# It was 20 years ago today: Legend of Zelda came out **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 21, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548 "2006-02-21T23:53:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/1 "2006-02-21T23:53:50Z")
[Happy 20th, Legend of Zelda!](http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3148112) I spent so much time playing that game in middle and high school… ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/2 "2006-02-21T23:57:00Z")
One of my favorite games of all time. Cool. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/3 "2006-02-22T00:09:40Z")
Many of the _Zelda_ games I haven’t finished because of their length and the in-depth stories (not that I’m complaining- that’s one of the reasons they’re so great), but I’ve always had fun with them. Koji Kondo’s classic theme song for the original game is one of the most memorable theme songs from a video game, along with Kondo’s Mario theme. Congratulations, Link! May the kingdom of Hyrule always be safe under your protection. All hail Princess Zelda and the awesome power of the Triforce. Wait- whattayamean they’re not real? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/4 "2006-02-22T01:25:25Z")
It’s strange to think of the original Zelda as having a genesis. Of course I know that it hasn’t really always been there, but it sure seems like it. And I was wondering what to do tonight. Looks like there’s a princess who needs to be rescued. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/5 "2006-02-22T01:37:37Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > And I was wondering what to do tonight. Looks like there’s a princess who needs to be rescued. Sorry - she’s in another castle. Oh wait… ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/6 "2006-02-22T01:38:20Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > It’s strange to think of the original Zelda as having a genesis. No, I’m pretty sure it’s a Nintendo game. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/7 "2006-02-22T02:12:59Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > Sorry - she’s in another castle. > > Oh wait… Ba dum bum. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/8 "2006-02-22T02:23:06Z")
That makes me nostalgic, nostalgic enough it will be time to fire up the old Nintendo and give it a whirl. I think last time I got nostalgic I made it to the castle (level 5-6?) where you blow the whistle next to the empty pond (next to the pond with the healing fairy). ---
**Author:** ![haardvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@haardvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haardvark)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/9 "2006-02-22T12:59:14Z")
Come to think of it, I never finished that, did I… (nor Baldur’s Gate…nor BGII…nor Icewind Dale…nor FFVIII…nor Planescape…nor Riven…nor Syberia…) Huh. I guess my gradeschool teachers were right after all! ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/10 "2006-02-22T14:45:57Z")
> [@Abbie Normal](#): > > That makes me nostalgic, nostalgic enough it will be time to fire up the old Nintendo and give it a whirl. I think last time I got nostalgic I made it to the castle (level 5-6?) where you blow the whistle next to the empty pond (next to the pond with the healing fairy). It was dungeon 7. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/11 "2006-02-22T14:52:25Z")
> [@Abbie Normal](#): > > That makes me nostalgic, nostalgic enough it will be time to fire up the old Nintendo and give it a whirl. I think last time I got nostalgic I made it to the castle (level 5-6?) where you blow the whistle next to the empty pond (next to the pond with the healing fairy). You have a working, reliable NES? I think a decade ago my lungs weren’t up to getting the cartridges working. What’s your secret? I’d love to play Blaster Master again, or try to get past that submarine level in Low-G-Man. I never finished Zelda 1, though I finished a Link to the Past. ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/12 "2006-02-22T15:03:25Z")
> [@riker1384](#): > > You have a working, reliable NES? I think a decade ago my lungs weren’t up to getting the cartridges working. What’s your secret? I’d love to play Blaster Master again, or try to get past that submarine level in Low-G-Man. > > I never finished Zelda 1, though I finished a Link to the Past. I have two of them both working. I also have about 40 games also working. My secret is a can of air, and when not being played they are sealed in plastic. I bought three at a local flea market a couple of years back. Needed to cannibalize one to get one of the other two working, and they have not stopped since. OT I am hearing the Nintendo Revolution will enable you to download all the old NES games and play them or something like that. That would be awesome. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/13 "2006-02-22T16:15:20Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > Many of the _Zelda_ games I haven’t finished because of their length and the in-depth stories (not that I’m complaining- that’s one of the reasons they’re so great), but I’ve always had fun with them. Koji Kondo’s classic theme song for the original game is one of the most memorable theme songs from a video game, along with Kondo’s Mario theme. I just downloaded some MIDI files and played them on my good headphones. WOW. Hadn’t heard them like that before. Brings me back. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/14 "2006-02-22T16:20:13Z")
I bought the Ninendo unit Just to play Zelda, I got addicted to it at a friends house. When I completed Zelda, I didn’t have any further use of for the Nintendo and I gave the unit to my niece. There is a PC port of the original Zelda available somewhere as shareware. If anyone is jonesing for it, this is worth a googling. Jim ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/15 "2006-02-22T18:13:06Z")
I’m playing Zelda on my GBA that looks like an NES controller. **Where the hell is dungeon 2!?** ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/16 "2006-02-22T18:23:49Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I’m playing Zelda on my GBA that looks like an NES controller. > **Where the hell is dungeon 2!?** [Here’s a map](http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/file/legend_of_zelda_overworld.png) ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-20-years-ago-today-legend-of-zelda-came-out/345548/17 "2006-02-22T18:32:36Z")
Linky Broke. Found it anyway, thanks.