Written by Joshua Gallegos
Hey there! This is the Open Worlds blog, a series celebrating the legends of gaming. We take time to study out what makes these games so special. In this lesson, we are going to discuss the fantastical world of Hyrule, transporting us back to the disco times of 1986. No, that’s not when The Legend of Zelda is set, at least not on this world. We’re introduced to the kingdom of Hyrule, a once fantastical land that is now destitute and beset by monsters. What makes Hyrule immediately intriguing is that it is so… complete. It feels like a whole, complete world, with a rich history, unique conflicts between species, and a strong set of historical figures and modern heroes. And that, students, is something to be noted, because it marked the first time in gaming history that a true, living, breathing world was delivered using the technology. Up until this point, video games were simply slapped together ideas with a thin plot to keep the gameplay going forward. But The Legend of Zelda was different. Very different.
Now you may say, big whoop, so it felt more lifelike, so what? It’s still just a video game.
Wrong.
The Legend of Zelda is one of the first titles that gave evidence of this medium’s potential. The powerful sense of storytelling it could bring that books and movies could not. Classic literature of old can only attempt to give the reader a sense of a living, breathing world, while video games can thrust a player into new realms almost immediately. The Legend of Zelda is the first game to crack this code, and truly grab players in a way that hadn’t been accomplished before. Suffice it to say, The Legend of Zelda is the Grandfather of Video Game World-building (a good note to take). And in this world, a little phenomenon happened that is wholly unique to video games—the subtle world pushed players to let their imaginations write the story. In fact, it was as if it was no longer the story of Hyrule, but rather the player’s story, and in so doing was personal, relatable, and powerful in a way that books and movies could never capture.
All this was done on the Nintendo Entertainment System, the first major home gaming system run by an 8-bit processor. Shigeru Miyamoto, famous video game developer and creator of The Legend of Zelda as well as Super Mario Bros., thought up the idea for the game while working for Nintendo. He modelled the experience around his childhood exploration of caves in Japan, using the limited technology to convey a feeling more than anything. And limited the technology was. Suffice it to say, today it looks very old. It’s two dimensional, pixellated, and lacking in colour. The rudimentary look would be laughed at if released in modern times. Yet even still today, if players put in the time, the world will begin to take on a life of its own despite these limitations. And that’s the power of video gaming, a power that The Legend of Zelda unlocked.
You play as Link (or you can name him something else if you want), a little elf-like hero who begins the game in the middle of a field. A small scroll of text explains the premise of the world of Hyrule and the conflict that currently plagues it, namely the invasion of a being called Ganon and his capture of Princess Zelda. With that information, the player prompts Link to move either up, down, left, or right, exploring a world screen by screen. As he does so, he runs into many different kinds of monsters, items, and the occasional hiding citizen of Hyrule. These citizens, often elderly, help the hero on his quest by giving him hints and information on the world’s dungeons.
Now, the dungeons of Zelda are an interesting part of the world itself. Dungeons were not unique to The Legend of Zelda, but they are and have been incredibly integral since their inception in the series from the very first title. They serve as elongated challenges for the player to conquer, solving minor puzzles and fighting enemies and bosses in order to obtain another piece of the Triforce and sometimes a new item. They follow a simple rule that video games always teach—if you put in the effort, you will be rewarded with what you seek. It’s a great lesson that can be applied practically to someone’s efforts in real life. If you put in the time and effort, you can accomplish much. And the beautiful thing about life is that it has so much more potential for reward than a game. Games like The Legend of Zelda just show us in an isolated space what exactly that looks like and the processes we can take to improve ourselves.
These dungeons serve as focal points that drive the player forward, deeper into a world full of intrigue, beauty, terror, and life. The dungeons are dark, with a chill in the air. Lurking behind the doors are large, drooling monstrosities that seek to destroy you. Outside, Link runs by a lake that shimmers with the sun’s vibrance. Out of the lake pops a fish-like creature that attacks Link, hurling stomach acids at the youth. Link escapes and finds himself staring upward at a stunning mountain. He finds sustenance there, and discovers that he can explore this mountain thoroughly for great riches. It’s these kinds of images and stories that are created again and again in The Legend of Zelda, thanks to its fantastic world. Miyamoto delivered on his dream to capture a feeling, a childhood wonder and fantasy that can hardly be replicated. Whole book series strive and fail to create a world as enthralling as the 8-bit world of Hyrule. And because of this, it will never be forgotten.
