Link's Awakening DX, a color update, is one of the three Zelda titles for the Game Boy Color. Since its release, Link’s Awakening has been popular among fans and critics. By 2004, the original release had sold 3.83 million copies worldwide, while Link’s Awakening DX had sold 2.22 million. In 2009, Guinness World Records named it the 42nd most influential video game of all time.

Story
Link, who had defeated the evil Ganon and regained peace in Hyrule, had not enjoyed the archived tranquility for long, and eventually becomes restless. Feeling in need of training or enlightenment, he embarks on a journey and sails across oceans in a small sail boat. Eventually Link completes his training in foreign countries and begins to sail back to his home, Hyrule. But then suddenly the seas turn rough as the skies become dark, a thunder storm is stirring up. Link tried to valiantly fight the strong currants of the waves, even tying himself to the ship with some rope. But a bolt of lightning strikes the ship and everything turns dark.

Later in a faraway island, a young girl named Marin is walking along the shores of the island's beach. She suddenly spots someone laying on the sands. Upon closer look, she finds an unconscious Link and tries to wake him up but with no avail. Unable to do anything else, Marin takes Link back to her house in Mabe Village. From beyond the darkness, Link hears the voice of a girl. He first mistakes the voice to be of Princess Zelda's, but wakes up to discover that it was the voice of Marin. Not knowing where he is, the girl and her father, Tarin, explain the island to him. Miraculously, Link had been washed ashore on Koholint Island. Link starts his preparations to leave the island, and Tarin returns him his shield.

Yet Link's sword is nowhere to be found. Searching in the beaches of the island, Link eventually finds it next to his boat that was shipwrecked. Suddenly a mysterious owl flies down to him. The owl explains that high on the mountaintops of the island is a giant egg, and inside sleeps a being known as The Wind Fish. The owl says that the Wind Fish must be awakened, or else Link cannot leave the island, and tells Link that he needs to go into the woods to find a key and then flies away. Left with nothing but a puzzling riddle and wonderment, Link is forced to listen to the owl's words and heads into the forest. He eventually finds the Tail Key. The owl reappears and tells him to go into Tail Cave and to use that key to get inside.

Link does so and goes through several enemies and puzzles in this early dungeon. After defeating the boss, Link finds a magical instrument, the Full Moon Cello. Although not knowing what it is at first, the owl reappears and explains that instrument is one of the Eight Instruments of the Sirens. The owl explains that Link must retrieve the remaining seven instruments if he is to awaken the sleeping Wind Fish. Now Link, still full of questions about this strange world, must journey throughout the rest of the island and find these mystical instruments.

Eventually in his journey, Link arrives in Animal Village. The owl had told him to venture into Yarna Desert to find an important item that will aid Link. Unfortunately a large, sleeping walrus blocks his path. Yet one of the animals of Animal Village tell Link that Marin and her beautiful voice and song can awaken those who hear her. Link returns to Mabe Village and eventually gets an Ocarina from the Dream Shrine. He finds Marin at the beach who explains to him her wish to be a seagull, so that she could fly around the world and share her songs with many people. She hopes that she can make this wish to the Wind Fish. Afterwards Link learns from Marin how to play the Ballad of the Wind Fish on his ocarina, the song of awakening. However since it is not enough to awaken the walrus, Marin tags along with Link to Animal Village. Marin decides to stay in the village after the walrus awakes, and Link finds the Angler Key in the desert.

Sometime before getting the sixth instrument, the owl flies to Link and tells him to go to the Southern Face Shrine. When Link arrives there, he learns a horrible truth about the island. On a wall depicting the Wind Fish himself, the words read "To the finder, the isle of Koholint is but an illusion... Human, monster, sea, sky... a scene on the lid of a sleeper's eye... Awake the dreamer, and Koholint will vanish much like a bubble on a needle... Cast-away, you should know the truth!"

Link now faces a dilemma, whether he should awaken the Wind Fish or not. But the owl reassures him and tells him to trust his feelings. Link paves on and continues to find the remaining three instruments. Eventually he finds Marin on Tal Tal Mountain Range being attacked by monsters, and Link saves her. For a moment, she tries to tell Link something... but changes her mind. The owl knows about her singing and the song of awakening that she always sings, and wonders if she was trying to awake the dreamer, the Wind Fish.

Later Link has now obtained all eight of the Instruments of the Siren. The owl says that now is the time to awaken the dreamer. Link heads up the mountain tops and encounters the giant egg, in which the Wind Fish sleeps. With his ocarina in hand and the other instruments, Link plays the Ballad of the Wind Fish. Suddenly an entrance cracks open from the egg, and Link goes inside.

Inside, Link finds the true mastermind behind all of the chaos of Koholint, the Nightmare who has the power to transform into other forms. After a long battle, Link defeats the Nightmare, the last of the island's evils. Suddenly a stairway opens and Link climbs up, where he finds himself in a strange black room filled with rainbow clouds and stars.

There the owl comes to see Link one last time. The owl explains that he is in fact part of the Wind Fish's spirit, and thus was the guardian of his dream world. All was peaceful in the Wind Fish's dream, until nightmares began to invade it. Many of the nightmares that Link had faced were the very ones in dungeons that guarded the eight instruments. But now Link had defeated the last of the Nightmares, and that the Wind Fish's dream is at ease once again. With the Nightmares gone and the Eight Instruments of the Siren retrieved, the Wind Fish can finally be awakened. The owl then says that his role in this dream is now complete and says farewell to Link before vanishing rather than flying away.

Suddenly a wail is sounded and the Wind Fish appears right before Link's very own eyes! The Wind Fish says that in his dreams, a whole world had appeared. Yet he could not awaken due to the Nightmares. Yet it is only natural that dreams are to end, and when he awakes Koholint shall disappear. He says that Link may someday recall this dream world in the waking world, the only memory of the island.

The Wind Fish then fades away and says that they should awaken together, and commands Link to play the song of awakening one more time. Link does so and slowly, the whole island and its inhabitants fade away. The entire island disappears, but the ocean is kept in place. Suddenly Link is forced out of the The Wind Fish's room by a stream of water.

The sky above shines brightly as seagulls fly overhead. Link awakens on a wooden board in the the sea, once part of his ship. Just as it was predicted, Koholint Island was a dream and Link was back in reality. As he recalls all of the events, a shadow looms over him. Looking up, he sees the Wind Fish flying in the sky. Link then smiles, realizing that maybe he did actually help to awake the Wind Fish. Link's journey of awakening had finally came to an end.

The Legend of the Wind Fish
It would appear that The Wind Fish could be a mere myth to the inhabitants of Koholint Island. The egg on top of Mt. Tamaranch is rather large and can be seen from a distance, making it obvious that some of the inhabitants of Koholint Island would know something about The Wind Fish. Marin for example is a very good example of a simple citizen of Mabe Village, yet knows the existence of the Wind Fish, even wishing that she could wish on The Wind Fish to turn into a seagull. However it's not quite sure if she too believes whether it is just a myth or real herself, however Marin can be spotted on Tal Tal Mountain Range for no apparent reason. The Owl seems to believe that she may have tried to awaken the Wind Fish with her song. Only the Owl and possibly Marin seem to know the actual existence of the Wind Fish. Shortly after Link clears the Face Shrine dungeon, a boy in Mabe Village would be asked by Link 'when they had appeared on the island' but had no idea what Link meant, obviously suggesting that the inhabitants of Koholint Island have no idea that they are part of a dream world.

The Southern Face Shrine is the only place that holds the most information about the myth of The Wind Fish, and the sayings on its walls about the island being a but a dream is very much true. Judging by the writing on the walls, the shrine seems to have been built only for the person who would awaken The Wind Fish.

The Perfect Ending
If Link had never died during the game before seeing the game's ending, an additional scene can be seen after the ending credits. Both show Marin as a seagull (or simply having seagull wings) while the Ballad of The Wind Fish theme plays in the background. This may possibly either hint that Marin had her wish come true and was "saved" from the fading dream world, or simply Link having a memory of Marin and her wish of being a seagull.

The perfect ending varies between the original Game Boy release and the Game Boy Color remake. In the original, a Marin with wings on her back will fly around the words "The End" while singing her song. In Link's Awakening DX, a full colored image of Marin can be seen within the skies and clouds, again her song theme will be playing in the background although she won't be singing it. Shortly after, the image fades into a seagull who flies away.

Timeline Placement
Due to the prologue found in the game's manual, Link's Awakening is widely assumed to be the chronological successor, as well as actual successor, of A Link to the Past.

However, since the prologue only references defeating Ganon and saving Hyrule, it is possible (although unlikely) for Link's Awakening to follow a title other than A Link to the Past. This ambiguity is reflected in an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, who states that it is "not very clear where Link's Awakening fits in". The most likely candidate for this theory would be the Oracle Series, as at the end of a Linked Game Link leaves Holodrum and Labrynna on a boat similar to the one seen at the beginning of Link's Awakening. This unconfirmed theory can be pierced with the discrepancy that, in the prologue in the game manual, it is said that Hyrule is saved from Ganon (the Oracle series takes place in Holodrum and Labrynna). The backstory of Link's Awakening states that Link had been training in "foreign lands," which could easily include Holodrum and Labrynna.

Link's Awakening DX


The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX for Game Boy Color is a remake of Link's Awakening with several new additions, most notably the entire game is now in color. It was released just before the release of Ocarina of Time. The engines and color palettes in both of the Oracle series games are likely based on those used in Link's Awakening DX.

Link's Awakening DX can also be played on a Game Boy as well, however playing it on a Game Boy makes accessing the optional dungeon Color Dungeon impossible.

Nintendo 3DS re-release
Link's Awakening is one of the confirmed titles to be re-released for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.

It was announced at Nintendo's E3 Press Conference by Shigeru Miyamoto that Link's Awakening would release that day, June 7th, 2011. The eshop price for the game is $5.99 in the United States, $9AU in Australia, and £5.40 in the United Kingdom.

References to other Nintendo games
There are many references to Nintendo games in Link's Awakening. The majority are from the Mario series.


 * The Yoshi Doll
 * Tarin himself, who is similar in appearance to Mario.
 * Tarin turning into a raccoon after eating a Mushroom might be a reference to Super Mario Bros. 3 (although Mario turned into a raccoon using a leaf).
 * The Cucco Keeper is similiar in appearance to Luigi.
 * The Wind Fish's Egg is similar in appearance to a Yoshi Egg.
 * Mr. Write shows Link a picture of Princess Peach sent to him by the goat in Animal Village. (Because of the picture, her name is implied to be Christine. This scene is poking fun at long distance relationships involving mail, e-mail, etc. since the goat is lying about who she really is and Mr. Write thinks he is writing to a beautiful woman).
 * Mr. Write is similiar in appearance to Dr. Wright from the Super Nintendo version of SimCity. They share the same last name, but both are spelled differently.
 * In addition to Mario characters, Richard from Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru made an appearance.
 * Mamu is based on, the final boss of .
 * Various enemies:
 * Goomba
 * Piranha Plant
 * Cheep-Cheep
 * Boo
 * Mask-Mimic
 * Pokey
 * Bloober
 * Thwimp/Thwomp
 * Bombite
 * Bow-Wow
 * Anti-Kirby

Trivia

 * Princess Zelda is not featured at all in Link’s Awakening, though she is referenced by Link, initially confusing Marin for her.
 * According to Twin Galaxies, the fastest completion of Link’s Awakening is 1 hour, 22 minutes and 57 seconds by Rodrigo Lopes on June 12th, 2006.
 * If the name ZELDA is used when creating a new game, a remixed Zelda theme will play in the background.
 * Unlike the other Zelda games in the series, none of the levels in the original Link’s Awakening are called Dungeons or Temples.
 * Link’s Awakening is the only Zelda game in which the majority of the bosses can speak.
 * In the first shop, Link can sneak an item past the shopkeeper and acquire it for free. He will, however, be labeled "THIEF" for the rest of the game. Upon returning to that shop, the shopkeeper will kill Link with a giant beam. The shop can be reset, however, by saving after Link dies from the attack.
 * Rather than the usual maximum of 20, this game has a maximum of only 14 heart containers.
 * Link's Awakening has nearly the same cover art as its predecessor, A Link to the Past.

Links and Reviews

 * Link's Awakening Review - Zelda Universe's Official Link's Awakening Review.
 * Link's Awakening Walkthrough - Zelda Dungeon's Link's Awakening Guide
 * Interactive clickable map of Koholint Island

Events leading up to Ocarina of Time
A war occurred approximately ten years before Ocarina of Time's story begins, known as the Hyrulean Civil War. This war explains the origins of several characters and provides extra backstory to their motives.

The Boy Without a Fairy
In the Kokiri Forest, all the forest children have their own guardian fairies, bestowed upon them by the Great Deku Tree, except for one boy. This boy, plagued by nightmares of a girl fleeing from an evil man clad in black, is named Link. For as long as he could remember, the lonely boy had been ostracized by the other children, never quite fitting in. One day the Great Deku Tree, nearing death, sends Navi the fairy to deliver the lad a summons. In order to test young Link’s courage, the Great Deku Tree bids Link to venture inside his hollow and break the death curse cast upon him by a wicked man in black.

Link complies, but his efforts are for naught; the Great Deku Tree’s death was sealed in the pages of fate before his attempt had even begun. With his last breath, the Great Deku Tree bestows upon Link the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, the Kokiri's Emerald, and entreats him to travel to Hyrule Castle and seek an audience with Princess Zelda.

After traveling across Hyrule Field and passing through the Castle Town, Link quickly realizes that speaking to the princess of Hyrule would not be a simple matter; many guards stand watch, alert and ready to catch any trespassers. However, he manages to infiltrate the castle, bypassing the front gate and evading all the guards in his path. When he reaches the castle itself, the raised drawbridge seems an insurmountable obstacle. However, Link discovers an unguarded water drain by the castle moat and manages to squeeze through the hole, emerging within the castle garden. Many more guards are on patrol here, but Link is able to evade them all and sneak into the castle courtyard.

In this courtyard his fate converges with that of the young princess of Hyrule.

Princess Zelda tells Link of her prophetic dreams, explaining that she had seen him come from the forest and break through a veil of darkness, accompanied by a fairy guide and bearing a green and shining stone. She also warns him about Ganondorf, the desert man clad in black whom Zelda believes is symbolized by the dark clouds of her dreams, and his evil intention to steal the Triforce of Legend from the Sacred Realm. With the power of the goddesses, his desire to subjugate the world would be realized. In order to do this, Ganondorf would require not only the three Spiritual Stones of Hyrule, but also the mystical Ocarina of Time.

Zelda insists that Link track down the other two Spiritual Stones, so that they might beat Ganondorf to the Triforce and put an end to his plot.

Link sets out for Death Mountain and Zora's Domain, where he succeeds in assisting both the Gorons and the Zoras in quelling the calamities that Ganondorf had wrought in his pursuit of the Triforce and is awarded with the other two Spiritual Stones, the Goron's Ruby and Zora's Sapphire   for his efforts.

He returns to Hyrule Castle to inform Zelda of his success, only to witness his nightmare come to pass. Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle in an attempt to steal the Ocarina of Time, and Princess Zelda was forced to flee with her loyal attendant Impa in order to keep the sacred relic from Ganondorf’s hands. As she passes Link on the drawbridge of Hyrule Castle Town, she throws the ocarina into the moat to give him the chance to enter the Sacred Realm and retrieve the Triforce. In hot pursuit, Ganondorf charges across the drawbridge, blasting Link with dark magic when he tries to stand in his way. Dismissing Link as no credible threat to his power, he speeds off in his pursuit of the princess. When Link retrieves the Ocarina of Time from the moat, he receives a telepathic message from Zelda, bidding him to play the Song of Time in front of the Temple of Time's altar. Link makes his way to the Temple of Time, and proceeds to use the four keys to open the Door of Time. Beyond it lies the Master Sword, the blade of evil’s bane, resting in the Pedestal of Time. Link draws the blade, unlocking the gateway to the Sacred Realm. But then the Master Sword, though accepting Link as its wielder, seals him away in the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf, who had suspected that Link might have already held the keys to the Sacred Realm, mocks him for practically giving him the Triforce. Link watches helplessly as Ganondorf passes him by and crosses over into the Sacred Realm.

The Hero of Time
The Triforce is a scale that measures the three virtues ruled by the goddesses, Power, Wisdom, and Courage. If the heart of one who holds the sacred triangle carries all three of these forces in balance, that one will acquire the Triforce intact, the divine authority to govern all. If one’s heart is not in balance, the Triforce will separate into three parts, and only one part will remain for the one who touched the Triforce: that part which embodies the force that one most believes in.

If an unbalanced heart would seek the Triforce, then that one must strive to acquire the two lost parts, which will rest within two others chosen by destiny who will hold the crest of the goddesses on the backs of their hands.

When Ganondorf laid his hands upon the Triforce, the prophecy came to pass. The Triforce split into its three parts, and only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorf's hands.

Ganondorf proceeded to conquer the Sacred Realm, and became the self-proclaimed King of Evil, but his lust for power was not yet satisfied. In order to gain complete mastery of the world, Ganondorf started hunting for those chosen by destiny to hold the other two Triforce parts that had escaped his grasp.

However, there also existed a prophecy of deliverance from evil. It spoke of six Sages, who dwelt in six temples. Together with a hero chosen by the goddesses, the awakened ones would bind the evil power and return the light of peace to the world.

Because of the evil power that now flowed from the sacred temples, however, the Sages could not hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm, and so over seven brutal years Ganondorf’s powers of darkness, enhanced by the Triforce of Power, ran unchecked across all of Hyrule.

However, his hunt for the other two pieces was in vain, for their bearers had all but disappeared from the world. His search for Princess Zelda was futile, for she had gone into hiding, and Link was sealed within the Sacred Realm. Still, Ganondorf’s power went virtually unopposed and in seven short years he transformed the once pristine land into a world of monsters and darkness.

When it seemes that all hope has died, Link appears as if from nowhere. A mysterious man named Sheik, one of the survivors of the ancient Sheikah tribe, tells him of Ganondorf’s conquest over the last seven years, and of the legend of the Sages. Wielding the blade of evil’s bane, Link sets out to break the curse on all of the sacred temples.

After freeing the six Sages, Link returns to the Temple of Time and discovers that there is in fact a seventh Sage: Sheik, who is in fact Princess Zelda herself in disguise as a Sheikah to avoid Ganondorf’s pursuits, and was awaiting Link’s return all along.

Princess Zelda had been the one chosen to receive the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link in turn had received the third piece, the Triforce of Courage. Link had been completely unaware of this. In revealing herself to him, however, Zelda also exposes herself to Ganondorf, who has been waiting for just such a moment and promptly kidnaps her, bringing her to his tower fortress, constructed where Hyrule Castle had stood before its destruction.

Link breaks the barrier around the fortress with the help of the six awakened Sages. Storming the keep, he confronts Ganondorf, and a climactic battle unfolds over the fate of Hyrule and the Triforce.

Without a strong and righteous mind, Ganondorf could not control the power of the gods, and so he was felled by Link’s hand. The Sages, their power now restored, cast the evil incarnation of darkness into the void of the Evil Realm that had been the Sacred Realm before becoming stained by Ganondorf's evil. Princess Zelda herself then seals the gateway, and thus, Ganondorf the dark lord vanishes from Hyrule.

Zelda instructs Link to lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time, closing the road between times, and she sends him to his original time. . After Link went back to his original time, and he still acknowledged about Hyrule's fate, he went towards Princess Zelda in order to prevent such fate for Hyrule. Link, who traveled through time to save the land, would be forever known in legend as the Hero of Time.

Third Dimension
The gameplay of Ocarina of Time was revolutionary for its time. It has arguably made more of an impact on later games in the series than any of its predecessors, even though they had the same cores of exploration, dungeons, puzzles and item usage. The Z-targeting mechanic introduced by Ocarina of Time has retained its core values in later 3D console games, as well as having been introduced in other video game series. Another key feature is the introduction of the "Action button," which has different uses depending on Link's environment; for instance, standing next to a door prompts the Action button to change to "Open," allowing Link to open the door.

The three-dimensional environment, enhanced sound, and greater graphical capacity of the Nintendo 64 allowed Nintendo to create a truly immersive environment beyond what had ever been done before, allowing for greater separation between cheerful environments, such as Hyrule Castle Town and Kokiri Forest, and comparatively dark areas such as Ganon's Tower and the Shadow Temple.

Time Travel
Among the game's particular gameplay mechanics, one of the most noteworthy is the time-traveling system. The game is divided into two periods. In the first, the protagonist Link is a child, and his mission is to retrieve sacred stones that are the key to open the Door of Time, where the blade of the evil's bane, the Master Sword, lies. As a child, he explores a peaceful Hyrule, the dangers he faces aren't too concerning, and the dungeons aren't too complex. In the second period, Link is an adult, and has to visit temples to free the ancient Sages whose goal is to seal Ganon from the world of light. This is because the Gerudo King turned Hyrule into a much fiercer land, thus most regions of it suffer from curses that affect the inhabitants in one or another way. Other differences between these two periods are based on the tools, items and treasures available. Because of this, some parts cannot be accessed by child Link or adult Link, the sidequests vary, child Link cannot use adult-appealed weapons, and adult Link cannot enter on small holes. Both periods, from a point of the game onwards, can be alternated anytime; in fact the only way to clear the game is to properly make the actions corresponding to each version of Link. This is similar to the Dark/Light dichotomy from A Link to the Past, and thanks to its notability in the game, adult Link became for most players a trademark image for the young hero, despite most Zelda games featuring Link as a child.

Music and Transportation
Ocarina of Time also introduces the use of music to solve puzzles. This mechanic would later appear in  Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and Spirit Tracks. As new songs are learned, they can be used to solve puzzles, gain access to new areas and warp to different locations.

The game also introduces Epona, a horse Link can travel with after retrieving her from captivity in Lon Lon Ranch; she is very useful for travel in Hyrule Field, and there are certain sidequests that require her assistance. In Celtic mythology, Epona is the goddess of horses, and is hinted to have inspired the fictional character. Epona can only be used by adult Link, because in the early period she is too young to carry people, even a kid like child Link.

