LEGEND OF ZELDA SERIES

The Legend of Zelda (ゼルダの伝説, Zeruda no Densetsu?) is a fantasy video game series produced by Nintendo, and created by the celebrated game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. The gameplay consists of a mixture of action, adventure, role-playing, puzzle-solving, and occasional platforming and racing elements. The series is known for its beautiful and inspiring settings, creative gameplay, interesting characters, stirring original music, and high overall production values. It is widely considered one of the most influential video game franchises ever created, and has earned a spot as one of the company's flagship franchises alongside such notable series as Mario and Metroid. As of February 2007, The Legend of Zelda series has 13 official games released which have sold 47 million units[1].

Overview
Most games in The Legend of Zelda series feature a boy named Link as the central playable character and hero. Link is frequently called upon to rescue Princess Zelda, after whom the series is named. The main antagonist in the series is a powerful creature known as Ganon, sometimes appearing as Ganondorf (the more recent villain Vaati has appeared in multiple Zelda games as well). The action usually occurs in the land of Hyrule and involves a divine relic known as the Triforce, a set of three magically bound golden triangles of great power. In story terms, the earlier games did not deviate much from the standard "save the princess" theme, but later installments have diversified their plot and added twists and turns to the tale. One Zelda game, Link’s Awakening, did not feature Zelda at all (although she was briefly mentioned when Link mistook Marin for Zelda), and in Majora’s Mask, she was only seen in a flashback. The protagonist in each game is not always the same boy named Link, although occasionally the same Link is controlled across multiple games (see nature of the protagonist).Other times the Link from one game could be the Link from a previous game.
The games' fantasy world of Hyrule includes many different climates and terrains, and is home to many different races and tribes of monsters and sentient beings. There are significant geographical differences from game to game, but several distinctive features recur, such as the Lost Woods, Lake Hylia, and Death Mountain (including Spectacle Rock near the summit).
The Zelda games feature a mixture of complex puzzles, strategic action gameplay, and exploration. These elements have remained fairly constant throughout the series, but with refinements and additions featured in each new game. This successful formula has been a primary factor in making the Zelda franchise one of Nintendo's most successful game series. The player is frequently rewarded for solving complex puzzles or exhaustively exploring areas. The musical cue when finding a hidden treasure (or other secret) has become one of video gaming's most memorable themes.
Nearly every Zelda game involves locating and exploring dungeons while solving a variety of puzzles until reaching the dungeon's boss. Each dungeon usually has one special item hidden inside which will be required later in the game. Some items are found in almost every game, while others are exclusive to a single game (see weapons and items from The Legend of Zelda series). In the later games in the series, the item(s) found in each dungeon are usually used in some way to fight that dungeon's boss.
The Legend of Zelda was principally inspired by Miyamoto's explorations as a young boy in the hillsides surrounding his childhood home in Kyoto,[2] where he ventured into forests with secluded lakes, caves, and rural villages. According to Miyamoto, one of his most memorable experiences was the discovery of a cave entrance in the middle of the woods. After some hesitation, he apprehensively entered the cave and explored its depths with the aid of a lantern. This memory has clearly influenced Miyamoto's work, as cave exploration is a major element of most Zelda games. Other than Miyamoto's childhood, Norse and Japanese mythologies have played a large role influencing the series, as well as Medieval European culture. Miyamoto has referred to the creation of the Zelda games as an attempt to bring to life a "miniature garden" for players to play with in each game of the series.[3]
Hearing of F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife Zelda, Mr. Miyamoto thought the name sounded "pleasant and significant."[4] Paying tribute, he chose to name the Princess after her, and titled his creation The Legend of Zelda.

