Like lightning in a bottle, this series quickly followed in the successful footsteps of the Mario games, later establishing itself as one of the biggest names associated with the Nintendo brand: The Legend of Zelda. In this series characterized by adventure and action, the journeys Link embarks have the ability to immerse one in the world he lives through. Having notable symbols, memorable core characters, and a protagonist that constantly becomes confused with the eponymous person of legend, this first part looks at the history of this franchise, its games, key personnel, other details that focus on highlighting the trajectory of this well-known franchise, then looking at the setting(s) and story formats that appear in the various legends surrounding Zelda.

Timestamps:

00:40 - Preamble

03:49 - A Bottled History of The Legend of Zelda

> 03:51 - Genre(s) and Development Details

> 06:07 - Basic Premise

> 09:41 - Bottled History

> 37:39 - What Inspired The Legend of Zelda?

> 40:06 - Select Creative Personnel 

44:34 - Setting

> 45:23 - The Land of Hyrule & Other Settings

> 48:33 - Common Environments

58:05 - Story Formats

> 59:12 - Link's Awakening (Example)

> 1:02:53 - Ocarina of Time (Example)

Links/Resources:

- The Legend of Zelda (Video Game Series)

- Video Game Console

(NOTE: Check the hyperlinks within the page to find the video game consoles that are discussed in this episode, or search it up individually.)

- Shigeru Miyamoto

> Miyamoto on the Origins of Nintendo Characters

> Miyamoto on The Legend of Zelda (2003 Magazine Interview)

> Miyamoto on the role of the Sword (Iwata Asks Interview) 

- Takashi Tezuka

- Keiji Terui on The Legend of Zelda Backstory

- Soldier in the Back Alley (Ocarina of Time)

The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes

Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.

Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.

Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.

(Creator's Note: Sorry for the random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my copy of Skyward Sword HD and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)