The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary
The Legend of Zelda was released in the year 1986 in Japan and 25 years later Nintendo started a worldwide celebration in honor of the silver anniversary of that game. 2011 would turn out to be a great year for Zelda fans. From the release and re-release of games across all current Nintendo consoles to a symphony series that was set to continue into 2012, the 25th anniversary of this series was a celebration not to forget.
Game Releases & Re-Releases
There were many games released during this anniversary. One of the releases (that wasn't part of the 25th Anniversary celebration) was the Nintendo Selects release of Twilight Princess. But now, back to the celebration releases. The first of which included the re-release of Link's Awakening DX on the Nintendo eShop and DSiWare. Nothing really new was added except for the ability to suspend play and make restore points; both of which improved gameplay drastically. The next to come was the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time titled Ocarina of Time 3D for the Nintendo 3DS. The remake polished the original to make it even greater, adding better graphics and controls, among other things. After that was the release of the Four Swords Anniversary Edition, which added a single player mode, wireless connectivity, and extra levels to the original Four Swords. Then, included in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program lineup were re-releases of The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, and The Minish Cap. Last but not least is Skyward Sword, a brand new game that promised to be one of the greatest Zelda adventures yet.
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony
Along with the games Nintendo set up a symphony series. The first appearance was a preview of symphony at Nintendo's Electronic Entertainment Expo presentation. Months later it debuted in Japan, then Los Angeles, and lastly London. The series was set to continue in 2012 with the The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses.
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Flipnote Contest
Nintendo also set up a world-wide Flipnote contest (Flipnotes are animations created using a Nintendo DSi). The winners were decided by the developers and then compiled into videos showing developer comments before each video.
Other
- Massive amounts of fan projects came out of the woodwork as well. Remixes, art projects, original songs, countdowns, and more were created in honor of the festive occasion.
- A special level (Level 5-2) was made in Super Mario 3D Land to honor the 25th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda.
- The special Cosmo black The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Limited Edition Nintendo 3DS Bundle was announced on November 8th, 2011 and available from shops across Europe, North America, Australia, and Japan in late 2011.
- In late 2011, Nintendo offered three special The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Prepaid Cards to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda.
- A limited edition of Club Nintendo: The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Poster Set was especially created to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the franchise.
- Nintendo of Japan also released The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Trump Playing Cards in early December 2011, to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of this franchise.
- The King of Games t-shirt company, official manufacturer of licensed Nintendo t-shirts, offer The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Limited Edition T-shirts worldwide to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series. These shirts available for pre-order from December 24th until February 20, 2012 for 5500 yen, and expected to ship in early May 2012.
Gallery
Symphony
Four Swords Anniversary Edition logo
Ocarina of Time 3D logo
Skyward Sword logo
Official 25th Anniversary poster
