Nintendo is one of the oldest platform holders in gaming, and some of its major franchises have crossed their 35-year anniversaries too. One of them is the Legend of Zelda series, which is now 37 years old. Years ago the first ever 3D installment in the series got a 99 score on Metacritic, to this day, no game has succeeded in beating it. This is not a small feat.

The fact that Nintendo is still churning out successful games in this franchise so long after its inception is a miracle in itself. The fact that the latest game in this series is one of the top-selling games of this year despite being a console exclusive is even more impressive. This is why one cannot help but ask: What exactly is this series doing to stay so relevant after so many years? How is Nintendo successfully making blockbuster after blockbuster in this series to this day? What exactly are they doing right?

The Legend of Zelda still gives players that sense of adventure

At the start of most Legend of Zelda games, Link is asleep; he is awakened by a voice, a fairy, or even Zelda for some purpose. Then he is given a minute task, which turns into a grand adventure in no time. Two games that were very effective in doing this for us were The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Minnish Cap.

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The best part is that Nintendo has been doing it to this day, in one way or another. In Breath of the Wild, Link awakens from a stasis-like sleep, and in Tears of the Kingdom, he is awake after being hurt for a while. Once awake, Link is encouraged to familiarize himself with the world around him, and slowly, he is told about his purpose. This way of building up to stuff remains as exciting as it was all those years ago.

Nintendo’s Originality

In 2007, Infinity Ward developed Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which was a ground-breaking hit. So much so that it introduced gaming with a very new way of keeping multiplayer games fun for the longest time. With a visible, clear profession and that exciting perk system that kept people on their toes.

Ever since that moment, this series has remained almost the same: a mediocre campaign and a multiplayer mode with a few changes over its predecessor. When it comes to the Legend of Zelda series, players have seen so many different things.

Link has been a warrior, a kid with a curse on him, a ship captain, and a literal fantastical engineer. The guy has seen everything and done everything. All this is thanks to Nintendo’s need to give their fans something new with every game. A new world, new combat mechanics, new gadgets.

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They have so many differences between their games that there is never a guess as to what Nintendo will release next in this series.

Even when they make direct sequels, for example, when they follow Breath of the Wild with Tears of the Kingdom, they are genuinely different from each other despite being set in the same world. A number of new mechanics, such as Ultra Hand and Fuse, a brand new story, and many fleshed-out characters—it had everything.

Core Gameplay Loop

This is what makes a game shine brighter than its competition. The core gameplay loop is the basic gameplay cycle that players repeat in a game. It can also be defined as the very basic gameplay of a title. For example, in GTA games, the core gameplay loop involves exploring a wide, open world, driving from point A to point B, and shooting enemies.

For Zelda, the core gameplay loop never gets repetitive, all thanks to its always-changing setting and style. In Wind Waker, it involved a ship; in Spirit Tracks, it was all about controlling a train; for Tears of the Kingdom, it was more in line with GTA, basically exploration.

When a developer keeps on changing their game’s core gameplay loop in minor and sometimes even major ways while still keeping it as enjoyable as ever, they are doing something right.

Nintendo excels at this by introducing new powers and abilities, an interactive world, and even breakable weapons. One uses a weapon; it breaks, and then they are forced to improvise in a fight. Every Legend of Zelda game out there, be it a 2D overhead one or the 3D mainline one, has such an addictive core gameplay loop that players cannot stop coming back to them.

And this is why the series stays relevant to this day; Nintendo just knows how to treat their franchises. Here’s hoping we get something as incredible during the next generation too.

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