History
The first game, The Legend of Zelda, was first released in Japan in 1986, and in the United States and Europe in 1987. Though relatively simple by today's standards, it was quite advanced for its time. Innovations include the ability to use dozens of different items, a vast world full of secrets to explore, and the cartridge's ability to save progress via battery-backed memory. The game also features a "Second Quest", accessible upon completing the game, where the adventure can be replayed with a very slightly altered overworld and new, more challenging dungeons. Besides the game's technical innovations, the gameplay (finding items and using them to solve puzzles, battling monsters in real-time, and exploring a vast environment) was a successful formula and became widely copied. The game was wildly popular in Japan and North America, and many consider it one of the most important video games ever made. A modified version known as BS Zelda was released for the Super Famicom's satellite-based expansion, Satellaview, in the mid-1990s in Japan.
The second game, known as Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was released in July 1988, and was a departure from the concept of the first game. It exchanged the top-down perspective for side-scrolling and introduced RPG elements (e.g., experience points) not found in other Zelda installments. It is also the only Zelda title until Four Swords Adventures in which Link does not collect rupees. Because of these fundamental changes, many consider it the "black sheep" of the series.[5] Both this and its predecessor were notable for their gold-colored game cartridges, which stood out amongst the system's usual gray cartridges.
Four years later, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, returned to the top-down view (under a 3/4 perspective) and added the concept of an alternate dimension to explore, a land known as the Dark World. The game was released for the Super NES in 1991. It was later re-released for the Game Boy Advance on December 9, 2002 in North America, on a cartridge with Four Swords, the first multiplayer Zelda, and then on the Wii's Virtual Console on January 22, 2007. This game also had a Satellaview version that was later released in Japan, called BS The Legend of Zelda: Kodai no Sekiban.

The next game, Link's Awakening, was the first Zelda for Nintendo's Game Boy handheld, and the first to take place outside of Hyrule. It was re-released for the Game Boy Color in 1998 as Link's Awakening DX with some additional features, including an extra color-based dungeon and a photo shop that allowed interaction with the Game Boy Printer.
After another hiatus, the series made the transition to 3D with the installment Ocarina of Time which was released in November 1998. This game, initially known as Zelda 64, retained the core gameplay of the previous 2D games and became one of the most successful games of all time in both commercial and critical terms. It is considered by some to be one of the best video games ever made, and scored perfect scores in several video game publications, including the first 40/40 score in Famitsu (a prestigious Japanese gaming magazine).[6] It recently ranked by Nintendo Power as the best Nintendo game ever created.[7] The title was originally slated for the ill-fated, Japanese-only 64 Disk Drive, but was ported to a cartridge with the advancements in memory compression technology.[citation needed] Innovations include the use of lock-on targeting, a new gameplay mechanic that focuses the camera on a nearby target and alters the player's actions to be relative to that target. Such mechanics allow precision-based swordfighting in a 3D space and were a revolutionary development for the time.
Ocarina of Time saw a limited re-release on the GameCube in 2002 when it was offered as a pre-order incentive for The Wind Waker in the US. However, Europe continues to receive it free in every copy of The Wind Waker, except for the discounted Player's Choice version. Also included were parts of a previously unreleased 64DD expansion known as Ura Zelda. The disc was titled Ocarina of Time Master Quest. Ocarina of Time was ported again in a Collector's Edition Zelda compilation in 2003.
The follow-up title, Majora's Mask which was released in November 2000, used the same 3D game engine as the previous Nintendo 64 game (dropping the Fixed 3D elements), but added a novel time-based concept, leading to somewhat mixed reactions from series fans. It was originally called Zelda Gaiden, a Japanese title loosely translating to Zelda, Another Story. Gameplay changed significantly; in addition to a form of time limit, Link could use masks to transform into different creatures with unique skills. While Majora's Mask retained the graphical style of the landmark Ocarina of Time, it was also a departure, particularly in atmosphere. The game is much darker, dealing with death and tragedy in a manner not previously seen in the series, and has a sense of impending doom as a large moon slowly descends upon the land of Termina.
The next two games, Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, were released simultaneously for the Game Boy Color. The games were loosely connected, and by various means they could be combined to form a single extended story. They were developed in conjunction with Flagship under Capcom, with supervision from Mr. Miyamoto. The games were originally intended to be a trilogy known as The Triforce Trilogy, consisting of updated remakes of The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link, plus an original third installment. After consulting with Shigeru Miyamoto, however, the studio decided to make an all-new trilogy. When the password system linking three games proved too troublesome, the concept was reduced to just two titles. Fans initially criticized the Oracle series for "selling out" by copying the Pokémon strategy (two similar versions of a game coming out simultaneously to increase profits). Such claims faded when the games were released and their radical differences were noted. Oracle of Ages is often seen as a puzzle-based adventure while Oracle of Seasons is more action-oriented.[8] ‎