Equipment
In this game, Link can also change his equipment by using a pause subscreen dedicated to that. Over the course of his adventure, he finds different swords, shields, boots and tunics or suits. It is learned that each equipment item gives Link a special property, and most dungeons and zones can only be properly explored when the hero is correctly equipped. The standard goes for the Kokiri Tunic, the Kokiri Boots, the Deku Shield and the Kokiri Sword. As a matter of fact, along with the Hylian Shield, these are the only items child Link can be equipped with (and even then, the Hylian Shield cannot be properly used because of its size). Adult Link, while unable to use the standard sword and shield, not only can still use his original tunic and boots; he can swim underwater indefinitely with the Zora Tunic, and stay in extremely hot places with the Goron Tunic; he can walk on the bottom of a body of water with the Iron Boots, and walk briefly on air with the Hover Boots; he can make full use of the Hylian Shield, and reflect light with the Mirror Shield; and both the Master and Biggoron Swords are stronger than the Kokiri Sword. Although it is encouraged to have, the Biggoron Sword is not a required item against Ganon or his minions.

Other equipment items, which remain stacked for a permanent effect on Link, include the Goron Bracelet and Gauntlets (each allowing him to lift stronger objects, from Bomb Flowers to giant chunks of rock), Zora Scales to dive deeper underwater, and a extended collection of bag upgrades for bombs, arrows, bullet seeds, and Rupees.

Development
Ocarina of Time was originally intended and designed for the Nintendo 64DD peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was supposed to be the flagship title of the 64DD, while the Super Mario 64 was to be the counterpart for the main system itself. However, as the release of the 64DD became progressively delayed, Nintendo chose to move Ocarina of Time to a standard N64 cartridge with 32 MB of storage, only half the size of the 64DD disks, however it is still the largest cartridge ever produced for Nintendo systems up to that time, which saved most of the important content. This shift from 64DD disk to N64 cartridge contributed to the game being delayed significantly.

In early stages of development, the game was structured similarly to Super Mario 64, with Ganon's Castle as the only setting, and various different rooms in the castle serving as the dungeons.

Graphics
Being the first 3D Zelda game, a new engine was used for both this game and eventually Majora's Mask. Because this engine is based on polygonal graphics, they would require a significant amount of memory in the cartridge, and generating the graphics with simultaneity and consistency would imply the sacrifice of other aspects, such as music or textures. To solve this difficulty, some techniques were used so that the game wouldn't have any problems in this regard: When Link is facing to the right, the game only loads the memory of what is in that direction, be it enemies, characters or simply the space of the territory placed there. This means that there is literally nothing currently loaded on the sides not being witnessed by the camera angle.

Audio
Despite being a 3D game, there is almost no voice acting from the characters, with some slight exceptions (Navi says some words, mostly when she's calling Link); a few characters scream, such as Ganondorf and Sheik, or laugh, such as Saria and Malon.

Like most Zelda games, Ocarina of Time has its music composed by Koji Kondo. Surprisingly, the main theme of the Zelda series is absent in this game, as the overworld tune for this game is new. The game also uses interactive music: Normally, a background theme correspondent to where Link is can be heard; when an enemy is close to him, however, a particular combat theme can be heard, and won't stop until the enemy is defeated. In a similar way, the aforementioned overworld theme changes (not only in presence of an enemy, but also when Link is standing on a place). Koji Kondo composed the Ocarina melodies with only five tones of the first three musical notes.

Setting
Ocarina of Time is the first title in the series to show Hyrule in three dimensions. The sacred land is a vast region that portrays various different ecosystems, which are populated by Hylians and other races. Hyrule Field is the central territory, and is connected to the other areas. It also surrounds Lon Lon Ranch, where milk is produced and numerous animals are raised. Located at east from the field is Kokiri Forest, where Link lives (and where the game begins) along with the Kokiri race (who inhabits the place and, as long as they do so, they won't grow up),and it's governed by the Great Deku Tree until his death. Found north of the field is Hyrule Castle Town, where most of the Hylians live, and where Princess Zelda is raised until her turn comes to lead Hyrule. It's also where the Temple of Time was built to house the legendary Master Sword.

East from Hyrule Castle Town is Kakariko Village, a place formerly inhabited by the Sheikah tribe until Impa made it public for people to live in there, and where the Graveyard houses the remains of the deceased Royal Family members. Kakariko Village itself is the starting point to reach Death Mountain, the rocky home for the proud Goron race, as well as the fierce Dodongo population, and where an active volcano can be accessed. Northeast from Hyrule Field is Zora's Domain, a crystaline river and fountain inhabited by the Zoras and governed by the King Zora until Princess Ruto takes the throne to accept her royal duty. Lake Hylia in particular, found south from the field, is not ruled by any race, but the Zoras did build a temple in there. Finally, Gerudo Desert is located west from the field, and consists of a valley, a fortress, a desert, and the surroundings of a temple; it is inhabited by the Gerudo tribe, and is considered to be a ground isolated from the rest of Hyrule.

Initially, most of these areas are relatively safe from evil, and the few exceptions (Kokiri Forest, for example) have problems too specific to cause any major impact on its inhabitants, mostly having to do with the search of the Spiritual Stones. Seven years later, however, every single part of Hyrule is affected greatly by Ganondorf's evil influence, so Link must visit the sacred temples so that the sages can be awakened and the curses can be undone, one by one.

Cartridge Versions
There are three different versions of game cartridges: 1.0 (NUS-CZGE-USA), 1.1 (NUS-CZLE-USA), and 1.2 (NUS-CZLE-USA-1). The differences are minor, but include cartridge color (1.1 and 1.2 are gray, 1.0 can be gold or gray) and the swordless glitch in 1.0 that was fixed in 1.1. Also from version 1.0 to version 1.1, a glitch where you could steal the fishing pole was removed. From version 1.1 to 1.2 the color of Ganon's blood was changed from red to green. Minor glitches in the Twinrova fight scene were corrected. In-game elements relating to Muslim culture, such as the background music of the Fire Temple (which included a choir that Nintendo felt resembled a holy Muslim chant), as well as the emblem on the Mirror Shield (whose design was a crescent moon and a star, also a symbol associated with Islamic culture), were altered in version 1.2 to avoid offending Muslims. The shield design was changed in the GameCube version. The symbol is also seen on other more minor objects such as blocks. In each subsequent version until 1.2, some very minor pieces of dialog were re-translated.

All Japanese cartridges for the Nintendo 64 are version 1.0. In North America, all three versions were released (in fact, all gold cartridges were 1.0). In Europe, only 1.1 and 1.2 were available. The Virtual Console release seems to be 1.2, once again with the emblem change from GCN versions.

Timeline Placement
In most timelines, Ocarina of Time is generally considered to take place very early in the Legend of Zelda timeline, as the game establishes the origins of such important elements in the series as Ganon and the Triforce. Only the upcoming game Skyward Sword is confirmed to take place before Ocarina of Time.

The time travel that occurs at the end of the game is confirmed to have created two parallel timelines. One timeline continues after Link has defeated Ganon and trapped him in the Sacred Realm (the "Adult Timeline") and the other one continues after Link returned to the past and changed history so that Ganon never came to power at all (the "Child Timeline"). The Adult timeline leads into The Wind Waker while the Child Timeline leads into Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess.

Completion Records
According to Speed Demos Archive, the fastest completion time for Ocarina of Time is 2 hours, 26 minutes and 56 seconds by Lloyd 'Manocheese' Palmer on July 31st, 2007.

Sales
Ocarina of Time is currently the highest selling Zelda game, with 7.6 million copies sold worldwide.

Reviews
The game was universally praised by critics when it was first released, receiving perfect scores from many reviewers, such as Famitsu, Gamespot, IGN, and Edge. Metacritic gives the N64 version of the game a score of 99/100, and the GameCube re-release 91/100. Features such as the Z-targeting system and context-sensitive Action button were well-received - the game was labeled a "walking patent office" by the editors of GameTrailers. The GameCube and Wii versions of the game were praised as well.

The game's graphics were called "beautiful" by IGN reviewer Peer Schneider, who commented that "rarely is there such a perfect mixture of graphics, sound and gameplay," giving the game a 10/10. Gamespot editor Jeff Gerstmann agreed, also giving the game a perfect score, saying that "this is the masterpiece that people will still be talking about ten years down the road." Criticism on the game focused on the occasional slow pace associated with some parts, such as the Water Temple, as well as the use of MIDI for the music quality.

Nonetheless, Nintendo Power placed it first in their list of best The Legend of Zelda games and stated that, despite its age, is still a great game and called it a "masterpiece".

Fan Reception
The game stands as a fan favorite, currently holding an average reader score of 9.6 at IGN, as well as a current average user score of 9.7 on GameSpot.

Years after its release, Ocarina of Time continues to be a popular game, frequently being featured on compiled lists of all-time best games (and on GameRankings, it is currently fighting for 1st place with Super Mario Galaxy 2). For some players, the game's high success has overshadowed the potential success of later Zelda games, therefore becoming a tough act to follow, and marking in a certain way the downfall of the series. There is also a debate regarding whether the game is overrated or not, with IGN editor Levi Buchanan analyzing this subject from a historical and technical perspective; this debate was revisited when current Zelda director Eiji Aonuma said that he wouldn't quit working on the franchise until creating a superior game, as well as when he said that the game hasn't aged very well.

GameCube Ports
Ocarina of Time was ported to the GameCube twice. Once was for a pre-order bonus for The Wind Waker, in which customers would receive Master Quest (The Wind Waker/Ocarina of Time/OoT: Master Quest bundle was available as a "limited edition" general release in the UK, in addition to preorders). The second time was for a special GameCube bundle that came with Collector's Edition.

Virtual Console
The original Nintendo 64 version is available for download on the Wii's Virtual Console for 1000 Wii Points. The Virtual Console does not support the rumble feature, which renders the Stone of Agony useless.

3DS Remake
A Nintendo 3DS remake of Ocarina of Time was announced by Nintendo during the E3 2010 conference. There are other tweaks made to the popular title besides improved graphics, including a new system for equipping items (specifically the Iron Boots, and the constant swapping necessary in the Water Temple).

Design Influence
Ocarina of Time introduced many design elements that would be repeated in later games:
 * Character models: Ocarina of Time was the first game in the series to feature an in-game blond-haired Link (although the official art of previous games had depicted Link with blond hair, none of the character sprites displayed this characteristic). It also produced the first detailed model of Zelda's character, particularly her dress designs which have been the same ever since. It was also the first to portray a human form of Ganondorf. Many of the character models of Ocarina of Time were reused in its sequel, Majora's Mask.
 * Races: Many races also made their debut in Ocarina of Time. The Kokiri, Gorons, Gerudo, Hylians, Deku Scrubs and Sheikah all originated or were at least identified in Ocarina of Time. The Zoras technically appeared first in the original game and were given the ability to walk in A Link to the Past, but their widely accepted character model - the slender, sky-blue, aquatic design - was first made in Ocarina of Time.

Other

 * Ocarina of Time, while not being the first game in the series to feature a musical item, is arguably the first title to employ the mechanic significantly, to the point that different songs can be learned and used for multiple goals, such as activating something or warping to some place. Later Zelda games would revisit this idea, although Twilight Princess used it sporadically.
 * As mentioned before, it introduced the Targeting system, eliminating difficulty for camera control, and also helping to focus visually on very distant spots, enemies or characters.
 * The mythology of the Zelda universe is greatly expanded upon.
 * Outside of the Zelda franchise, the game caused an unprecedented impact on the video game industry, to the point that other games and series were influenced by the gameplay style from the game.
 * Many properties of this game were borrowed by both Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, including several characters, stages, soundtracks, and numerous trophies.

Trivia

 * With the release of Ocarina of Time, the original Japanese Zelda logo was discarded in favor of the now-classic western logo (first seen in A Link to the Past).
 * The first three dungeons lack small and big keys. They're not introduced at all until Forest Temple, and the only place younger Link can find and use them until then is a minigame found in Market.

Related Articles

 * The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest
 * The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Manga): The manga adaptation of the game by Akira Himekawa.
 * The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (comic): A German comic meant to act as a prequel to the game.
 * Ocarina of Time Beta Restoration Project: A complete overhaul of Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, meant to restore, and complete the 64DD Zelda which Ocarina of Time was originally intended to be.

Links and Reviews

 * Ocarina of Time Review: Zelda Universe's Official Ocarina of Time Review.
 * Ocarina of Time Review: VGRC.net's Ocarina of Time Review: Ten Years Later
 * Ocarina of Time Walkthrough: Zelda Dungeon's Ocarina of Time Guide
 * Ocarina of Time review on IGN.com: "IGN64 reviews the biggest game of the decade. Does Zelda 64 live up to the hype?"

Arrival to a doomed land
Majora's Mask opens with a scene of Link traveling from Hyrule on a personal quest. The opening to the game states that he is searching for a long-lost friend, strongly hinted to be Navi. His trip is interrupted by the Skull Kid, possessed by evil contained in Majora's Mask, which he wears having stolen it (with the help of his two fairies, Tatl and Tael) from another traveler. The Skull Kid, with the help of the fairies, knocks Link unconscious off his horse and steals the Ocarina of Time. When Link awakens, the Skull Kid takes off and leads Link on a chase.

When Link eventually catches up with the Skull Kid, he tells Link that he "got rid of" Epona, and uses the dark magic of Majora's Mask to transform Link into a Deku Scrub. He then leaves Link, while Tatl continues to beat the helpless Deku back. Her delay, though, causes her to be separated from her brother and the Skull kid. She then insists that Link take her with him, so that they can work together to find the Skull Kid and Tael. With limited abilities, Link enters Clock Town where he meets the Happy Mask Salesman. The mask salesman reveals that the Skull Kid stole Majora’s Mask from him and that he can return Link to his human form if he finds the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. He warns Link also, though, that he must leave in three days, and Link must retrieve the Mask and the Ocarina by then. Link then sets off in his Deku form, finding himself in the parallel world of Termina.

Link is able to do little around Clock Town, but, with the help of Tatl and the Great Fairy, he manages to find the Skull Kid, hanging around the top of the enormous clock tower from which Clock Town's name is derived. Also in his search, Link hears rumors and whispers of the Moon, which bears a grimacing and ominous face, steadily growing closer to the Town. At midnight on the Final Day before the Mask Salesman's departure, Link is able to reach the top of the clock tower for a face off with the Skull Kid. Upon arriving, Tatl demands that the Skull Kid give back Link's Ocarina. Seemingly not hearing, Tael delivers an enigmatic warning to Tatl. "Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. The four who are there, bring them here!"

- Tael

The Skull Kid, in response to Tael's outburst, hits the fairy aside. He then laughs about how even if "they" were to come, they couldn't stop him. He then points Link and Tatl's attention to the hideous moon and challenges them to stop it from falling. With an unearthly shriek, he begins to bring it down completely to the land. Taking advantage of this, Link fires a magic bubble, a skill learned earlier, into the Skull Kid, causing him to drop the Ocarina of Time. On picking it up, memories of his departure from Hyrule flood back to Link. In them, Princess Zelda bids him a sad farewell, and tells him that the Goddess of Time is watching over him. After being snapped out of this reverie by Tatl, Link plays the Song of Time, and is immediately thrown back to the morning that he first entered Clock Town, three days prior.

Link heads back to the Happy Mask Salesman, who teaches him the Song of Healing. Playing this song with the Ocarina of Time returns Link to his regular self, with the only remnants of his time as a Deku being a mask, which he can don to become Deku Link once again. After aiding Link, the Mask Salesman asks that Link uphold his part of the bargain and return the Mask which the Skull Kid stole to the Salesman. Upon learning that Link could not recover the Mask, the Salesman grows furious, berating Link and wildly informing him that the Mask, known as Majora's Mask, is an ancient artifact that possesses an apocalyptic power. He again requests that Link recover the Mask, stating that he believes that Link can do it.

The Four Giants
To stop the Skull Kid, Link and Tatl work on the only clue they have; the four places stated by Tael. Upon venturing into the Southern Swamp, Link finds the area poisoned, apparently due to the disappearance of the Swamp's guardian god. After venturing through the Deku Kingdom and Woodfall Temple, Link faces down the dark being Odolwa. Upon defeating his foe, Link frees an "innocent spirit" from the mask upon the monster. Link and Tatl find themselves facing a sorrowful and powerful giant. Tatl then surmises that the giant was one of the "four" that Tael spoke of.

The two head to Snowhead Mountain, a place that has experienced a longer-than-usual period of winter, to save the next giant. While there, Link heals and takes on the soul of a Goron warrior (who tried to find a way to save his people, but died in the attempt), which enables him to free the Giant from the evil spirit of Snowhead. Link next requires a horse to get to the ocean, and finds that Epona has been found and taken in by the sisters Romani and Cremia at Romani Ranch. However, to recover Epona, Link must arrive on the first day, so that he can find the little girl Romani in a well-enough state to give him back his horse. Link then heads to the cursed Great Bay, where the ocean is in disorder due to calamity at the Temple. Link also finds the near-dead body of a Zora guitarist, and manages to adopt his soul too. By finding the stolen Zora Eggs (belonging to the vocalist of The Indigo-Go's) in a fortress of pirates and a nest of sea snakes, the young hero manages to find the whereabouts of the third Giant and frees him.

Link finally ventures to Ikana Canyon, where he faces down the restless spirits of the dead, so that he might climb Stone Tower and save the last Giant. He then ventures to the clock tower at the end of the Final Day, summoning the Four Giants to stop the Moon. Even though the Giants hold back the Moon, Majora's Mask leaves the Skull Kid, who passed out at the Giants' coming, and rises into the Moon. There, the Mask possesses the Moon and attempts to consume all of Termina. Link follows the Mask inside, finding a surreal field, in which there is a tree and five children. After talking to the child who wears Majora's Mask, Link then proceeds to face the demon down. After a harsh battle, Link destroys the spirit, and the Moon is destroyed.

When Link comes to the "Dawn of a New Day", he learns that the Skull Kid and the Four Giants had once been friends. The Skull Kid also remarks how Link smells like a kid who taught him a song in the forest, clearly implying that this is the same Skull Kid to whom Link taught Saria's Song in Ocarina of Time. The Happy Mask Salesman states that the evil has left Majora's Mask, and then, mysteriously, disappears, bidding Link a fond farewell. Tatl then tells Link that he should get back to his original quest, and the two part ways. The story ends with Link riding off into the forest once more, and Saria's Song echoes about a carving of Link, the Skull Kid, the fairy siblings, and the Four Giants.

Gameplay
The gameplay of Majora's Mask is much the same as that in Ocarina of Time, although new features, items, skills, and more are included. For example, several of the items that Link could only access as an adult, in Ocarina of Time are now available to him throughout the game in the child form (such as the Hookshot or the Bow). Additionally, Link is slightly more acrobatic than he was in previous games, as seen when jumping off of ledges: Link will automatically do flips in the air instead of just a normal jump.

Three day cycle
Arguably one of the major departures from the traditional The Legend of Zelda gameplay, Majora's Mask implements a time system. The time system cycles three days, the time until the destruction of Clock Town by the moon, which is plummeting to earth because of influence from the Skull Kid. With the Ocarina of Time, Link is able to play the Song of Time to reset the cycle and return to the first of these three days as many times as he needs to. Link is the only one affected by the time-travel; other inhabitants live as if nothing has happened. When traveling back in time, Link loses all rupees, quantities of items (although not the items themselves; e.g. arrows but not the bow, etc.), dungeon progress (dungeon maps, compasses, etc. unless, of course, the dungeon is completed) and most interactions with others (except for his fairy, Tatl, and a few other exceptions).

At the bottom of the screen, a clock is displayed, which keeps track of the time. In the center, the day number is displayed. Surrounding in a semi-circle is a revolving sun or moon (symbolizing day or night). This small icon moves around the clock and shows the hour of the day.

Several more "hardcore" players of the game have found it entertaining to attempt beating all four dungeons and the final boss in a single three day cycle, though it is an extremely difficult task and requires very extensive knowledge of the game.

Masks and transformations
Link appears in his younger form, as in the first segment Ocarina of Time. However, in Majora's Mask, Link does not have the ability to transform into an adult. 24 different masks with different functions and purposes can be found throughout Termina, of which several allow Link to take the form of another race; Deku Scrubs, Gorons, and Zoras. And because the transformation masks are based on deceased characters, the game is one of the few where the player can control characters besides Link.

Deku Link is the first transformation Link receives, and it's theorized to be the spirit of the long-missing son of the Deku Butler. In Deku form, Link can stun enemies with the spin attack, helpful to leave them defenseless; he can also shoot bubbles to attack aerial foes and to hit certain targets, although their firepower and range are extremely more limited than those of the arrows; usage of Deku Flowers is also possible, and they grant Link the ability to fly temporarily, as well as to release Deku Nuts. He can also use the Nuts on land, his instrument in this state is the Deku Pipes and, although optional, he can confront the boss of the Woodfall Temple, the dungeon where he is the protagonist. The weakness of Deku Link is the fire.

Goron Link is the second transformation Link receives, and it's confirmed to be the spirit of the tragically gone hero Darmani. In Goron form, Link can roll as a stone ball to travel more quickly, and even to do so with magic-generated spikes to attack enemies on the way; he can also use his powerful punches to attack enemies and to hit hardened targets; while on ball form, he can perform a ground pound, good to attack enemies and press giant (or hardened) switches. Only Goron Link can use the Powder Kegs, his instrument in this state is the Goron Drums and, although optional, he can confront the boss of the Snowhead Temple, the dungeon where he is the protagonist. The weakness of Goron Link is the water.

Zora Link is the third transformation Link receives, and it's confirmed to be the fallen-in-battle guitarist Mikau. He has multiple abilities (more so than the other two forms), including a stylized combat moveset, a double Boomerang shot, the capacity to swim incredibly fast, to create electric barriers both on land and while swimming, and to freely dive and walk underwater. No item can be used by Zora Link, with the exception of anything that the other forms can, his instrument turns into a Zora Guitar and he is helpful to confront the boss of the Great Bay Temple, the dungeon where he is the protagonist. Both fire and ice are lethal for him.

With the exception of the Giant's Mask, the rest of the masks either give Link new abilities (such as explosive techniques) or disguise him. After completing the game up to the point just before Link fights the final battle against Majora's Mask, it is possible to complete several side dungeons in which Link plays a game of Hide and Seek with a series of children and trades in ALL of the masks available throughout the game (although they are still available after the game is completed). This allows the player to use the powerful Fierce Deity's Mask, which turns Link into an adult form with extremely devastating capabilities. A word of caution: This amazing form is only allowed in boss battles, Majora's Mask included.

Emphasis on sidequests
Majora's Mask is also a noted game for its many optional (secondary) sidequests throughout the game, which, should the player complete, explore many more sub-plots and stories. These include helping a distraught circus leader, returning a kidnapped Deku Princess to the palace, helping five Great Fairies be restored to power, and, perhaps the most intricate sidequest in any Zelda game, helping an engaged couple reunite moments before the Moon falls on Clock Town. The number of minigames is also higher and more complex in execution than those of Ocarina of Time, and there are more optional or secret areas where extra mini-bosses or Skulltula hunts may be available. Completing sidequests is usually rewarding to the player, as the conclusions to many of them are shown during the end credits, but only if the player has managed to complete that sidequest.

