LCD games from The Legend of Zelda series

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LCD games are electronic games played on an LCD screen. Since the release of the Zelda Game & Watch game in August 1989, several LCD games based upon the theme of The Legend of Zelda have been licensed by Nintendo to be released for both Japanese and foreign markets. While Zelda (Game & Watch) was both developed and manufactured by Nintendo, later LCD games would only be licensed by Nintendo. The Legend of Zelda game watch (October 1989) is an LCD wristwatch game produced by Nelsonic as part of their Nelsonic Game Watch series, and Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce [lower-alpha 1] is an LCD [1] fighting video game licensed by Nintendo [2] and produced by Epoch Co. for the Barcode Battler II [lower-alpha 2] platform, and released only in Japan.

Contents

Game & Watch: Zelda

Zelda
Zeldagameandwatchcover.jpg
Cover of the Zelda Game & Watch.
Developer(s) Nintendo Research & Development 1
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Platform(s) Game & Watch, Nintendo Mini Classics
ReleaseGame & Watch
Mini Classics
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

The Zelda [5] Game & Watch (model number ZL-65) [6] is a multi-screen Game & Watch system developed by Nintendo and released in North America in 1989. [3] Its gameplay was heavily inspired by Nintendo Entertainment System game Zelda II: Adventure of Link , and it featured an original story described on the manual.

Unlike the other LCD games, this was made by Nintendo and appeared on a Nintendo platform. The handheld console would be Nintendo's penultimate release before the release of the Game Boy (the last being Mario The Juggler ).

Gameplay

Players control Link and fight through labyrinth chambers on the Game & Watch's lower screen. In the labyrinth chambers, Link faces Poe-like Ghosts, up to four Stalfos, and a Moblin-like Goblin mini-boss. [7] Stalfoses and Ghosts cannot be defeated and must be dodged and blocked with the shield respectively. The Goblin must be killed in order to complete the lower-screen labyrinth. [5] Once the Labyrinth is complete, stairs appear and the action shifts to the Dragon's Lair in the upper screen. Here Link battles a dragon on the right hand side of the screen while avoiding its fire and tail attacks. The left hand side of the screen displays the dungeon map and items such as the Tomahawk item [5] —unique to this game—that Link gains while fighting the dragon. [7] Upon defeating the dragon, the game starts again with quicker enemies and retaining the player's high score. [3] This Game & Watch game also features a continue button that allows players to continue the game in the event of the player's death. [7]

Plot

Eight unruly dragons are creating havoc in the world. After they kidnap Princess Zelda, it is up to Link to defeat them and rescue the princess. [3] The dragons have imprisoned Zelda behind a seal that requires all 8 pieces of the triforce to unlock. After defeating each dragon, Link gains one piece of the triforce. [5]

Development and release

The Zelda Game & Watch was developed by Gunpei Yokoi and Nintendo R&D1.

Reception

Zelda is thought to have pushed the limits of what is possible on the Game & Watch LCD format, though the gameplay is far simpler than the NES original. [3] The game was noted in particular by Famitsu as having achieved the excitement and role-playing game-feel of the original series, but the game was criticized for being too easy if the player attained too many power-ups during play. [7] Retro Gamer rated it Number 5 in their "Perfect Ten Games" for Game & Watch, noting that "it did capture the feel of the world it was played in". [8]

Today the game frequently fetches high prices on the secondary market with auction values ranging from £25 to £60. [6]

Ports and re-releases

In 1998, Toymax Inc. was licensed to make the Mini Classics series, keychain-sized remakes of the Game & Watch series, one of them being Zelda. It has a significantly smaller screen size. This keychain version, along with Oil Panic and Donkey Kong, was only released in Europe. By early 2007, Stadlbauer and It's Outrageous! began distributing the Mini Classics version in select locations within the United States, using art from A Link to the Past and Four Swords Adventures .

In October 2002, Nintendo included a port of the game as a hidden unlockable extra in Game & Watch Gallery 4 for the Game Boy Advance. This Zelda minigame is the most difficult to unlock, requiring the player to have beaten all other games (and to have earned all 160 stars). [9] Due to limitations of the GBA hardware, the visuals were changed. To fit everything on-screen at once, the screen where the action is not taking place is reduced to about two-thirds of that of the original height.

