1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: show to take with you on your journey through history 4 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: because it's dangerous to go alone. I'm Gabeluesier, and in 5 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: this episode we're looking at how a sword swinging elf 6 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: in a green cap and tunic became a video game 7 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: icon and change the course of the budding industry forever. 8 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: The day was February twenty first, nineteen eighty six. The 9 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: original Legend of Zelda video game was released in Japan 10 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: for the Fammikom disc system. Known in its native country 11 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: as Zelda no Den Setsu The High Rule Fantasy, The 12 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: game became a breakout hit all over the world, launching 13 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 1: what's now one of the most successful and beloved video 14 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 1: game series of all time. The real life story of 15 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: the Legend of Zelda began with the childhood memories of 16 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: the game's creator, renowned designer Shagiru Miyamoto. Born on November sixteenth, 17 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty two, Miyamoto grew up in the scenic Snobi 18 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: Prefecture of Kyoto. He spent much of his youth exploring 19 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: the surrounding countryside, wandering the forests descending into caves and 20 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: trekking through the mountains. Occasionally he even stumbled across a 21 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: forgotten shrine or the overgrown pathway to a hidden village. 22 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: Those early life adventures stuck with Miyamoto, so two decades later, 23 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: when he was looking to create a new kind of 24 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: game for the Famicom disc system, he decided to make 25 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: one that would capture the same sense of thrill and 26 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: wonder he had felt as a young explorer. Plus one problem, though, 27 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: recreating the vast spaces he had traversed as a child 28 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: was a tall order for the technology of the time. 29 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: Nintendo's then current hardware, the eight bit cartridge based Fammycom, 30 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: also known as the Nintendo Entertainment System, wasn't up to 31 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: the challenge on its own. Luckily, the company was preparing 32 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: to release a new add on for its home console, 33 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: the Fammycom Disc System, capable of reading floppy disks. The 34 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: peripheral allowed designers to create bigger, longer games than those 35 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: that could fit on a standard cartridge. This meant they 36 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: could program more enemies, items and bosses, more complex behaviors 37 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: and backgrounds, and, most importantly, for Miamoto, larger game worlds. 38 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: The disc's memory could also be rewritten in real time, 39 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: allowing players to save their progress and pick it up later. 40 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 1: The save function would make its debut in the Legend 41 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: of Zelda, but it quickly became an ind industry standard, 42 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: replacing the need for the clunky password systems of old. 43 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: During initial development, Miyamoto built a two player prototype focused 44 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: on level creation. One player would craft their own sprawling 45 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: maze or dungeon, and once it was finished, a second 46 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: player would explore their friend's creation. However, the designer quickly 47 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: realized that the exploration was the most fun part, so 48 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: he shifted focus and began building an expansive world for 49 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 1: players to journey through. This new approach called for more 50 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: narrative elements than Miyamoto had first envisioned. He teamed with 51 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: co director and writer to Kashi Tezuka and came up 52 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: with a fairytale like story inspired by medieval folklore and 53 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: fantasy novels such as J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord 54 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: of the Rings. The game's plot, which was only laid 55 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: out in the manual, follows a young swordsman named Link 56 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: as he embarks on an epic quest to repair the 57 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: shattered tri Force of wins Wis and to rescue the 58 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: kidnapped Princess Zelda from the clutches of the maniacal Gannon. 59 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: If you've never played the game before, you'll be forgiven 60 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: for assuming that Zelda was the game's protagonist. But while 61 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: she does assume a more active role in later games, 62 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: she doesn't factor all that strongly into the original. Aside 63 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: from the title, the name Zelda was chosen in reference 64 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 1: to the famous novelist and painter Zelda Fitzgerald, who was 65 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 1: also the wife of the writer F Scott Fitzgerald. Apparently, 66 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 1: Miyamoto and his team weren't all that familiar with her 67 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: life or work, but they like the sound of her name. 68 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: As for the name of the actual protagonist, Miyamoto later 69 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: explained that he was called Link because he serves as 70 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: the connection or link between the player and the game. 71 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 1: To help Link achieve his goals, the player must guide 72 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: him across the various deserts, planes, forests, and cemeteries that 73 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: make up the Kingdom of High Rule. Along the way, 74 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 1: they have to face off against all manner of fearsome monsters, 75 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: including the dog like Moblins and the skeletal Stalfos, while 76 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: also keeping an eye out for secret paths and hidden items. Remarkably, 77 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: Miamoto and Tezuka developed the Legend of Zelda and the 78 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: original Super Mario Brothers simultaneously, and despite that overlapping timeline, 79 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: the games couldn't be more different. Mario was straightforward and 80 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: fast paced, while Zelda was meant to be played more leisurely, 81 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: with the player's progress directly tied to their patience and 82 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: problem solving ability. Much of the game's challenge stemmed from 83 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: just how little information it provided up front. The story, instructions, 84 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: and map are all confined to its manual, so if 85 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: you started up the game without consulting it, as the 86 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: vast majority of children did, it was really up to 87 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: you to figure out where to go and what to do, 88 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: and that was no easy task considering that the game's 89 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: overworld consisted of one hundred and twenty eight different screens, 90 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: not to mention several underground labyrinths complete with their own 91 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: mazes of rooms, hidden treasures, and boss fights. Players who 92 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,919 Speaker 1: know all the tricks and secrets can now complete the 93 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: game in just an hour or less, but for first 94 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: timers it could easily take you ten hours or even longer, 95 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: adding to the game's enormous sense of scale was its 96 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: unique top down perspective, which gave the player a bird's 97 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 1: eye view of High Rule and for a final touch 98 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: of epic scene setting, Nintendo's in house composer Cogi Condo 99 00:06:39,080 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: provided the game's stirring theme music Take a listen. Miyamoto, Tezuka, 100 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: and the rest of the design team put everything they 101 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: had into the Legend of Zelda. The result was as 102 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: grand and immersive an adventure as Miyamoto had imagined, a 103 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: whole little world of mysteries, puzzles, and danger, but the 104 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: bosses at Nintendo worried that the game might be too 105 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: opaque for players used to simple, rapid fire arcade games. 106 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: In fact, during pre release testing, many players lost their 107 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: way in the games twisting dungeons and grew frustrated with 108 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: the lack of a clear cut objective. Still, Miyamoto refused 109 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: to water down the difficulty, believing that the non linear 110 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: aspects of the game would encourage players to work together 111 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: and share tips in order to make progress. That said, 112 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: Miyamoto also had concerns about how the game would be received, 113 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: As he later reflected quote a world of swords and 114 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:03,559 Speaker 1: magic really wasn't considered mainstream at the time. I really 115 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: didn't expect the response I got. The Famicom disc system 116 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: didn't prove very popular and was never released outside of Japan, 117 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: but the Legend of Zelda was a different story. It 118 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: was by far the add on's strongest seller when it 119 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 1: launched on February twenty first, nineteen eighty six. The game 120 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: was then re released for the Fami kam a year 121 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: later on a cartridge that utilized a stronger memory chip 122 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: and battery powered RAM to make up for the reduced capacity. 123 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 1: The American version of the game was released about six 124 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: months after that in August of nineteen eighty seven, this 125 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: time sporting an eye catching gold colored cartridge to stand 126 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: out from the standard gray. The Legend of Zelda went 127 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: on to sell more than seven million copies worldwide, and 128 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: while many of its players did experience the frustration of 129 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: getting lost on the world map, they also discovered the 130 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: satisfaction of finding their way eventually. In the decades since, link, 131 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 1: Zelda and Gannon have returned for dozens of adventures on 132 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: Nintendo consoles, from the Super Nintendo and the Game Boy 133 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: all the way to the Nintendo Switch. The three DS 134 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:19,199 Speaker 1: and whatever comes next. In that time, there have been 135 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: many changes to the game's graphics and gameplay, including the 136 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: shift to a three D perspective and a stronger focus 137 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: on puzzle solving. But through all the different takes on 138 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: the series tried and true formula, the core experience remains 139 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: Miamoto's boyhood inspiration, the joy of exploration and the thrill 140 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 1: of discovery. I'm Gabe Lucier and hopefully you now know 141 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 1: a little more about video game history today than you 142 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:53,319 Speaker 1: did yesterday. You can learn even more about history by 143 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:58,680 Speaker 1: following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI HC Show, 144 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 1: and if you have any feedback to share, feel free 145 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 1: to pass it along by writing to this day at 146 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays for producing the show, 147 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: and thanks to you for listening. I'll see you back 148 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: here again tomorrow for another day in History Class.