Why is Zelda So Popular?

[Molfino]

Simple question really, but why is The Legend of Zelda such a popular and loved franchise all over the world? You'll never meet a person in the world that will say they haven't played or heard of The Legend of Zelda!

Of course there are many games and they get hyped up a lot, by why do they get hyped up? Why are there so many games to hype up? They must be doing something right that is catching the eyes of newcomers and hardcore gamers alike! But what is that thing? What is it that makes Zelda irreplaceable, what is it that sets the Zelda franchise apart from any other game series in the world?

I'll leave those questions in the hands of you, the Zelda Dungeon community.

 

[GerudoDesert]

I can literally make this into a 6 page essay, but I'll keep it short. The Legend of Zelda series is full of adventure, puzzles, characters..etc that people love. It's a game where the adventure gets better and better. And even at the hard part of the games, it's still fun to solve the next step. The series has changed so much since 1986, and it will continue getting better because of the technology that we are discovering and because of our beloved makers of the series. And, whether you grew up with it or maybe you just started playing a few years ago, you are never bored. The game gets better and better, and the games get better and better.

 

[Nicole]

I'm going to respond to each of your questions in turn. (Prepare for quoting!)

Simple question really, but why is The Legend of Zelda such a popular and loved franchise all over the world? You'll never meet a person in the world that will say they haven't played or heard of The Legend of Zelda!

I'd have to say, a lot of the popularity stems from the quality of some of the older, classic games. Gamers loved those, and now, we often wait with bated breath for the release of a new one, hoping to rekindle the epic adventures in the past Zeldas. Now, seeing as Nintendo is a pretty global company, that is probably how they get so much publicity for their games out in different countries. Let's not forget, Nintendo also has created so many other great series, including Mario, that many people also love. So, they might pick up Mario games, and have so much fun, they'll try to pick up other Nintendo games. Nintendo's success as a gaming franchise has a lot to do with Zelda's popularity.

You'll never meet a person in the world that will say they haven't played or heard of The Legend of Zelda!

I have to disagree here. This boy in my class picked up a magazine, saw Link, and laughed. He didn't know who it was. He just thought Link was some weird guy in green. Mind you, this kid plays a lot of those "hardcore" games, like Call of Duty and such.

Of course there are many games and they get hyped up a lot, by why do they get hyped up? Why are there so many games to hype up?

They get hyped up for reasons I stated before. Fans have come to love Zelda so much over the years, so much that we now want the next one so badly. It's something comparable to the Harry Potter series. Readers of the series have become so infatuated with it, anything J.K. Rowling releases from this point on will get instant publicity.

But what is that thing? What is it that makes Zelda irreplaceable, what is it that sets the Zelda franchise apart from any other game series in the world?

I'd have to say it is the pure epicness and sense of adventure. At least, that's what it is for me. Zelda games are very well done, gameplay-wise, music-wise, and in many other facets. Many gamers just love the feeling Zelda brings to the table. At least, this is what I have experienced.

 

[Rytex]

Why is it so popular, you ask? Simple answer: It's the greatest series in gaming. Long answer: The series has had the best lineup and plot of games since the inception of video games. Sure, they've had a few embarrassments (like the CD-i games), but no one really counts those. Zelda is the series that set the foundations for the modern RPG, as well as the Hack'n'Slash genre of games. I can't think of any person who has played a Nintendo-made Zelda game and didn't go "Hey! This is a good game!"

However, there are those people out there who won't play it because they lump it together with the "nerdy" (I don't see them as nerdy at all) games, along with DnD (I don't play it, I'm making a point), a lot of MMORPGs, Final Fantasy, and pretty much every game Square Enix releases. BUT!!!, I think that some of these games are some of the best in video gaming too. For example, we have Final Fantasy VI and VII, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, and Lufia. The games that go under the "nerdy" category only got there because (and I quote from a Halo junkie) "Well, they're set in castle ages, with knights, magic, and weird weapons that belonged to people. Not to mention, [and here's the really sad part] there's no shooting or multiplayer. No game is fun unless you're competing against actual humans and not an easily-predictable AI."

That's just my opinion, backed up with some other peoples' opinions.

 

[SuperGleeok64]

(and I quote from a Halo junkie) "Well, they're set in castle ages, with knights, magic, and weird weapons that belonged to people. Not to mention, there's no shooting or multiplayer. No game is fun unless you're competing against actual humans and not an easily-predictable AI."

Whoever said that dissed several great series namely the Elder Scrolls series. (And of course LoZ and 'technically' FS\FSA was multiplayer :3. Also did you make him play AoL I woulda so made him play AoL)


I like LoZ because it is one of the few games now that doesn't involve shooting (Still love Metroid though but that is mostly due to my next point) and it is so fun to explore this different land. Also LoZ is one of those games that calms you down, because you are alone. Though it can be 'easy' at times the land is varied and not separated into 'Levels' and once you start playing there is almost no load time. (Load time is one of the things I hate in games) So yeah those are the reasons why Zelda is popular IMO (Though the last one doesn't really prove anything >.>)

 

[illmatic]

I think because the series has always revolutionized video games. If you go back to the first Zelda game on the NES, it was the first open-world nonlinear game to ever be released. This really influenced the way games were designed and changed everything. Then you get to Ocarina of Time and how that game influenced games during the time, being the first 3D open-world game. It's still considered by many to be the greatest game of all-time. Most Zelda games have always tried something outside the box to great success. Majora's Mask and it's time travel gameplay, Twilight Princess and it's motion controls, etc.

The Zelda series has been consistently good with every release and has remained popular throughout it's history. That's what caused it to reach legendary status. It would be pretty hard to find anyone under the age of 40 who hasn't heard of Zelda, even non-gamers.

 

[MidnaOfTheTwili]

Zelda's just so amazing I'm having trouble putting it into words, but I'll try.

Every game is different, it keeps you interested. Although, they still keep to the same basic line that everyone knows and loves. Link saves the day But they all have their own twists and turns, ups and downs, happy scenes and sad scenes, romantic, funny, sad, but all still amazing.
It's full of personality and character. Every game introduces a new character that you either grow to love or grow to hate. But each one adds such a spark to the game to make it all the more awesome. But they still keep all the new characters that we've become so attached to, Link and Zelda.
The temples and dungeons. Ayyy, so full of puzzles and monsters and challenges that make you really have to think, sometimes outside the box. Makes you think and strategize, sometimes introducing all new tactics and all new enemies.
It's always changing, but it's always the same. <3