But Nintendo’s current position is that he is a “link” between the player and the game. The series hero’s unusual moniker was meant to symbolize his role as a link between the eras. Originally, The Legend of Zelda was meant to be a game that spanned in-universe time periods, beginning in the canonical “past” and ending up in the “future,” with the Triforce acting as a mode of transport between them.

There is significance to Link’s name, too. Scott Fitzgerald- was the inspiration for his Hyrulian heroine’s handle. Miyamoto confirmed that Zelda Fitzgerald-novelist, feminist, and wife of F. Princess Zelda has a famous namesake.ĭespite being conceived in Japan, Zelda’s titular princess was named after a native Alabaman.

was in every way a straightforward mission, Zelda was meant to confuse and provoke creative problem-solving. The company, and in particular designers Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, developed the original Zelda and Mario outings simultaneously, working hard to ensure that the two felt very different. You might be familiar with another Nintendo game that hit American shelves just a few months before Zelda: Super Mario Bros. In some ways, The Legend of Zelda was designed as the “anti- Mario.” Moreover, Miyamoto modeled the puzzling nature of Zelda’s many dungeons on his maze-like childhood home, which was riddled with indistinguishable paper doors. He developed the game’s enchanted forests while thinking of his youth in a small village near Kyoto, where he spent much time exploring the nearby woodlands. Game design icon Shigeru Miyamoto borrowed from his own history to dream up Hyrule, the setting of The Legend of Zelda. The Legend of Zelda was inspired by its creator’s childhood. Once the hotline became popular enough, Nintendo turned it into a 1-900 number and started charging for it. To avoid fan frustration, the company established a toll-free hotline that players could call to get hints on how to advance in the game (along with hints for other titles). players would have the patience for such a complex and challenging game. Nintendo didn’t think The Legend of Zelda would be popular in America.Īlthough The Legend of Zelda had garnered positive feedback in Japan, Minoru Arakawa, the president of Nintendo’s American division, expressed doubt that U.S. Even if you spent hours with the iconic gold cartridge loaded into your NES, you can probably still learn a few things about Link’s epic adventure.

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