To put this in retrospective, the game currently features the highest amount of Heart Pieces in the series: 52 in total. Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are next with 44 and 45, respectively. Additionally, it features the highest number of Empty Bottles: Six in total. All other Zelda games feature up to four.

On the negative side, the emphasis on sidequests also translates into a lower number of dungeons, which is a potential point of criticism for some players.

Game style
Majora's Mask is renowned as the darkest of the series, and is considered the most twisted Zelda to date, even though some feel that Twilight Princess expresses more mature and dark elements.

Notably, Majora's Mask aims itself at the depressing side of things, with lamenting melodies and darker side characters. As the player, the game gives you no ultimatum, and you are faced with the knowledge that the world of Termina will be destroyed at the end of three days, unless the Ocarina of Time is used to return to the dawn of the First Day. In addition to this, most characters in the game are unaware of the danger and some inevitably reject the chance to save themselves.

On top of this, Link must go through this as a living breathing character, knowing that he is the only one aware of what will and has happened, Link is still shunned by most characters even though he is out to save them. This theme of the Hero of Time especially as well as other Link character in the timeline being ignored or rejected puts a large depressing note over the game series, but the doom of world destruction is most present in Majora's Mask. Even the worlds name, Termina, is derived from several European words meaning Doom. The knowledge that events will reoccur without any hope of prevention implants a desire to change the game itself for the player and brings out real emotion and will to prevent events happening. This is contrary to most games which surprise the player with something unexpected, Majora does the opposite, filling players with regret in the knowledge that they can do little else but watch as the world gets destroyed, creating a very strong reason to complete the game.

Development
Motivated by the commercial and critical success of Ocarina of Time, Nintendo started plans on a new Zelda game for the Nintendo 64. Originally, however, this new title was going to be a remixed version of the 1998 installment for the Disk drive accesory; when dungeon designer Eiji Aonuma showed complaints to Shigeru Miyamoto about having to develop essentially the same game, the latter then proposed him to create a new installment, but in only one year.

After doing some experiments, the development team implemented the time-based system, so that they could create a more compact and dense game, and which allowed the title to be developed in only 18 months.

As an extra note, the original name of this game was Zelda Gaiden, which means Zelda Side-story. This was changed in the middle of development in order to reinvent the game. Lastly, as noted above, this is the first Zelda game to be fully directed during development by Eiji Aonuma.

Graphics
The graphics are slightly better in Majora's Mask than in Ocarina of Time, possibly due to the necessity of the Nintendo 64's expansion pak (a memory-increasing add-on for the Nintendo 64). As the second Zelda game with 3D graphics, Majora's Mask uses the same engine as its predecessor, and even uses some of the same character models. The vast areas the game features have an improved definition in comparison to those seen in the previous Zelda game, the fog distance is nearly nonexistent, enemies are more detailed and the overall atmosphere is more realistic. Another achievement from the Expansion Pak is that multiple non-playable characters can perform different tasks without impacting on the framerate, bigger level design was possible and many more enemies are present at the same time (most notably in Termina Field, contrasting to the barely populated Hyrule Field from the previous Zelda game).

On the negative side, some locations seem to have blurrier textures and the framerate may sometimes lower; additionally, some parts are less detailed than others, such as the trees prior to the entrance to the Southern Swamp. Also, in comparison to the leap of graphical advancement seen in Ocarina of Time, there are fans who criticize the game for being a "cheap" release using too many of the same stylings as Ocarina, including (as mentioned before) characters, enemies and graphical style; it is advised that Eiji Aonuma, a key developer of the game, actually stated that reusing many aspects of Ocarina of Time allowed his team to program the game in less than two years (this is because Ocarina of Time took no less than four years of development). Regardless of this dispute, other players state that Majora's Mask has aged well, and in overlooking its pointed downfalls, it is an extremely well produced game which brings unique gameplay elements to the series as well as a much darker take on the character of Link, the Hero of Time.

Setting
Termina's world is a parallel dimension to Hyrule's world. There are some characters here that also have counterparts in Hyrule, except for Link (even though Fierce Deity is considered Link's Termina counterpart), Epona, the entire Kokiri tribe, and (possibly) the Happy Mask Salesman, who are all residents of Hyrule. Skull Kid is confirmed to be from Hyrule because at the end of the game, he says that Link smells like the kid that taught him "that song" in the Lost Woods. Termina consists of five huge lands (or worlds, as said by Anju's grandmother): The central one houses Clock Town, Romani Ranch, and Termina Field, with the latter one not having any apparent major anomaly caused by the Skull Kid, and merely serving as a point of access to the other parts; Clock Town is where the world of entertainment is, featuring important attractions, numerous recreative zones and tourism; it's there where the annual Carnival of Time is celebrated, and it's where Mayor Dotour fulfills his political duties. Romani Ranch is a large rural zone where various animals are taken care of, and milk is produced for its distribution to Clock Town.

As for the other regions in the game, the Southern Swamp is located south, and it's where various monkeys and monsters live, while the Deku tribe practises its monarchy in the Deku Palace; the swamp's waters are poisoned because of the creature living in Woodfall Temple. The Snowhead Mountain is located north, and it's inhabited by the Goron tribe (who puts into practice a patriarchy, not unlike in Hyrule's Death Mountain); the mountain's weather indicates an extremely low temperature because of the creature living in Snowhead Temple. The Great Bay Coast is located west, and it's inhabited by the proud Zora tribe (living in an underwater reef, and known for their artistic linage in the musical department), as well as by pirates (living in a sinister complex, and known for their reputation of hunting treasure at all costs and by all means necessary) and humans (living in the coast itself, and doing miscellaneous activities such as scientific research and fishing); the coast's waters become murky because of the creature living in the Great Bay Temple. Finally, Ikana Canyon lies east, and the whole place is invaded by undead entities because of the creatures living in the Stone Tower Temple. It used to be inhabited by humans before this, but now the only living people found there are Sakon, Pamela and her father.

Japanese Version
The release difference between the Japanese version and the NSTC version was a full six months, the longest release wait among all 3D The Legend of Zelda games so far. Despite this, there aren't too many differences between the two versions. One of them is that the Japanese version has three save slots as opposed to two. Also in the Japanese version, the quicksave feature that allows Link to temporarily save his progess to allow the player to quit the game without losing the current progress is not present; therefore, the owl statues only serve as warp destinations.

Cartridge Versions
In the United States and Canada, the NTSC versions of the game all came in Gold Collector's Edition cartridges; however, in Europe, the PAL version of the game came in Gold, but were not named Collector's Editions. The only PAL "Collector's Edition" of Majora's Mask was released in Australia where it had the Collector's Edition logo and the NTSC cartridges art, but it didn't have the moving hologram effect.

Timeline Placement
The events of Majora's Mask are placed shortly after those of Ocarina of Time. In the Split Timeline Theory (a theory which divides the series into two parallel timelines following the events of Ocarina of Time) Majora's Mask is considered to be the starting point for what is called the "Child Timeline", which is eventually continued with Twilight Princess.

Completion Records
According to Speed Demos Archive, the fastest completion time for Majora's Mask is 1 hour, 53 minutes and 32 seconds by Daniel 'Jiano' Hart on August 9th, 2010.

Sales
The game sold approximately 314,000 copies in its first week of sales in Japan, and has sold three million copies worldwide, relatively fewer than its predecessor (which sold over seven million copies) because of it being released during the final years of the lifespan of the Nintendo 64, the system the game was launched for, as well as fan skepticism.

Reviews and Awards
In terms of critical reception, response to the game was mostly positive, as reviews were in favor of the game; however, opinions are divided regarding whether it's as good as its predecessor. Edge magazine referred to Majora's Mask as "the oddest, darkest and saddest of all Zelda games". Some feel that Majora's Mask is significantly better than Ocarina of Time in certain areas. Japanese magazine Famitsu awarded the game a high 37/40 score, although the other games in the series scored higher. IGN described Majora's Mask as "The Empire Strikes Back of Nintendo 64. It's the same franchise, but it's more intelligent, darker, and tells a much better storyline". As mentioned above, Majora's Mask was one of the last major titles for the Nintendo 64, and may have suffered in terms of popular interest due to the familiarity of the technology. Nevertheless, GamePro described the game as "living proof that the N64 still has its magic". It has been ranked the 7th-greatest game of all time by Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) in the Top 100 Games of Time seen in their 100th issue, where Ocarina of Time was ranked the 8th best.

One common criticism is that Majora's Mask is not as accessible as Ocarina of Time. GameSpot, giving Majora's Mask a score of 8.3/10, significantly lower compared to the 10/10 that was given to Ocarina of Time, wrote that some might "find the focus on minigames and side quests tedious and slightly out of place". IGN justified that they didn't give the game a perfect ten (giving instead a still very high 9.9) just because the major innovations were seen in Ocarina of Time. Nintendo Power ranked it eleventh in their list of best The Legend of Zelda games, criticizing the time-based concept while still praising the improved graphics and the transformation concept. Regardless, Game-Revolution wrote that it "takes a little longer to get into this Zelda", but also that "there are moments when the game really hits you with all its intricacies and mysteries, and that makes it all worthwhile".

Fan Reception
The game has also received good reviews from regular fans of the series, including a current reader average of 9.7 on IGN and a current user score of 9.3 in Gamespot, among others; graphics, storyline, challenge, music, gameplay, depth and overall quality are only some of the praised aspects of the game; additionally, it was ranked 42nd on IGN Reader's Choice of the Top 100 Games Ever, where it's cited as one of the most underrated video games in history, but also as one of the best. In autumn of 2010, the game won Game of the Decade (2000-2009) in a contest held on GameFAQs.com, defeating Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the finals after a narrow semifinal vicory over Final Fantasy X. In fact, prior to its launch for the Virtual Console, it was the second most requested title, only behind EarthBound, providing that those who didn't play it wanted to do so now. However, some fans also expressed firm complaints, tending to agree that while it's a good game, it pales in comparison to its prequel. Other elements of criticism included the low number of dungeons and the restrictions of the time limit, as well as the need for an Expansion Pak

The Virtual Console version of the game (see below) received similar praise from critics and fans alike, earning the distinction of being the 300th VC game to be available (The Adventure of Link was the 100th one), and being so after nearly two years since the launch of the other classic Zelda games to the same service.

Ports and remakes
Majora's Mask has been ported to several other systems since its release. In 2003, Nintendo released a new GameCube bundle. This bundle had the main GameCube system as well as Collector's Edition. However, due to poor quality emulation, the game suffers from minor glitches not present in the original Nintendo 64 version, some of which freeze the game entirely. Like the original, this version only allows two game save files (per memory card), even though it would have been possible to have more. Due to the frequent lock-ups this version experiences, it might be useful to use one memory card per game. That is, use save file one as the main game, and use save file two to back up owl statue saves. This way, progress is not completely lost when the game locks up, provided that one remembers to back up frequently.

Majora's Mask had also been released for the Virtual Console in both Europe and Australia on April 3, 2009. Japan had also gotten their Virtual Console release since April 7, 2009. The American virtual console release of Majora's Mask was released on May 18th, 2009, which had thus marked the 300th content to be released on the American Virtual Console.

According to a few players who have played Majora's Mask from the PAL Virtual Console, several glitches from Majora's Mask's Collector's Edition version have been present in the Virtual Console release, including freezing, making it possible that the Virtual Console release may be a direct port from the Collector's Edition. However some players have reported that their's 'runs perfectly and smoothly'. According to IGN, the NSTC version of the game is glitch-free, and players are encouraged to download it with confidence.

Also, creator of the Zelda series Eiji Aonuma is discussing if he should remake the game for the 3DS. Fans began a campaign named "Operation Moonfall" where they convince Nintendo to create the 3D remake.

Legacy
Being the second 3D Zelda game on the Nintendo 64, Majora's Mask wasn't as influential as its immediate predecessor, and some of its characteristics haven't been shown again in later installments. However, it still made the following contributions:


 * This is the first game in the series where Tingle and the Postman appear; opinions are divided on whether or not the former character benefited the later games, though.
 * The first playable character besides Link, Kafei, is in the game. This idea became fruitful for The Wind Waker.
 * This is the game since which Fixed 3D graphics (seen previously in Ocarina of Time) were scrapped.
 * Many properties of this game were borrowed by Super Smash Bros. Melee, including a stage, soundtrack, and several trophies.
 * This is the first The Legend of Zelda game where the boss battles can be replayed anytime.
 * Majoras Mask Creepypasta fan story by Jadusable told of a haunted Majora's Mask cartridge. The story went nearly viral.
 * The limited edition of guitars "Jackson Zoraxe" based off of the Guitar of Waves.

Trivia

 * Along with the sword, shield, Ocarina, and Kokiri Tunic, the Stone of Agony is one of the few items that Link preserves from Ocarina of Time.
 * This game contained the first non-playable character that could be murdered by Link (with an arrow targeting at the stolen bomb bag).
 * The Player's Guide for Majora's Mask has a lot of erroneous information, suggesting that it was written for an early version of the game which was never released.
 * The Virtual Console version uses fewer blocks than Ocarina of Time, as data compression for VC games had been improved since the release of the 1998 game in the same service.
 * Majora's Mask contains the least amount of main dungeons in any Zelda game.
 * The impermanent flow of time in the first three-day cycle as Deku Link is 1.66 times faster than normal. When the time is altered to be at this rate during the first cycle, no enemies or NPC will appear in Termina Field.

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The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (ゼルダの伝説 ふしぎの木の実 時空の章, ) is one of two Legend of Zelda titles released for the Game Boy Color as part of Capcom's Oracle Series, the other being Oracle of Seasons. Released near the end of the system's lifespan, Oracle of Ages and its counterpart were said to "send the Game Boy Color out with a bang". In anticipation of the upcoming release of the Game Boy Color's sucessor, the Game Boy Advance, the games exhibited special features (such as the Advance Shop) when played on the new handheld system.

After completing one of the two games, they can be linked to form a single, linear plot (as opposed to two parallel ones) with an alternate ending. Game-linking also unlocks extra content, such as new items. The game is named after its central character, Nayru, Oracle of Ages, and the element that is manipulated by Link in the game—the Ages.

Story


Link, having been sent from Hyrule to Labrynna by the power of the Triforce, awoke in Labrynna, almost immediately after stumbling upon Impa, who was besieged by a group of Octoroks. Unknown to Link, Impa had fallen into the clutches of the evil Sorceress of Shadows Veran. This allowed her to trick Link into moving a sacred barrier which obstructed her goal: to possess the Oracle of Ages, Nayru. In full view of Link and Nayru's bodyguard, Ralph, Veran quickly possessed Nayru and began to utilize her newfound power of controlling time, travelling to the past and beginning her plan to bring untold sorrow to the world. Meeting with Labrynna's guardian, the Maku Tree, Link learnt that to defeat Veran, he would need the Essences of Time. However, the Essences, as their names suggest, were hidden throughout time, making them very hard for one person to obtain. By taking up the Harp of Ages in Nayru's house, Link was able to traverse time and search for the Essences throughout Labrynna, all the while correcting the damage Veran had caused to the land, such as in Symmetry Village.

More than halfway into his journey, Link finally got a chance to rescue Nayru from Veran's clutches, at Ambi's Palace. However, as soon as he did, Veran possessed Queen Ambi. Using her new authority, Veran was almost successful in capturing Nayru, Link and Ralph, but at the last second Nayru used her power to return them all to the present.

Gathering the last of the essences, Link prepared for the final showdown with Veran, but before he could go, Ralph ran off before him, so that he might slay Ambi, even knowing that with Ambi as his ancestor, her death would mean his. Veran proved too powerful for Ralph, knocking him out instead of killing him before moving on to fight Link. After freeing Ambi, and the powerful battle that followed, Link was able to best Veran once and for all. Veran laughed as she died, saying that her goal had been completed, the Flame of Sorrow lit.

As Link, Nayru and Ralph returned to their own time, a mysterious pair laughed, saying that the true evil had yet to arrive...

For the complete story revealed in a Linked Game, see Oracle Series: Resurrection of Ganon.

General Mechanics
The two games of the Oracle Series retain many gameplay elements from Link's Awakening (especially the DX version), such as the graphics (many sprites in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are reused from Link's Awakening), audio and top-view perspective. As in Link's Awakening, items (including the sword and shield) are assigned to the A and B buttons via an Inventory. Unlike certain games of the series, items are not assigned a specific place in the inventory. Collected Rupees, health, and the two equipped items are shown on an interface which consists of a yellow bar running across the top of the screen (similar to the one in Link's Awakening, which was located at the bottom of the screen).

Oracle of Ages, like the great majority of Zelda games, features eight regular dungeons and a large overworld to explore in between. This is done with the help of an overworld map, which is composed of a 14 x 14 grid of squares, where each square represents a single screen. As Link explores the overworld, the "squares" that he's visited will be colored in. Link is guided by the Maku Tree, an important character in both games of the Oracle Series, who will direct Link to the next dungeon, among other things. The Oracle Series, like many games in The Legend of Zelda series, features a Trading Sequence.

One particular feature of Oracle of Ages (and Oracle of Seasons, for that matter) is the fact that certain choices made on the adventure will affect an outcome later on, making for various possible scenarios in a single play-through. Among these are the animal companions that will accompany Link on his adventure (either Moosh, Dimitri, or Ricky), and the growth Bipin and Blossom's son. These choices affect the passwords obtained for a Linked Game (see below).

Where Oracle of Seasons is said to center its gameplay on action, Oracle of Ages is said to be more puzzle oriented; both of which are key gamplay elements in The Legend of Zelda series.

The Harp of Ages
The central item of the game is the Harp of Ages. It is used by Link to travel through time. Time Travel is the defining gameplay element of Oracle of Ages. On his quest, Link travels between the past and the present as he explores Labrynna twice over. Throughout the game, Link must act in the past to manipulate the future to progress on his adventure. Link may also take advantage of differences in terrain in the past and the present to reach areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. For example, a decrepit entrance to a dungeon that has long since collapsed in the past becomes sturdy again in the present; a tree that is a mere sapling grows to its full height in the present.

The past-present dichotomy is easily comparable to the Light and Dark World dichotomy of A Link to the Past, an important gameplay feature of that game.

Linked Game


An important element of gameplay in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons is their unique ability to be linked together to form one linear plot, as opposed to two parallel ones. After one game is completed, the other can be linked to it using passwords provided by the game, or a Game Link Cable. Linked Games unlock additional content not seen in the separate games. Among the most notable changes in a Linked Game is the extended ending (the "true ending") where Twinrova and Ganon are encountered.

In a Linked Game of Oracle of Ages, new characters appear in Labrynna. These characters will tell Link secrets in the form of passwords, which can be relayed to characters on a completed file of Oracle of Seasons. By doing so, Link can obtain new items not seen in a non-linked game. The reverse occurs if Oracle of Ages is played first and Oracle of Seasons second.

Passwords obtained in a Linked Game vary depending on the choices Link made on his adventure. Therefore, passwords identify a specific play-through, assuring that Link will have the same animal partner in the Linked Game as in the completed game, among other things.

Magic Rings
Also a unique feature of the Oracle series is the appearance of Magic Rings to be collected by Link on his quest. These rings, when worn, provide Link with a variety of bonuses and abilities, giving an almost RPG-like twist to the game. Some rings augment his strength and defense; others increase his swimming abilities; yet another prevents Link from sliding on frozen floors. Some, like the Cursed Ring, even decrease Link's abilities, making the game more challenging. Other rings simply change Link's appearance. A total of 64 rings can be collected throughout Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, some requiring the use of Linked Games to obtain, or even the use of a Game Boy Advance.

Gasha Seeds
Gasha Seeds appear exclusively in the Oracle series. They can be planted in patches of Soft Soil scattered across Labrynna (or Holodrum in Oracle of Seasons). After a while, the tree will mature and Link can collect the single Gasha Nut that the tree will produce. Inside the nut, Link may find various goods, such as Rupees or Magic Rings.

Development
Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons were the first Zelda titles to be developed outside of Nintendo. They were developed by Capcom, who later went on to develop two more titles for the Legend of Zelda series on the Game Boy Advance (Four Swords and The Minish Cap). The development of the game began with the scenarios, written by Flagship, a screenwriting company and subsidiary of Capcom.

This game was originally part of what was called the "Triforce Series", a trilogy of games where each installment focused on a different gameplay element. Each title was associated with a piece of the Triforce, which would represent the focus of gameplay for that title. Oracle of Ages was thusly named Mystical Seed of Wisdom, hence the puzzle-based gameplay. The three games would be able to interact with each other for additional gameplay via a game-linking system. However, the complexity of coordinating three games caused for the cancellation of the third title, Mystical Seed of Courage. Thus, the series was reduced to only two titles: Oracle of Ages (adapted from the Mystical Seed of Wisdom) and Oracle of Seasons (adapted from the Mystical Seed of Power). Together, they became what is known today as the Oracle Series.

Setting
Oracle of Ages introduces a new and distant world not seen in any other title, named Labrynna. Lynna City is where the Human race of Labrynna resides, and is also the most populated region of Labrynna. Near the city resides the Maku Tree, the guardian of Labrynna and an important character in the game. The Maku Tree serves as Link's guide on his adventures. Adjacent to Lynna City looms the Black Tower, built by the order of Queen Ambi, monarch of Labrynna in an age gone by. On his quest, Link will travel back in time to the simple era of the queen's reign. Although the past and present of Labrynna are much the same, there are also many differences can be noted (such as the changing of landscape), making so that the world must be explored two times over. In the past, everything is darker and more dull, reflecting the mood of the hard-working Labrynnians in simplistic times. Alternatively, the world is much more vibrant and cheerful in the present.

To the north rise the elevated plains and mountain ranges. The northwest is dominated by the the barren Talus Peaks, which give way to the Nuun Highlands (originally the location of Ambi's Palace), then Rolling Ridge in the northeast, home of the Gorons of Labrynna. West of Lynna City are the lush Fairies' Woods, known as Deku Forest in the past age. To the south are the vast seas of Labrynna, from the raging waters of the Sea of Storms to the calmer Zora Seas, where the Zoras reside beneath the waves in Zora Village. To the east of the seas is the large, isolated Crescent Island where the primitive, lizard-like Tokay—a race found uniquely in Labrynna—reside, secluded from the outside world. In the present, the seas recede and the Yoll Graveyard appears.

