Link first appeared in 1987, in The Legend of Zelda. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto (The man also responsible for bringing you Mario and Donkey Kong.) The name Zelda had no hidden meaning, it's the name of F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife. Miyamoto simply liked the sound of the name.

The first game, The Legend of Zelda, took place from an overhead three-quarters perspective. You guide Link across an expansive overworld and through the depths of nine separate dungeons. The world of Hyrule was filled with hidden passageways and caves, and Link needed all his skills and abilities to uncover its secrets. Link used an inventory of useful items in his quest for the eight pieces of the Triforce. Before its release, gamers had not seen a game with such a nonlinear, detailed, and expansive world. The game game didn't have much game play, it just introduced characters for later games.
         At the center was our hero, Link, our princess, Zelda, and our villain, Ganon. Also present was Zelda's retainer, Impa- an elderly woman. And although not technically a "character," the Triforce, a power that binds Hyrule together. Interestingly, only the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Wisdom were mentioned in the first title. The third Triforce (Courage) would not be introduced until a later time.

In the second game, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (released December 1988) the game was turned into more of an RPG that the first managed to do because of the success of games such as Final Fantasy. It also introduced a side perspective for battles, caves, and temples. Link was twice as tall as his previous game and could jump. As the game progressed, he was able to learn techniques, like an upward-and-downward slash. This change in perspective and control gave the Adventures of Link a platformer-like feel, like Super Mario Bros. The introduction of RPG elements was evident. "Enemies" were visible on the map before battle, and when Link touched them he went to a separate "battle" screen. Killing enemies earned experience points that could be used toward life, magic, or attack statistics.
        With Link's new bag for his inventory, which played an important role in keeping you alive, Link was also becoming a magician, he was now able to use different types of defensive, and attack magic's.

The third release, The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past (released April 1992) was released for the Super Nintendo along with Super Mario World. Surprisingly to the creator Link nearly beat out Mario in sales. But it wasn't close though. The new release had a three-quarters-perspective view, a heart-based life system, a large inventory of useable items, and a series of puzzle-filled dungeons. Best of all, Ganon had returned, setting the stage for another epic confrontation between good and evil. The power of the Super Nintendo, let Miyamoto realize his world and characters as never before and create what is still many gamers' favorite title in the series.
         Link to the Past's world revolved around the interplay of the Light World of Hyrule and the Dark World of the Golden Land. While the concept of two parallel worlds was not a new one, never before had two independent (yet intertwined) worlds been created with such thorough attention to detail. The interplay between the two dimensions set a new standard in adventure-game puzzle design. Several new items and magic spells were added to this game such as the hookshot which allowed you hook onto a distant block and pull yourself to safety above whatever pits or perils might have lain below. Also Pegasus shoes let link dash, Zora's flippers let him swim, and the gloves let him lift and throw heavy rocks/objects.

Also in 1992, Nintendo was deep in talks with both Sony and Philips regarding development of a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo to release an independant three part trilogy (Not dealing with the main srotyline/ focus of this page.) named Link: Faces of Evil, Zelda: Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda's Adventure. The games were eventuall released on the Phillips CD-I system. (From the looks of the screen shots and systems sales; I think Playstaton would have been a better partner.)

The fourth game The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Released August 1993) This game was released for the Gameboy simply to increase sales. Link's Awakening featured a massive overworld with a lot of dungeons. The game play was equal to that of its console "big brothers." Moreover, some of the new features and characters were so advanced that they would return for the legendary Zelda 64. The Game was re-released with the Gameboy Color to again increase sales.
          Another reason Link's Awakening was so enjoyable was its complete failure to take itself seriously. One of the townsfolk informed you that he was going to need rescuing later on, so you had to keep an eye out for him. The "trading game" of item-swapping involved things like Yoshi dolls, banana bunches, and tins of dog food. Best of all, more than a few characters from Miyamoto's "other" title, Super Mario Bros., show up; Goombas and Piranha Plants populate the dungeons, while Marin and Tarin looked more than slightly like Princess Peach and Mario.

