
Nintendo released the
first of a series of games that has been widely
acclaimed as the greatest games ever made, the Zelda
series. The Legend of Zelda moved beyond platforms
and levels. It offered players a vast magical world
to roam and freely explore.
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"The story begins
with a child standing in the middle of a field. He
doesn't have a sword or a shield. The player starts
by naming the child, but then he has no idea what to
do. He wanders around the field, looking for things
to do. It was a very daring concept back then."
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Zelda was inspired by
Miyamoto's childhood wanderings in the countryside
around his home.
"I walked up into
the mountains, through woods and the rocky space. And
finally, I came to big lake. I was so surprised to
find such a big lake high up in the mountains! It
looked like a vast ocean. This image is used a lot in
Zelda."
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"I provided lots
of different items to discover in Zelda. These items
are there to help the hero grow, from a small child
to an accomplished adult. When the child grows up,
the player thinks, 'I used to be scared of this but
now, I'm very strong!'. That's the kind of game I
wanted to make."
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Taking over 100 hours
to play, the Legend of Zelda perplexed, fascinated,
and consumed players all over the world. It was an
sensation that broke all the rules, and defined a
genre that has dominated game design ever since.
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