Monday, February 21, 2011

The Legend of Zelda turns 25

Last year, one of the most beloved franchises of all-time turned 25 years old. And to celebrate Nintendo, released a limited edition Mario Wii console and a Super Mario All-Stars re-release pack for the budget price of $30. But today, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of a franchise much closer to me. On February 21, 1986, The Legend of Zelda was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan.

What is arguably one of the greatest video game franchises of all-time was born. And to this day, many of our modern games are still being influenced by that original game. The question is, will Nintendo do anything to commemorate the occasion? It would make a lot of sense, especially as a means of hyping this year's Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Or even the other Zelda re-releases coming out this year on the 3DS, Ocarina of Time and Link's Awakening. Only time will tell, but for now it looks like Nintendo might just be letting this occasion pass by.

The American anniversary of the series isn't going to be until July 1st of next year, but regardless of this, if Nintendo of Japan doesn't do anything to mark the day, odds are Nintendo of America won't either. Especially taking into account that the Super Mario All-Stars bundle didn't do so amazing as far as sales go.

So, while Nintendo may not be doing anything to mark the day, take this opportunity to look back at the past 25 years and appreciate one of the most influential epic tales of our time.

Since it started 25 years ago, over 62 million Legend of Zelda games have been sold worldwide.


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