History VideoGame / TheLegendOfZeldaI

###Level 7: The fifth dungeon's boss, Digdogger, returns for a miniboss battle and sports three Digpuppies instead of one. This is followed later on by another trio of Dodongos. Finally, the boss of this level is Aquamentus, the boss of the first dungeon without any changes.

** Pols Voices are much harder to deal with outside Japan. This becomes most apparent in the second quest, where they appear before the bow. As mentioned elsewhere, its vulnerability to sound refers to the microphone the Famicom has but the NES doesn't, and they take a ''lot'' of sword hits and are clustered together. Since you're supposed to talk into your controller and watch them die, not fight them, they become ''terrible'' enemies where that doesn't work (for instance, the 2021 Game & Watch release has no microphone, so the Pols Voice has ''neither'' weakness in the Famicom version). Later games do make them vulnerable to musical items (ironically, without hinting at it, meaning that you're supposed to remember this game and try something that ''didn't work!'')

** In the original Famicom Disk System version, Pol's Voice can be instantly defeated with the microphone on the second controller. This function is emulated on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Virtual Console versions, which have dedicated microphones -- but ports on systems that don't have microphones sometimes get creative in emulating it. On the Game Boy Advance version, it's pressing Select four times; on the Wii Virtual Console, it's rotating the right stick on a Classic Controller, or the C stick on a [=GameCube=] controller; on Nintendo Switch Online, it's holding either L and ZL, or R and ZR; on the Game & Watch version, it's holding Select for a few seconds.

[[JustForFun/DescribeTopicHere It's Dangerous to Describe The Legend of Zelda Here Alone! Take This.]]

Both the original adventure and the "second quest" would eventually be remade as ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaISatellaview'', an enhanced version for the UsefulNotes/{{Satellaview}} [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Famicom]] add-on with new dungeon layouts and voice acting. This version of the game is notable for being the first game to allow the player to play as Princess Zelda.

* TheCameo: According to the Japanese instruction booklet, Digdogger and Manhandla are respectively a Unira from ''VideoGame/CluCluLand'' and a Piranha Plant from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros'' (incidentally, Rupees use Ingot sprites from the former).

** [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking The opening storyboard contains several spelling and grammar errors]], most infamously, "Many years ago Prince Darkness Gannon stole one of the Triforce with Power", which originated the misspelling "Gannon". However, this is present in the Japanese version, too. The localizers simply didn't bother to correct it! This was at least addressed in the GBA port, which retransmitted the scroll to be more comprehensible.

The story, as told through an [[BlindIdiotTranslation Engrish]] title scroll (later revised in re-releases) is about [[EvilOverlord the evil wizard Ganon]], who has stolen the Triforce of Power and kidnapped Princess Zelda, holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. To keep it from falling into Ganon's hands, Zelda [[DismantledMacguffin split her share of the Triforce into eight pieces]] and [[GottaCatchEmAll stashed them]] in {{dungeon|Crawling}}s across Hyrule. Link, the hero, must gather the pieces [[LockedDoor to enter Ganon's lair,]] recover the Triforce of Power, and SaveThePrincess. Unlike in later games, there is little dialog, other than [[InfallibleBabble vague hints]] given by [[YouALLLookFamiliar various old men]], and not much in the way of {{sidequest}}s.

** [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking The opening storyboard contains several spelling and grammar errors]], most infamously, "Many years ago Prince Darkness Gannon stole one of the Triforce with Power", which originated the misspelling "Gannon". However, this is present in the Japanese version, too. The localizers simply didn't bother to correct it!
* BoldInflation: The intro scroll makes liberal use of it, generally applying it to '''Names''' and '''Proper Nouns'''.

* RainbowSpeak: The intro, which highlights the main characters' names in its opening crawl.

