The Legend of Zelda — All Versions in Chronological Order

Zelda no Densetsu

• Release Date — February 21, 1986
• System — Famicom Disk System
• Format — Floppy Disk

The game that started it all, The Legend of Zelda would first appear on the Japan-exclusive Famicom Disk System as Zelda no Densetsu. The title’s size and scale would make great use of the extra memory of the console’s “Disk Cards”, which were 112 KB floppy disks. Zelda‘s popularity and acclaim spread fairly quickly, causing Nintendo to search for a way to bring it and other Famicom Disk System games over to the West on the NES using the standard ROM cartridge. Thanks to the invention of a new memory chip that could be powered with an internal lithium ion battery, this became possible by the end of 1986, paving the way for The Legend of Zelda to make it stateside.

The Legend of Zelda

• Release Date — August 22, 1987
• System — Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
• Format — Cartridge

Just over a year after the title’s launch on the Famicom Disk System, American gamers in the West would get their hands on The Legend of Zelda via its port to the NES. The title retains all the content of the original version thanks to an internal, battery-powered memory chip within the cartridge. Speaking of the cartridge, the NES version of The Legend of Zelda is notorious for its shiny gold cartridge and eye-catching gold box, both of which would help the game become a best-selling NES title. By 1988, The Legend of Zelda had sold more than 2 million copies, making it one of the most popular games on the NES and a major factor in helping Nintendo establish a foothold in the Western console market.

The Legend of Zelda 1

• Release Date — February 19, 1994
• System — Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom)
• Format — Cartridge

After releasing on both the Famicom Disk System and NES, Famicom owners in Japan would get a standard cartridge version of The Legend of Zelda in 1994. This version of the game is nearly identical to the original Famicom Disk System release with one notable exception. This re-release of the game was marketed as The Legend of Zelda 1. As such, the title screen to the 1994 Famicom version features a slightly different title screen that adds in the number “1” after the Japanese characters for Zelda no Densetsu. Otherwise, this is just the same classic Legend of Zelda in a more readily available format.

Animal Crossing

• Release Date — December 14, 2001
• System — GameCube
• Format — miniDVD Optical Disc

Following the Famicom re-release in 1994, it would be 7 years before the original Legend of Zelda would show up on a Nintendo system again. However, this release of the classic title comes not as an official port but as a secret hidden within another first-party game. The original Animal Crossing on GameCube (discounting the Japanese-exclusive original version on Nintendo 64) allows for players to unlock an NES console as an item in their house, as well as unlock full versions of classic games to play on it within Animal Crossing. If players use an Action Replay, it’s possible to unlock the full version of The Legend of Zelda that lies within Animal Crossing‘s code. Without an Action Replay, though, there’s no way to access this version of the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition

• Release Date — November 14, 2003
• System — GameCube
• Format — miniDVD Optical Disc

Coinciding with the release of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in the West, Nintendo would release a special compilation of the Zelda series. Not only does The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition contain the original Legend of Zelda and Zelda II, it also houses the first re-release of Ocarina of Time along with its formerly 64DD-exclusive Master Quest version. Fans who decided to preorder Wind Waker received the Collector’s Edition as a bonus, prompting the disc to fetch high prices through secondhand resellers on sites like eBay. While The Legend of Zelda is available on plenty of other platforms, the Zelda: Collector’s Edition is one of two places where players can experience Ocarina of Time‘s Master Quest (with the other being Ocarina of Time 3D on the 3DS).

Classic NES Series: The Legend of Zelda

• Release Date — February 14, 2004
• System — Game Boy Advance
• Format — Cartridge

One year after the release of the Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition, Game Boy Advance players would get a Zelda port. 2004 marked Nintendo’s launch of the NES Classics Collection on Game Boy Advance. These titles represent some of the NES’ most classic games, retailing for $20 on the GBA. Along with titles like Excitebike, Castlevania, and Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda would be one of the earliest releases in the collection. Interestingly, this version is not a port of the NES original. Instead, Nintendo would use the updated version of the game from the Collector’s Edition as the basis for the GBA port. As a result, there are some differences in translation between the GBA and NES releases.

