Q. Why do a FAQ for the entire series?
The answer is quite simple; throughout the course of the series, there are many inconsistencies between the worlds of Hyrule. I felt that I could make a bunch of stuff up, as well as clear up points in the game that are either vague or unexplained.
Q. Don't tell me you're going to get all scientific on me
Fear not, I won't be that cruel.
Q. So is this FAQ based entirely on the canon presented in the official games?
Yes and no... okay, mostly no. I am trying to make sure not to contradict the canon as presented in the five current Zelda games and what is known of upcoming games in the series. (As for the CD-i games, I'd like to cover them at least briefly, but I have never played them nor do I have any salient information about those games.)
Bear in mind that there is also some information here that has not been confirmed nor denied by the canon. Most of this stuff is there to temporarily fill gaps in the story until the games themselves make a reference to those gaps, or to solve other nagging questions. Speculation unsupported by the canon is denoted by italics (like this), and it also supports my personal opinion on matters. And yes, there are spoilers contained within.
Q. And the rest?
Neat crap.
Q. Can you help me get past [some place] in [game]?
No.
Q. What the? I thought this was a FAQ!
Yes, it is. There are alot of other FAQs and Walkthroughs for every Zelda game, and I don't think it is necessary to do more of that. If you need those things, try Zelda HQ or GameFAQs. This FAQ will barely touch the gameplay of the series, unless it pertains to the story or excuse for something.
Q. *goes to GameFAQs*
Punk.
Q. Alright, I'll bite.
Good.
Q. So start already.
I will.
Q. Then why aren't you?
Because you keep making annoying comments.
Q. What do I get if I stop making annoying comments?
The more you answer, the more time you have until you go back in that embarasing commercial.
Q. Sounds fair to me.
So get started already.
I. Game History
This section concerns the history of the Zelda games in terms of their real-world prescense and their internal stories. Plot summaries are given for each game, and are expounded upon in later sections.
Q. So, how did Zelda start?
The first Legend of Zelda game was released on the Famicom Disk System in 1986. The FDS was an addon to the Famicom (Family Computer), the Japanese version of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). While the NES began spreading like wildfire in 1986 after its 1985 trial run, the Famicom had already established itself in Japan with a notable presence, being one of the few gaming consoles on the Japanese market when it was introduced in 1983. The Legend of Zelda was one of the flagship titles of the Disk System, quickly following the release of the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 (released here as the Lost Levels in SMB All-Stars for the SNES). Confused yet? It's probably because of the way I worded it. Needless to say, the first Zelda had a fairly big campaign behind it for the time (meaning that crazy Japanese guys went on the air, extolling the game's virtues through cheesy J-Pop).
Really?
I'm not sure, but I know the American advertisements are scary. Scarier than Gorsoc.
So how did the game fare in the Japanese market?
Considering that it was awesome for its time and the fact that it was one of the first FDS games, it must have fared quite well (Magic Box says that the Legend of Zelda garnered about 1.5 million sales). However, the FDS never really took off, in part because piracy was rampant and Nintendo took the machine off the market. It's hard to say how many people actually played Zelda, but there were definitely enough people to guarantee a hit.
How did it get to America?
As you are probably aware, the FDS was never released in America for the aforementioned reasons. However, the Legend of Zelda was quickly ported to America in cart format, using the MMC1 chip (don't ask me to get into a technical discussion about that).
What's the MMC1 chip?
The MMC1 chip is basically what made games like Zelda and Metroid possible without the FDS. That's about as far as one needs to go. To allow a save game feature, one of the geniuses at Nintendo decided to put a battery in the cart itself to store the data. With those two things, the Legend of Zelda was easily ported to the NES. (As an aside, Metroid, another early FDS game, also came to the US, but used a very hairy password system. Anyone with an NES should get that game, but that's my personal opinion.)
How did Zelda fare in the American market?
It should be pretty obvious; Zelda was big. Real big. Sporting some of the craziest commercials, an intricately designed world, a spiffy golden cartridge, and that Miyamoto touch of weirdness to match the commercials, it comes as no surprise that Zelda was NOA's big hit of the year. Zelda was THE game for the NES. (All of this, mind you, is inforential; I didn't get an NES until 1989, so feel free to correct me.)
So, who came up with the idea, and what IS the idea?
In the beginning, there was Void, and the great Miyamoto...