Originally released as ''Zelda no Densetsu''[[note]]translation: "''Legend of Zelda''"; tagline: "''The Hyrule Fantasy''"[[/note]] for the Famicom Disk System's launch in Japan on February 21, 1986, before being released in cartridge form for the Famicom's western counterpart, the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, in North America a year and change later on June 30, 1987, and subsequently Europe in November 1987.

The NES release was notable for being the first game to use a battery-backed save feature, and was released, as a gimmick, in a gold cartridge rather than standard gray. This version was later released on a standard Famicom cartridge in 1994 as ''Zelda no Densetsu 1''.

The story, as told through an [[BlindIdiotTranslation Engrish]] title scroll (later revised in re-releases) is about [[EvilOverlord the evil wizard Ganon]], who has stolen the Triforce of Power and kidnapped Princess Zelda, holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. To keep it from falling into Ganon's hands, Zelda [[DismantledMacguffin split her share of the Triforce into eight pieces]] and [[GottaCatchEmAll stashed them]] in {{dungeon|Crawling}}s across Hyrule. Link, the hero, must gather the pieces [[LockedDoor to enter Ganon's lair,]] recover the Triforce of Power, and SaveThePrincess. Unlike in later games, there is little dialog, other than [[InfallibleBabble vague hints]] given by [[YouALLLookFamiliar various old men,]] and not much in the way of {{sidequest}}s.

* WhereItAllBegan: In the Satellaview remake, the final fight with Ganon takes place in the first cave where you got the wooden sword.

The first game in ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' franchise, the original ''Legend of Zelda'' was a top-down ActionAdventure HackAndSlash, with a very nonlinear setup. Originally released in 1986 as ''Zelda no Densetsu''[[note]]translation: "''Legend of Zelda''"; tagline: "''The Hyrule Fantasy''"[[/note]] for the Famicom Disk System's launch in Japan before being released in cartridge form for the Famicom's western counterpart, the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, in North America and Europe the following year. The NES release was notable for being the first game to use a battery-backed save feature, and was released, as a gimmick, in a gold cartridge rather than standard gray. This version was later released on a standard Famicom cartridge in 1994 as ''Zelda no Densetsu 1''.

* HardModeMook: Red Bubbles (which take away your sword permanently if they hit you) only appear in the Second Quest (that game's version of a Hard difficulty).

** The setting of Hyrule is desolate, barren of any towns and overrun by monsters. Aside from Link, Zelda, and Impa ([[AllThereInTheManual in the manual]]), the only other human inhabitants are an old man and woman that occupy various dwellings across the region, of which are well-hidden to protect themselves from the monsters. Because this is a truly open world, Link isn't obligated by the plot to follow the dungeons in any order (except the final dungeon, which he needs all the Triforce pieces before facing Ganon), and could access them once he obtains the proper equipment to traverse them.

%%* FlashOfPain: Both Link and the enemies, when hit.

* HereThereWereDragons: Unlike later games, magic (while it does show up) doesn't play a large role. The artbook ''Hyrule Historia'' officially calls the NES games "The Era of Hyrule's Decline", with the implication that the magical forces and artifacts of earlier eras had declined and largely vanished by this game's time.

* PyroManiac: Link has always had a thing for bombs, and this was the only game in the series (until the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle games]]) that required you to start several forest fires in order to progress, especially if you didn't have a guide telling you where to burn.

* TrialAndErrorGameplay: Due to graphical limitations, there's no clue as to which walls are bomb-able, which trees are burnable, and which screens have a "magic effect" when you blow the Recorder. Young Link is truly the most destructive fellow in Hyrule: in order to complete both quests (and particularly the second) you'll have attempted to destroy everything in the land. The original game came with a poster-size map of the overworld, so you could mark off your reign of terror as you went, and make notes of where the Quest 2 dungeons are found (the overworld has the same layout, but the dungeons are remixed).

* WantonCrueltyToTheCommonComma: The opening crawl really goes to town with quotation marks.

