The Legend of Zelda (universe)

The Legend of Zelda universe refers to the  series' collection of characters, stages, items, and properties that hail from Nintendo's long-running and famous The Legend of Zelda game series. It is a series of fantasy adventure titles produced by Nintendo throughout the company's history. It is widely considered one of the most influential video game franchises ever created, and has earned a spot as one of the company's flagship franchises alongside such notable series as ' and '. It has had over a dozen official titles which together have sold 47 million units, making it the 7th best-selling video game series ever. Its symbol is the Triforce, the sacred relic bestowed by the Golden Goddesses and a major plot element for certain The Legend of Zelda games.

Franchise description
As a young boy, Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto explored the hillsides and forests surrounding his home of Kyoto, Japan. One day, he found a cave entrance in the middle of the woods, and he explored its depths with the aid of a lantern. Miyamoto, after having created and established the successful Mario franchise for Nintendo later on, designed and released  for the NES in 1986, and the vivid memory of his past experience was clearly an influence on the game: cave and dungeon exploration was a major element in the game. For its time, The Legend of Zelda was quite advanced, featuring an open-ended game world to explore at one's leisure, puzzle-and-monster-filled dungeons to complete with dozens of pieces of equipment such as bombs, boomerangs, and a bow and arrow, and the cartridge's ability to save progress via battery-backed memory. The game was wildly popular in Japan and North America, and many consider it one of the most important video games ever made, because like Super Mario Bros. before it, The Legend of Zelda broke new ground into what a video game can be.

The Legend of Zelda was made into a full Nintendo franchise in the years afterward with the release of several follow-ups: 1988's radical action-RPG departure ', 1992's SNES entry ' (an especially highly revered game by the press), and 1993's Game Boy entry . After another hiatus, the series made the transition to 3D on the Nintendo 64 in November 1998's , which is lauded as one of the greatest adventure games ever developed. With a new, more realistic design for the characters, a giant game world with a darker, more narrative mood imparted onto the experience, and a lock-on-based 3D combat system that would serve as a model for 3D game design forever afterward, Ocarina of Time became one of the most notable games in both the series and the game industry in general. It is because of this that the characters and properties from Ocarina of Time are featured in ', and its direct sequel, 2000's ', is featured as well in .

After Melee, the Zelda franchise went into a radical new direction in art style for the 2003 GameCube release of , featuring cel-shaded graphics and a very different cartoon-like incarnation of Link. Fans were shocked initially but accepted the new style in good grace with the game's release. Since then the style has been continued in new releases such as ' for GBA, ' for the GameCube, and official Wind Waker continuation  for DS. However, the franchise's Wii launch title, , went back to a more realistic character and world design independent of the other games, featuring yet another Link redesign. With a lengthy development time, Twilight Princess was met with very glowing reviews and is considered perhaps the best Zelda experience yet. Partially as a result of this, the "Twilight Princess Link" is the incarnation of Link featured as a playable character in  and its eventual follow-up games.

A sequel to Phantom Hourglass titled  was released also for the DS in 2009. During the same year, the first and only original Zelda game for the Wii was announced, but the game's title would be revealed until next year on 2010, where it was named , and was to be the commemorative game for the 25th anniversary of the series. It picked a more realistic look but with a cel-shaded style, it was released on 2011. A remembrance for the traditional 2D Zelda games was made with  for the 3DS and is a follow-up for A Link to the Past. In 2015, a multiplayer The Legend of Zelda game called  was released for the 3DS and is the first game in the series with online cooperative multiplayer. A new The Legend of Zelda for Wii U was announced on 2014 that, after multiple delays, eventually released for both Wii U and Switch as , which broke many series conventions and allowed players to freely explore and experiment in an open world with little instruction. The game saw critical acclaim on a level comparable to Ocarina of Time before it.

Generally, each game in The Legend of Zelda series is a fantasy-adventure game with action and puzzle-solving elements. The player controls either a boy or young man named Link, garbed in green clothing and possessing some of the physical characteristics of an elf, and in many Zelda games Link is called upon (by divine forces at times) to rescue Princess Zelda and the fictional world of Hyrule from (usually) the series antagonist, a demon named Ganon (or alternatively an imposing man whose name is extended as Ganondorf). The action often involves a divine relic known as the Triforce, a set of three magically bound golden triangles of great power. One aspect of the franchise to make it notable, however, is that not many of the games in the series seem to share a chronology and continuity, and some games may not even take place in the same reality as other games in the series. In a sense, there are many different Links and Zeldas (even Ganon has had a different incarnation) found in the franchise, with different sets of these characters being associated with different games in the franchise.