Link is sent to Labrynna via the powers of the Triforce. However, certain characters in Oracle of Ages will travel between Labrynna and the sister-land of Holodrum via physical means; Princess Zelda (in a Linked Game only) and her nurse Impa even travel from Hyrule. Therefore, Labrynna, Holodrum, and Hyrule all exist within the same universe.

Timeline Placement
Since the plots of Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are parallel, it is impossible to place one before the other in a timeline, even in a Linked Game when the two plots are linked together, as it is up to the player to decide which game to place first. Besides this, the Oracle Series in general has no definitive place in the timeline.

Reception

 * See also: Reception of the Oracle Series

Sales
Oracle of Ages was commercially successful, selling a near 4 million copies (3.96 million to be exact).

Reviews
Oracle of Ages, or quite simply the Oracle Series in general, was very well received by critics and received mostly positive reviews. Both games received 9.2/10 ratings at Gamespot, and a 10 out of 10 rating of "Masterpiece" at IGN. The games were often credited as being two of the top (if not the best) games for the Game Boy Color. In fact, Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons were ranked by Nintendo Power as being the fifth and fourth best games for Game Boy/Game Boy Color, respectively.

Oracle of Ages specifically was praised by IGN and Gamespot for its difficulty in terms of its challenging, "head-straching" puzzles. Gamespot also praised it for its superb use of the time-travel aspect in the flow of the game. Gaming Target praised the game of its meticulous attention to detail in terms of graphics, creating "one of the most beautiful and creative game worlds Link has ever had the pleasure to traverse."

Fan Reception
As can be seen by its user rating scores on IGN and Gamespot, Oracle of Ages was equally praised by fans as well as critics. It received a score of 9.1 at Gamespot and IGN alike, although the latter scores Oracle of Seasons slightly higher at 9.2.

Trivia

 * In both the chapter book and manga adaptations of the Oracle series games, Oracle of Ages is the second game in the sequence.
 * Oracle of Ages, along with the original Four Swords, are the only games of the Legend of Zelda series where there is no record for a Speed Run.

Story
Oracle of Seasons opens up the same as Oracle of Ages, with Link riding a horse. Spying a castle on the horizon, he goes inside and is sent by the Triforce to help a land being ravaged by the ruthless General Onox. Link is teleported to the land of Holodrum and after a bit of exploring discovers a traveling troupe. After hanging around and dancing with the troupe's main attraction, Din, the sky becomes dark and General Onox strikes. In the ensuing chaos, Din, revealed to be the Oracle of Seasons, gets kidnapped, taken to Onox's mountain fortress, and imprisoned inside of a crystal. As a result, the Temple of Seasons falls into the earth and the seasons of the land begin to become erratic.

Link embarks on a quest to save Din and restore order. The young hero learns from the Maku Tree that in order to penetrate to the center of Onox's fortress, he needs to collect eight Essences of Nature.

While in the process of visiting the dungeons, Link spies a shady character moving in the weeds. He sneaks by her and the girl disappears. After some exploration, he uncovers a strange looking portal. Stepping on it, he is teleported to the lava-hot underground land of Subrosia. Looking to his left, he sees the missing Temple of Seasons. Taking the Rod of Seasons that he borrowed from the Temple itself, he learns seasons from the temple that become useful in his quest to retrieve the eight Essences of Nature.

After finishing the last of the dungeons and destroying Onox and his evil dragon alter-ego, Din is released and the seasons become regular once again. However, the adventure is far from over. The Flame of Sorrow is already lit by the destruction Onox caused. Observing Link from afar, a mysterious pair laughs, saying the true evil had yet to arrive...

The adventure carries on in a Linked Game of Oracle of Ages (or a linked game of Seasons if Ages played first).

For the complete story revealed in the Linked Game, see Oracle Series: Resurrection of Ganon.

General Mechanics
The two games of the Oracle Series retain many gameplay elements from Link's Awakening (especially the DX version), such as the graphics (many sprites in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are reused from Link's Awakening), audio and top-view perspective. As in Link's Awakening, items (including the sword and shield) are assigned to the A and B buttons via an Inventory. Unlike certain games of the series, items are not assigned a specific place in the inventory. Collected Rupees, health, and the two equipped items are shown on an interface which consists of a yellow bar running across the top of the screen (similar to the one in Link's Awakening, which was located at the bottom of the screen).

Oracle of Seasons, like the great majority of Zelda games, features eight regular dungeons and a large overworld to explore in between. This is done with the help of an overworld map, which is composed of a 14 x 14 grid of squares, where each square represents a single screen. As Link explores the overworld, the "squares" that he's visited will be colored in. Link is guided by the Maku Tree, an important character in both games of the Oracle Series, who will direct Link to the next dungeon, among other things. The Oracle Series, like many games in The Legend of Zelda series, features a Trading Sequence.

One particular feature of Oracle of Seasons (and Oracle of Ages, for that matter) is the fact that certain choices made on the adventure will affect an outcome later on, making for various possible scenarios in a single play-through. Among these are the animal companions that will accompany Link on his adventure (either Moosh, Dimitri, or Ricky), and the growth Bipin and Blossom's son. These choices affect the passwords obtained for a Linked Game (see below).

Where Oracle of Ages is said to be puzzle-based, Oracle of Seasons centers its gameplay on action; both of which are key gamplay elements in The Legend of Zelda series.

The Rod of Seasons
The Rod of Seasons is the central item of Oracle of Seasons. With it, Link can manipulate the four seasons, allowing him to solve various puzzles on his quest. For example, a path that may be blocked by a large deciduous tree can be bypassed in the winter when the leaves have fallen. When Link obtains the rod, he only has the power to change the season to winter. The rest of the seasons (which allow him to reach new locations in the Overworld) are acquired from the Temple of Seasons as the game progresses.

Linked Game


An important element of gameplay in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons is their unique ability to be linked together to form one linear plot, as opposed to two parallel ones. After one game is completed, the other can be linked to it using passwords provided by the game, or a Game Link Cable. Linked Games unlock additional content not seen in the separate games. Among the most notable changes in a Linked Game is the extended ending (the "true ending") where Twinrova and Ganon are encountered.

In a Linked Game of Oracle of Seasons, new characters appear in Holodrum. These characters will tell Link secrets in the form of passwords, which can be relayed to characters on a completed file of Oracle of Ages. By doing so, Link can obtain new items not seen in a non-linked game. The reverse occurs if Oracle of Seasons is played first and Oracle of Ages second.

Passwords obtained in a Linked Game vary depending on the choices Link made on his adventure. Therefore, passwords identify a specific play-through, assuring that Link will have the same animal partner in the Linked Game as in the completed game, among other things.

Magic Rings
Also a unique feature of the Oracle series is the appearance of Magic Rings to be collected by Link on his quest. These rings, when worn, provide Link with a variety of bonuses and abilities, giving an almost RPG-like twist to the game. Some rings augment his strength and defense; others increase his swimming abilities; yet another prevents Link from sliding on frozen floors. Some, like the Cursed Ring, even decrease Link's abilities, making the game more challenging. Other rings simply change Link's appearance. A total of 64 rings can be collected throughout Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, some requiring the use of Linked Games to obtain, or even the use of a Game Boy Advance.

Gasha Seeds
Gasha Seeds appear exclusively in the Oracle series. They can be planted in patches of Soft Soil scattered across Holodrum (or Labrynna in Oracle of Ages). After a while, the tree will mature and Link can collect the single Gasha Nut that the tree will produce. Inside the nut, Link may find various goods, such as Rupees or Magic Rings.

Development
Oracle of Seasons, along with Oracle of Ages, were the first Legend of Zelda titles to be developed outside of Nintendo. They were developed by Capcom, who later went on to develop two more titles for the Legend of Zelda series on the Game Boy Advance (Four Swords and The Minish Cap).

The beginning of the development of Oracle of Seasons dates back to the very first proposal for a Zelda title made by Yoshiki Okamoto, then head of Flagship (a screenwriting subsidiary of Capcom) to Shigeru Miyamoto. The proposition consisted of a remake the original The Legend of Zelda for the Game Boy Color. After some deliberations, an agreement was reached, and it was later decided that, depending on the success of this first title, Capcom would go on to develop a "more ambitious" sequel, which would be a completely new and original Zelda title built from the ground up. However, the members of the development team, contrarily to what Okamoto's agenda, wanted to skip the remake and begin creating a new Zelda title right away. The opinion to abandon the original project was incited further by a number of complications that came up during the port: the scenario and the maps had to be reworked several times to make all the elements fit. Development was further hindered by the Game Boy Color's narrower screen, which would force players to scroll to the right or left to see the entire room, potentially causing them to overlook certain elements inside it.

Eventually, Miyamoto proposed the creation of the "Triforce Series", a trilogy, to replace the current projects. Each title was to focus on a different gameplay element, each relating to one of the three powers of the Triforce (i.e., Wisdom, Power, and Courage). What was originally meant to be the remake of The Legend of Zelda became the Chapter of Power (later known as Mystical Seed of Power), which was action-based. The Tale of Power was demonstrated at the Nintendo Space World trade show in 1999; it was the only title of the three to be presented. The demo of the game had Princess Zelda, keeper of the seasons, captured by Ganon, who stole the Rod of Seasons to throw the four seasons of Hyrule into disarray, while sending Hyrule Castle and the rod to another realm - a precursor to the plot of Oracle of Seasons. In the demo, Link uses the Rod of Seasons to manipulate the seasons of winter, spring, summer, and autumn in order to solve puzzles. Several characters of Oracle of Seasons also make an apperance, such as the "Mystery Tree" (Maku Tree), "Rikki" (Ricky), "Mable" (Maple), and the "Ulra Tribe" (Subrosians).

The three games of the series would interact with each other for additional gameplay via game-linking system. However, the overcomplexity of coordinating the three games caused for the cancellation of Mystical Seed of Courage. Thus the series was reduced to two titles and became the Oracle Series as it is known today: Oracle of Ages was adapted from Mystical Seed of Wisdom and Oracle of Seasons was adapted from Mystical Seed of Power.

Throughout all its transformations, from The Legend of Zelda remake to Mystical Seed of Power, and finally to the Oracle of Seasons as it is known today, elements from the original NES title, such as dungeon layouts, bosses, and even parts of the overworld, can be observed to this day in Oracle of Seasons.

Setting
Oracle of Seasons is the first and only title to take place in the land of Holodrum. Holodrum, once calm and peaceful, is thrown into chaos and destruction when Onox captures Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and buries the Temple of Seasons where the Season Spirits lie, throwing the four seasons into disarray and causing them to change erratically.

Holodrum is unique in that it is the only land to feature the four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. The world changes with the seasons: lakes freeze in winter, flowers bloom in spring, creeks and lakes dry up in summer, and Mushrooms are ready to be picked in autumn. With the four seasons out of order, Holodrum experiences all four seasons at once, making for a colorful world where all at once Link can observe the whiteness of the snow in winter, the blooming flowers in spring, the lush green vegetation in summer, and the changing colors of the leaves in autumn.

The populations of Holodrum are scattered all across the map. To the south is Horon Village, the home of the guardian spirit Maku Tree and the majority of Holodrum's population. To the east and west of the village lies the southern shores that border Holodrum. To the east is the sand-swept Samasa Desert; to the west, the Western Coast, and the eerie Graveyard. Holodrum's northern border consists of tall peaks and mountain ranges ranging from east to west. In the west lies the Tarm Ruins, where stands the tall tower of the Ancient Ruins, the highest point in all the land. This is followed by the dark Northern Peak, where Onox has built his stronghold. East of the Northern Peak are the Temple Ruins, where the Temple of Seasons once stood. This is overlapped by Goron Mountain, where the Goron race of Holodrum reside in their homes delved into the rock. Finally, in the northeast corner, connected to Goron Mountain, lies Mt. Cucco, from whence all the fresh water of the land flows. Incidentally, to the south of Mt. Cucco is the permanently flooded village of Sunken City. The water from Mt. Cucco flows down the river into the swamplands of Spool Swamp. Central Holodrum is dominated by plains—such as the Holodrum Plain and the Natzu Prairie—and the Woods of Winter to the east.

However, within this one world exists another: the hidden subterranean, lava-filled world of Subrosia. Here, the strange, hooded creatures known as Subrosians live unbeknownst to the people of the world above. Subrosia is in fact the new location of the Temple of Seasons, which sunk from Holodrum into Subrosia. Like Holodrum, Subrosia has mountain ranges to the north and a southern coastline. The two worlds can be traveled back and forth via portals scattered across the land.

Link is sent to Holodrum via the powers of the Triforce. However, certain characters in Oracle of Seasons will travel between Holodrum and the sister-land of Labrynna via physical means; Princess Zelda (in a Linked Game only) and her nurse Impa even travel from Hyrule. Therefore, Labrynna, Holodrum, and Hyrule all exist within the same universe.

Timeline Placement
Since the plot lines of Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages are parallel, it is impossible to place one before the other in a timeline, even in a Linked Game when the two plots are linked together, as it is up to the player to decide which game to place first. Besides this, the Oracle Series in general has no definitive place in the timeline.

Completion Records
According to the Speed Demos Archive, the fastest completion time for Oracle of Seasons is 2 hours, 6 minutes and 40 seconds by Tomas 'Tompa' Abrahamsson on November 19th, 2005.

Reception

 * See also: Reception of the Oracle Series

Sales
Oracle of Seasons was commercially successful, selling a near 4 million copies (3.96 million to be exact).

Reviews
Oracle of Seasons, or quite simply the Oracle Series in general, was very well received by critics and received mostly positive reviews. Both games received 9.2/10 ratings at Gamespot, and a 10 out of 10 rating of "Masterpiece" at IGN. The games were often credited as being two of the top (if not the best) games for the Game Boy Color. In fact, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages were ranked by Nintendo Power as being the fourth and fifth best games for Game Boy/Game Boy Color, respectively.

Oracle of Seasons especially was praised for its vibrant graphics, due to the wide panoply of hues caused by the changing seasons. As such, it is considered to be the more graphically impressive of the two Oracle titles. Gaming Target praised the gameplay aspect of the game, highlighting the use of its "new and fun" items and challenging dungeons.

Fan Reception
Oracle of Seasons was equally praised by fans as well as critics. Both Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons maintain a 9.1 user score at Gamespot. . However, at IGN, Seasons scored slightly higher at 9.2.

Oracle of Seasons is usually rated equal or higher than Oracle of Ages by critics and fans, which would appear to make it the more well-received of the two titles.

Trivia

 * In both the chapter book and manga adaptations of the Oracle series games, Oracle of Seasons is the first game in the sequence.

Story
"Long ago, in the kingdom of Hyrule, there appeared a Wind Sorcerer named Vaati. Vaati could bend the wind to his will and used this awful power to terrorize many villages of Hyrule. In his assaults on the villages, Vaati would kidnap any beautiful girls who caught his fancy.

''Many knights from the castle and other brave men set out to subdue the sorcerer and rescue the girls, but each one fell in turn to Vaati's awesome power. Just as the people had begun to lose hope, a lone young boy traveling with little but a sword at his side appeared.''

''When this boy heard what was happening, he said only, "I will defeat this sorcerer." He boldly entered Vaati's palace, mystically trapped the evil sorcerer inside the blade of his sword, and returned the young girls to their villages. The boy then went deep into the forest and disappeared.''

''The villagers asked the girls how a boy so young could have saved them all and defeated the sorcerer when no one else could. The young girls told a story of how with just a wave of his sword, the boy's body shattered into four pieces, each of which then formed a complete copy of the boy. These four young boys then worked together to defeat the sorcerer. The people did not believe the story, but they called it the Four Sword nonetheless. As rumors of the blade's power to divide a person into four entities spread, the people built a shrine to protect it.''

''Princess Zelda of the land of Hyrule was a beautiful young girl born with mysterious power to sense approaching forces of evil. For this reason, she was assigned with the sacred duty of protecting the shrine of the Four Sword and the blade itself. One day, Zelda was in Hyrule Castle when she sensed that something unusual was occurring at the Four Sword Shrine. She asked a boy named Link, whom she trusted above anyone else, to accompany her to investigate the happenings at the shrine...''"

Timeline Placement
As can be observed in the plots of the three games featuring the Four Sword, Four Swords takes place many years after the events of The Minish Cap, and before Four Swords Adventures, featuring the same Link. The opening scenes of Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures cements the continuity of the three-game mini-series, dubbed the "Four Sword Series".

If the Four Sword Series is not considered a story in its own continuity, is not clear its placement in the main timeline. About the Four Sword game, Eiji Aonuma said it was meant as the first game in the timeline, leading many theorists to place it before Ocarina of Time, but its placement may have changed with the release of Four Swords Adventures and other Zelda titles.

Gameplay
Four Swords is one of the most unique game among the Zelda series. It is the only game that requires at least two people to play, Four Swords, along with its sequel Four Swords Adventures, does not feature an overworld, and Four Swords uses random dungeons, similar to those of mystery dungeon games.

Floors of stages are made of two part. These two parts are randomly interchanged to produce random floors. To move onto the next floor of a stage, all the Links must reach the warp zone to get to the the next. The faster they reach the Warp Zone the bigger the Rupee bonus. After clearing two floors, or nine floors if clearing Vaati's Palace with the Hero Keys, the Links will be warped to a boss room. After defeating a boss, with the exception of Vaati, a Great Fairy will appear. Depending on the number of Rupees collected, they will give the Links either a silver key, a gold key, a hero key, or in some cases no key at all. The Link who did the best in a stage will receive a Medal of Courage. These medals are needed to acquire certain items and a technique in A Link to the Past. The number of players playing the game, as well as which epic you are playing through, affects the type of random areas and items that will appear during a play though.

When a Link loses all his hearts, he will be downed. When downed a Link is incapable of moving, until he pays a penalty of Rupees to be revived. The more times a Link is downed the greater the penalties become. If a Link does not have enough Rupees to be revived the game ends. If all Links have filled all their heart containers, any Rupees a Link finds will be worth twice its normal value.

The Three Epics
The first time through Four Swords, the team of players will struggle through the first three levels for silver keys in order to complete the game. However, after completing the game, there is an option of going back through it two more times. Each epic has a different ending, and to fully complete the game, all three epics must be played.


 * The First Epic: The first time through the game, the team will need to collect a total of at least 1000 Rupees per stage in order to get Silver Keys to open the path to Vaati's Palace.


 * The Second Epic: Stages are a bit harder, and if the team already has Silver Keys, they may try to collect a sum of 3000 Rupees in order to receive Gold Keys to Vaati's Palace.


 * The Final Epic: If the team of Gold Key holders can collect a total of 5000 Rupees per stage, the Links will receive Hero's Keys from each level. In the final epic, Vaati's Palace has four boss battles, instead of the usual one boss.

Nintendo DSi Port
As part of the 25th Anniversary of the Zelda series, Four Swords will be available as a free download for both the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo 3DS in September 2011.

Legacy

 * Even though The Wind Waker was the game to introduce the cel-shading graphic style, Four Swords was the one to use it first due to it being released first in North America.
 * Four Swords is the first game featuring a dungeon set entirely in the clouds.
 * It is the first multiplayer Zelda game.

Trivia
In Four Swords, the player does not get the option of choosing a name for Link, akin to Four Swords Adventures.

Story
Set hundreds of years after the events of Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker finds the hero Link in a sea scattered with several islands, which necessitates frequent sailing and naval combat. Link lives with his grandmother and younger sister Aryll on Outset Island, one of the few inhabited islands in the Great Sea. The people of the Great Sea pass down a legend of a prosperous kingdom with a hidden golden power. An evil man found and stole this power, using it to spread darkness until a young boy dressed in green sealed the evil with the Blade of Evil's Bane. The boy became known as the Hero of Time and passed into legend. One day the sealed evil began to return, but the Hero of Time did not reappear. The inhabitants of the Great Sea are unsure of the kingdom's fate, but it is clear that this legend is the story of Ocarina of Time where the Hero of Time, Link, fought Ganondorf.

When boys of Outset Island come of age they are customarily dressed in green, like the Hero of Time. The elders hope to instill the courage of the Hero of Time in the children. It is Link's birthday as The Wind Waker opens, and he receives the familiar green clothes and cap as a present from his grandma. Aryll's present to Link is permission to use her telescope. As he looks through the telescope, he sees a large bird, the Helmaroc King, carrying a girl to a nearby forest. After retrieving a sword, Link sets out to investigate. Link rescues the girl, only to have Aryll kidnapped by the Helmaroc King as he returns.

The Great Flood
Ganondorf, the great evil that all still thought to be sealed away in the Sacred Realm of Hyrule, crept forth, eager to resume his dark designs. Since the Master Sword had been the key to his defeat during his last attempt to conquer Hyrule, he proceeded in secret to hunt down and murder the Sages who prayed in the temples of Hyrule that the gods might continue to bless the sacred sword with the power to repel evil.

Now that the sacred blade was out-of-commission, Ganondorf proceeded to transform Hyrule into a world of shadows. The people hoped that the hero would once again appear to save them, but after defeating Ganon he had left on another journey, and did not appear. Ganon’s next step was to make another aggressive move for the Triforce. The king, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, attempted to stop the fiend, but was not strong enough.

As doom drew nigh, the king and his people prayed to the gods, leaving their kingdom in the hands of fate. Even if, in response to their pleas, a hero did actually appear, he could not have challenged Ganon as things stood—when he claimed the blade of evil’s bane, it would be all but useless to him. In any case, the gods seemed to find a use for it in stemming the calamity. The Master Sword would serve as a key once more, this time not on the Sacred Realm, but on Hyrule itself, and Ganondorf and his power with it.

And so, the fair kingdom was soon buried beneath rains that poured from the heavens and left forgotten at the bottom of the sea. The gods knew that to seal the people away with the kingdom would be to grant Ganon's wish for the destruction of the land. So, before the sealing of the kingdom, the gods chose those who would build a new country and commanded them to take refuge on the mountaintops.

Over the centuries, the memory of the kingdom vanished, but its legend survived on the wind’s breath. On a certain island at the south of the Great Sea, it was customary to garb young boys in green when they came of age. The youths aspired to find heroic blades and cast down evil, but the elders wished only for the youths to know courage like the hero of legend.

Link's Quest
On that island, a young boy named Link finally came of age to wear the green of the hero. Unfortunately, his birthday plans were about to be dashed. A giant bird flew over his island, carrying a young girl in its talons. Hot on its tail was a pirate ship, sending a catapult barrage after it in an attempt to force it to touch down. One of the projectiles caused the bird to drop the girl, who landed in a tree in the forest atop the island. Link grabbed a sword and rushed off to find the girl. Her name was Tetra, and Link learned that she was captain of that band of pirates.