Both the original adventure and the "third quest" would eventually be remade as ''BS Zelda no Densetsu'', an enhanced version for the UsefulNotes/{{Satellaview}} [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Famicom]] add-on with new dungeon layouts and voice acting. This version of the game is notable for being the first game to allow the player to play as Princess Zelda.

* AbilityRequiredToProceed: Averted in this title, as most of Hyrule can be explored from the start, but prominent in the remake, ''BS Zelda no Densetsu'', where it interestingly combines with BrokenBridge. Certain obstacle-clearing items or events only appear or occur during certain broadcast weeks (for example, the Candle is needed in order to access the western portion of the map, but is only sold after the first week). One could wait until a later week and try to sequence break, but this defeats the purpose anyways, and the player only having one hour a week, or certain items becoming [[PermanentlyMissableContent unobtainable]].

* BookEnds: In ''BS The Legend of Zelda'' Ganon can be found at the same cave where the Old Man gives Link or Zelda their swords.

** Pols Voices are much harder to deal with outside Japan. This becomes most apparent in the second quest, where they appear before the bow. As mentioned elsewhere, its vulnerability to sound refers to the microphone the Famicom has but the NES doesn't, and they take a ''lot'' of sword hits and are clustered together. Since you're supposed to talk into your controller and watch them die, not fight them, they become ''terrible'' enemies where that doesn't work (for instance, the 2021 Game & Watch release has no microphone, so the Pol's Voice has ''neither'' weakness in the Famicom version). Later games do make them vulnerable to musical items (ironically, without hinting at it, meaning that you're supposed to remember this game and try something that ''didn't work!'')

* ParadiegeticGameplay: In the Famicom Disk System version, the pol's voice enemy is killed by yelling in the microphone in the Famicom's second controller. Each Japanese rerelease changes it so pol's voice can be killed with a different method, such as pressing Select 4 times in the GBA version, or pressing L and R to virtually "switch" to the second controller and yell into the 3DS's microphone in the 3DS version. In all English releases, including the NES version, the enemy is instead weak to arrows, as the NES does not have a microphone.

* ManEatingPlant: Peahat, Manhandla, and Leever are all different types - Manhandla is comparable to a very aggressive mobile venus flytrap, Leever is a blood-drinking cactus. It isn't clear exactly what Peahat is, but the manual says it's a type of plant.

* PermanentlyMissableContent: In the second quest, some of the old men in the dungeons ask for 50 Rupees, and if you don't have that, you must give up a HeartContainer. Not as in one unit of health, we mean ''one heart of your life capacity.''[[note]]You can attack the old man and wait for the resulting fireballs from his flames to kill you instead.[[/note]] In both quests, there are old men who offer you a choice between a Heart Container or a 2nd Potion. You can buy red potions, you can't buy heart containers. Potions are expendable. ''Always'' take the Heart Container.[[note]]Unless you're speedrunning or racing a randomizer and the potion is likely to help you finish more quickly, of course.[[/note]]

* PurposelyOverpowered: The game itself regards the Water of Life as this. This is why you need to show a Letter to the old woman, and the source of temptation over [[PermanentlyMissableContent passing on Container Hearts.]]

* StockSoundEffects: Aquamentus, Gleeok, and Ganon all use a pterodactyl roar lifted straight out of a Creator/HannaBarbera cartoon, just in low quality (and low pitch). Something similar may also apply to the noise made by Manhandla, Digdogger, and Patra.

* TrialAndErrorGameplay: Due to graphical limitations, there's no clue as to which walls are bomb-able, which trees are burnable, and which screens have a "magic effect" when you blow the Recorder. Young Link is truly the most destructive fellow in Hyrule: in order to complete both quests (and particularly the second) you'll have attempted to destroy everything in the land. The original game came with a poster-size map of the overworld, so you could mark off your reign of terror as you went, and make notes of where the quest 2 dungeons are found (the overworld has the same layout, but the dungeons are remixed).