![\"Cartoon](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_286025935-e429.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe Legend Of Zelda is older than many of its fans (Nintendo)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tThe Legend Of Zelda is older than many of its fans (Nintendo)<\/p>\n
As The Legend Of Zelda<\/a> celebrates four decades of thwarting the forces of evil a reader looks back at his time with the games and hopes for another 40 years of Hyrulean entertainment.<\/p>\n If this gets shown on Saturday it will be the 40th anniversary of The Legend Of Zelda<\/a> \u2013 my favourite video game series of all-time. I wasn\u2019t old enough to play the original when it first came out, and apparently it took nearly two extra years to get released in the UK anyway, but ever since A Link To The Past on the SNES<\/a> I\u2019ve loved the games.<\/p>\n People often comment on how there aren\u2019t many Zelda clones and I think that speaks to how magical and unique they are. You don\u2019t put together a Zelda game in a few months, like you would a racing game or shooter, these aren\u2019t simulations, these are interactive fantasies like no other.<\/p>\n I guess I must\u2019ve played A Link To The Past around about 1993, so that game has been with me for a long time. I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve replayed it and yet I never get bored with its perfect mix of puzzle and exploration and how it manages to have so many memorable characters, despite the simple storytelling and a main character that doesn\u2019t speak.<\/p>\n I think it\u2019s because the other games have kept this same formula over the years that they\u2019ve remained so high quality and popular. A lot of them are very different, especially Breath Of The Wild<\/a> and Tears Of The Kingdom<\/a>, but it\u2019s still the exploration, the freedom, and the charm that\u2019s the most important thing. It doesn\u2019t matter what the game\u2019s gimmick is or what the story is, what\u2019s important is how it leaves you to live your own adventure as Link.<\/p>\n Writing this down I realise that it\u2019s not just the games I remember but what I was doing at the time. A Link To The Past was a Christmas present and I remember unwrapping it. Ocarina Of Time<\/a> I was older and I remember a friend mocking me because the N64 was for \u2018kids\u2019 and then having to admit that, actually, Zelda was really good.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tExpert, exclusive gaming analysis\t\t\t<\/p>\n Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter<\/a> for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.<\/p>\n By the time of The Wind Waker<\/a> I had a girlfriend and she actually liked the game, which made me realise games weren\u2019t just for loveless nerds. For Twilight Princess<\/a> I remember I was only a few months into my first decent job and by the time I was playing Skyward Sword<\/a> I was married!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n So Zelda really is something that\u2019s followed me through for my whole life, so it\u2019s great that all the memories are happy. Breath Of The Wild was a bit garbled though, because we had our first kid at the time, but they were already interested in watching Tears Of The Kingdom (they really like the horses).<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know anymore than anyone else where the series is going in the future, but it\u2019s never let me down before so I will absolutely be there to experience it. Especially as it\u2019s one of the few games my wife likes to watch and even my daughter seems interested in.<\/p>\n Much as I love them, that\u2019s not something I can say about other favourites like Resident Evil<\/a> and Elden Ring<\/a>, so I think there\u2019s a lot to be said about a set of games that are not only very highly quality but can be appreciated by just about anyone, no matter what they think about video games<\/a> in general.<\/p>\n So I just want to thank Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma, Koji Kondo, and everyone else that has helped to make the series what it is and who gave me, and millions of other fans, so many happy memories. I\u2019m sure Zelda will be around in another 40 years and with a bit of luck so will I, so I can get to appreciate the continued evolution of the best video game franchise in the world!<\/p>\n By reader Rhion<\/p>\n \t\t The reader\u2019s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.<\/p>\n You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.<\/p>\n Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk<\/a> or use our Submit Stuff page<\/a> and you won\u2019t need to send an email.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_286025931-509f.jpg\")
\n\t\tA Link To The Past is a true classic (Nintendo)<\/p>\n
\nMORE: A Game About Digging A Hole reader review \u2013 Reader\u2019s Feature<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: God Of War Trilogy Remake is a bad idea and makes me worry for the franchise – Reader\u2019s Feature<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: I bought a Wii U instead of a PS4 or Xbox and I never regretted it – Reader’s Feature<\/a><\/p>\n