Ah, it goes something like this: Shigeru Miyamoto, the series' head dude (also responsible for the Mario series and various other games) says in many interviews that his goal with the Zelda games is to create a virtual garden to explore. That's basically the idea, though I can't cite any source where Miyamoto describes the Zelda idea in detail.
The Zelda series is an RPG, and I can prove it!
This has been a topic of much debate. The hardcore RPGers can't seem to agree of a particular set of rules, and neither do the developers. For this FAQ, I'm considering RPGs to be games in the vein of Dungeons and Dragons, Dragon Warrior, et al. For the time being I'd place the Zelda games in the broad "Adventure" category.
You sound bitter.
Of course. These sort of debates stir up flame wars, mostly between Nintendo fans and Squareheads, and they usually end with me losing. After such flame wars, I gave up and decided to enjoy the games as I please. Besides, the industry doesn't need more genrefication.
So you're saying that RPGs suck?
If you take my words to mean that, go ahead.
The Legend of Zelda (Zelda 1), 1986
Story
From the manual:
A long, long time ago the World was in an age of Chaos. In the middle of this chaos, in a little kingdom in the land of Hyrule, a legend was being banded down from generation to generation, the legend of the "Triforce"; golden triangles possessing mystical powers. One day, an evil army attacked this peaceful little kingdom and stole the Triforce of Power. This army was led by Gannon, the powerful Prince of Darkness who sought to plunge the World into fear and darkness under his rule. Fearing his wicked rule, Zelda, the princess of this kingdom, split up the Triforce of Wisdom into eight fragments and hid them throughout the realm to save the last remaining Triforce from the clutches of the evil Gannon. At the same time, she commanded her most trustworthy nursemaid, Impa, to secretly escape into the land and go find a man with enough courage to destroy the evil Gannon. Upon hearing this, Gannon grew angry, imprisoned the princess, and sent out a party in search of Impa. Braving forests and mountains, Impa fled for her life from her pursuers. As she reached the very limit of her energy she found herself surrounded by Gannon's evil henchmen. Cornered! What could she do? ... But wait! All was not lost. A young lad appeared. He skillfully drove off Gannon's henchmen, and saved Impa from a fate worse than death. His name was Link. During his travels he had come across Impa and Gannon's henchmen. Impa told Link the whole story of the princess Zelda and the evil Gannon. Burning with a sense of justice, Link resolved to save Zelda, but Gannon was a powerful opponent. He held the Triforce of Power. And so, in order to fight off Gannon, Link had to bring the scattered eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom together to rebuild the mystical Triangle. If he couldn't do this, there would be no chance Link could fight his way into Death Mountain where Gannon lived. Can Link really destroy Gannon and save the Princess Zelda? Only your skill can answer that question. Good luck. Use the Triforce wisely.And that's about it, actually. The game's intro abridges this story, basically telling you "Get the pieces of the Triforce" in broken English. The rest of the game's text consists of hints to help the player (although some of these hints are harder to find then the actual secrets themselves) and a simple ending (you save the princess, obviously). After rescuing Zelda, you are presented with a second quest with the same story save for a different ending (this time, they live happily ever after).
Characters
Not many, I'm afraid; every one of them is just a generic to move along the game.
Link - The hero of the game, as mentioned in the excerpt above. His name can be changed, and no reference is made to Link's name in the game itself (aside from the intro). Link's age is not told in the game, but I'm assuming that he is around 10 years old.
Zelda - Link's distant relative, and the princess of the falling kingdom of Hyrule. She holds the Triforce of Wisdom. Further information of this incarnation of Zelda is unavailable, though she probably has the same abilities as earlier incarnations.
Ganon (var. Gannon) - The Prince of Darkness, who possesses the Triforce of Power. He is of indeterminate age, and looks like a giant humanoid pig. Ganon's attack is devastating to an unskilled hero, constantly shifting location and invisible to the eye. Only the Silver Arrow can defeat Ganon.
Impa - Impa is never mentioned in the game, but is mentioned in the manual's backstory. She gives Link the news of Zelda's capture, and sends him off on his quest to defeat Ganon.
Old Men - There are many old men hiding in the remnants of Hyrule, and not all of them are friendly. Since the downfall of Hyrule, the old men are losing sanity, and as a result, much of their advice is rather useless. (This isn't really supported by the canon; the truth is that the big N gave Zelda a very bad translation, like many of its early games. However, I find it to be a convenient excuse.) Some old men have turned to games of chance, using unfair odds and general cheapness (although a well-known trick can pull a double whammy on an unsuspecting fogey). Others scowl at visitors and demand rupies. Others still tend to the many passages through Hyrule and guard valuable Heart Containers.