As Link led her back to her ship, the bird swooped down and kidnapped Link’s younger sister, Aryll, mistaking her for Tetra. A Rito postman informed the stunned Link and the unsympathetic Tetra of stories of a large bird who kidnapped young girls with long ears and took them back to the cursed Forsaken Fortress. He charged Tetra with helping young Link rescue his sister from that wicked place. Tetra reluctantly accepted, and with her help, Link was able to infiltrate the fortress and reach the cell where his sister was being kept. But the great bird discovered him, and, at the command of a sinister shadowy figure, it hurled him into the sea. He was recovered by a talking boat, who introduced itself as the King of Red Lions. The King told him of the story behind that shadowy figure, and the threat that that wrongdoer posed. The shadow was Ganon. Somehow, someway, the seal of the gods had failed. Ganon had returned, and the world was once again in danger. The key to defeating Ganon was locked away in a great power that could only be wielded after much toil and hardship. Only one who was able to overcome the trials that awaited in the Tower of the Gods would be permitted to wield the power to destroy the great evil. That power was none other than that of the Master Sword, the blade of evil’s bane, and it could banish Ganon from the world above. Or, at least, so the King of Red Lions believed.

Before entering the Tower of the Gods, Link had to gather the three pearls, which he accomplished with the help of an ancient conductor’s baton called the Wind Waker. Though he did, indeed, succeed in the trials of the gods and claim the Master Sword from Hyrule below, when he returned to the Forsaken Fortress, destroyed that monstrous bird, and proceeded to challenge Ganondorf, he learned of the unfortunate fate that had befallen the Master Sword, that it no longer sparkled with the power to repel evil. He also gathered that by withdrawing the blade from its place in Hyrule Castle, he had broken the final seal placed by the gods on Hyrule and on Ganondorf’s magic, stirring all the monsters frozen in time in the kingdom below from their centuries-long slumber.

Tetra rushed to his rescue, and yet another revelation transpired. When Tetra approached Ganondorf, his Triforce of Power resonated. This could only mean one thing—Tetra possessed the Triforce of Wisdom, none other than the sacred power of the gods that the royal family had kept from Ganon’s clutches for so many long years. Her mother had instructed her to keep it close, and to safeguard it always. The Triforce of Wisdom was proof of her birthright—Tetra was the true heir to the royal family of Hyrule, the last link in the bloodline. Tetra was Princess Zelda. Of course, Ganondorf caught wind of this immediately, and so he tried to seize the Triforce of Wisdom then and there. Luckily, a pair of Rito managed to swoop down and rescued the children from Ganondorf’s grip.

Zelda was brought to Hyrule Castle below the waves, and the King of Red Lions imparted news of her identity and her role in these events before giving her the missing shard of the Triforce of Wisdom. He then instructed her to remain in Hyrule and sent Link back to the sea above to reawaken the Master Sword’s power and reunite the Triforce of Courage—split when the Hero of Time left the land after completing his mission —until then, the portal to the world below the waves would be sealed, and he would be unable to return again to Hyrule.

To complete his task, those who carried on the blood of the sages had to be found to take the stead of the old in the temples and ask the gods for their assistance. With their power and prayers, he was able to restore the blade of evil’s bane. He then hunted down the scattered shards of the Triforce of Courage and brought the completed piece back to the Tower of the Gods to present it to the gods. The Triforce piece then dwelled within him, proving that he was the true hero, the Hero of Time, reborn. Because Link had used the power of the Wind Waker to travel the Great Sea, the King of Red Lions declared him the Hero of Winds. When Link descended beneath the waves, he discovered that Ganon had kidnapped Zelda and taken her to his headquarters, Ganon’s Tower, a daunting fortress that even the legendary Knights of Hyrule had been unable to assail in ages past. Link made haste for the tower, and, when he scaled it, Ganon was waiting for him. Ganondorf caught Link off guard and, since he had once again gathered the three crests, he managed to summon the full Triforce. His wish was that the rays of the sun might expose Hyrule anew so that the kingdom and the world, might be his.

But the King of Red Lions touched the Triforce first. The King’s wish was that Hyrule might be buried beneath the waves and that he, Ganondorf, and the ancient land might drown under the torrents. But he was not about to make all of Link’s efforts to help restore the world end in vain—he also wished for hope for his descendants, that they might be able to create a better world. The Triforce then vanished, floating away to the sacred lands to await a new owner.

In a fit of madness, Ganondorf attacked Link. With the Master Sword at its full power, Link dealt the final death blow to Ganondorf. Link and Zelda were spirited away to the surface of the sea, and the floodwaters came crashing down, burying Hyrule beneath the sea. Link and Zelda sail away in search of a new land — with the wind as their guide. This scene marks the beginning of the first Nintendo DS Zelda game, Phantom Hourglass.

Gameplay
The Wind Waker, despite initially concerning fans because of its visuals, not only was praised in the graphic department, it also retains many elements from the two N64 Zelda games. As Link progresses through his adventure, he meets and helps many characters, usually leading to rewards. During his quest, he also explores dungeons, solves the puzzles within, fulfills various crucial challenges, and defeats multiple enemies. The game's controls are similar to those of the previous 3D titles as well, albeit with new improvements; for example, the C Stick allows the player to control and adjust the camera. The controller's buttons, once more, are used for multiple actions, including rolling, using the shield or an item. Along with these elements, new ones are implemented, debuting in this game.

Sea Exploration
Like Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker is mainly set outside Hyrule, although the once known Sacred Kingdom is visited this time. Link explores the vast ocean known as the Great Sea, and he travels with the help of the King of the Red Lions, a boat that is capable of human speech. With the help of the titular Wind Waker, Link can control at will the direction of the wind's flow, which is helpful to navigate across the waters. As he does so, he frequently visits multiple islands (49 in total), all of which should have something interesting, from merely a hidden prize to a crucial area related to the main quest. When Link enters the territory of an island, he can ask a Fishman for information on said island, as well as to draw the territory's position in the Sea Chart.

While Link looks for an island, he deals with threats from the sea, including enemy bases, deadly creatures, and natural phenomena. Besides the islands, submarines and the aforementioned enemy bases can be visited as well, usually populated by enemies and housing interesting treasures. Link can foresee sunken treasures (pinpointed by rings of light on the water surface), and he can bring them towards him with the help of the Grappling Hook.

As Link defeats enemies, solves puzzles, helps people, and conquers obstacles, he will often earn Treasure Chart maps. When Link opens one, he can find previously inaccessible prizes, which will then be pinpointed by intensely shiny lights emanating from the sea. Important, as certain key items needed for access to the final level will indeed be hidden under the sea, only located after collecting special charts that, additionally, need to be deciphered somehow.

As with most Zelda games, in The Wind Waker Link learns to Warp from one place to another. This time he does so with cyclones, after defeating an important deity named Cyclos.

GBA interaction
The Wind Waker was the first Zelda game to make use of the connectivity between the Gamecube and Game Boy Advance. When Link rescues Tingle from his imprisonment in Windfall Island, the 35-year old man will give him the Tingle Tuner, along with the Tingle Chart; after this point, when the player connects a Game Boy Advance to the Gamecube through the Nintendo Gamecube Game Boy Advance Cable, the young hero will be aided by Tingle in many ways. For example, when inside dungeons, he can watch its rooms even if the dungeon map has to be collected yet; Link can also purchase items from Tingle for use, and a special sidequest (also regarding the dungeons) will be unlocked. This is also the only way to find the elusive Knuckle, whose figurine is impossible to obtain otherwise (since he won't appear at all normally in the game).

Wind control and new item usage
As mentioned above, the magical baton gives Link the ability to control the wind's direction as soon as he learns the proper melody. But that not only makes sea navigation faster, manipulating wind gives the legendary hero multiple possibilities, such as being able to fly (with the Deku Leaf more properly), making a character give different notes of information, making a certain Rito character fly more easily to a hill, and even making a treasure chest appear when Link stands before a marked wind spot, among other things. After learning another certain song, Link can use the power of cyclones to warp from one island to another, reducing to a greater degree the backtracking. Other melodies serve for purposes less related to wind, but still give more versatility and usefulness to the Wind Waker.

Link will also be able to find and use item bags able to house up to eight different item types each, which significantly increases gameplay possibilities. For example, the Spoils Bag keeps several jewels and items that certain enemies guard, and that can be used for further purposes, such as preparing potions, receiving rewards, or helping people in need of them. The Bait Bag is of great utility as it keeps food for animals and creatures in exchange of either prizes, new information regarding something or even control of seagulls. The Delivery Bag is used to keep letters, souvenirs, or even documents, and is heavily used in a sidequest regarding a trading sequence that ultimately leads to an optional magical artifact.

Some gameplay elements from Majora's Mask also return here, except with variations. Link can again use a Pictograph Box, which this time has a much more extensive use; for example, there is a sidequest, the Nintendo Gallery, that consists of taking a snapshot of every single character, creature, and any other living being, either divine or merely mortal, in the game. The camera can be upgraded to take full-color shots and, unlike in the game it debuted, it can now support three. The Nintendo Gallery is on a small island outside of Forest Haven. Link must hit a series of switches before the vault leading into it can be opened. Another returning element is the possibility of controlling other characters, except this time not by a mask transformation, but by psychic faculty. Here comes another utility from the conductor's titular baton: after learning the right melody, Link can control seagulls, statues, and secondary characters he previously met in his travels. This is important as at least three dungeons require the player to interact with characters or statues, which is part of the main adventure.

Unlike previous Zelda games, The Wind Waker features items with two or even three ways to be used, leading to a much more versatile usefulness of them. The Grappling Hook, for example, can be used to pass over cliffs and big holes, to steal enemies' items, and to retrieve sunken chests from the sea; the Deku Leaf can be used for flight or for shots of wind gusts. Bombs can now be used both in land and from the boat (which has a long-range cannon incorporated) while on the sea; the arrows now support the ice, fire and light magic in a single space of the Item Subscreen; the Hookshot can both take Link to higher spots and, together with the Iron Boots, be used to remove heavy statues out of the way; and the Boomerang can now hit up to five targets at the same launch.

Second Quest
The Wind Waker is currently the only 3D game in the franchise to feature this option. When the game is cleared for the first time, opportunity is given to restart it with some important changes; for example, the outfits for Link and Aryll are different than usual, the Hylian text spoken by the deities (the spirits Valoo, the Deku Tree, and Jabun) are translated into English, and the Deluxe Picto Box is available from the start (which not only makes the Color Pictography Quests possible to do earlier, but allows the player to continue the Nintendo Gallery completion, which is retained from the first playthrough).

Game Style
The Wind Waker, at first glance, looks less mature than previous installments of the series, but one may consider it among the more emotional games, mainly thanks to the expressiveness of the characters, including Link, who actually show how they are feeling in regards of a situation. However, one may also have interpreted this as a loss of subtly. Additionally, its graphical style is said by some to evoke the spirit of the older games more than the N64 games did, as this was very difficult to be seen in the N64 games because of technology constraints. Some also consider the Eastern-inspired music score to have helped recreate the atmosphere of the game.

The game's storyline has more detail, and the narrative is much deeper; many aspects of Hyrule's past and its fate are revealed in this game, and it's also seen that even Ganondorf and the Hyrule King aren't completely like they are known. The Wind Waker reflects and recreates what is happening around Link and the characters near him. Also, because of the aforementioned interaction with other characters, Link is aware that he is not alone on his mission, and that others are doing the best to help him progress through his important mission.

Graphics
As previously noted in the above sections, the game makes use of cel-shading graphics. Contrary to popular belief, programming the game with an engine based on this style was more difficult than programming Twilight Princess, after modifying said engine, to favor realistic graphics.

Among the visual effects present in the game are the smoking explosion the enemies and most bosses experience after being defeated, as well as the drawings indicating the wind's blow. Also, when something is hit, an instant spark of light can be seen.

Audio
The game features strings, flutes, and horns in the background, such as when opening a Treasure Chest. It also features Link being more active with his speech. For example, when stalking Mila, he will "meow" when she may have noticed him, or scream after falling from a high point.

Like the two N64 games in past years, The Wind Waker includes a tune that is heard during enemy proximity, but it's more developed because more notes and sounds of instruments are added when either Link or the enemy is attacked, especially during the attack itself; a similar detail is appreciated when a mini-boss is faced.

Japanese Version
Being there a three-month difference between the game's Japanese release in December 14, 2002, as opposed to North America's in March 24, 2003, not too many changes were made from one version to another, aside from characters' and places' names. However, one of the few changes is noticeable: The fifth Triforce Chart is found after unveiling consecutively various Treasure Charts from the sea, one pinpointing another (these charts, in the NSTC and PAL versions, are found in the dungeons, pinpointing Silver Rupees). Also, some Pieces of Heart have their locations changed, so anyone expecting one of them at the end of, for example, the Savage Labyrinth will only find a yellow Rupee in the chest.

Setting
The game is set in the Great Sea, a vast body of water consisting of 49 islands, which are of different sizes, shapes, and purposes. Some are inhabited islands, and they house dungeons, sidequests, shops, and many other things; these include Dragon Roost Island (inhabited by the Rito tribe, and guarded by the sky spirit Valoo), Forest Haven (inhabited by the Korok tribe, and guarded by the earth spirit Great Deku Tree), Outset Island and Windfall Island (both inhabited by Hylians). Greatfish Isle used to be inhabited by Hylians as well and guarded by the sea spirit Jabun until Ganondorf destroyed it and cast a curse on the entire Great Sea.

There are islands that are either uninhabited or overrun by monsters, but are still key places for Link's quest. Forsaken Fortress houses the whereabouts of the evil Ganondorf, and is where the girls hijacked by Helmaroc King are held captive. The ancient Tower of the Gods shows the gateway to the deceased land of Hyrule, but it will only appear after the chosen one retrieves the Goddesses' pearls, and the aforementioned gateway will only open when that hero completes the challenges given to him by the deities. Mother & Child Isles, Fire Mountain and Ice Ring Isle all house major treasure weapons and tools that help the young hero have access to temples where the sages blessing the Master Sword must pray; said temples are, respectively, in the Headstone Island and the Gale Isle. Additionally, there are numerous islands where Link finds the widely-spoken "triumph forks", which pinpoint the fragments of the Triforce of Courage as long as they're deciphered (which can be done by negotiating with Tingle in Tingle Island).

There are also islands that are similar to each other, for they share a similar purpose. For example, the three triangle-shaped islands are where Link must place the sacred pearls in order to unveil the aforementioned Tower of the Gods. Five islands house Great Fairy entities, ready to improve Link's capabilities for weapon ammunition or even money amounts. There are also six giant coral reefs invaded by multiple enemies and belic cannons, hiding Treasure Charts that lead to much more special charts. These charts give Link location of a wide variety of quest items or secret features. Finally, there are three archipelagos that are nothing but isolated rock formations with no possibility for human landing.

The rest of the islands serve for optional and minor purposes, mainly collection of charts and other prizes.

Timeline Placement
The Wind Waker directly references places and events from Ocarina of Time and gives some indication of what happened between the two games, making clear that it happens after Ocarina of Time.

During the time of this game's release, the split timeline theory was confirmed by Eiji Aonuma in a summer 2002 Game Pro interview; thus, the confirmed timeline placement for The Wind Waker is after the Adult ending of Ocarina of Time, but in a separate timeline from Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess, which both follow the Child ending.

The confirmation of this game taking place in the Adult Timeline is seemingly unrelated to A Link to the Past, also originally meant to take place after Ocarina of Time. It is currently unknown A Link to the Past ' s placement relative to The Wind Waker.

There has also been some debate over the time passed between Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker, since in many interviews Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma had stated that The Wind Waker takes place "a hundred years" after Ocarina of Time. It was later revealed to be a mistranslation, and that they actually spoke of "hundreds of years."

After Link defeats Ganon in his puppet form, Ganon remarks about Link being "the Hero of Time, reborn". According to the Ganon most likely says that metaphorically. Link in this story is the Hero of Time "reborn", since he possesses the same skills as his predecessor (despite not being an actual descendant).

Completion Records
According to Speed Demos Archive, the fastest completion time for The Wind Waker is 6 hours, 42 minutes by Mike 'TSA' Damiani on April 18th, 2005.

Sales
The Wind Waker was commercially successful, selling around 3.07 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the most popular GameCube games of all time. However, most of the success comes from Europe and North America, as in Japan the game fared much worse than expected; in fact, Eiji Aonuma commented that the low popularity of the game in the region would have meant the end of the franchise.

Reviews
Reviews of the game were mostly positive. IGN editor Matt Cassamassina praised the graphics and gameplay, stating that the game takes the best of Ocarina of Time and improves it; however, he criticizes the sound for the insistent use of MIDI tracks and nearly null voice speech.

GameSpot editor Jeff Gerstmann called the game "The Wind Waker is a strong achievement in every way, from its stunning graphical presentation to its tight control and interesting story line," but also criticized the relatively long periods of sailing (particularly in regards of the search for the Triforce Shard collection) and the relatively easy puzzles and boss battles.

From Eurogamer, another review site, Tom Bramwell also praised the game, giving his personal recommendation to it, although he also argued that Epona used to be a better means of transportation than the boat. Nintendo Power ranked it sixth in their list of best The Legend of Zelda games, criticizing its sailing concept but praising the graphics and the refined gameplay "while on land."

In March 2011, The Wind Waker was ranked 5th on GamesRadar's list of "The 100 Best Games Of All Time", placing it above Twilight Princess (29th), and A Link To The Past (17th).

Fan Reception
Consumers' reception on the game was positive, with an average reader score of 9.1 on IGN and a medium user score of 9.2 on GameSpot. While fans initially expected a more realistic game more in line with the scene shown in the SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo, this was not the case for the final game. In 2001, the impressions on the game using cel-shading graphics were nothing short of mixed, rendering the game as controversial as The Adventure of Link and Majora's Mask initially were in past decades. Upon its announcement, many in the fan community decried the art style of the game as childish and unfit for a Zelda title. Video Gamer X, webmaster of The Odyssey of Hyrule, compared early screenshots for the game to the much-maligned CD-i titles, and accused Nintendo of making games with limited appeal to young children. He described the graphics as "animated C-quality Disney garbage."

However, the game ultimately satisfied the consumer, leading to commercial and critical success. Yet, some players expressed complaints in regards of the sailing concept, whereas others failed to get past the graphics and did not play it in the first place. Opinions were also mixed in regards of Tingle's role in this game, to the point that IGN editors requested his exclusion from the then-upcoming game Twilight Princess.

Nonetheless, in 2006 The Wind Waker was placed in the 26th position on IGN's reader list of greatest games of all time.

Legacy

 * Although the Game Boy Advance version of Four Swords was historically the first game published to employ Cel-shaded graphics, The Wind Waker started its period of development first, hence why it's the one credited for introducing this style to the series.
 * The engine of the game was the basis for Twilight Princess's realistic graphics, which also borrowed some of the cel-shading elements from the 2003 game.
 * It's the first game to evidence that the Zelda universe's timeline is actually split into two.
 * By extension, it's also the first game to evidence that the character Link, like Princess Zelda, has multiple incarnations over the decades/centuries.
 * The sailing mechanic inspired the creation of the means of transportation seen in the Nintendo DS Zelda games.
 * Many properties of this game were borrowed by Super Smash Bros. Brawl, including Link's animated incarnation, a stage, soundtrack, and several trophies and stickers.

Trivia

 * The community is known for mispronouncing, misspelling, and misreading the name of The Wind Waker. Names such as "The Wind Walker", "The Wind Maker", and even simply "Wind Waker" are common mistakes found throughout the forums, walkthroughs, and fansites in the Zelda community.
 * According to the ‘Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2008’, The Wind Waker had around 500,000 pre-orders and was at the time (2002) the most pre-ordered game on record.
 * The game's main theme song includes both the Earth God's Lyric and the Wind God's Aria.
 * Link yells "Come on!" when he calls Medli, Makar, or a statue. This marked The Wind Waker as the only canon Zelda game to date in which Link has spoken in actual words until the release of Twilight Princess, in which Link can be heard yelling "Giddy-up!" as he rides Epona. In The Adventure of Link, a textbox does say "I found a mirror under the table" at one point, but the Japanese version used no pronouns and is written in much the same way as the "You got" speeches (that is, it's from Link's perspective, but not him speaking).
 * On the disc of the American version, the Hylian reads "Zeruda no Densetsu Kaze no Takuto," which is the game's name in Japan.
 * The greeting "Hoy!" in this game is similar to the Portuguese "Oi!" or the Dutch "Hoi!" Additionally, "Oi!" is the equivalent of "Hey!" in Japanese. "Hoy" is also a saying used by pirates, of which the game holds many elements.

Related Articles
The Wind Waker: Original Soundtrack

Four Swords Adventures (ゼルダの伝説 4つの剣+, ) is the eleventh installment of the Zelda series. Four Swords Adventures is the a direct sequel to Four Swords, and it incorporates the same graphical style as the Four Swords. It is the only console Zelda title to date to incorporate multiplayer elements into its main campaign. And because of its single player elements, Four Swords Adventures is also the first game in the series to allow a single player to control more than one Link at once, and it utilizes various methods to allow the player to make use of the four Links, such as formations. Also, it is the only title to break locations and temples up into succinct, separate stages and levels which can be replayed even after beating them once. The game itself, though an innovation in Zelda gameplay, is heavily inspired by the music, graphics, and locations of A Link to the Past.

Intro
The story picks up sometime after Four Swords, when Link and Zelda successfully managed to seal away the evil wind sorcerer Vaati in the Four Sword. Peace was believed to have finally been restored to Hyrule. However, one night, an ominous cloud covers Hyrule, throwing fear into the people of Hyrule. Zelda then calls upon her most trusted childhood friend again. She wants to check up on the Four Swords again, fearing that the seal placed upon Vaati might have weakened. Inside the castle they meet up with the gathered six maidens, whose purpose is to protect Hyrule as well as the Four Sword Sanctuary. With the help of the maidens Zelda summons a portal to the sanctuary.

However, before they get a chance to enter, a dark figure that looks like Link appears. The Dark Link seals away the six maidens and Zelda in a dark crystal, before he retreats into the portal leading to the sanctuary. Link is left with no choice but to follow. Arriving at the sanctuary, the dark Link taunts Link into pulling the Four Sword, resulting in Link splitting in four again. Likewise, the seal on Vaati is broken, and he slowly creeps forward with a maniacal laugh. The four Links do not get a chance to follow the Dark Link before being thrown away from the scene by Vaati’s magic.