The Legend of Zelda (Game Watch)

The Legend of Zelda
Zeldawatchgamebox.jpg
The Legend of Zelda game watch box.
Developer(s) Nelsonic Industries
Publisher(s) Nelsonic Industries
Platform(s) Nelsonic game watch
Release
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

The Legend of Zelda [12] game watch is a multi-purpose wristwatch made by Nelsonic (re-released for European markets by Zeon in 1992) as part of their Game Watch line. [13] It tells the time and allows players to play a game. It runs on one battery, size #364 (black watch) or #392 (red watch). The game is based on the NES's original The Legend of Zelda , and it was manufactured in black, red, white and pink colors.

Gameplay

The player controls Link as he defeats enemies in caves to retrieve pieces of the Triforce. The game consists of four levels with four cavernous rooms each. In each cave, Link has to collect a boomerang and sword to defeat several enemies. Defeating all of the enemies in the cave grants Link a key to the next room which, on entering, causes Link to lose all of his weapons so that he can collect them again in the new cave. Once all enemies in the fourth cave are killed, the Dragon—the level's boss—appears. After Link defeats the Dragon, a Triforce fragment appears, giving him access to the next level. After collecting all four pieces of the Triforce, the game ends. [12]

Plot

Plot details for the game are scant to nonexistent. According to the manual, Link enters a cave where he is immediately attacked by Iron Balls, Ferocious bats, and fire breathing Dragons. [12] After obtaining weapons to defeat the enemies presented in each of the 4 caves per level, Link finds a key and fights the fire-breathing Dragon that serves as the boss of the level. [14] When the Dragon is defeated he leaves Link with a piece of the Triforce. After progressing through all 4 levels, Link collects all 4 pieces of Triforce and wins. [12]

Reception

The game was well received by critics for its stylishness as an article of clothing, but the game was considered to have been largely unsuccessful in evoking the original NES title. While the game was praised for its ability to give the illusion of multiple screens, the gameplay was criticized for its simplicity and the game as a whole was found to be "unrelated to its namesake" and generally "very poor". [13] Positive aspects touched on by reviewers included the game's relatively low price and its portability. [11]

Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce (Barcode Battler II)

Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce
BBII TLoZ KnT.jpg
Cover art for Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce (Barcode Battler II).
Developer(s) Epoch Co.
Publisher(s) Epoch Co.
Platform(s) Barcode Battler II
Release
Genre(s) Fighting
Mode(s) Single-player

In 1992, Epoch Co. was licensed to print a series of Nintendo-themed cards for their Barcode Battler II platform. Card sets were printed with both Mario and Zelda themes. [15] Functioning similarly to an LCD e-Reader, the Barcode Battler II required players to swipe barcodes printed on cards across a visual input in order to enter characters, enemies, items, and spells into the console. The Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce set features 30 software-only cards, [lower-alpha 3] [16] and is based on the SNES's original The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past .

Gameplay

Played in the C2 mode on Barcode Battler II, Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce set allows the player to play as either Warrior or Wizard. After choosing the hero card (either "Link" or "Link(Magic)"), the player scans it into the Barcode Battler II where its stats are recorded and displayed on the LCD screen. For each battle, the players choose an enemy and swipe it in to fight against the hero. The battle is conducted based on an algorithm within the Barcode Battler, and the results of the fight are displayed in new character stats on the LCD screen. If the enemy is defeated, the enemy card is discarded and the next enemy card is swiped in. At any point between fights, the player may choose to swipe in and discard one of the ten item cards. Item cards provide a variety of benefits to the hero including boosting weapon stats, restoring life, and increasing defensive stats. Discarded item cards may be returned to the player from the discard pile upon defeating a Wizard enemy. After all other enemies are defeated, the player must swipe the "Ganon" card to fight the final boss. If Ganon is defeated, the player has won. [17] [ citation needed ]

Plot

Ganon has transformed the sacred land into the "World of Darkness" and is now plotting to take over the "World of Light" (i.e. Hyrule). To achieve this end, the evil priest Agahnim strives to sacrifice the daughters of the seven sages to break the seal holding Ganon in check.