The chronology of The Legend of Zelda series was subject of much debate among fans until an official timeline was released on the collector's book , which was originally released to coincide with Skyward Sword. Prior to its release, producers confirmed the existence of a confidential document, which connected all the games. Certain materials and developer statements once partially established an official timeline of the released installments. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a direct sequel to the original The Legend of Zelda, and takes place several years later. The third game, A Link to the Past, is a prequel to the first two titles, and is directly followed by Link's Awakening. Ocarina of Time is a prequel that takes the story many centuries back; it was meant to implicitly tell the Imprisoning War from the manual of A Link to the Past, with Majora's Mask directly following its ending. Skyward Sword is then a prequel to Ocarina of Time. Twilight Princess is set more than 100 years after Ocarina of Time.

The Wind Waker is parallel, and takes place in the other timeline branch, more than a century after the adult era of Ocarina of Time. Phantom Hourglass is a continuation of the story from The Wind Waker, and is followed by Spirit Tracks, which is set about 100 years later on a super-continent far away from the setting of The Wind Waker. At the time of its release, Four Swords for the Game Boy Advance was considered the oldest tale in the series' chronology, with Four Swords Adventures set sometime after its events. The Minish Cap precedes the two games, telling of the origins of villain Vaati and the creation of the Four Sword. A Link Between Worlds takes place six generations after Link to the Past. Important events that occur in the game include the Triforce being reunited, and Ganon being resurrected. Tri Force Heroes takes place some time after A Link Between Worlds featuring the same Link, who has changed his clothing to cover himself for heroic duties from the past.

In Super Smash Flash
As The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was picked as the representative for The Legend of Zelda in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Flash also picks after this games, featuring similar elements and designs for aforementioned games.

Characters

 * : A teenage sword-and-shield fighter with elven ears, a green tunic, and a long floppy cap, the Link from Ocarina of Time was formerly a young boy from a forest but was divinely chosen to oppress the future rule of Ganondorf by being transported seven years into the future, where he became a brave, capable warrior in his older form and wielded the Master Sword along with the Triforce piece of Courage and was assisted by Princess Zelda in the form of the mysterious Sheik to combat Ganondorf. Link is never heard speaking throughout the games, he is only heard grunting and yelling in his many battles. He fights in SSF with his various tools from Ocarina of Time.
 * : Zelda is unique in that she is the only character in The Legend of Zelda universe who can be replaced by another character in the mid of the battle, the nimble Sheik, so she is two characters in one. In Ocarina of Time, she and Young Link met as kids and Link went off on his journey, but Link was sealed away in the Temple of Time right as Zelda's nurse, Impa, fled Hyrule Castle and right before Ganondorf took over Hyrule. Seven years later, she assists the older Link under the alias Sheik, but later in the game, she reveals her true identity to Link, and Ganondorf immediately kidnaps her and enslaves her in his castle, and it is up to Link to save her and the rest of the world. As a fighter, Zelda strikes strong but not all that fast. Players often prefer to fight as her quicker counterpart Sheik.
 * : Sheik is the alter-ego to the slower and heavier Zelda, so she is two characters in one. In Ocarina of Time, Zelda must flee from Hyrule Castle as Ganondorf conquers it, and after seven years, Link returns, so Zelda uses her magic to alter her physical appearance and attire to conceal her identity, taking on a variant of the name of the Sheikah tribe. As Sheik, she explains to Link what happened to Hyrule during his absence and assists him in his journey to bring down Ganondorf by teaching him melodies for his Ocarina of Time that allow Link to teleport across Hyrule at will. Later in the game, Zelda decides to reveal her true identity to Link. Sheik is not selectable from the character select screen and can only be accessed by transforming from Zelda.


 * : A unlockable fighter that functions as a clone of Link. The Hero of Time starts out in Ocarina of Time as a young boy living in a forest settlement with a race of childlike men called the Kokiri, but he is a Hylian and is fated to embark on an epic journey across the land of Hyrule in a quest to defeat Ganondorf, who plans to take over Hyrule. Though brave, Young link is ultimately too young to be the Hero of Time worthy of wielding the Master Sword, so when he draws the Master Sword out of its pedestal in the Temple of Time, he is sealed away for seven years, to return as an older Link to a world where Ganondorf reigns supreme. As a fighter, Young Link is expectedly less strong and resilient than Link, but with added strength in some of his other moves.

Stages
Like most other franchises in SSF (except for Mario and  franchises, both having two), there is one Zelda-themed stage featured:


 * : Also known as Hyrule Wasteland, this stage is a customization like Peach's Castle and Emerald Hill Zone that never has appeared in any of the original Super Smash Bros.; it consist of a vast rock platform with several pillars holding other thin platforms. Also it appears in the fourth and seventh level of the Classic and the Adventure respectively.