Old Women - These old women are also suffering through the effects of Ganon's reign of terror, and a few have buckled down and turned to dishonest means of getting rupies. Most sell the valuable medicine of life, which is nearly a necessity for a new adventurer.
Merchants - Kind of self-explanatory; they sell stuff. Some beg for business after setting their prices so high, while others give great deals (especially the guy selling the Blue Ring). Shop around for the best deals, and remember to only buy things when you need them.
Moblins - Moblins are the bulk of Ganon's overworld army, roaming the area around levels 2, 3, 7, and 8 of the first quest. They are very prone to bribery and bait, and many want to break from Ganon's army. These moblins hide in caverns, and give money to adventurers willing to keep their location secret. If you need rupies, try contacting them.
Goriya - Goriyas roam the early underworld levels, and are quite similar to the moblins. They are susceptible to bribery, but are far more ornery and primitive -- strange, considering their skill with the boomerang. A stubborn goriya can easily be bribed with meat.
Other monsters have no significant role in the story, aside from the bosses.
Q: What's with the quotes in the game's intro?
It's Nintendo's god-like, artistic way of adding emphasis to the words! ;P
Actually, I'm not quite sure. I'm thinking that it's bad translation, but I believe the FDS does have a means of adding levels to existing games, much like the ill-fated N64 64DD. Perhaps the information in the quotes could be altered? Er... just say bad translation.
Q: Why are there no cities?
As it said in the manual's backstory, Ganon has demolished the cities. It is believed that there once was a city in the north-northwest area of Hyrule, which is now occupied by a legion of Armos soldiers and the vast graveyard.
Q: Is it possible to beat the game without using a sword?
Many an expert have undertaken this challenge, and many a liar brag that they have done it. However, it cannot be done in either quest, for the simple reason that Gleeok (the big multi-headed dragon thing) is invulnerable to any weapon besides the sword. Even the Wizard's Wand is ineffective. Unless you use a Game Genie to bypass it, you cannot defeat Ganon without the sword. (A document at ZHQ claims you can reach Ganon without the sword, but since you can't defeat Gleeok, it is most likely untrue.) There might be other versions of the game that do allow Gleeok to be defeated without the sword, and in those games, it might be possible.
Q: How come you lose rupies when you fire your arrows?
Either
a )The demons of capitalism are trying to hinder Link because they are evil.
b )Rupies are very strong weapons.
c )The cost reflects Link's supply of arrows.
Why wouldn't the designers use an arrows variable? There was obviously enough space at the top of the screen. Remember that RAM wasn't exactly plentiful in those days; a single byte could cause a big problem with performance, and had to be stored on the cart's pitiful memory battery. It really doesn't make a large impact on the game, since after you buy the Blue Ring, there isn't much use for rupies. I'm guessing that the idea of arrows was considered extraneous.
Q: What is up with that commercial?
Two incredibly hilarious commercials were released to promote Zelda, although they probably did more harm than good in the short term. The first involved two kids in awe over the Nintendo newsletter, proclaiming "whoa, nice graphics!" Ha, good ol' 1986. The whole thing broke into a very BAD rap routine, and as such, the commercial was not very well-known. The second is far more common, and almost as crazy. Some guy roams an abandoned warehouse, making monster noises and screaming "Zelda!!!" and setting back the image of gamers to crap. You have to hear it to believe it. Unfortunately, I have never seen either commercial with my own two eyes, and thus can only comment on the audio.
Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, 1987
Story
From the manual:
*At the end of a fierce fight, Link overthrew Ganon, took back the Triforce and rescued Princess Zelda. *However, is it all really finished? *Many seasons have passed since then. Hyrule was on the road to ruin. The power that the vile heart of Ganon had left behind was causing chaos and disorder in Hyrule. What's more, even after the fall of Ganon, some of his underlings remained, waiting for Ganon's return. The key to Ganon's return was the blood of Link - the valiant lad that overthrew the King of Evil. Ganon would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon. Meanwhile, Link remained in the little kingdom of Hyrule and lent his hand to its restoration. But circumstances did not look very good. One day a strange mark, exactly like the crest of the kingdom, appeared on the back of Link's hand as he approached his 16th birthday. The worried Link, went to Impa, Princess Zelda's nursemaid who was shocked and frightened when she saw the birthmark. When she regained her composure, she took Link to the North Castle. There was a door in the North Castle called "the door that does not open." Only the descendants of the Impa family who served the king knew how to open the door. Impa took Link's left hand and pressed the back of it against the door. There was a sound of a lock falling open, the door slowly creaked open and there on an altar in the middle of the room lay a beautiful woman. "Here lies the Princess Zelda." Impa began to speak calmly. "Link, the time has come when I must tell you the legend of Zelda handed down in Hyrule. It is said that long ago, when Hyrule was one country, a great ruler maintained the peace in Hyrule using the Triforce. However, the king too was a child of man and he died. Then, the prince of the kingdom should have become king and inherited everything, but he could inherit the Triforce only in part. The Prince searched everywhere for the missing parts, but could not find them. Then, a magician close to the king brought him some unexpected news. Before he died, the king had said something about the Triforce to only the younger sister of the prince, Princess Zelda. The prince immediately questioned the princess, but she wouldn't tell him anything. After the prince, the magician threatened to put the princess into an eternal sleep if she did not talk, but even still, she said nothing." "In his anger, the magician tried to cast a spell on the princess. The surprised prince tried to stop him, but the magician fought off the prince and went on chanting the spell. Then, when the spell was finally cast, Princess Zelda fell on that spot and entered a sleep from which she might never awake. At the same time, the magician also fell down and breathed his last." "In his grief, the prince placed the princess in this room. He hoped that someday she would come back to life. So that this tragedy would never be forgotten, he ordered every female child born into the royal household should be given the name Zelda." >From the stand next to the alter where Princess Zelda lay in a deep sleep, Impa took the six crystals and a scroll with the same crest and handed them to Link. "For generations, my family has been handed down these things which have been set aside for a time when a great king will come. They are written in ancient script that no one can read now. But you who have the crest may be able to read it. It is said that the key to uniting the Triforce is hidden there. Now it is time for you to read it." Link glanced at the scroll half in doubt, but what do you know? Although he never seen the letters before, he found that he could read them as if they were talking to him.. This was written on the Scroll. "You who'll control the Triforce of the future. I shall hand down to you the secrets of the Triforce. There are three kinds of Triforce - Power, Wisdom, and Courage. When these three are brought together, the Triforce will share its maximum power. Of the three, I have left Power and Wisdom in the kingdom. But the Triforce of Courage I have hidden for a reason. Not everybody can use the Triforce. It requires a strong character with no evil thoughts. But an inborn special quality is also necessary. Unfortunately, I have not found such a person during my lifetime." "Therefore, I have decided to cast a spell on all of Hyrule. A crest will appear on a young man with that character who has been brought up correctly, has gained many kinds of experiences and reached a certain age. But, what will happen if someone else uses the Triforce before then? If it is misused, it will produce many evils." "The Triforce of Courage is hidden in the Great Palace in the Valley of Death on the largest island in Hyrule. However, to enter you must first fight the guardians and undo the 'binding force.' When you have defeated the guardians, which I made to prevent enemies from invading the six palaces in Hyrule, set a crystal in the forehead of the statue you find. When you have set crystals in all of the statues in the six palaces, the 'binding force' placed on the Valley of Death will be removed and you will be able to enter the great palace. There you must fight the last guardian. And you can obtain the triforce only by defeating that guardian. There's nothing to fear. You are the one to get the Triforce. You are the beacon of hope for Hyrule." Impa implored Link, who raised his head slowly after reading the scroll. "The magic spell cast upon the Princess Zelda will sure to be broken if the Triforce is used. Please, Link. Unite the Triforce and save the princess. And bring back peace to Hyrule." Link nodded silently in approval, and left the room after taking a long glance at the altar. Then with a magical sword in his left hand and a magical shield in his right, he set off alone on his long travels. At that time, Ganon's underlings were calling up new allies from the Underworld, and were beginning to work devilishly towards the revival of Ganon. The vast Hyrule is the stage for the Adventure. *There are six palaces hidden in Hyrule. Link must gain experience by fighting Ganon's underlings, and get information while visiting towns here and there. And, after defeating the guardians at the palaces of Death Valley, he must obtain the Triforce of Courage - That is Link's mission.Although the story is more complex than before, it's still the same kind of thing. There are a few surprises along the way, but the actual text is nothing but direct hints to get some item at some palace. For the most part, progression through Z2 is linear; should you visit the palaces out of sequence, you probably won't have enough XP to get through them.
Whoa whoa whoa, XP? What the frick is this?
