On this day 35 years ago, the legendary adventures of Link and Zelda in the land of Hyrule began in Japan!

Indeed, 21 February 1986 marks the official Famicom release of The Legend of Zelda – a top-down action adventure. The original game saw the young warrior Link travelling across Hyrule to rescue Princess Zelda from the evil Ganon, which requires players to obtain fragments of the Triforce from 8 dungeons.

The series would go on to become a mainstay Nintendo franchise just like the Super Mario Bros. series, with multiple sequels and follow-ups to come. Link’s first foray into 3D, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, is still celebrated to this day for perfecting the use of “lock on” targeting during in-game battles – so much so that it was eventually remade for the 3DS system in 2011. Each new Legend of Zelda game launching after that would continue to see much praise from fans, ranging from the bizarre Majora’s Mask to the grisly Twilight Princess.

Of course, 2017 would see the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – the series’ first true open-world adventure where players can explore Hyrule however they please.

While Nintendo hasn’t exactly announced any major plans for the series’ 35th birthday yet, fans will be able to look forward to the Switch release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD – which depicts the earliest story in the complicated Zelda timeline. Additionally, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is still in active development.

Here’s to another 35 years of adventures in Hyrule! Happy Birthday, The Legend of Zelda!

What are your most favorite games or memorable moments from The Legend of Zelda franchise? Feel free to share below!