Synopsis
The kingdom of Hyrule is under threat by the dark prince Ganon, who has captured Princess Zelda and stolen the Triforce of Power. In response, a young hero named Link sets out on a journey to rescue Zelda and recover the Triforce pieces, defeating enemies and solving puzzles across the land to confront Ganon.
Gameplay
The gameplay revolves around exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving in a top-down perspective. Link travels through dungeons, gathers items to progress, and encounters challenging foes, with the game rewarding resourcefulness and careful item use to navigate complex environments.
Prologue
The Tragedy of Princess Zelda
After the king's death, the new king—the prince—did not receive the crest on his hand, leaving the power of the Triforce he inherited incomplete.
The king's closest advisor, a wizard, suggested that Princess Zelda might know the cause of these events. Despite being questioned by both the wizard and her brother, the king, Zelda remained silent. The wizard, losing his temper, threatened to use magic to cast a spell that would make the princess sleep for eternity, but she steadfastly refused to reveal anything. After the wizard completed his spell, Princess Zelda collapsed where she stood.[1]
The Legend of Princess Zelda
Overcome with grief and regret for his actions, the young king placed his sleeping sister, Princess Zelda, on an altar in the North Castle, hoping she would one day be revived. To ensure that this tragedy would never be forgotten, a custom was established requiring every girl born into Hyrule's royal family to be named "Zelda." This story became the legend of the first Princess Zelda. The king changed his ways and ruled the land as best he could, but the kingdom continued to decline.[2]
A Kingdom In Decline
The Demon King has been defeated by heroes countless times in the past, but it is believed that he has been resurrected after many years. Leading a demon army, he invades Lesser Hyrule in search of the Triforce. No longer showing any sign of the man once known as the Great Thief, Ganondorf, he now confronts Link as a mindless demonic beast.[2]
Events
Princess Zelda Divides the Triforce of Wisdom
There came a day when the demon army led by the Demon King Ganon invaded Hyrule and stole away the Triforce of Power. The reigning Princess Zelda divided the Triforce of Wisdom, which was in her possession, into eight pieces, hiding them in different corners of the kingdom. She secretly ordered her nursemaid, Impa, to seek out the one with the courage to defeat the Demon King. Ganon, angered by her actions, captured the princess and sent his followers after Impa.[3]
Link Reunites the Triforce of Wisdom
Link, after much suffering, managed to locate the eight dungeons, collect the shards of the Triforce from within them, and complete the Triforce of Wisdom.[4]
The Demon King Is Defeated
Using the power of the Triforce of Wisdom, Link crushed the Demon King and saved Princess Zelda. %us, the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Power were restored, and, for a brief time, peace visited the kingdom of Hyrule.[4]
Hyrule Decimated
Even after defeating Ganon, Link remained in the kingdom and lent a hand to the reconstruction efforts. However, this was all for naught, as the land of Hyrule was again laid to waste by Ganon's underlings in a plot to resurrect him.[4]