You heard right, XP. XP, formally known as experience points, were thrown into the Zelda mix. It works like any XP system; kill enemies, get XP. However, there are a few differences. First, instead of having a single XP level like most RPGs, Link could gain experience in any of three areas; attack, life, and magic. These XP levels respectively affect Link's offensive power, HP, and MP cost of magic. Second, the battery pak only stored Link's levels; any XP gained during your quest is lost if you turn off the power or are slain in combat. The second condition makes it very annoying to build levels, although you probably won't need to do so anyway. Should you max out all of Link's abilities, Link will receive an additional life with 9000 XP.
Lives? I don't like where this is headed.
You definitely won't once you turn on the game.
*turns on the game.* Aiiieee!!! They turned it into a side-scroller!!!
Yes. I have no idea why this was done, but it was.
IT SUCKS!!!!
Ahem... it's not what everyone was expecting, to say the least.
What is with the RPG elements, anyway?
The story isn't very long; RPGs were (and still are) in high demand, so Zelda took a hint or two.
What happened to these elements?
Most of the distinctly RPG elements - seperate modes for combat, XP levels, and so forth - were eliminated from later Zelda titles, replaced with the good old Zelda engine we're all familiar with. A few things stuck around; Z3 and Z5 have limited forms of magic, and the side-scrolling was done in Z4 to a limited degree (the game used the same interface as a normal screen). Dark Link returned as a near-impossible mini-boss in Z5, and some of Z2's enemies were used in later titles. Since none of those are RPG elements, the whole RPG conventions thing was scrapped in favor of Zelda-style gameplay, and it was not until Z5 that Nintendo even used the term "RPG" to describe the games.
But the Zelda series IS RPGs, and I can prove it!
I would agree, but that opinion gets you deep-fried by hardcore RPGers. I'd say more (and I did so above), but this strays off the topic of Z2.
What's this Dark Link I've heard about?
For those who haven't played Z2, the somewhat boring gameplay might be worth it to fight Dark Link. Instead of fighting Ganon - he was defeated in the first game - Link had to survive and find the triforce before Ganon's resurrection. The final confrontation could have been with that lame thing, but someone at the big N decided to do something better; Link would fight Dark Link, his alter ego and evil side. Coincidentially (or not), Dark Link was easy to implement graphically and didn't have much in the way of AI. But the mere idea of a Dark Link is sweet. Too bad we never got to hear about his story...
Miyamoto did NOT make this game...
He did. Check the credits for "Miyahon".
Anyway, where were we?
Hmmm... this is the part where I'm supposed to talk about the characters, but since they're more or less the same as in Z1 and I already explained Dark Link, I guess we can skip that.
Further work on this section will ensue when I get off my fat butt.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Zelda 3), 1992
Work on this section has not started.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Zelda 4), 1993, 1998 re-release (DX version)
Work on this section has not started.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Zelda 5, also inaccurately called Zelda 64), 1998
Work on this section has no started.
The Legend of Zelda: The Mask of Mujula (could be considered Zelda 6), 2000
This game has not been released yet.
The Legend of Zelda: Acorn of the Mystical Tree (part of a three-part series), 2000
This game has not been released yet.
Information for other games in the series will be added as time allows and more information is available.
II. Pure Speculation
Inconsistencies of the canon are mostly handled here.
The everlasting, undying question: Why does the world map of Hyrule change with each game?
Obviously, being stuck with the same world map would make changes to the gameplay far more difficult. Imagine implementing Z5 with the map from Z1; it's way too hard. However, the names, characters, races, and so forth are mostly consistent throughout the games in name and specification. Alot of theories have been presented; the Zelda HQ has created its own timeline which disregards the geographic changes, and can be found here. How the world changes - and how the species of Hyrule have changed - is a mostly unknown process. Since the forces that act upon Hyrule are far different from those on Earth, it could be any number of reasons. Geographical changes that would take millennia on Earth could very likely occur within a century in Hyrule.
This leaves alot of space for fanfiction writers. If you have theories - even if they are crackpot ones - send them here.
More speculation will cometh when I get off mine butt.
III. Non-Game Canon
Canon presented in the official comics and cartoon series is presented here. Again, once I get this section up and browse through my old NP collection, this section will arise.
IV. Sources and Copyright Information
Some information was provided from the following web sources;
- Zelda HQ
- RPGamer
- The Gaming Intelligence Agency
- Nintendo of America
This document may be copied, amended, altered, or whatever you want without my permission. There isn't alot of original content anyway, so why bother with the copyright thing?
