The Legend of Zelda (video game)
"The Legend of Zelda" is considered a spiritual forerunner of the modern role-playing video game (RPG) genre. Though it is often not considered part of the genre since it lacked key RPG mechanics such as experience points, it had many features in common with RPGs and served as the template for the action role-playing game genre. The game's fantasy setting, musical style and action-adventure gameplay were adopted by many RPGs. Its commercial success helped lay the groundwork for involved, non-linear games in fantasy settings, such as those found in successful RPGs, including "Crystalis", "Soul Blazer", Square's "Seiken Densetsu" series, "Alundra", and "Brave Fencer Musashi". The popularity of the game also spawned several clones trying to emulate the game.
Platform game
Many games fuse platform game fundamentals with elements of action-adventure games, such as "The Legend of Zelda", or with elements of RPGs. Typically these elements include the ability to explore an area freely, with access to new areas granted by either gaining new abilities or using inventory items. Many 2D games in the "Metroid" and "Castlevania" franchises are among the most popular games of this sort, and so games that take this type of approach are often labeled as "Metroidvania" games. "" popularized this approach in the "Castlevania" series. Other examples of such games include "", "Tails Adventure", "Cave Story", "Mega Man ZX", "Shadow Complex" and "".