Link must venture through the Worlds of Light and Darkness to defeat Ganon. Along the way numerous puzzles and monsters await. [18]

Reception

Both the Zelda no Densetsu card set and the Mario card set were released as Nintendo-licensed special-edition cards for the Barcode Battler II. The system itself was popular in Japan, [19] [20] inspiring the creation of a comic book series as well as the commission of products for Falcom and NTV.

Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda

Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda
The legend of Zelda - 35deg anniversary.jpg
Developer(s) Nintendo
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Composer(s)
Series The Legend of Zelda
Platform(s) Game and Watch
Release
  • WW: November 12, 2021
Genre(s) Action-adventure, compilation
Mode(s) Single-player

Nintendo released the limited edition Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda unit featuring a full-color pixel screen, fully playable NES/Famicom versions of both Japanese and international of The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link , Game Boy version of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening in various languages, and a new Zelda-themed variant of Vermin which looks very different from the Zelda (Game & Watch).

The size and shape of the external hardware is similar to the original Game & WatchWide Screen series, but with the addition of a cross-shaped d-pad like the one featured in the Zelda (Game & Watch). This unit was released on November 12, 2021. [21] [22] The Game & Watch has a very similar concept to the Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. , but it instead has 4 games and unlike the Mario one, it has a useable and playable clock and timer, a hidden game difficulty for the Game and Watch Game, and a light on the back of the handheld in the shape of the Triforce.

Notes

  1. Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 神々のトライフォース
  2. Japanese: バーコードバトラーII
  3. Japanese: 専用カードソフト

Related Research Articles

<i>The Legend of Zelda</i> Video game series

The Legend of Zelda is a high fantasy action-adventure video game franchise created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Capcom, Vanpool, and Grezzo. The gameplay incorporates action-adventure and elements of action RPG games.

Universe of <i>The Legend of Zelda</i> Fictional universe

The Legend of Zelda is a video game franchise created by Japanese video game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is mainly developed and published by Nintendo. The universe of the Legend of Zelda series consists of a variety of lands, the most predominant being Hyrule. The franchise is set within a fantasy world that is reminiscent of medieval Europe and consists of several recurring locations, races and creatures. The most prominent population in the series are the Hylians, a humanoid race with elfin features, that are identifiable by their long, pointed ears. The game world is accompanied by a detailed fictional lore that contains a creation myth, several constructed languages, the most prominent being Hylian, and a fictional universal currency called the rupee. Most games in The Legend of Zelda series follow a similar storyline, which involves the protagonist Link battling monsters to save Princess Zelda and defeat an evil villain, which is often the series' main antagonist, Ganon. Nintendo developed the fictional lore into a complex timeline that spans across the series and chronicles thousands of years of fictional history.

<i>The Legend of Zelda</i> (video game) 1986 video game

The Legend of Zelda, originally released in Japan as The Hyrule Fantasy: Zelda no Densetsu, is a 1986 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The first game of The Legend of Zelda series, it is set in the fantasy land of Hyrule and centers on an elf-like boy named Link, who aims to collect the eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom in order to rescue Princess Zelda from the antagonist Ganon. During the course of the game, the player controls Link from a top-down perspective and navigates throughout the overworld and dungeons, collecting weapons, defeating enemies and uncovering secrets along the way.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past</i> 1991 video game

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the third game in The Legend of Zelda series and was released in 1991 in Japan and 1992 in North America and Europe.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker</i> 2002 video game

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is a 2002 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. An installment in The Legend of Zelda series, it was released in Japan in December 2002, in North America in March 2003, and in Europe in May 2003.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons</i> and <i>Oracle of Ages</i> 2001 video games

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages are two action-adventure games in the Legend of Zelda series, developed by Flagship. They were released in 2001 for Nintendo's Game Boy Color handheld console and re-released on the Virtual Console for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013. The games make up the seventh and eighth installment in the Zelda series.

