The Legend of Zelda Graphics Timeline

  • The Legend of Zelda

    The Legend of Zelda
    Originally released for the Famicom Disk System The Legend of Zelda is the original Zelda game. It was 8-Bit, and featured top-down viewed dungeon crawling. Memory: 128 kB floppy disc
  • Period: to

    The Legend of Zelda: Graphics over Time

  • Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

    Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
    Originally released for the Famicom Disk System Zelda II, another 8-bit game, took a different graphical approach that the first Zelda, using a sidescroller technique similar to games like Castlevania, with more recognizable sprites. Reception to the changes were mixed. 128 kB floppy disc
    Floppy disc
  • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

    The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
    Originally released for the Super Famicom This 16-bit sequel made great use of the Super Famicom's graphic abilities as well as large memory, as the game is wide in scope. This graphic style for Zelda would be emulated on handheld consoles before the DS. 1MB cartridge
  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

    The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
    Originally released for the Nintendo 64 The first 3D 64-bit Zelda game, which received nothing but praise for its beautiful presentation and massive advancement over the previous games. 32 MB cartridge
  • The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

    The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
    Originally released for the Nintendo GameCube This 128-bit, long awaited sequel took an entirely different graphical approach than its predecessors, a pristine cel-shade rendering. While opinions diverged originally, actually playing the game convinced the naysayers. 1.4 GB mini DVD
  • The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

    The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
    Originally released for Nintendo Wii The grittiest of all Zelda games, this game takes a modern spin on the 'realistic' graphics OoT attempted. The color palate is the most washed out of the series. 4.7 GB DVD
  • The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

    The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
    Originally released for the Nintendo Wii This Zelda game is sort of a happy medium between the Wind Waker and Twilight Princess Zelda worlds. Realistic but Vibrant and mildy cartoony. 8.75 GB Dual layer DVD