by Eric Abent

Created on: August 23, 2009

Nintendo has made some wacky decisions in the past, there's really no denying that. Some of the aforementioned decisions include (but are not limited to): keeping their games on cartridges while others had moved onto discs, opting to use mini discs when they did finally decide to change their medium, releasing, somehow, eight iterations of Mario Party, and finally, letting the disaster that was Superman 64 actually see the light of day. However, no matter how angry you've been with Nintendo in the past, there is one thing that you are forced to agree with: when Nintendo gets it right, they get it so incredibly right.

Perhaps the perfect example of Nintendo thinking on their toes, besides of course the creation of their most famous character, Mario, can be found within the Legend of Zelda series. The adventures of our favorite Hero of Time, Link, have been captivating gamers since way back to the time the Nintendo Entertainment System dominated the market. On every home console and hand held system Nintendo has released since the NES, Link and the tales of his adventures have made an appearance at least once, and the gaming community has not complained (the Zelda games on the Phillips CD-I not withstanding).

So what is it about Zelda that has gamers everywhere ready to drop everything they're doing in order to spend some time in Hyrule? The answer can be summed up in one three-syllable word: adventure, and Shigeru Miyamoto and the people at Nintendo working toward his vision are the masters of it.

It's really no surprise Zelda has achieved the level of success it has, because it has something for everyone. It has plenty of swordplay for the people who want action. For those perfectionists and collectors in the gaming world, there are plenty of hidden treasures to find. For the ones who crave stories of grand adventures, well, it certainly has that. It even has a little bit for the romantics, who may want nothing more than a sweet story of a boy saving a damsel in distress, or vice versa (Zelda can hold her own, folks).

It may just be as simple as that. The Legend of Zelda, just like Nintendo's other greats, appeal to a wide spectrum of video gamers. That's only the half of it, too. Since the series was started the production quality of the various games has always been excellent, and the latter games - the ones from Ocarina of Time and on - are simply beautiful. The dungeons within the games are ones that are extremely complex, and even if it goes unrecognized, some require a great amount skill and patience in order to beat.

But mainly what it is that makes the Zelda games so great is that appeals to every gamer's inner child. The idea of gearing up with your sword and shield, bow and arrow, and jumping on your horse, riding off into the distance to vanquish evil is one that any seven-year-old boy would abide, and the Zelda series helps that inner child be heard and appreciated. From the moment you hear that triumphant Legend of Zelda theme, you know you're in for one hell of a ride.

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