Review: The Legend of Zelda: The Complete Season DVD

Back in 1989 I remember being in kindergarten or first grade (yes, I’m old) and counting down the days of the week until Friday. Not because I just couldn’t wait for the weekend, but because after school each Friday on the Super Mario Bros. Super Show a Legend of Zelda cartoon would air instead of the usual Super Mario Bros. cartoon. And I have to say: I loved it!

That’s why I’m ecstatic that this year the complete series has been released on one DVD!

Jump in for the details and hints at a contest!

Yes, you heard me correctly: I loved the oft maligned Legend of Zelda cartoon series. So excuuuuuuuse me, reader. And I suppose I can’t just chalk it up to “well, I was a kid, I didn’t know any better.” It’s because no one–not even Nintendo–knew better back then.

Remember that this series was based solely on the first game. In fact, the second game (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link) had only just been released in the United States (the region the cartoon was developed for); A Link to the Past hadn’t yet even been thought of and would not release for another two years. So you have to understand that the people writing for the cartoon had very little to go on. A definitive style had not yet been settled upon for the Zelda series. They didn’t know that Link would decades later come to be known as the silent hero he is today, so they gave him a loud and brash personality typical of characters in ’80s cartoons. I still feel even to this day that they did a remarkable job with them having next to nothing to go on.

But as a kid I loved this show! Finally I could see the scary three headed Gleeok come to life in full animation, watch Link utilize his varied arsenal of weaponry and items, hear the wonderful music make a transition from 8-bit to full orchestral deliciousness for the very first time: it was magical.

Sure, they got a lot of things wrong. They changed the Triforce of Wisdom from a golden triangle to a shining emerald pyramid (the Triforce of Power was similarly a ruby pyramid) which I assumed they did to more easily differentiate between the two. They accidentally called the currency “Rubies” (which isn’t entirely their own fault: the first game itself calls Rupees as such in the intro). The vibe of the series is certainly a lot more goofy and sarcastic than the fairytale-like style the series has evolved into. But I still think that if you have never seen this show and have the ability to place yourself in the mindset of “this is when all there was that was known about Zelda was the very first game” you might just enjoy it!

The complete series of 13 episodes was released back in 2005 on three discs, but thankfully a new “collectors” edition came out this past May with all 13 episodes on one DVD! If you don’t have this series in your collection, you really should add it. You can pick up a copy for only $8.99 at their website.

And you just might be able to do so tomorrow! We’re teaming up with NCircle Entertainment (the distributor of the DVD) to offer five copies, one to each of five lucky Zelda fans. In true Legend of Zelda animated series fashion: count down the minutes until after school on Friday and check back here for the details!