25 Years of Zelda

On this day 25 years ago, The Legend of Zelda marked its debut in Japan for the Nintendo Entertainment System (with a U.S. release the following year).

While it may look crude now, it's easy to forget that, at the time of the game's release, it was the beginning of a series that would sell 59 million units worldwide. With inter-connected worlds and dungeons that were so huge in relation to other titles it was the first NES game that required its own internal battery so users could save their progress.

The scale and open-ended approach to game design - with players able to progress through the game in a non-linear fashion revolutionized gaming, so much so that by the time the original cartridges were finally taken off store shelves, The Legend Of Zelda had sold over 8 million copies worldwide.

Spawning MANY sequels including upcoming Wii adventure, Skyward Sword, and a host of other media - the cult classic animated series, manga, toys, board games and more... Happy Birthday Link and Zelda!