The Legend of Zelda Review: The Franchise That Made Me Choose Hyrule Over Mario, Sonic, and Everyone Else
The Legend of Zelda Review: The Franchise That Made Me Choose Hyrule Over Mario, Sonic, and Everyone Else
There are great video game franchises.
Then there is The Legend of Zelda.
For forty years, Nintendo’s legendary fantasy adventure series has managed something almost impossible in gaming: it has stayed relevant across multiple generations while constantly reinventing itself without losing its identity.
While many kids grew up choosing between Mario, Sonic, Donkey Kong, Kirby, star fox,
megaman, Crash Bandicoot, or whatever mascot happened to be dominating the console wars that year, Zelda became my favorite franchise and never really let go.
The reason was simple.
Zelda didn’t just feel like a game.
It felt like an adventure.
The Game That Started It All For Me
My personal favorite remains The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
For many gamers, it was the perfect Zelda experience.
The music.
The pixel art.
The Light World and Dark World mechanic.
The dungeons.
The secrets hidden under every rock, bush, and wall.
It was one of those rare games where exploration felt magical because the game constantly rewarded curiosity.
You weren’t simply running from point A to point B.
You were discovering Hyrule.
Even today, many fans still consider A Link to the Past one of the greatest video games ever created, and it’s easy to see why.
A Franchise Built On Reinvention
What makes Zelda unique is that Nintendo rarely makes the same game twice.
The original The Legend of Zelda created the formula.
The Adventure of Link experimented with RPG mechanics.
Ocarina of Time changed gaming forever by helping define modern 3D adventure design.
Majora’s Mask became one of gaming’s strangest and darkest masterpieces.
The Wind Waker embraced a beautiful cel-shaded art style years before the industry appreciated it.
Twilight Princess delivered a darker, more mature fantasy experience.
Skyward Sword explored the origins of the entire mythology.
Then Nintendo completely rewrote the rules with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and later The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, creating some of the most critically acclaimed open-world games ever made.
Most franchises survive by repeating themselves.
Zelda survives by evolving.
More Than Just Video Games
One reason Zelda remains such a cultural icon is that it has expanded far beyond gaming.
There have been comic books, manga series, strategy guides, toys, collectibles, animated adaptations, orchestral concerts, merchandise, and decades of fan-created content.
The lore surrounding Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, the Triforce, Hyrule, and the recurring cycle of heroes and villains has become one of the richest fantasy universes in entertainment.
Few gaming franchises have inspired this level of devotion.
Yes… There Was A Cartoon
The often-forgotten animated television series The Legend of Zelda remains one of gaming’s strangest pieces of history.
Was it cheesy?
Absolutely.
Did Link constantly say, “Well excuse me, Princess”?
Also yes.
But for many kids growing up in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was their first chance to see Hyrule outside of a game cartridge.
It may not have the prestige of modern animation, but it’s become a beloved piece of Nintendo nostalgia.
The Future: The Zelda Movie
Nintendo is finally bringing Zelda to live action.
The upcoming The Legend of Zelda is being directed by Wes Ball and produced by Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto alongside producer Avi Arad. The film stars Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link and Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda and is currently scheduled for a 2027 theatrical release.
After the success of Nintendo’s movie adaptations, expectations are understandably high.
The biggest challenge will be capturing the feeling that has made Zelda special for generations:
Wonder.
Adventure.
Discovery.
Why Zelda Beat Everyone Else For Me
I loved Mario.
I played Sonic.
I enjoyed Donkey Kong.
I spent plenty of time with Crash Bandicoot.
But Zelda always felt different.
Mario was fun.
Sonic was fast.
Crash was chaotic.
Zelda felt like stepping into another world.
Every new game felt like opening a storybook and discovering a new version of Hyrule.
That sense of adventure is why the franchise has survived multiple console generations while countless competitors have faded away.
Final Verdict
The Legend of Zelda isn’t just one of Nintendo’s greatest franchises.
It’s one of the greatest entertainment franchises ever created.
Whether your entry point was A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Breath of the Wild, or Tears of the Kingdom, the series has consistently delivered unforgettable adventures for nearly four decades.
For me, A Link to the Past will always be home.
But the real achievement of Zelda is that every generation gets its own Hyrule.
And somehow, after all these years, the adventure still feels magical.
Rating: 10/10
