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.
The Legend of Zelda
, "The Legend of Zelda" franchise has sold over 80 million copies, with the original "The Legend of Zelda" being the fourth best-selling NES game of all time. The series was ranked as the 64th top game (collectively) by "Next Generation" in 1996. According to British film magazine "Empire", with "the most vividly-realised world and the most varied game-play of any game on any console, "Zelda" is a solid bet for the best game series ever."