26 years and counting

“Heroes fade eventually, but legends never die.” I know, it’s incredibly tacky to start a piece off with a quote, but this line has always had a special meaning for me. It’s specifically from a popular video game that has seen almost as many iterations as Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda.

Now in its 26th year, an iteration of the game has been on every console that Nintendo has produced, and some that it hasn’t. From the terrible Phillips CD-I to the original NES and onto the Wii and handheld 3DS, the game has evolved (as much as a non-living entity can) over the years into a truly remarkable adventure.

Despite the changes in the game over the years, there are a few key elements that have stuck through; you will always be playing Link (not Zelda; despite the name of the game, Zelda is the princess you’re trying to rescue), a hero that manipulates bombs, bows, boomerangs and a host of other weapons including a magical sword to destroy evil across the land. Along the way you’ll meet some unsavory boss fights, and sometimes make a wish upon a series of golden triangles known as the Triforce.

There has been a long-standing argument amongst the fan base about the history of the Zelda games, and in what order the story plays out. Last year, Nintendo finally laid the question to rest by releasing a comprehensive document stating that the game for the Wii is the first game in the storyline, and that there are multiple storylines now in existence due to the time swapping nature of the first game for the N64. But even with finally laying the argument to rest and explaining how there is a hero named Link, a princess named Zelda, and a villain named Gannon in nearly every game when the story plays out over literally thousands of years, my personal favorite event for the celebration of this story is happening this weekend in Minneapolis.

This year the “Symphony of the Goddess,” a reference to the Skyward Sword game that was released last year, has been touring the nation making stops in various cities to bring the music of the games to the masses in a style that can only be done through classical expertise. It’s going to be a spectacular event that I hope I have a blast at (no bomb joke intended). I would suggest that anybody who has even a passing interest in video games take a look at the games and see if there’s something to fit their style. And if you do find a game to play, remember that, “it’s dangerous to go alone, take this sword with you.”

Stanley is a senior majoring in computer science.