The fifth Zelda game, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Released November 1998), Miyamoto intended to take the series beyond what even the most die-hard fans dared to imagine. Zelda 64 would be the polished representative to one of video games' most respected series - if not the entire video-game industry's. Nintendo announced that Zelda 64 would be the largest cartridge ever produced at 256 megabits. The game itself not only met but exceeded the nearly unattainable expectations of the media and gaming masses. Perfect scores for the title were not uncommon. One industry publication declared Zelda 64 the "Game of the Millennium"; another called it the "best game of all time."
        This game was made so great because every environment was rendered with fantastic depth and attention to detail. The dungeons were stocked full of sliding-block puzzles, walkways of the Forest Temple, & the many-leveled layout of the Water Temple were lifelike. The game play was consistent; from exploring and fighting to mini-games like archery and fishing, every aspect of Zelda 64 was a joy to behold. Innovations like C-button item selection and Z-targeting enemy lock-on made Zelda 64 something totally different from previous 3D adventures.

The sixth Zelda Game to grace the US was be scheduled to release Fall 2000, It's titled Legend of Zelda: Mask of Mujala.
The plot line is kind of simple yet interesting (One day, while exploring a forest, Link finds a masked stranger named Stalkid who guides him through a door to another world. Link immediately notices two things about this new world. First, the moon is exceedingly large. Second, it's getting larger by the day - it's on a collision course with the planet.) One of the additions is a new onscreen gauge that is believed to measure time. The game unfolds in quasi-real time; with a deadly planetoid on a collision course with the ground, there's no time to dawdle. The title will also require the 4 Meg Expansion Pak. According to Miyamoto, the enhanced memory lets the developers display more enemies, present better enemy artificial intelligence, and create more advanced special effects.

While Shigeru Miyamoto worked on Legend of Zelda: Mask of Mujala, Nintendo and the Makers of Resident Evil made three Zelda games to sale the Game Boy Color called the Tale of Power, the Tale of Wisdom, and the Tale of Courage; the three can be played in any order to fulfill the mission that you must undergo in the "Saga."

The last known planed release of Zelda (As of 4-30-02) is the seventh release named Ura Zelda, or "Underneath/ Another Zelda," is a notorious vaporware project that may never be finished. When Zelda 64 was moved to cartridge, work began on a Zelda Gaiden for the 64DD. Eventually, however, Zelda Gaiden was split into two games: Mask of Mujala, for cartridge, and Ura Zelda, for the 64DD. While Zelda Gaiden uses a revamped game engine and features an all new dungeon set and world, Ura Zelda offers new goals and quests within the world and dungeons of Zelda 64. Its focus will be on dungeons and temples - the "underground" of Zelda's world. It may also support the Game Boy Camera, letting you put your face onto one of Link's masks. Unfortunately, release information has gone from scarce to nonexistent. "Whether or not we release it," says Miyamoto, "we are still working on the game." Not the best words we've heard.

Link Cameos:

In 1989, Link made an odd cameo in the Nintendo Cereal System. It featured "fruity" Super Mario Bros. on one side and, on the other, you had the "berry" Legend of Zelda cereal.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
After completing the game, Cranky Kong challenges you to collect the one DK Coin in each level so Diddy can prove his worth as a game hero. The ranking screen has a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place podium. As you get more coins, you advance up the podium, displacing the previously present "winners." Link begins at 2nd place, but disappears once Diddy collects enough coins.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
If Mario sleeps overnight at the Rose Town Inn, he'll find Link asleep in one of the beds.

Super Smash Bros.
Link appears in Nintendo's franchise mascot fighting game. In addition to a variety of sword slashes, Link brings his boomerang, bombs, and the hookshot to the arena. Link's stage is Hyrule Castle, and the music is an arrangement of the original Legend of Zelda theme.

Tetris
If you can complete Level 9, Height 5 in Nintendo's Tetris for the NES, a variety of Nintendo characters serenade you with a victory song. Link is among them.

The Legend of Zelda TV series:

       Yes, even Link had his own TV series. Every Friday afternoon: an episode of the Legend of Zelda! This 13-episode series starred Link, Zelda, Ganon, and Link's fairy, Spryte (foreshadowing of Navi?). Link was a sarcastic braggart who was always trying to steal a kiss from Princess Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda Comic:

         In 1990 Link was put into a comic, called The Legend of Zelda Comic. Although it was short-lived it, but each of the issues released featured two ten-page stories and a handful of one- or two-page stories. The few sporadically released issues were similar in appearance and tone to the television show.