Hyrulean Adventure
The four Links are awoken by Kaepora Gaebora, who calmly informs them of the situation and what they must do, which is to first rescue the six maidens. Shadow Link, as he calls him, has spread chaos in Hyrule, scorching villages and throwing them into the dark world. Traveling across Hyrule they witness the chaos brought about by Vaati and Shadow Link, and in order to release the dark seals placed by Vaati the four Links must collect force gems in order to properly power up the Four Swords and grant it the power to repel evil.

After rescuing the Green maiden, she tells the four Links about the four Royal Jewels which is needed to reach the in Realm of the Heavens, where Zelda is being held. They were divided among four Knights of Hyrule, known to have valiantly defended Hyrule, but they have mysteriously disappeared. The four Links eventually find them, who reveal they have been cursed and thrown in the Dark World.

It is revealed that the one who is ultimately behind everything is a mighty foe who is not Vaati, but rather, someone using him. Once the four Links reach the part of Hyrule which has been transformed into the Dark World, they discover from the White Maiden that there was once was a Dark Mirror in which an ancient tribe was sealed. The mirror was being kept away from the world in a Temple of Darkness. They believe the mirror to be the source of the Shadow Links. Rumors also reach them of a King of Darkness named Ganon.

Upon reaching the temple where the mirror is being held, their suspicion is confirmed, as the Mirror has indeed been stolen. The Red maiden who is rescued there, reveals that she knows of a man named Ganondorf of the Gerudo tribe, but finds it unlikely that he is the cause of the recent events. Following his footsteps, it is revealed that Ganondorf had obtained a powerful ancient weapon which would make him a King of Darkness.

After rescuing all six maidens, Link heads towards the Tower's location which has been cursed by the power of darkness, making it Frozen Hyrule. Pushing through the snow storm, they liberates the final Knight, who tells them to rescue Zelda and save Hyrule from the darkness, after giving them the last of the Royal Jewels. The Tower of Winds is called forth using the power of the jewels, giving the party entry to the Realm of the Heavens. Once the party has climbed the Tower, Princess Zelda is finally rescued. In the Realms of the Heaves, the four Links makes their final battle with their dark doppelganger Shadow Link as they secure the Dark Mirror. Princess Zelda uses her power to create a rainbow bridge, allowing them to enter the Palace of Winds.

Inside, they encounter Vaati. This time they finally manage to completely defeat him. With Vaati gone, the Palace of Winds starts to collapse, as it’s relying on his magic to keep itself in the sky. The party retreats back to the Tower of Winds. Once there, they hear the voice of the culprit behind everything, Ganondorf, who mocks Vaati attempting to stop them. The party escapes the palace and down through the Tower of Winds, which at this point has also started to collapse. Just before reaching the exit, the floor beneath them collapses, and they fall into a dark room. Ganondorf then appears as a patch of darkness. Zelda tries to seal him away but fails, and once again Zelda is taken captive. Assuming the shape of a pig and the final battle between the four Links and Ganon commences. Midway through the battle, Zelda is freed, and together they defeat Ganon. With the combined power of the six maidens, Ganon is ultimately is sealed away in the Four Sword.

In the aftermath of the journey, the Four Swords is laid to rest again in the Four Sword Sanctuary, and the four Links joins into one single Link. The six maidens and Zelda form a pyramid like barrier around the Sword, so that no one might touch it again. Outside the Castle, celebration is at hand, signalizing peace, and Link seem to be greeted by the crowd as a true hero.

Timeline Placement
Four Swords Adventures is a direct sequel to Four Swords, making it the last story in the Four Swords trilogy. It is also generally taken to feature the same Link of the previous title, as the game's opening scene tells that Link saved Zelda the last time, referring to the current hero and princess, while the old hero (the one appearing in The Minish Cap) remains nameless.

If the Four Sword Series is not considered a story in its own continuity, is not clear its placement in the main timeline. At the Game Developer’s Conference in 2004, Eiji Aonuma said the Four Sword is what they consider to be the oldest tale in the timeline, with this game being the sequel.

Some take this statement to be an accurate denotation of the game's placement, making it come before even Ocarina of Time. This statement is, however, a subject of much controversy, as many believe that the ties to A Link to the Past contradicts it being taking place before Ocarina of Time. This game also seem to give another back story to Ganondorf, as well as the origin of Ganon's trident. It also references a Gerudo male being born every hundred years, just as in Ocarina of Time, making it possible that more than one Ganondorf has existed in Hyrule history. Coupled with the distinct events and behavior of this Ganondorf, he is generally believed be a different one from Ocarina of Time, just as multiple Links and Zeldas appear in the series.

Gameplay
This title is unique in having two main styles of gameplay, Single Player and Multiplayer. Even as a Single Player game, there will be 4 Links to control. The game mechanics ease this feat by having 4 set Battle Formations for the Links to battle with. When not in formation, one can choose to have the remaining Links follow him or stay seated until switching between them. As a multiplayer with 4 players, each player will control their own Link. A competitive atmosphere is achieved by the stages ranking and rewarding everyone upon completion, as well as the ability to attack one another. With fewer than 4 players, one may pick up an extra Link to control.

The GameCube controller can be used only in Single Player. Multiplayer requires the use of GameBoy Advances. While off of the main screen, the player will be able to see game action on the GameBoy Advance screen.

Shadow Battle is the multiplayer battle mode, an alternative to the multiplayer co-op gameplay. The Links battle one another in death matches.

The Japanese version features a mode that follows the story of The Wind Waker called Navi Trackers and included Japanese voice acting for Tetra and her crew.

Reception
Four Swords Adventures is the least successful game in the series, selling a mere 250,000 copies in North America.

Trivia

 * Four Swords Adventures, alike to Four Swords, has no option of choosing a name for Link.
 * This is the only two-dimensional Zelda game to feature regular Gerudo members, besides Twinrova and Ganondorf.
 * This is the first two-dimensional Legend of Zelda console game since A Link to the Past. It is also the first two-dimensional console game to feature Tingle.
 * Unlike traditional Zelda games, acquired items cannot be kept.
 * The four Links can only have one secondary item at a time and must sacrifice one secondary item for another (e.g. dropping the boomerang to acquire the slingshot).
 * Bracelets and Heart Containers are only used for one stage.

Story
Evil spirits appeared in the land of Hyrule, and just when it seemed that the world was to be cast into the darkest of shadows, the tiny Picori descended from the skies and bestowed on a courageous human a shining golden light and a single sword. This bravest of men used his wisdom and courage, his golden light, and his sword to fight off the demons and restore peace to the world.

The people were so grateful to the Picori that they held an annual celebration in their honor. Whoever won the sword competition held at the festival would earn the honor of touching the sacred blade. The tradition of the Picori Festival continued, but over the generations, the Picori themselves passed into legend. The legend of the Picori tells of a mystic doorway that opens just once every hundred years. When the door is open, the Picori can cross from their world into Hyrule.

Plot
One year, in celebration of when the Picori last came to Hyrule 100 years ago to the day, the festival was unusually grand. Hyrule Castle was hosting a tournament of sword-fighting skill that calls to mind the heroes of legend. That year’s champion was a mysterious man by the name of Vaati. He won the tournament with an almost magical ease, and all of Hyrule was abuzz with rumors about this shadowy figure. The young Link, who attended the festival that year with his childhood friend, Princess Zelda, was charged by his grandfather, Smith, with delivering a sword that would be presented to the champion.

During the ceremony following the sword competition, Vaati shattered the sacred Picori Blade and opened the Bound Chest, which, for an age, had been sealed by the Picori Blade, trapping evil monsters within. Vaati was after the Light Force, that golden light that was once wielded by the hero mentioned in the legends of the Picori. He subdued the castle guards and turned Princess Zelda to stone before making a speedy departure. Link was then asked by King Daltus to seek out the Picori and ask them to reforge the sacred blade, and traveled to the Minish Woods with the help of his Map. There he met Ezlo, a curious creature who he rescued from a group of monsters. Ezlo hopped on his head like a hat and offered to help him find the Picori. He also helped Link shrink down to a minuscule size—the size of the Picori people, who called themselves the Minish. Link met with the elder of Minish Village, who told him that in order to reforge the sacred Picori sword he would require the four Elements, the embodiments of the sacred powers of earth, fire, water, and wind.

Once he had gathered the Four Elements, he brought the Picori Blade—renamed the White Sword by a Minish swordsmith—to the Elemental Sanctuary hidden within the courtyard of Hyrule Castle. There he infused the White Sword with the Elements, fully restoring the sacred Four Sword—a legendary blade with the power to split one warrior into four.

Meanwhile, Vaati had brainwashed King Daltus and shrouded Hyrule Castle in darkness. He had discovered that the sacred Light Force had actually been passed down through Hyrule’s princesses, and so he prepared to extract the Light Force from Princess Zelda. Link rushed to her rescue, and, after vanquishing Vaati, he used the Four Sword’s evil-banishing power to restore Princess Zelda.

Vaati had been a Minish, an apprentice of Ezlo, who was also a Minish. Ezlo had made a magical cap with the power to grant wishes, but Vaati had stolen it and used it to become a powerful sorcerer. He had transformed Ezlo into a hat himself, then proceeded to hunt down the Light Force. Now that Vaati had fallen, the wishing cap could be used to restore Hyrule. Princess Zelda put on the cap and wished with all her heart that Vaati’s cruelty might be undone. With her righteous wish and the power of the Light Force that still dwells within her, many miracles happened as a result.

Now that the land of the humans had been saved, Ezlo ventured back into the world of the Minish, not to return until perhaps the next day, one hundred years later, when the doorway to their world would open once more.

Timeline Placement
Telling the origin of Vaati and the Four Sword, The Minish Cap is confirmed to take place many years before Four Swords, making it the first story in the Four Swords trilogy.

If the Four Swords series is not considered a story in its own continuity, its placement in the main timeline is unclear. In an interview following the release of Four Swords Adventures, Eiji Aonuma said Four Swords was meant as the first game in the timeline, placing the Four Swords series before Ocarina of Time. However, this quote is often scrutinized due to the observable ties between Four Swords Adventures and A Link to the Past.

Whether or not the other titles in the Four Swords series take place before Ocarina of Time, The Minish Cap is often considered to be the first in the timeline due to evidence in the game itself, such as how the game appears to explain the origin of Link's trademark cap in the game's final scenes. Some also consider the title to take place sometime after Spirit Tracks due to the game using many things from The Wind Waker, such as the same Hylian Language and art-style as well as the ocean being observable in the game.

Trivia

 * The Minish Cap is the only Game Boy game with two different "Not For Resale" cartridges which were used in in-store kiosks. One says "Not For Resale" and contains the full version of the game. The other says "Not For Resale Demo" and lets the user choose one of three playable areas to explore. It is the only Game Boy game with a 3-stage selectable demo, however future Zelda games like Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks on the DS have also had demo carts with selectable stages. The demo in action can be seen here.
 * An interesting point is that in both The Minish Cap manga and the game, every human character is either Hylian or part of the Wind Tribe.
 * According to Twin Galaxies, the fastest complete speed run of The Minish Cap was 02:46:32, and was completed by Michael B. Damiani on May 7, 2005.
 * The logo for the game featured in pre-release material and some commercials featured the Master Sword rather than the Four Sword. This is interesting, because the Master Sword does not appear in the game at all.
 * There have been three existing official logos for this game including one with Ezlo next to the name and one with the Master Sword next to the name. The commercials, some of which are sourced below, incorporate some of these alternate logos.

Videos
"Tell me... Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?"

- Rusl

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (ゼルダの伝説　トワイライトプリンセス, ) was the last GameCube The Legend of Zelda game and the first Wii Zelda game. It was highly anticipated by many members of the gaming community, and was regarded as finally fulfilling the dreams of those who wanted a much more realistic and mature Zelda game, as seen in the SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo. This is the first Zelda game to be rated T by ESRB and 12+ by PEGI. The reason is probably because of violence, blood (as seen when Link strikes Dark Beast Ganon; it drips when he runs around), and signs of nudity- as shown by the Great Fairy. This game is also notable for being the first Zelda title released in the United States before Japan, as the Wii version was released in America on November 19, 2006, whereas the Japanese Wii version was released on December 2. Because of this, Twilight Princess was the launch title for the Wii alongside Wii Sports in the United States.

The darkened land
Link, a young adult at the beginning of the game, is a ranch worker (but has also been called a wrangler) in his home town of Ordon Village in the Ordona Province of Hyrule.

Strange beasts begin to appear in the forest outside of the village just before Link is supposed to make a trip to Hyrule Castle to present a gift to the royal family, a sword and wooden shield crafted by the townsfolk of Ordon. Talo, who in the beginning of the game served as one of Link's main motivations for fighting, was captured by Bokoblins while playing with a forest monkey, and taken to the entrance of the Forest Temple. With wooden sword in hand, Link goes to save Talo. He is able to free the monkey and his friend Talo who were caged by the Bokoblins, but this is only the beginning of his trouble.

The next day, Link is attacked by Bulblins and their leader King Bulblin and falls unconscious in the spirit spring near Ordon Village. When he awakens, he follows the pathway into the forest, whereupon he sees a large black wall draped over the ground. Approaching the wall, symbols begin to appear upon it, and as he nears closer a large and menacing black hand reaches out and pulls him through the wall into the darkness within.

Link, is now in an entirely different looking world. A sharp pain runs through him and he doubles over. The Triforce symbol on his hand glows, and his entire body transforms into a wolf. As Wolf Link, he is captured and held prisoner within the boundaries of Hyrule Castle, which has been covered by the twilight realm that spread over Hyrule. In his prison cell he encounters Midna, a rogue shadow Imp with mysterious powers, who aids his escape and helps him explore the castle in his wolf form.

In the tallest tower, he and Midna find a cloaked young woman. Immediately she explains to Link how Hyrule came to be shrouded in twilight, and reveals her true identity: Princess Zelda. Although in another world, Zelda is still the princess of Hyrule.

The Fused Shadows
It is now Link's quest to save Hyrule from the Twilight as the hero chosen by the gods. He must restore the light to all the lands in Hyrule and collect mysterious dark artifacts known as Fused Shadows in order to gain enough strength to defeat the one who rules the Twilight.

Quest for the Mirror of Twilight
After Link and Midna collect the Fused Shadow they are confronted by Zant, who heavily injures Midna and causes Link to be stuck in his wolf form. After meeting up with Zelda, Midna is brought back from the brink of death, but at the cost of Zelda's welfare, causing her to disappear. With a newly restored Midna, Link travels to the Sacred Grove to retrieve the Master Sword, breaking his curse as a wolf, and allowing him to transform between human and wolf form at his own will.

With his newly enhanced ability Link and Midna go in search of the Twilight Mirror, an item required to travel to the Twilight Realm, the domain of Zant. After going through great trouble in Arbiter's Grounds, a location in Gerudo Desert, when Link and Midna went to retrieve the mirror, they realize that Zant had broken it into four shards, with only one shard on the Grounds. In addition to this tremendous knowledge, the Sages reveal that they had sentenced Ganondorf to death, and had gone as far to impale him through the chest with the Sword of the Sages. However, through some "divine" fluke, he had previously received the Triforce of Power, which allowed him to survive the execution. He then used the power of the Triforce to kill the Sage of Water, break free from his chains, and pull the Sword of the Sages from his chest, leaving behind a glowing wound that stays with him forever.

With the last of the sages' power, they activated the Mirror of Twilight and banished Ganondorf into the Twilight Realm, and so he waited for a way out. He soon found his chance of escape in Zant, acting as a "god", and influencing him to become an assistant for his evil desires. Using a misguided Zant, Ganondorf found a way to seek his revenge on Hyrule. The Sages task Link and Midna with the duty of repairing the Twilight Mirror and defeating Ganondorf. The duo then travels across unexplored zones of Hyrule in search of the missing fragments.

Final confrontations
Link and Midna restore the mirror and use it to enter the Twilight Realm and defeat Zant. With him defeated, they return to Hyrule and, with the regained Fused Shadows, Midna breaks the seal surrounding the castle. It is in the castle where Link battles and defeats Ganondorf. This releases the curse on Midna, turning her from an imp to her true form. She then returns to the Twilight Realm and also shatters the Mirror of Twilight breaking the only known gateway between the two worlds.

Link returns the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time, and the children of Ordon Village also return home to their families. Much later, Fado attempts to seek help from Link for his ranch by calling through his house, but the house remained empty. Link does not stay, he rides away with Epona from there, equipped with just his shield, while his friend Ilia was witnessing his leaving from his hometown. At the very end, the Throne Room of the Hyrule Castle is seen, revealing that the Castle was rebuilt.

Gameplay
In a further departure from The Wind Waker, Link is once again a young man, as opposed to a child, as in the latter part of Ocarina of Time and in The Adventure of Link. The game also takes on a darker tone, rivaling that of Majora's Mask.

Transformation
Link transforms into a wolf when entering the Twilight Realm, a void that has ensnared Hyrule. This is not a wholly separate place like the Dark World in A Link to the Past, but a festering malignancy across Hyrule.

As a wolf, Link is unable to use items. Instead, he resorts on abilities like dashing, bitting, digging, and howling, among others. With the help of Midna, he can also warp through portals to reach far destinations instantly. In addition, Link can communicate with animals in wolf form as if they were people. When transformed into a wolf, Link’s sense of smell is greatly improved allowing him to follow trails left by certain characters in the game; in the same way, Wolf Link can also see spectra and other elements that are invisible to the human eyes.

During the first half of the game, Link is a wolf only when he enters a portion of Hyrule that has fallen under the influence of the Twilight Realm; once there, the young hero is unable to return back to normal until he purges that cursed place by reviving the Light Spirits after collecting their Tears of Light. eventually, Link is able to shapeshift from one form to the other at will thanks to a Shadow Crystal and the Master Sword.

Wii and GameCube Differences
As mentioned before, the Wii version of the game is a mirror image of the GameCube version, meaning that East is West (and viceversa) in the former version.

The Wii version uses the "point-and-click" feature of the Wii Remote as a "fairy" cursor (an on screen pointer modeled to look like a fairy), for accessing menus, and for using various tools such as the Hero's Bow, Clawshot, and Fishing Rod, (see Weapons, items and abilities); it uses the Nunchuk attachment analog stick for movement. In order to swing the sword which Link uses as a weapon, the player makes a slashing motion with the Wii Remote. A jab with the tilt-sensitive Nunchuk will cause Link to perform one of his secret moves, the shield attack. To use Link’s “spin attack” (a powerful attack where Link swings his sword circularly around himself), the player shakes the nunchuck side to side horizontally.

In the GameCube version of the game,the Y and X buttons are used for add-on weapon such as the Clawshot, Bombs, Iron Boots, and Hero's Bow. Many items found in the older Zelda games have carried on into Twilight Princess. The B button is used for Link's sword attacks. Tapping it once does the normal slashing motion. Pressing it two and three times just combos his sword attacks. Holding B until Link's sword charges and makes a "ching!" sound allows the young hero to perform a Spin Attack. L locks onto enemies or people to talk to. The C stick rotates the camera around, while the A button is for actions like talking, opening doors, and picking things up.

In order to use items in the Wii version, the game allows the player to equip the items to the left, right, and down positions of the D-pad and the B button of the Wii Remote using the item screen. When an item's respective direction button is pressed, the item is switched into the B button for easier use. The built-in speaker on the remote is used for sounds like the bowstring of the Hero's Bow being drawn and released, Midna's laugh, and the ever present "Zelda chime" when discovering secrets.

Items and abilities
In Twilight Princess, Link learns more moves than in any other The Legend of Zelda game to date. Link also shares similar moves between human and wolf. For example when an enemy is on the ground, Link has the option to finish them off by plunging his sword into their chest or in wolf form (on poes, to rip out their souls). With these abilities come some disadvantages. As mentioned before, Wolf Link cannot utilize any of his items, or open any doors with handles until he transforms back into a human.

As Link progresses on his quest, he can learn various Hidden Skills, which improve his repertoire of sword attacks, and even expose new weaknesses on strong enemies. In addition, he also makes use of various items that appear for the first time in the game, as well as classic tools and weapons that, in one or another way, have been revamped to have secondary uses.

Returning from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, a horse can again be ridden in Twilight Princess. The default name for the horse is Epona (the set name of the horse from the two aforementioned games) and is used as the main form of transport whilst Link is in human form and until various warp points are opened around Hyrule. For the first time, Link can use his sword in combat while riding Epona in the game.

General Aspects
The game is meant to have a more mature atmosphere than the rest of the Zelda games, as well as significantly darker, and more rabid versions of monsters from older Zelda games. It is also supposed the longest Zelda game to date, accumulating at least sixty hours of play, twice as long as Ocarina of Time, confirmed by Iwata, although many who completed the game believed this to be innacurate. Princess Zelda and Ganon also appear in Twilight Princess.

The game's story takes place after Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. As featured in The Wind Waker, Link uses special facial expressions to inform the player and give subtle clues on how to solve certain puzzles. For some gamers, the game still proves to be more challenging than other Zelda games preceding it, although all the bosses have been noted as remarkably easy, taking most gamers only one try to defeat. Another returning feature is the day and night system of Hyrule, consisting of not only the cycle of days but weather and atmosphere effects as well.

Motion capture is used to bring the characters alive in a realistic manner. This is most evident during cinema sequences.

Development
Twilight Princess was first revealed E3 2004 when Nintendo showed a teaser trailer of their new Zelda game to a small group, resulting in outrageous uproars from the viewers. When the Zelda community found out, many fans were extremely excited. Many were happy to see Zelda taking a mature turn, which, as opposed to the the cartoony, cel-shaded art style of 2003's The Wind Waker, received a much warmer welcome. Threads popping up on Zelda forums everywhere discussing what the new game looks like, sounds like, even smells like. After ten months of complete silence from Nintendo, a new trailer was finally revealed at the Game Developers Conference on March 10th, 2005 to an eager audience.

It was learned at the Nintendo E3 conference on May 9th that Twilight Princess would be released on October 4, 2006 and would simultaneously be released on GameCube but then was later announced it would be released on the Wii in a mirror version.

On Wednesday September 13, 2006 it was revealed that Twilight Princess was to be a launch title for the Wii which will be available on November 19, 2006, while fanatics had to wait another week for the GameCube version to be released.

Graphics
Twilight Princess features a stylized, naturalistic art style (similar to, but more advanced than, that found in Ocarina of Time); These graphics are displayed by use of a heavily modified version of the The Wind Waker engine. This modified version of the 2003 installment's engine makes the graphics in Twilight Princess realistic, as opposed to the cartoonish, cel-shaded design of The Wind Waker. However, as the Wii version is a mere port of the GameCube version, the graphics supposedly fall short of the Wii's capabilities.

