30 years of the Legend of Zelda have given us fans a lot of memories to cherish: strong, heartfelt music; gripping and emotional stories; characters we’ve grown attached to; and a whole bunch of experiences that nothing else will quite compare to. People from around the world have come together to celebrate the franchise for everything that it offers, and the incredibly unique community that’s formed over the years has created another interesting way to honor everything that is Zelda: speedrunning.
While speedruns of many Zelda games have captured the hearts and attention from players of all ages, one installment in particular has always stood out among them. The original Legend of Zelda, first released in North America in 1987, has challenged players from around the globe to play through the entirety of the game from beginning to end as quickly as possible. YouTube channel Summoning Salt has taken a step back in time in their latest video, all the way back to 2003 when Twin Galaxies (the website that once served as the headquarters for speedrunning) offered a cash prize to anyone who could beat The Legend of Zelda in under 36 minutes. From there, those behind the video detail the fascinating chronology of speedrunners who dedicated their time to making history.
We highly recommend the watch. It’s a great way to become more familiar with the hobby of speedrunning, and you may even come to appreciate the smaller intricacies of Zelda even more than before.
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Written by Lauren Ganos
Creative Director, Managing Editor
Designer and writer by day, gamer by night, Lauren dreams big when it comes to creative endeavors. Perhaps that's why she's taken on the roles of creative director and managing editor for Nintendo Wire. If she had a video game superhero alias, it might just be The Visionary, a true keeper of imaginative order.