<i>Zelda II: The Adventure of Link</i> 1987 video game

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is an action role-playing video game with platforming elements developed and published by Nintendo. It is the second installment in the Legend of Zelda series, and was released in Japan for the Famicom Disk System on January 14, 1987—less than one year after the Japanese release, and seven months before the North American release, of the original The Legend of Zelda. Zelda II was released in North America and the PAL region for the Nintendo Entertainment System in late 1988, almost two years after its initial release in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triforce</span> Fictional artifact in The Legend of Zelda series

The Triforce is a fictional artifact and icon of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series of video games. It first appeared in the original 1986 action-adventure game The Legend of Zelda and is a focus of subsequent games in the series, including The Adventure of Link, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, The Wind Waker, Skyward Sword, and A Link Between Worlds. The Triforce consists of three equilateral triangles, which are joined to form a large equilateral triangle. In the lore of the series, it represents the essence of the Golden Goddesses who create the realm of Hyrule and is able to grant godlike power to the character who holds all three pieces. The Triforce also represents the three main characters of the series, Ganon, Zelda and Link, and their inherent qualities in the battle between good and evil. Due to its prominence and significance within the mythology of the Zelda series, the Triforce has received positive comments for being a widely recognisable symbol in gaming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Zelda</span> Video game character

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Link (<i>The Legend of Zelda</i>) Video game character

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ganon</span> Video game character

Ganon is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series and franchise, as well as the final boss in many Zelda titles. A massive and malevolent creature, he first appeared in the original game, The Legend of Zelda (1986), and has since appeared in the majority of the games in the series. Ganon is the archenemy of the protagonist Link and the leader of the Gerudo, a race of humanoid desert nomads. In his Gerudo form, from which he can transmogrify, he is known as Ganondorf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Master Sword</span> Fictional weapon in The Legend of Zelda series

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barcode Battler</span> Handheld game console by Epoch Co.

The Barcode Battler is a handheld game console released by Epoch Co. in March 1991.

Satellaview games from <i>The Legend of Zelda</i> series 1995 video game

Between August 6, 1995 and May 30, 1999, Nintendo, in collaboration with St.GIGA, broadcast three different The Legend of Zelda titles to fans for download via the Super Famicom's Satellaview subsystem. BS Zelda no Densetsu, BS Zelda no Densetsu: MAP2, and BS Zelda no Densetsu: Inishie no Sekiban all featured SoundLink narration which was the first time that Nintendo-sponsored Zelda titles made use of voice-actors to provide vocal tracks. As the first SoundLink Game released via Satellaview, BS Zelda no Densetsu in particular was identified by Nintendo as the world's first integrated radio-game. Also broadcast during this time, starting on March 2, 1997, was a non-SoundLink port of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, known as Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce in Japan. Broadcasts of Kamigami no Triforce continued periodically throughout the tenure of Nintendo's partnership with St.GIGA, after which St.GIGA independently broadcast the game until May 29, 2000.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds</i> 2013 video game

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. The game is an installment in The Legend of Zelda series and a spiritual successor to the 1991 Super Nintendo Entertainment System game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Officially announced in April 2013, A Link Between Worlds was released in Australia, Europe, and North America in November. A month later, it was released in Japan as The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods 2.

<i>Hyrule Warriors</i> 2014 video game

Hyrule Warriors is a hack and slash video game developed by Omega Force and Team Ninja for the Wii U video game console. The game is a collaboration between Koei Tecmo and Nintendo, mixing settings and characters from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda with the gameplay of Koei's Dynasty Warriors series. Hyrule Warriors was released in Japan in August 2014, and worldwide the following month. It became one of the best-selling games on the Wii U. An updated port, Hyrule Warriors Legends, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in January 2016 and worldwide in March of the same year. A second enhanced port, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. A successor, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, was released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch in November 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's dangerous to go alone!</span> Video game quotation

"It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." is a quotation from the 1986 video game The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is spoken by an unnamed old man, met in the cave at the start of the game, who gives the player-character Link a sword to aid his quest to defeat Ganon and rescue Princess Zelda. The quote has been referenced in video gaming and other media, has become an Internet meme, and has been established in pop culture.

Characters of <i>The Legend of Zelda</i>

The Legend of Zelda is a high-fantasy video game series created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments have been outsourced to Capcom, Vanpool and Grezzo. The series' gameplay incorporates elements of action, adventure and puzzle-solving games.

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