Audio
There is no extensive voice acting in the game. The characters laugh, scream, and make other such noises, as they have in previous installments on the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube. In conversations, Link remains silent, and his responses are implied by nods and facial expressions, much like other The Legend of Zelda games. The only character who is completely "voiced" is Midna. However, she says no clear words, instead speaking in an unintelligible language (similarly to E. Gadd in Luigi's Mansion).

Music itself once again plays a role in Twilight Princess, as in previous The Legend of Zelda games. While Link does not carry a musical instrument of any type until a late point into the game, he can pick grass from certain patches and whistle with it to call an animal, either a Hawk or Epona, Link's horse (later on, an instrument shaped similarly to the grass used to summon Epona is given to Link and has the same effect as the aforementioned grass). Also, while as a wolf Link can howl near the same patches, to the same effect. When Link is in his wolf form, there are seven "Howling Stones" (including one with a Triforce symbol at the entrance to the Sacred Grove) located around the world where, after Link howls a certain melody shown on screen a few times, a golden wolf appears and jumps somewhere else in the world. Link must then change back to his human form and find the wolf to learn a hidden sword technique. The songs howled by Wolf Link are taken from Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time, and The Wind Waker, with the exception of the final howling stone, which is the "bass" of the game's Hyrule Field Main Theme.

In a first for the Zelda series, part of the soundtrack has been orchestrated as opposed to using MIDI (for example "Don't Want You No More" featured in the introductory video in the game). The fact that Nintendo has decided to use mostly MIDI for the sound-track, however, has been a point of criticism. MIDI allows the background music to be more dynamic, but the sound quality suffers. Koji Kondo, the lead composer for the game's sound-track, originally stated that he "would really like to push for" the music to be orchestrated. Part of the full sound-track (featuring the songs "The Legend of Zelda: Orchestra Piece #2", "Hyrule Field Main Theme", "Ordon Village", "Kakariko Village", "Death Mountain", "Midna's Theme", and "Ilia's Theme") is received when a Nintendo Power subscription is purchased (the subscription also comes with a game guide for Twilight Princess). A sound-track also is packaged with the Twilight Princess Collector Box, an exclusive item sold at Target stores. The soundtrack also features two bonus tracks. The first bonus track, known as "D.S. Trailer Pack", was the theme that was to be used instead of the present Hyrule Field Main Theme.

Along with the standard features of sound in a Zelda game, the Wii console offers something more to the customers buying the Wii version of Twilight Princess. Using the Wii Remote, various sound effects (sword swimg, Midna's calls, etc.) come from both the television and the Wii Remote's internal speaker, improving the gaming experience.

Setting
Eight years after appearing in Ocarina of Time, Hyrule is once again fully explorable in a 3D console title. In order to provide appropiate continuity, this incarnation of the sacred kingdom features most of the regions and zones portrayed in the 1998 title; a major difference, however, is that Hyrule is much bigger than before (similar to how it was shown in The Adventure of Link), thus it's now divided into provinces, six in total. Because the GameCube and Wii versions of the game feature mirrored (west/east) variations of Hyrule, it must be noted that all indications shown below are based on the GameCube version, which is largely considered the official map in the continuity of the console Zelda title. In the Wii version, East and West are flipped.

The southernmost province is Ordona, a rural zone where milk, pumpkins and cheese are exported to the other parts of Hyrule (as hinted during the exploration of Snowpeak Ruins), and where Link lives until fate calls him to fight evil; north from Ordona is Faron Province, a forest area inhabited by monkeys and very rarely by humans (or any other race), and where there used to be an ancient temple guarding the Master Sword; found northeast from Faron is Eldin Province, which houses Kakariko Village (now a wasteland due to invasion of monsters, and where a graveyard keeps the rests of deceased Zora monarchs) and Death Mountain (where the Goron tribe inhabits and has developed a mining complex over the flow of time).

North from both Faron and Eldin is the Lanayru Province, which houses the sources of water in Hyrule (namely Lake Hylia, Zora's River and Zora's Domain, the latter one inhabited by the proud Zora tribe), as well as Hyrule Castle Town (where most of the Hylians live, and where Hyrule Castle can be found); southwest from Lanayru (west from Faron) is the Desert Province, entirely uninhabited except by monsters that overran Gerudo Desert and Gerudo Fortress, and where the long-fabled Mirror of Twilight lies a the top of an ancient dungeon; Northwest from Lanayru (north from the desert) is the Peak Province, also entirely uninhabited except by monsters and the gentle Yeti race, and seen as the coldest region in Hyrule.

Twilight Princess is also one of the few games, along with Oracle of Seasons, in which new lands other than Hyrule can be explored, albeit very briefly. The City in the Sky is, as the name suggests, a place in the heavens, and is inhabited by the Oocca, said to contribute significantly to the creation of Hyrule. Also, through the aforementioned Mirror of Twilight, it's possible to visit the Twilight Realm, inhabited by the Twili tribe, and where the antagonist Zant spends most of his time.

Timeline Placement
Twilight Princess originally appeared as if it would cause a large amount of grief to those fans who studied the timeline. Debating on the false pretense that Nintendo had intended the game as something of an Ocarina of Time-The Wind Waker connection, theorists found a large number of seemingly irreconcilable inconsistencies. Thankfully, the majority of these problems were solved when perusal of more respectable Japanese material showed that Nintendo actually had a very different intention for the game.

Twilight Princess occurs due to a number of events which occurred in the days of the Hero of Time (Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask Link) during what we identify as the "Child Timeline" (approximately a century after Majora's Mask). After defeating Ganon in Ocarina of Time, Link was sent back through time by Princess Zelda to relive his sacrificed childhood and divert the past Hyrule away from its terrible future. In the past, Link's knowledge of Ganon's plans allowed him and Zelda to prevent Ganon's invasion of Hyrule. Ganon was taken by the Sages to the Arbiter's Grounds and Link ventured off to Termina. Twilight Princess's placement in the series was confirmed on March 10, 2007 by Eiji Aonuma.

However, some fans still disagree with the creators and have placed this game on a linear timeline, which has incurred much criticism from other fans.

Completion Records
According to Speed Demos Archive, the fastest completion time for Twilight Princess is 3 hours, 56 minutes by Daniel 'Jiano' Hart on April 19th, 2009.

Sales
The game was commercially succesful and became a best-seller, with 4.52 million copies (Wii), plus 1.34 million (GCN), sold worldwide. The game is the third best-selling Zelda game to date, after Ocarina of Time and the original The Legend of Zelda.

Reviews
Twilight Princess has received universal acclaim from reviewers and journalists, who cited it as the greatest Zelda game of all time. Clocking with a 94-95% approval on Metacritic and a similar compilation score on GameRankings, the game was praised in nearly every aspect. IGN editor Matt Cassamassina stated that Ocarina of Time was dethroned by this game, citing the length of the adventure, the storyline and the gameplay, and concluding that it "...is must-see, must-play and must-own entry into the series that proves over and over again why Nintendo is the best developer in the world". However, Matt also lamented that the game used MIDI-based soundtrack, instead of orchestrated score, and that the characters lacked yet again fully-voiced speech.

Kristan Reed from Eurogamer initially warned that games created to be overly long usually may end up being tiring and in need of replay value, in contrast to shorter games that sometimes offer richer experiences; however, he also said that Twilight Princess succeeds in being consistent and keeping the player interested in it despite its pronounced length. Kristan also considers the game a true successor to Ocarina of Time thanks to the elements borrowed from the 1998 game, and that the Wii controls work well despite the game being originally developed for the GameCube only; as for complaints, he said that most bosses are easier to defeat than expected, and that the overworld's huge size makes the game's pacing more difficult when it comes to completing the main objectives.

1UP.com journalist Jeremy Parish commended the game for living up to the series' legacy and for appealing for gamers that expressed complaints on some aspects of The Wind Waker, mainly the graphical style; he also praised the implementation of Wii controls, as well as the size of the adventure. He said that the only shortcoming of the game (and therefore in disagreement with Kristan from Eurogamer) was the fact that the game was too similar to Ocarina of Time, and that it felt "predictable" in some aspects, mainly in gameplay and storyline.

GameSpot critic Jeff Gerstmann was more critical, and stated that the Wii controls feel "tacked-on" because of the fact that the game started as a project exclusive for the GameCube; for the same reason, he considered that the graphics felt outdated, therefore lacking the visual impact of other Wii games, and thus concluded that Twilight Princess "...could have been so much more with a few presentational updates and more effective and interesting uses of the Wii's unique control scheme". However, he ultimately recommended the game, citing the legacy it took from the other games in the series.

Despite the positive reviews, there are mixed opinions in regards of whether the game has surpassed Ocarina of Time or not, as well as whether the game itself is a current-generation game or an old-generation title delayed multiple times since its 2004 announcement. Likewise, some journalists have criticized the fact that the game undid the ambition factor seen in games like Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker, as well as the fact that the long wait for the game's release wasn't completely paid off in the end.

In late 2009, Nintendo Power ranked it fourth in their list of best The Legend of Zelda games, citing its presentation and its return to Ocarina of Time's roots.

Legacy

 * Many properties of Twilight Princess appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, including the models of Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf, the Bridge of Eldin stage, music, trophies, and stickers.
 * Link's Crossbow Training.
 * The true Wii Zelda game, Skyward Sword, noticeably borrows several elements from Twilight Princess, including Link's general design and voice actor, many of his animations, and the sounds and movements of certain enemies, such as Deku Babas.
 * Several elements of this game were also borrowed by Spirit Tracks, including the collection of Tears of Light, the letters from the Postman being retained, Princess Zelda being susceptible to villain possession, etc.

Trivia

 * Twilight Princess is one of the only Zelda games to date where Japan uses the same literal subtitle as the rest of the world, the other being Skyward Sword. The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Four Swords, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask all use the same title in English and Japanese, only not directly romanized.
 * This is the very first Zelda game where the Octorok enemies are absent.
 * This is the first game in which Link appears in 3D human form shirtless. This happens only when Link learns how to Sumo wrestle.
 * This is the only Zelda game that, when released, was available on two Nintendo consoles.
 * Like in The Wind Waker, but not Ocarina of Time, the Iron Boots are treated as an item rather than an upgrade, and thus can be applied quickly rather than by pausing the game.
 * Also, unlike in Ocarina of Time, Epona is acquired very early in the game.
 * In his wolf form, Link can talk to animals. At Horse Grass, Link can call Epona and speak to her as a wolf.
 * This is the first The Legend of Zelda game in which Link obtains a musical instrument that is not necessary to complete the game (excluding Phantom Hourglass, Four Swords, and Four Swords Adventures, in which Link does not obtain a musical instrument throughout his adventure, entirely.)

Search for the Ghost Ship
Set some time after The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass opens with Tetra and her pirate crew along with Link chasing down a ghost ship claimed to have taken sailors and residents of the local islands. The crew discovers the ship, but when Tetra goes aboard to explore, she disappears. Link attempts to follow her but ends up adrift in the ocean.

Link later recovers through the help of the fairy Ciela, who has some amnesia about her past, and an old man named Oshus, who help Link on his quest to find the ghost ship and reunite with Tetra. To that end, they enlist the help of the reluctant Captain Linebeck and his ship after saving him from the Temple of the Ocean King; Linebeck only offers to help with the expectation of finding treasure along the way. Link discovers that to learn of the ghost ship's position, they must find the Spirits of Courage, Wisdom, and Power, using maps and clues hidden in the Temple of the Ocean King. However, to overcome the evil forces in the Temple, Link must make use of the Sands of Hours within the Phantom Hourglass and possessed by other creatures around the islands to prevent his life force from being drained. With the aid of the Hourglass, Link is able to locate and ally with the Spirits of Wisdom and Power easily, but the Spirit of Courage he finds looks exactly like Ciela. Oshus explains that Ciela is actually the Spirit of Courage and she lost her memory when Bellum attacked her. He also reveals that he himself is the Ocean King. Oshus further explains that he and Ciela had to take their present forms to hide from the life-eating monster Bellum, who is the cause of the ghost ship and other evil in the local area, and has taken residence at the very depths of the Temple. Link succeeds in his attempt to rescue Tetra with the help of the three Spirits, but finds Tetra is now a statue, a further effect of Bellum's life-draining power. Link is ready to continue but Linebeck initially refuses to help further having come up empty-handed for treasure so far, though agrees to continue once Oshus promises to grant Linebeck one wish after Link's quest is complete.

The weapon to banish Bellum
Link learns that the only way to defeat Bellum is to forge the Phantom Sword from three unique, "pure" metals around the local islands. After collecting the materials and forging the Phantom Sword, Link descends to the bottom level of the Temple, and initially appears to defeat Bellum. Tetra is freed from the statue form and revived, but before the group can celebrate, Bellum reemerges from the ocean depths and takes Tetra again. In the ensuing battle of the S.S. Linebeck and the ghost ship, Linebeck's ship is lost, as well as Oshus, and Link and Tetra are captured. Linebeck reluctantly picks up the Phantom Sword and is able to free Link and Tetra, at the cost of his own freedom, but is able to give Link back the Phantom Sword before Bellum possesses Linebeck and turns him into a Phantom-like knight, but Link is ultimately able to vanquish Bellum without harming Linebeck.

As the adventure closes, the sand from the Phantom Hourglass is released into the sea. Oshus, now in his true form of a white blue whale, readies to depart with the Spirits, while Linebeck, surprising everyone, wishes not for treasure but for his ship back. After everyone says their goodbyes, Link and Tetra find themselves back on the pirate ship, where it seems only ten minutes have passed for the rest of the crew and they insist that it was all a dream. However, Link still possesses the now-empty Hourglass, and spies Linebeck's ship on the horizon, knowing full well that his adventure was real.

Gameplay
Phantom Hourglass is an action-adventure game, and its gameplay is structured similar to other games in the The Legend of Zelda series. The player controls the protagonist, Link, as he explores the world to find new items, information, and allies to free Tetra and defeat the evil of Bellum within the game. As the game follows chronologically after The Wind Waker, the game is primarily divided into two major gameplay sections: sailing between islands, and exploring the islands and their dungeons on foot.

Overworld Exploration
To travel between islands, the player is given control of a paddle steamer called the S. S. Linebeck. The player can plot a course by drawing on a sea chart, redrawing the course to make alterations if needed, and then while in voyage, can shoot at enemies attacking the ship and jump to avoid obstacles that may appear. The player can also salvage treasures from the ocean floor, go fishing, or quickly warp to remote points once certain symbols are learned.

When on land, the game shows a map of the area on the top screen, and a 3D top-down view of Link and his nearby surroundings on the lower screen. At nearly any time, the player can bring down the map to the lower screen and draw on it, typically to make notes but also to identify locations of objects for later reference or to control certain aspects of the world. The player controls Link through the stylus, moving him around by pointing to the sides of the screens, and interacting with objects and people, or attacking foes by pointing at them; other motions with the stylus can be used for additional moves and attacks. Tools common to the Zelda (Series) such as the boomerang, grappling hook, and shovel are acquired through the game, and are used to open new passages to acquire additional treasures, all used by either pointing or drawing with the stylus. The game also uses the microphone for some events, including blowing out fires and defeating certain types of monsters, and other aspects of the DS system, such as closing the unit to create an imprint on a map.

Stealth
The game possesses a number of stealth elements. In certain dungeons, near-invincible sentries known as Phantoms may roam the floor, with their location and direction visible to the player on the map, and will chase Link down if he is spotted or makes a loud noise. However, special areas on these floors allow a safe haven for Link to stay undetected in, even if he was detected just moments before. These special areas also play a role in the main dungeon, the Temple of the Ocean King. This temple is filled with a miasma that will sap Link's life unless Link stays in these special areas or time remains in the Phantom Hourglass. The amount of time in the Hourglass can be restored by returning to sunlight, and additional time is gained by defeating the primary bosses within the game, as well as an occasional reward in the treasure hunting game. The hourglass can be expanded to a maximum of 25 minutes.

Graphics and Audio
The game's graphics are done in the style of The Wind Waker. The game is played with a top down perspective, but with 3D graphics. The model of the characters, as well as that of enemies and bosses, is also reminiscent of the 2003 Zelda entry.

In a similar style to that of the early 2D installments in the series, the game's audio has a commonplace theme for each type of environment (a town, a wild field, a dungeon, a boss battle, the sea, a minigame, and during the retrieval of a sunken treasure). Other than that, though, the music is reminiscent of that of The Wind Waker.

Phantom Hourglass Stylus
During the beginning parts of Phantom Hourglass' release, Nintendo of America ran a promotion in which, after registering the game on their Web site and taking the subsequent survey, they would send the person a Phantom Hourglass-themed stylus which is clear-colored and shaped like a feather pen.

Setting
The game takes place in the World of the Ocean King, a land similar to the Great Sea in The Wind Waker. Although the insular territory is more compact, the islands are bigger in size and have a higher population activity, as well as more areas to be explored.

This land is divided in four quadrants: The most inhabited is the southwestern quadrant, where different activities (shopping, fishing, ship maintenance, etc.) are executed. In the northwestern quadrant, only two islands are barely inhabited, not to mention that the westernmost waters are initially surrounded by an unnatural mist. The southeastern quadrant is home of two major tribes (the Gorons and the Anouki), as well as certain islands that serve as recreational places. Finally, the northeastern quadrant is by far the most abandoned, being the formed home of the Cobble Kingdom and now infested by evil creatures.

It's also worth mentioning that the waters of the sea are inhabited by various characters and living on huge boats.

Timeline Placement
The game is set after the events of The Wind Waker, which makes it the second confirmed entry in the Adult Timeline of the Split Timeline Theory. It is followed 100 years later by Spirit Tracks, which is situated in a new land that was discovered eventually by Link, Tetra and her pirate crew.

Ship Parts

 * Cannon
 * Salvage Arm
 * Cyclone Slate
 * Fishing Rod

Reviews
The game received critical acclaim from reviewers, who agreed that the game was a worthy sequel to The Wind Waker. Former GameSpot critic Alex Navarro praised the gameplay interface, citing its innovative nature and easiness to master, as well as the graphics and the sailing mechanic being more lenient than in The Wind Waker; however, he also criticized the repetitive nature of the Temple of the Ocean King, due to the fact that it must be visited several times, and the same puzzles have to be solved frequently. The score clocked at 9.0.

IGN journalist Mark Bozon, after initially describing the series trajectory across Nintendo's numerous handheld systems, and admitting that the game may not be the type of adventure expected by longtime fans, called the title "the game is a pure testament to both the power and innovative aspects of DS, delivering an overall product that will blow gamers away visually, stylistically, and cinematically", awarding it a 9.0 score. However, he also laments that the game may not appeal to the most experienced fans of the series, who would prefer to use a more traditional button-based gameplay interface instead of the touch screen.

In disagreement with Bozon, Computer and Video Games staff stated that there's nothing wrong with the touch controls, saying that it "becomes so natural that you'll wonder how you ever completed Link's Awakening and A Link to the Past, with their quaint d-pad control systems". However, they also warned that "when it's over, it's over", although suggesting that the multiplayer mode enhances the replay value.

Nintendo World Report journalist Zachary Miller was more critical than most of the reviewers, stating that the game is "like Wind Waker without all the stuff that made Wind Waker so awesome", criticizing the steep learning curve of the touch-based control, as well as the Temple of the Ocean King as a whole, deeming said dungeon as bad as the gameplay devices of other games like Metroid Prime 2: Echoes or Metal Gear Solid. He also said that games like Metroid Prime Hunters and Mario Kart DS had superior multiplayer features than this game. The overall score was a 7.5.

Sales and awards
The game was a commercial success, selling 4.13 million copies worldwide. GameSpy gave Phantom Hourglass the Game of the Year Award, while Nintendo Power (in their December 2009 issue) ranked it seventh in their list of best Zelda games, praising the innovation of the control scheme.

Legacy

 * The game's control interface is carried over Spirit Tracks, due to it being developed for the Nintendo DS as well.
 * Spirit Tracks also borrows the concept of a central dungeon as seen in Phantom Hourglass, although with several aspects of it improved or enhanced.

Trivia

 * Phantom Hourglass is the first game in the Zelda series that does not include any new tools; all the items have featured in previous Zelda games.
 * Only one item, other than the sword, can be used at a time, much like the older games in the series.
 * Phantom Hourglass is also the first 3D Zelda game to not include a playable instrument, unlike its 3D predecessors. Spirit Tracks has the Spirit Flute.
 * Like the first game in the series, Phantom Hourglass has a maximum of only 16 heart containers. Its sequel, Spirit Tracks, has this same maximum.

Intro
Paper cut-outs from the introduction to Phantom Hourglass.

Chancellor Cole's plans
"This is a tale from long ago. It's the tale of the first settlers of this land."

- Spirit Tracks prologue

Following the events of Phantom Hourglass, Link, Tetra, and the other pirates come across a new land that is ruled over by the Spirits of Good, who were responsible for sealing the land's tyrant, Malladus, into the earth after the concourse of the Spirit War with the railroad tracks called Spirit Tracks that spiral and work their way all over the vibrant landscape. A hundred years later, in Hyrule Castle, Princess Zelda is seen handing Link a diploma, honoring him as an official Royal Engineer. At the same time however, Zelda also slips Link a personal message stating that she has been suspicious of Chancellor Cole, Princess Zelda's right-hand adviser. After learning such information, Link sneaks Zelda out of the castle and meets up with Alfonzo, his master who trained him into being a Royal Engineer. He helps Link and Zelda escape the castle and get on a train, when suddenly, the tracks disappear, causing the train to crash. Chancellor Cole and his assistant, Byrne, then confronts the three: taking down Alfonzo, Link, and even Zelda, giving the Demon Train enough time to disrupt the natural order and structure of the generation point of the Spirit Tracks, the Tower of Spirits. Chancellor Cole takes away Zelda's body, yet her spirit appears after Link reawakens in Hyrule Castle, where only Link can see her. When Link meets Zelda as a spirit for the first time, Zelda gives him the Spirit Flute, a magical flute that has strange powers. Zelda then asks Link to take her to the Tower of Spirits to find out why the tracks disappeared, until she realizes that the tracks are gone, and the only way to get to the tower now is by an old tunnel in the back of the castle.

The Spirit Tracks
When Link and Zelda reach the Tower of Spirits, they meet a strange old woman named Anjean, who calls herself a Lokomo. Anjean speaks to Link and Zelda about Malladus and as to why the tracks disappeared, then explains that the only way to restore the Spirit Tracks is to obtain Rail Maps from the Tower, which will reveal Spirit Tracks to four of the five temples across the land, all of which require a restored power base to provide adequate protection and added strength to the Spirit Tracks in their realms. It is up in the tower that Zelda realizes that she can possess Phantoms, which are the guardians of the tower. Lastly, Anjean tells Link that if he goes to Gage, a Lokomo like Anjean, and by playing the Spirit Flute, Link and the Lokomo of the first four respective realms can restore the power to the rail map, thus revealing the path to the temples. Anjean then grants Link the Spirit Train, the sacred locomotive docked at the bottom level of the Tower, which Link uses throughout the rest of the game.

