The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda is a Japanese video game franchise created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka for Nintendo, beginning with the original The Legend of Zelda in 1986, which follows a recurring hero generally named Link as he sets out across the fantasy kingdom of Hyrule to rescue Princess Zelda and defeat the demonic Ganon, using items, puzzle solving and open world exploration that made the original game an early and influential example of action adventure game design. Across dozens of main and spin off installments released over nearly four decades, the series has repeatedly reshaped the genre, including Ocarina of Time in 1998, widely cited among the greatest video games ever made, and Breath of the Wild in 2017, credited with redefining open world game design for the era that followed it. The franchise has expanded into manga, an animated television series, orchestral concert tours and extensive merchandise, and its recurring musical themes, composed principally by Koji Kondo, are among the most performed video game music in the world.