In 1986, on February 21st, a game unlike any other was released to the Japanese public. With its sprawling world and labyrinthine dungeons, that game would break the mold of traditional console games forever. The first cartridge game to sport an internal battery for saving data, it gave players a one-of-a-kind adventure and spawned one of the most critically acclaimed franchises in video game history.
I’m talking, of course, about The Legend of Zelda. Any kid who grew up with Link, Zelda and Ganon has a set of shared memories: using the recorder, trying to find the Magic Sword, and tackling the Second Quest. For many of us, exploring the land of Hyrule ranks the same as exploring our neighborhoods. Oftentimes we did it together, gathering around a friend’s NES and working through the puzzles, fighting the bosses, and cursing in confusion about what it meant that the Pols Voices hated loud noise.
My first exposure to Zelda was confusing, to say the least.
[Read the rest of Michael Harrison’s original article from Monday.]
