Ever had that feeling that you really needed something, but you just couldn't put your finger on what it was? Because I have just stumbled upon such a thing, by pure chance, and I figured it might help some of you as well: the history of Zelda. And before you go sending me to Wiki or Google, why bother? When you can have one Eurogamer article to cover it all! Well... maybe not quite all (add-ons and spin-offs are omitted), and it's not just a single article either, as they only published the first part today. But once it's done, it should be a must-read for people who - like myself - have had very little (if any) contact with the Zelda universe in the past. And you wouldn't want to start playing Twilight Princess in complete "darkness", now would you?

With that in mind, Eurogamer's historical feature starts with the following introduction:

"Where some games embody particular genres and some particular themes, Zelda has always defied categorisation. These games are not RPGs, they are not puzzlers, they are not purely action games, they are not anything in particular; they are entirely themselves. It's this singular identity, on top of their ingenuity, spark and sheer character, that makes these games worthy of our respect, attention and, in so many cases, adoration. Zelda titles mark some of the most significant milestones in the history and development of videogames, and they are also the reason that thousands of people (myself included) got into gaming in the first place - they have enchanted generation after generation with their imagination, playfulness, beguiling innocence and enthralling, enticingly secretive virtual worlds."

This first article only covers the first five Zelda games: The Legend of Zelda (1986), Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987), The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1992), The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (1993), and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998). Over the next few days, they will continue with the second part (which picks up at Majora's Mask) and, of course, finish off with a review for the new Twilight Princess on the Wii.

If you plan on getting one (a Wii, that is), don't forget that you can also get the original Zelda game via the Virtual Console - if you'd rather relive the history first-hand.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)