The Story
The Legend of Zelda is a series of video games from the brain of renowned game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Each game revolves around the protagonist, Link, who often has to save the kingdom of Hyrule and rescue Princess Zelda. Link faces many foes, but his most infamous enemy is the evil sorcerer Ganondorf. Ganondorf's goal in nearly every game is to obtain the Triforce, Hyrule's magical relic that grants its possessor great power. Link must travel across Hyrule to obtain magical items to reach Gannon and save the princess, helping other characters along the way in order to gain these items.
The different games in the Zelda series are loosely connected to one another (enough to let new players pick up a controller without being confused), and some of the above-mentioned elements are not used in every single version. Still, these games which have spanned across multiple platforms and decades have enough of the same fantastic elements to attract new and verteran players from every generation again and again. These elements include powerful storytelling, fast-paced adventure, and challenging puzzles with a few fun mini-games sprinkled throughout for good measure. Its first debut was in 1986, and even today it's still going strong. It is easily one of the most popular gaming franchises.
The different games in the Zelda series are loosely connected to one another (enough to let new players pick up a controller without being confused), and some of the above-mentioned elements are not used in every single version. Still, these games which have spanned across multiple platforms and decades have enough of the same fantastic elements to attract new and verteran players from every generation again and again. These elements include powerful storytelling, fast-paced adventure, and challenging puzzles with a few fun mini-games sprinkled throughout for good measure. Its first debut was in 1986, and even today it's still going strong. It is easily one of the most popular gaming franchises.
The Timeline
The following is a timeline of the events of the Legend of Zelda series, NOT the release date of the games listed. Note that after Ocarina of Time, there is a split in the timeline, leading to "alternate worlds" of sorts. This timeline split will be further explored in my Video Game venue.