The next Zelda, for the GameCube, was initially believed to be a realistically styled adventure because of a technology demo shown at Nintendo's SpaceWorld expo in 2000. However, Nintendo later surprised many fans with the revelation that the new game, The Wind Waker, would be fully cel-shaded (a cartoon-like style of color design first seen in games such as Sega's Jet Set Radio). Initial fears that this would affect the quality of gaming experience were eased when the game was released to critical acclaim in Japan in 2002 and elsewhere in 2003. It features gameplay centered on controlling wind and sailing a small boat around a massive, island-filled ocean, and inventive puzzles requiring the use of NPCs.
Next in the series came Four Swords Adventures for the GameCube, which was released in the first half of 2004 in Japan and America, and in January 2005 in Europe. Based on the handheld Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures was another deviation from previous Zelda gameplay, focusing on multiplayer gameplay and "level-based" action (like many Super Mario Bros. titles). The game contains 24 individual stages and a map screen; there is no connecting overworld. For the multiplayer features of the game, each player is required to use a Game Boy Advance system linked to the Nintendo GameCube via a GBA-GCN cable. Although it focuses on multiplayer, the game also features a single player campaign in which using a Game Boy Advance is optional.
Four Swords Adventures is really two games in one: Hyrulean Adventure (with a storyline and action somewhat similar to a traditional Zelda adventure) and Shadow Battle (a free-for-all melee "battle mode" which pits Links against each other as the players struggle for dominance in Hyrulean arenas). The Japanese version includes a third segment, known as Navi Trackers (originally designed as the stand-alone game Tetra's Trackers), which is not included in any other incarnation of the title. Navi Trackers contains an important first for Zelda, as the game has spoken dialog for most of the characters.
In November 2004 in Japan and Europe, and in January 2005 in America, Nintendo released a new game for the Game Boy Advance, The Minish Cap. The central concept of The Minish Cap is Link's ability to shrink in size with the aid of a mystical sentient hat named Ezlo. While tiny, Link can see previously-explored parts of a dungeon from a new perspective, and enter new areas through otherwise impassable openings. Link is able to switch from big to small at special portals throughout the land, once again giving Link two "worlds" to play in.
In November 2006, Twilight Princess arrived as the first Zelda game on the Wii. During the following month, December 2006, it was released on the Nintendo GameCube as well. The new game once again strives for a realistic look, improved even beyond the aforementioned SpaceWorld demo. This game chronicles the struggle of a more mature Link to rid Hyrule of the "Twilight Realm", a mysterious force plaguing the land. When Link enters this realm, he transforms into a wolf and the gameplay shifts radically. Twilight Princess also relies heavily on horseback transportation and mounted battle scenarios (including boss battles).
Zelda DS was once rumored to be a new Four Swords game, but Nintendo later retracted those statements. Instead, at the 2006 Game Developers Conference a trailer for Phantom Hourglass for the Nintendo DS was shown. The trailer revealed traditional top-down Zelda gameplay optimized for the DS’s features, a cel-shaded graphical style directly recalling The Wind Waker, and a Majora's Mask-style feature which allows Link to turn back time with the use of the titular hourglass. At E³ 2006, Nintendo confirmed its status as a direct sequel to The Wind Waker, [9] and debuted an extensive playable demo including a multiplayer mode reminiscent of Pac-Man Vs. with "capture the flag" elements. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is scheduled to be released in 2007.

cr: Wikipedia

BIBLICAL VERSES

"Let all that you do be done in love."
- 1 Corinthians 16:14

"Rejoices with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."
- Romans 12:15

"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
- Leviticus 19:18

"Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor."
- Romans 12:9-10