Item
There is one The Legend of Zelda-themed item in SSF:


 * Heart Container: In almost all Zelda games, when Link defeats a boss, he wins one of these which increases his total life meter by one heart. As an item, any character who picks it up will restore 100% of his damage.

In Super Smash Flash 2
As a base franchise for the Super Smash Bros. series, representation from The Legend of Zelda came as no surprise revealed as being featured in Super Smash Flash 2.

Characters
From the roster of the first game, only Young Link is absent and did not return as a veteran character. To coincide with how The Legend of Zelda series is represented in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, characters base their appearance from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess., with some elements also taking inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.


 * : Link was the first veteran confirmed to return, being added in the demo version 0.4a. To correspond to his new appearance, some of his moves are also based on The Twilight Princess. Link now has the Gale Boomerang as his Side B, which will slightly drag the opponent towards Link upon its return. Link's Bow is now the Hero's Bow, though it seems to be identical in function, and Link can now charge his Spin Attack, but only while standing, not while in the air. Link's grab has also been changed to the Clawshot, which not only appears to be longer than the Hookshot, but also can be aimed at the nearest ledge when Link is recovering. His Final Smash is the Triforce Slash, which does heavy, prolonged, and concentrated damage towards one opponent.
 * : Zelda also returns from the last game, appearing for the first time in the demo version 0.9a along with Sheik. She is a slow, light character with attacks that deal great knockback. She retains her ability to transform into Sheik during battle and can be selected between the two on the character select screen. Zelda's Final Smash is Light Arrow, an imminence arrow shot influenced by light that she calls.
 * : Sheik returns as a playable character once again, and retains her ability to transform into Zelda during battle and can be selected between the two on the character select screen. She did not appear in Twilight Princess but her appearance has been based on a "Beta Sheik" that was meant to appear in Twilight Princess, but whose design was never seen by anyone except Eiji Aonuma and his development team. She still has her own moveset, but like Zelda, her Final Smash is Light Arrow.


 * : TBA

Stages
Super Smash Flash 2 has featured five stages representative of The Legend of Zelda franchise:


 * Clock Town: Based on the city of the same name that appears in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. It is a relatively small area consisting of two hard platforms at the sides and one soft platform in the middle. As the moon is about to crash on the town, the stage will be pestered by falling meteors. Tingle will occasionally appear hanging from a balloon, popping it will make tingle to fall.
 * Hylian Skies: The stage takes place of a floating island that floats above the world of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The layout is a landmass above the world map from said game that fades from the Light World to the Dark World periodically, flipping the stage horizontally.
 * Hyrule Castle: From Super Smash Bros., a stage that takes place on top of Hyrule Castle, which takes its design from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The stage is relatively large, consisting of three main platforms with 3 high soft platforms at the center and a tower on the right platform. Unlike its original appearance in Super Smash Bros., there is currently no tornado present that will launch players it makes contact with.
 * Skyward Voyage: On board Beedle's floating cabin, this stage soars the skies and places found on Skyloft and the lower world from Link's adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Players must be careful no to be left behind by the cabin or they'll get KO'd.
 * : A heavily revamped version of downgraded version from SSF. This does not necessarily represent a specific location in any Zelda game, though it does bear semblance to the temples in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It is essentially a generic depiction of the sorts of ruins that Link descends into and explores in many of his games. It is a gigantic stage, the largest seen thus far in Super Smash Flash 2. The cave-like paths lead on down the center-left of the stage represent the cave-like areas Link often explores in his games as well.

Items
As for now, four items are confirmed.


 * Cucco: Cucco is a small chicken that appears in nearly every Zelda game to date. It can be thrown like most other grabbable items. If the carrier jumps with it, the Cucco will start flapping its wings frantically slowing your descent. Also, if it is damaged enough, it will split into multiple Cuccos and one golden Cucco that attack you. That golden Cucco does more damage than the regular Cuccos.
 * Deku Nut: An item that, when attacked or explodes on impact with a wall, will cause a gas that will stun anyone in the vicinity. If thrown directly at a character, it will deal a good amount of knockback.
 * Gust Jar:
 * Heart Container: Returns from SSF essentially unaltered in its function of recovering 100% damage to the character who uses it.

Media with elements appearing in the Super Smash Flash series
The Legend of Zelda universe is among the most highly represented universes throughout the Super Smash Flash series, currently having a total of 12 games represented in some way.