The temples visited are the Forest Temple (in the Forest Realm), the Snow Temple (in the Snow Realm), the Ocean Temple (in the Ocean Realm), and the Fire Temple (in the Fire Realm). Once Link and Zelda restore the last of the Spirit Tracks, the last thing that they need to do to prevent Malladus from resurrecting is to lock him back under the Alter of the Demon King at the top of the tower. Link and Zelda climb the tower, only to meet, fight, and defeat Byrne again. He escapes back to Cole at the top of the alter however, so Link and Zelda follow him. Just as they reach the top of the tower, Malladus' resurrection is complete, and Zelda cannot return to her body because Malladus is occupying it. Byrne asks Malladus for powers that he always dreamed of, but because he once served the Spirits, Malladus will not give him the power. Instead, using his magic, he knocks him unconscious. Hastily, Cole and Malladus escape on Malladus' train, the Demon Train, and go back to the Dark Realm, where the Demon Train came from. Anjean then comes up to the top of the tower, and shows Link and Zelda that she was not killed by Byrne.

The Bow and Compass of Light
Link takes Byrne to his train, and Anjean tells Link and Zelda the final possibility to destroy Malladus. Link must go to the fifth (and at the time unexplored) temple, the Sand Temple from the desert, and obtain the Bow of Light, a weapon the Spirits used in the Spirit War. The Bow of Light has the power to split the soul of one from their body. Anjean then gives Link a Force Gem, a particular one that reveals previously unknown tracks far into the desert between the Fire and Ocean Realms.

Link obtains the Bow of Light from the Sand Temple, only to find that Anjean can't find a way into the Dark Realm, halting the adventure further. Byrne then tells them about a Compass of Light that is below the Altar of the Demon King. That compass reveals all places in the world linked to the Dark Realm. Link and Zelda proceed to go to the Tower of Spirits for the final time to obtain the Compass of Light. Anjean then gives Link the Lokomo Sword, which was also a weapon the Spirits fought with, but Anjean thinks Link is the one who is meant to use it. The sword is said to be full of energy.

Link and Zelda obtain the Compass of Light, revealing that a place linked to the Dark Realm had been west of Links home village all along. Link travels on the Spirit Train to that exact place to find a portal that leads into the darkness, and attempts to destroy Malladus once and for all.

Final Battle
Link and Zelda find the Demon Train in the Dark Realm, and a battle across a track road begins. Link fights using the train on his own, and eventually, makes the Demon Train come to a halt, giving him a chance to go on board. Anjean gives Zelda a Phantom armor which she possesses and can use to help Link in the next battle. They both climb on top of the train to find Cole and Malladus. Cole then starts up the train and begins to attack them, while Malladus is on the end of the train firing lasers. Zelda and Link eventually reach the front of the train and Zelda grabs Malladus, giving Link the key opportunity to shoot him with the Bow of Light. Malladus is being split from Zelda's body, until the Demon Train crashes, leaving everyone in the land of Hyrule again.

Malladus' spirit leaves from Zelda's body, giving her a chance to retrieve it. At first, she is unable to due to the fact that she has been separated from her body for so long. Malladus is about to come back and possess Zelda's body until Byrne shows up and stops him. Byrne tells Zelda that she has to focus her power in order to return to it. She finally gets her body back, but Byrne (because of his interference) loses his life after Malladus uses his magic to kill him. Malladus then decides he must stop Link and Zelda, and takes Cole's body. He then transforms into a giant beast and attempts to destroy them. However, Link and Zelda team up and fight against him. Link then deals the final blow in his forehead with the Lokomo Sword. Malladus dissolves into light, returning the world back to normal. Anjean comes to the battlefield, and uses magic to give life back to Byrne (not for an immediate revival, but for him to return several years later). Anjean then explains what she wanted Zelda and Link to do. Lokomos were placed on the Earth not only to watch over the Spirit Tracks, but mankind as well. Anjean believes that man doesn't need guidance anymore, so she and the other five Lokomos return to the heavens with Byrne. Anjean entrusts the land to Zelda, and tells Link he must help her watch over it.

Epilogue
Right before Link and Princess Zelda hop on the Demon Train, the latter asks the young hero about his future. Depending on the option chosen, there will be a slight difference on the post-credits scene. In all three possible cases, this scene begins with Zelda writing a book, with the Teacher accompanying her. If Link tells her that he'll continue being a train engineer, the final scene shows the princess hearing the Spirit Train whistling; she approaches the window and greets her savior as he navigates through the Forest Realm. If Link tells her that he'll remain as a swordsman instead, the final scene shows Zelda approaching the window to see Link practicing his combat abilities, although he is accidentally injuried in the process. Finally, if Link tells her that he's still unsure regarding either career, the final scene simply shows Zelda continuing with her work.

In any case, when the epilogue concludes, the game screen aims at the sky to indicate that the story is finally over.

Improved Mechanics
The game is notable for its changes from Phantom Hourglass. For example, rolling simply requires touble-tapping the touch screen, instead of circling at an extreme with the stylus.

The signature central dungeon, Tower of Spirits, no longer includes a curse that weakens Link and kills him when the time limit runs out. Due to this change, the time limit itself has also been omitted. This renders the "Safe Zones" only useful for hiding from enemies. In addition, the floors of the Tower only have to be explored once each, as there's a central staircase that allows direct access to newer areas. Princess Zelda, who replaces Ciela from Phantom Hourglass as Link's partner, serves a more helpful purpose through her ability to possess Phantoms that inhabit the tower.

Obtainment of Train Cars is easier than the search of Ship Parts in Phantom Hourglass, whose locations are entirely random. In this game, they can be purchased with treasures, which are still random but also present in a wider variety of forms and objects; thanks to this, search for the golden parts can be made more directly. Another aspect that simplifies the Train Car collection is that the Spirit Train itself will have up to four different cars only, as opposed to the S.S. Linebeck's eight.

Transportation
As mentioned before, the main vehicle for overworld travel is the Spirit Train, instead of a boat or a horse. Because of the presence of rails, the train has a finite amount of degrees of freedom, only able to change directions when approaching a bifurcation, and having its possible destinations well-defined. On the other hand, the train is capable of carrying passengers from one place to another and, eventually, transporting and delivering heavy items as well.

As the Tower of Spirits is progressively conquered to collect Rail Maps, the temples are beaten to restore their Force Gems, Lokomo Duets are successfully performed, and train-based sidequests are completed to receive extra Force Gems, new tracks become available in order to ease the travel and give more freedom, as well as to unlock secret stations (thus new places, including temples), capture new rabbits, and even discover gates that allow the young hero to warp from one part of Hyrule to another instantly.

Link must be aware of enemies that try to destroy the train, and even take passengers with them. Evil machines like the Dark and Armored Trains will patrol the tracks as well, and they're able to immediately destroy the Spirit Train and kill Link instantly.

Graphics and Audio
Spirit Tracks makes use of cel-shading graphics, which is consistent with its predecessors. Being a 3D game, the game uses 2D-style perspective while Link is on foot in a town, temple, sanctuary, or any other regular destination. 3D is resumed during train travels, boss battles, certain minigames, and while Link plays the Spirit Flute.

Some of the characters' models are directly based on those of Phantom Hourglass characters, a trend that was seen first with Majora's Mask in comparison to Ocarina of Time. Also, several places have a more detailed decoration than those of Phantom Hourglass.

In regards of the audio, the game has a more diverse soundtrack than its predecessor, although the sound effects are similar.

Setting
The game takes place on a new incarnation of Hyrule (which, due to the original kingdom being extinct after the Great Flood, is nicknamed New Hyrule). There are five Realms: The Forest Realm (southwest), the Snow Realm (northwest), the Ocean Realm (southeast), the Fire Realm (northeast), and the Sand Realm (east). The Tower of Spirits lies at the center of the land, and serves as the core of the Spirit Tracks' power. The dimensions of this land's geography are at least twice as big as those of the World of the Ocean King, but still smaller than those of the Great Sea.

Several races, such as the Hylians and the Gorons, inhabit their corresponding Realms, and live in places that can only be accessed through the stations where the trains can stop. There are several islands as well, but those beyond the reach of the Ocean Realm are inaccessible.

Timeline Placement
Spirit Tracks' place in the timeline is well defined by numerous direct references to its two prequels: The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass. It is, after the aforementioned titles, the third entry in the Adult Timeline. Link does not appear to be a direct descendant of the hero from the earlier games in this story arc, even though Spirit Tracks clearly follows the same storyline, occurring roughly a century after the events of Phantom Hourglass. Link's friend Alfonzo mentions that his family has been fighting to protect the Hyrulean royalty for generations, hinting at the possibility that he is a descendant of Gonzo, to whom he also bears striking resemblance.

Continuity elements
In this game, Princess Zelda is once again portrayed as the sole ruler of the Kingdom of Hyrule. She is the granddaughter of Tetra from The Wind Waker. A brief cutscene shows a stained glass portrait of Tetra above Zelda's throne, suggesting that the people living in the newly established kingdom are aware of their heritage and the connection to the Old Hyrule.

The only recurring character from the two preceding games is Niko, a former crewman of Tetra's pirate ship. Niko has reached his elderly years and resides in Aboda Village, sharing a house with Link. When he sees Link dressed in his green garb, Niko mentions that it reminds him of an old friend. Link also meets Linebeck III, who is a direct descendant of Linebeck whom Link traveled with in Phantom Hourglass.

Sales
The game was commercially successful, selling 2.6 million copies worldwide, despite not selling as well as its predecessor, Phantom Hourglass.

Reviews and Awards
Prior to its release, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks received the "Best Handheld Game" award at Gamescom 2009. The game was also selected by IGN as their "Best of Gamescom 2009" winner for the Nintendo DS.

Spirit Tracks has received generally favorable reviews, which have mostly commented on how it managed to improve on its predecessor, Phantom Hourglass. For instance, IGN praised the design of the central Spirit Tower of the game, calling it "far more diverse than its predecessor," the Temple of the Ocean King from Phantom Hourglass. GameSpot praised the design of the dungeons, the participation of Princess Zelda in this adventure, and the diversity of sidequests, but argued that the game wasn't too challenging. Metacritic gives the game a score of 87/100, based on 44 critic reviews.

In a review of the game, G4 commented that Spirit Tracks improved upon Phantom Hourglass. Improvements cited included the removal of the time limit, and not having to go through the entire dungeon again and again. As a celebration of the game's launch, Nintendo Power wrote an article in December 2009 to rank the then-available The Legend of Zelda games from worst to best, as well as to choose their favorite item, dungeon, boss, etc.

Legacy
The whip, one of the game's items, makes a return in Skyward Sword.

Story
Link has lived his entire life on a floating island above the clouds known as Skyloft; however, his everyday life is interrupted by an event involving the Skyward Sword that reveals that there is a land below Skyloft, which is actually Hyrule. It is then discovered that Hyrule is being overrun by evil forces, forcing Link to go there. As the story progresses, it was revealed in a Gamespot interview with Eiji Aonuma that Link will be searching for a "lost or valuable friend" in the process. Throughout the game, Link must spend his journey traveling back and forth between Hyrule and Skyloft with the use of the Skyward Sword.

The Skyward Sword, which is the figure shown on the poster on E3 2009, possesses intelligence and will assume the semi-human form in the teaser poster. Eventually, the Skyward Sword will become the Master Sword. The Skyward Sword is also the driving force behind Link's traveling between the two lands and the sword will focus "heavily on the reason why there are two lands divided by a bank of clouds."

The E3 2011 Skyward Sword trailer shows a blonde-haired girl, heavily implied to be Zelda, flying alongside Link. However, a nearby blast causes her to fall down into the world below, with Link reaching towards her. This coincides with what Aonuma had said in a 2010 interview about Link searching for a "valuable friend" throughout his journey, as it was apparent in the trailer that Link and Zelda are good friends.

Eiji Aonuma confirmed on July 25, 2011, that Ganondorf is not planned to be in the game.

The Triforce was confirmed to have a role in the game, but Eiji Aonuma stated it would not be central to the plot.

Controls
At the E3 2010, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was revealed during the Nintendo Press Conference, introduced by Reggie Fils-Aime and Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto discussed that the use of the sword and shield will incorporate the motion capabilities of the Wii Motion Plus and use of the Nunchuk accessory. The sword can also be charged up by holding the Wii remote straight up in the air, and, once it's charged up, the remote must be swung downwards to release the beam as a projectile attack.

Since the Wii Remote serves as the sword, the Nunchuk becomes the shield: quickly shaking the Nunchuk will cause Link to raise his shield. The way to control it is to hold it up in front as if it were a real shield. Miyamoto demonstrated this by blocking attacks from Octoroks and even using the shield to send the projectile back at the enemy. Weapons such as Bombs, Slingshot, and Bow, the return of Sword Beams, and new items such as the Beetle and Whip were all showcased, all using the natural aiming and directional applications of the Wii Motion Plus.

The way to access the inventory is by pressing the B button, which will bring up a "radial menu" on the screen (similar to the one in Twilight Princess). To choose the item that Link will equip, the Wii remote must simply be used to select said item. The HUD can also be easily turned off if players find that it takes up too much space. One of the major changes in choosing items from the item screen or while drinking potions is that there is no pause in the action, so items are chosen in real time.

Previous rumors of a flying element were pushed further in an interview with Eiji Aonuma and Shigeru Miyamoto preceding the Nintendo E3 press conference on the Nintendo E3 Network with Aonuma saying that "the sky plays a key element." He also mentioned that the new Zelda isn't as big as Twilight Princess (as far as physical places go), but rather more dense and in-depth.

Aonuma also mentioned that Wii Motion Plus was not originally intended for Skyward Sword, because the controls weren't working well. But when Wii Sports Resort came out, it worked perfectly for that game, so they re-implemented it. Miyamoto has furthermore stated that the Wii Motion Plus will not be used for every item in the game, saying that item and weapon controls "will be carefully weighed to see how Motion Plus/sensor bar [...] can make for the optimal control scheme."

This is the first (and currently only) Zelda adventure where it's indicated by a damage meter that Link's shield is taking damage under enemy attacks. Because of this, Link will have to use more strategic ways of defending against enemies and, if the shield gets damaged in battle, he will have to buy a new one or get it mended.

Overworld and Dungeons
Skyward Sword will feature a new map that is "a lot easier to follow than previous attempts." According to Aonuma and Miyamoto, this should "cut down on the amount of time you spend lost." Moreover, since recent Zelda games have been focusing on things like story and dungeons, this title will focus more on "fun."

In the September 2010 issue of Nintendo Power, Eiji Aonuma once again spoke of trying to alter the "traditional flow" of Zelda games. He mentions that the development team is trying to take some elements of a dungeon and "actually move it out of those small connected rooms" into an area that is usually considered a field, with there not always being a boss at the end of that area.

Flying
Revealed during E3 2011, Skyward Sword will include flight. Link will be able to go to different regions in Skyloft by riding a Loftbird but will only be able to once he completes his flying training at the beginning of the game. In this minigame, which will be used to teach the young hero how to fly properly, Link must catch a specific bird that is carrying a Bird Statue to prove his worth as a bird pilot.

While flying, Link can jump off the bird he's riding at any time to drop on the smaller islands scattered throughout, allowing him to explore each individual island as in The Wind Waker. At any point, Link can drop below the clouds to find bird-like Save Statues found around Hyrule that will allow him to return to the clouds and be back to the central town of Skyloft.

Controlling the bird will be done similar to the Wii Sports Resort Flying minigame, as the gliding is achieved through the Wii Remote. Pressing A allows Link to go faster, while the B Button slows the bird down, and flicking the controller will make the bird flap its wings.

Early Development
When Eiji Aonuma was asked in a 2007 interview if Twilight Princess would be the Nintendo Wii's only Zelda title, he replied, "I can't say, but I guess for now, maybe, yeah [laughs]. Not to say that it's going to be the final game. There's still a lot of potential with the Wii so there's still a possibility that there could be another Zelda for it. We do have some ideas in the works, but I can't say for sure because none of them have been approved and we're still very much in the planning process, so I hope you look forward to whatever comes out."

In a private meeting at E3 2007, Eiji Aonuma began to give details about the then-soon-to-be-released Zelda title, Phantom Hourglass. He then began speaking about Skyward Sword. In his excitement, he began to reveal more details about the game, but was withheld from divulging too much information by Shigeru Miyamoto. He indicated that he would like to have a whole new control system for the game, and that it was possible that one-to-one swordplay could be implemented. He also said that he would like to make the game to appeal both to the casual and the hardcore gamer, a sentiment echoed by Miyamoto in a later interview.

It was stated by Shigeru Miyamoto that Twilight Princess is "without a doubt, the last Zelda game as you know it in its present form." However, the meaning of this quote leaves quite a bit to interpretation. In that same vein, Eiji Aonuma more recently revealed that he is looking to alter the "traditional flow" of Zelda games, which usually consists of exploring a field, entering a dungeon, conquering the dungeon, and then returning to the field.

At E3 2008, Miyamoto confirmed that Skyward Sword was not the only new Zelda game in development at the time, and that separate teams had gotten together to create both DS and Wii Zelda games. Spirit Tracks was produced alongside Skyward Sword by a separate team and released before the end of the following year.

At a round-table at the E3 2009 Convention, Shigeru Miyamoto disclosed that Skyward Sword would be announced at E3 in 2010. Artwork shown at the roundtable was leaked shortly after, depicting a swordless, adult, right-handed Link, as well as a mysterious female figure, bearing resemblance to both the Fairy Queen and the Master Sword. Miyamoto admitted that Skyward Sword ' s version of Link is older than those of past titles, and placed an emphasis on Link's lack of a sword in the leaked artwork, particularly when questioned about the girl. The actual title of Skyward Sword was not revealed until E3 2010, before which it was known only as "Zelda Wii".

Game Developers Conference 2011 Preview
During the Game Developers Conference in March 2011, a new demo was exhibited, showing several new actions Link can perform during the adventure, not to mention new locales and environments. Link faces a redesigned Skulltula and two Lizalfos, manipulates a puzzle-like key in order to open a door, and comes face-to-face with a potential new boss. The first significant NPC is revealed to be a mysterious, white-haired man, who can vanish into thin air similar to the way Midna and Zant teleport in Twilight Princess.

Graphics
Graphically, the title incorporates a mixture between The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess: cel-shading and realistic elements, the former in relation to the overworld, and the latter in respect to Link's appearance and weaponry. However, in the September 2010 issue of Nintendo Power, Aonuma mentioned that neither style contributed to the choice of art styles, and that they simply chose it since the developers are focusing on "swordplay", meaning that they wanted to make the swordplay accessible and clear to the user.

Cel-shaded versions of enemies such as Octoroks, Deku Babas, and Bokoblins were apparent during the gameplay at the Conference in order to further explain the motion capabilities of the sword with Wii Motion Plus and the weapons during combat. In terms of the overworld, an open forest-like area was shown, that housed a large, central tree and a multitude of colorful attributes such as mushrooms, foliage, and even temple-like entrances along the area's walls.

Skyward Sword's unique visual style was inspired by Miyamoto's love of impressionism, and the skies in the game are a tribute to Cézanne. Plenty of visual cues to identify enemy attacks and weaknesses will be given, and since "full realism" wouldn't work for these kinds of cues, the game developers decided that the best way to do so was to overexaggerate the character designs.

Audio
Skyward Sword has been confirmed to be fully orchestrated, with Miyamoto saying that "Nintendo couldn't do what it did with Galaxy 2 and not do the same with the next Zelda." However, an IGN interview with Aonuma states that the question whether to use orchestrated music had still not been answered by the time E3 came up. Moreover, Aonuma said that he was actually surprised at Miyamoto's response during the roundtable, saying that he hasn't had a chance to talk to Miyamoto for his approval and that he might tell Aonuma that "he was just joking around."

In an Iwata Asks interview with Super Mario Galaxy composer Mahito Yokota, it was confirmed again that the game's music would be orchestrated. According to Yokota, Shigeru Miyamoto said that adding orchestrated music for Skyward Sword 's E3 2010 showing was not necessary at the time, but at the end of the summer, they decided to add in orchestral music and Mahito Yokota joined the development team.

Timeline Placement
In terms of the Zelda timeline, it has been confirmed by Aonuma himself that Skyward Sword comes before Ocarina of Time, but it's not necessarily the first entry in the chronology, giving the possibility for future games to occur earlier.

Characters

 * Link
 * Zelda
 * Ghirahim
 * Phi

Items

 * Bomb
 * Bomb Flower
 * Slingshot
 * Bow
 * Whip
 * Beetle
 * Bird Statue
 * Gold Sculpture
 * Fungal Spore
 * Skyward Sword
 * Lyre
 * Wooden Shield
 * Iron Shield
 * Hylian Shield

Enemies

 * Bokoblin
 * Octorok
 * Deku Babas
 * Stalfos
 * Keese and Fire Keese
 * Zol
 * Fire Toadpoli
 * Walltula
 * Moblin
 * Skulltula
 * Lizalfos
 * Baba Serpent
 * Guardians

Bosses

 * Scorpion
 * Golden Statue
 * Ghirahim

Places

 * Hyrule
 * Skyloft
 * Sky Temple
 * Siren World

Trivia

 * Skyward Sword is said to take the longest development period in the history of the franchise.
 * This is the second game in the series that will require an external accesory (the Wii Motion Plus) to be played, the first being Majora's Mask in the Nintendo 64 version (which required the Expansion Pak).
 * Skyward Sword has been confirmed to be the last game by Nintendo to be made for the Wii, as the development of Pikmin 3 has been moved to the Wii's new successor, the Wii U.
 * The main theme of Skyward Sword is an orchestration of Zelda's Lullaby played in reverse.
 * In the GDC 2011 trailer Link is seen with a harp equipped as an item, similar in appearance to the one Sheik used in Ocarina of Time. In the cutscenes following the Birdrider's Ceremony demo at E3 2011, Zelda was seen holding the same harp, confirming that it is, in fact, identical to Sheik's. However, its history in the game is currently unknown.
 * Skyward Sword is the second game in the franchise that shares its Japanese subtitle with the rest of the world, being a direct romanization of the English title (スカイウォードソード). The first in the franchise being Twilight Princess (トワイライトプリンセス). The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Four Swords, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask all use the same title in English and Japanese, only not directly romanized.