The Legend of Zelda is…well, legendary–it’s one of the most famous game franchises of all time, and the second most famous Nintendo one after a certain series involving a plumber. And Zelda turns 25 today, having been launched on February 21st, 1986 in Japan with the release of the original Legend of Zelda in Japan.
As is his wont, tech historian Benj Edwards is celebrating the anniversary by remembering some of the stranger Zelda sidelights of the past quarter century, from versions in odd formats (an edition broadcast by satellite!) to the inside story on where the game got its name. Come along and explore its history with him in this slideshow.