Although The Legend of Zelda is one of the world’s most famous action-adventure gaming franchises, one of its earliest titles also gave a glimpse of how the series could have developed into the RPG genre. Zelda games have occasionally branched out into other genres, although this has mainly been through spin-offs. The core franchise itself has remained consistent in its basic structure, although actual gameplay has naturally varied dramatically over the years.

Zelda games have experimented with many different concepts, from various modes of transportation to increasingly complex abilities for Link to wield. With the core identity of the franchise remaining firm despite all of these changes, it is unsurprising that many have wondered about how a full Legend of Zelda spin-off title has already demonstrated such shifts are far from unfeasible However, it could be argued that this has already been answered, albeit with a debatable level of success.

The Adventure Of Link Gives The Hero Experience Points

The Second Zelda Game Experimented With Unique Mechanics For The Franchise

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was originally released in 1987 in Japan, and then the in US the following year. Unlike its predecessor, The Adventure of Link was primarily a side-scrolling title, including during combat. In addition to this, the early title utilized an Experience Points system, allowing Link to grow stronger as he defeated more enemies. Collecting enough experience allows Link to increase one of three stats: Life, Magic, or Attack. All can be upgraded to level 8, although it is worth noting that Link can also find additional Heart and Magic containers to further bolster those stats.

The Adventure of Link was the first Zelda game to feature a Magic Meter, a feature which has appeared in several other games including Ocarina of Time.

The Adventure of Link’s use of Experience Points and Stats is unique in the Zelda series, with no other title allowing Link’s growth to be directed so directly. The mechanic provides a fascinating glimpse at how The Legend of Zelda games may have functioned if the franchise had transitioned fully into producing traditional RPGs. For example, it shows how certain basic stats can interact with other classic Zelda features like collecting Heart Containers, proving that the two health systems are far from incompatible.

BOTW And TOTK Put A Different Spin On Experience

Experience Is A Hidden Mechanic In Zelda’s Open-World Titles

Of course, it is worth noting that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom do have an experience system of their own, albeit one that is hidden from the player. However, instead of empowering Link directly, this experience instead alters the world around him to match the player’s own growing skill level by spawning more powerful monsters. For example, progressing far enough into the game means that black and silver monsters appear more in TOTK, replacing the lower-tier enemies that would have spawned in their place earlier in a playthrough.

Experience is also gained in the Hyrule Warriors spin-offs, which allows characters to grow stronger over time. However, the hack-and-slash titles are themselves far from being in the mold of an RPG.

In addition to this, the same scaling function also allows more powerful weapon variants to spawn. This gives Link access to better equipment, maintaining a reasonable level of challenge against the newly empowered monsters spreading across Hyrule. As such, although Link is not empowered directly by gaining experience, he nevertheless does become more capable through peripheral means. Naturally, this is still far from the distinct levels of an RPG system, particularly given that most weapons in these two titles are breakable, but it still reflects a person’s skill level in playing these games.

Zelda Games Would Have Been Very Different As JRPGs

Action-Adventure And JRPGs Have Strong Differences To Distinguish Them

There is no denying that a Legend of Zelda RPG would be very different from anything currently seen in the franchise. Link’s abilities and tools normally remain consistent in their use throughout a title, although some games may allow for these to be upgraded. If Nintendo was to pivot into producing a JRPG entry to the franchise, however, this would open up the door to there being a much larger list of available skills and equipment (including weapons, armor, and accessories), as well as the intriguing possibility of Link recruiting party .

Several of the features that debuted in The Adventure of Link, including experience points, have failed to reappear since. Ultimately, they did not prove to be appealing enough for the franchise to retain, at least not on a regular basis, However, it should be noted that The Adventure of Link will not necessarily always be the closest Zelda game to being a JRPG. Details regarding the long since canceled Zelda title Heroes of Hyrule reveal that Nintendo has explored the idea of a Zelda RPG since 1988, and could easily do so again in the future.

Although a full Legend of Zelda JRPG has yet to materialize, the fantasy world of Hyrule would undeniably be the perfect setting for such a game. Of course, 35 years on from The Adventure of Link, the franchise has long lost the opportunity to fully pivot genres, and as such any JRPG is likely to be a spin-off or otherwise singular title. Nevertheless, the early game shows that The Legend of Zelda could create a very interesting RPG by combining its unique identity with the genre's own conventions.