The Legend of Zelda

• Release Date — November 19, 2006
• System — Wii
• Format — Digital (Virtual Console)

One of the Wii’s main selling points would be its Virtual Console. Allowing players to immediately fire up classic games from their Wii’s home screen was a stroke of genius, positioning Nintendo as a frontrunner of online digital marketplaces and helping Wii owners pad out their game library at launch. Of course, one of the handful of titles available on day 1 was The Legend of Zelda. Again, this version of the game emulates the code of the Collector’s Edition release.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Vault

• Release Date — January 31, 2008
• System — Wii
• Format — Wii Optical Disc (DVD)

The Wii features not one, but two instances of The Legend of Zelda being available on the console. While players can experience the full version via purchasing it through the Virtual Console, there is another version. Within Super Smash Bros. Brawl‘s museum-like Vault mode, there is a timed demo for The Legend of Zelda. This version of the game is a time-challenge that allows players to experience an altered, bite-sized piece of the title. And, unlike The Legend of Zelda‘s appearance in Animal Crossing, players don’t need a cheat device to access it.

The Legend of Zelda

• Release Date — July 5, 2012
• System — Nintendo 3DS
• Format — Digital (Virtual Console)

The original Legend of Zelda would arrive on the Nintendo 3DS’ Virtual Console not long after the system’s launch. Surprisingly, though, it would end up being part of a later crop of games available on the handheld. This version, like all other versions on the various Virtual Console services, is based off the GameCube re-release that’s part of the Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition. Notably, this is the only version of the title to make use of the 3DS’ stereoscopic 3D visuals.

The Legend of Zelda

• Release Date — August 29, 2013
• System — Wii U
• Format — Digital (Virtual Console)

The final Virtual Console release of The Legend of Zelda is the Wii U version, arriving in late 2013. This version is similar to the Wii Virtual Console release and removes the 3D visuals of the 3DS version. Players can suspend play but cannot return to previous suspend points, meaning the Wii U Virtual Console does not have traditional “save states”. Once again, this version of the game is the same as the version included in The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition.

NES Classic Edition

• Release Date — November 11, 2016
• System — NES Classic Edition
• Format — Digital/Emulation

Ahead of the launch of the Nintendo Switch, the company would promote and launch a collectible “mini” console collecting 30 classic titles that players could plug-in and play on their TV or monitor. The NES Classic Edition (as well as the Famicom Classic Edition in Japan) would prove to be hugely popular, selling out in a matter of minutes and becoming incredibly hard-to-find items. For those lucky enough to grab one, the NES Classic Edition contains several noteworthy NES games, including The Legend of Zelda. This version of The Legend of Zelda is the first official release to include “save state” functionality, allowing players to save or suspend play at specific points and return to it later.

The Legend of Zelda

• Release Date — September 19, 2018
• System — Nintendo Switch
• Format — Digital (Nintendo Switch Online)

In September 2018, Nintendo launched the Nintendo Switch Online service for its hybrid console. Along with the introduction of the Switch’s first official online functionality, Nintendo provided a bonus for subscribers in the form of specially curated collections of classic games. Unlike the company’s previous Virtual Console services, players cannot selectively purchase individual games. Instead, players have access to increasingly varied collections of classic games depending on their Switch Online subscription tier. A basic subscription gets players access to the NES library (among a few other systems), which includes The Legend of Zelda.

The Switch also is home to certain “Special” editions of classic NES games in its Switch Online library. The “Special” version of The Legend of Zelda on the Switch is wholly unique, giving players every item and 255 Rupees (a full wallet) right from the start of the adventure.

Game and Watch: The Legend of Zelda

• Release Date — November 12, 2021
• System — Game and Watch
• Format — Digital/Emulation

The most recent official port of The Legend of Zelda comes courtesy of the title’s 35th anniversary. As part of the Zelda franchise’s anniversary celebration, Nintendo released a special version of its Game and Watch consoles. This handheld device containsthe original Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, and Link’s Awakening DX. Additionally, there are several unique functions exclusive to the Zelda Game and Watch. These include bonuses such as Zelda-themed clocks and screen savers. Additionally, the handheld includes both the NTSC and JP releases of each title.