title: Lil Baby

text: At age seventeen, Lil Baby was a regular presence in the studio of Atlanta-based Quality Control Records as a drug dealer, until label founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee encouraged him to become a rapper, as he felt Baby had "the swag... the lingo, [and] respect around the city". Fellow rappers Young Thug and Gunna served as Baby's mentors in developing his style. He eventually released his first mixtape, "Perfect Timing", in April 2017 with appearances from Young Thug and Lil Yachty. Another mixtape, "Harder Than Hard", followed three months later; and in October released his third mixtape in six months, "2 The Hard Way", a collaboration with friend and fellow Atlanta rapper Marlo. A fourth mixtape, "Too Hard", was released in December, led by his hit single "Freestyle" and accompanying music video. It was certified gold by the RIAA in February 2020.


title: Lil Baby

text: With his career gaining momentum, Baby released his debut studio album, "Harder Than Ever", in May 2018. It debuted at number three on the US "Billboard" 200. The album was supported by the singles "Southside" and "Yes Indeed" (with Drake), the latter peaked at number six on the "Billboard" Hot 100. "Life Goes On" featuring Lil Uzi Vert and Gunna charted at 74 on the "Billboard" Hot 100.


title: Lil Baby

text: Lil Baby formed his own label, 4 Pockets Full (initialized 4PF) in 2017. Rappers 42 Dugg and Rylo Rodriguez are signed to the label.


title: Lil Baby

text: After Lil Baby released "Harder Than Ever", he released the collaborative mixtape "Drip Harder" with Gunna on October 5, 2018. The lead single, "Drip Too Hard" went on to become certified Diamond by the RIAA and 4× Platinum by Music Canada. The song peaked at number 4 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. The mixtape was released under the labels Quality Control, YSL Records and Motown/Capitol.


title: Lil Baby

text: In September 2018, Baby appeared on the Adult Swim television series "FishCenter Live". In November 2018, he released his mixtape "Street Gossip". In December 2018, Baby collaborated with Yung Gravy on the latter's single, "Alley Oop".


title: Lil Baby

text: He starred in the 2019 film "How High 2" (a sequel to the 2001 stoner film "How High"), which premiered on April 20, 2019, on MTV. On June 21, 2019, Baby and Future released a single titled "Out the Mud". On July 17, 2019, Lil Baby appeared alongside DaBaby on the single "Baby", released on Quality Control's second studio album, "Control the Streets, Volume 2". The song peaked at number 21 on the "Billboard" Hot 100.


title: Lil Baby

text: On November 8, 2019, Baby released his single "Woah" as the lead single for his second studio album "My Turn". The song peaked at number 15 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Baby was featured on YouTuber KSI's track "Down Like That" with Rick Ross and British producer S-X, and performed it for KSI's 2018 boxing match against Logan Paul. On November 15, 2019, Baby released a song from the film "Queen & Slim" titled "Catch the Sun", which subsequently appeared on "My Turn".


title: Lil Baby

text: On January 10, 2020, Lil Baby released the second single, "Sum 2 Prove", for his album, and it reached number 16 on the Hot 100. The album, "My Turn," was released on February 28, 2020, and debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200. It features guest appearances from Gunna, 42 Dugg, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, Moneybagg Yo, Young Thug and Rylo Rodriguez. "My Turn" produced 12 songs that appeared the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, giving him a career total of 47 songs on the chart, tying him with Prince and Paul McCartney. Following the release of the album's deluxe version on May 1, "My Turn" returned to the top spot on the "Billboard" 200. On June 12, 2020, Lil Baby released the political track "The Bigger Picture", amid the George Floyd protests. The song also debuted at number three on the "Billboard" Hot 100, becoming Lil Baby's highest-charting song as a lead artist. His song "We Paid" featuring 42 Dugg from the "My Turn" deluxe also peaked in the top 10 of the Hot 100. In July 2020, Lil Baby was featured on Pop Smoke's "For the Night", from his posthumous debut album, "Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon". The track reached number six on the Hot 100. In September 2020, "My Turn" became the first album of the year to be certified double platinum by the RIAA. "The Bigger Picture" received two nominations at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards: Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.


title: Lil Baby

text: On March 14, 2021, Lil Baby performed "The Bigger Picture" at the Grammy Awards in 2021 to mostly positive reviews. The following day, another collaboration with Drake, "Wants and Needs", debuted at number two on the Hot 100. Passing a previous peak and debut with "The Bigger Picture" for Jones, becoming his highest-charting song overall.


title: Lil Baby

text: On June 4, 2021, Lil Baby released his collaborative studio album with Lil Durk, "The Voice of the Heroes". The album debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200.


title: Lil Baby

text: In September 2021, Lil Baby was featured on the song "Girls Want Girls" from Drake's sixth studio album, "Certified Lover Boy". The song also debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, tying their previous collaboration "Wants and Needs" as Baby's highest-charting song overall.


title: Lil Baby

text: On February 4, 2022, "Do We Have a Problem?" – a collaboration with Nicki Minaj– was released, along with a music video starring the two. On March 2, 2022, Lil Baby was announced as one of the headliners for J. Cole's Dreamville 2022 Music Festival.


title: Lil Baby

text: Lil Baby is the subject of the documentary film "", directed by Karam Gill, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 11, 2022.


title: Lil Baby

text: Jones has a son from a relationship with former girlfriend Ayesha. He later dated model and entrepreneur Jayda Cheaves. She appeared in the music video for his song "Close Friends".


title: Lil Baby

text: In May 2021, Jones visited the White House along with the family of George Floyd on the anniversary of Floyd's murder.


title: Lil Baby

text: On July 7, 2021, after attending Paris Fashion Week events with basketball player James Harden, Jones was arrested on a drug charge by police in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Harden was stopped but not detained, and both men were soon released.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Aladdin is a 2019 American musical fantasy film directed by Guy Ritchie from a screenplay he co-wrote with John August. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Rideback, it is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1992 animated film of the same name, which itself is based on the eponymous tale from "One Thousand and One Nights". The film stars Will Smith with Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad and Billy Magnussen in supporting roles. The plot follows Aladdin, a street urchin, as he falls in love with Princess Jasmine, befriends a wish-granting Genie, and battles the wicked sorcerer Jafar.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: In October 2016, Disney announced Ritchie would direct a live-action "Aladdin" remake. Smith was the first member of the cast to join, signing on to portray Genie in July 2017, and Massoud and Scott were confirmed for the two lead roles later that month. Principal photography began that September at Longcross Studios in Surrey, England, also filming in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan, and lasted until January 2018. Additional filming and pick-ups took place in August 2018.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: "Aladdin" was theatrically released in the United States on May 24, 2019. It grossed over $1 billion worldwide, making it the ninth highest-grossing film of 2019. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its music, costume design, and the performances of Smith, Massoud, and Scott, but criticism for Ritchie's direction, the CGI, and Kenzari's characterization of Jafar. A sequel is in development.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Aladdin, an orphaned street urchin in the Arabian city of Agrabah, and his monkey Abu meet Princess Jasmine, who has snuck away from her sheltered life in the palace. She wishes to succeed her father as Sultan, but is instead expected to marry one of her royal suitors. Jafar, the grand vizier, schemes to overthrow the Sultan and seeks a magic lamp that only "the diamond in the rough" can retrieve.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: While sneaking into the royal palace to visit Jasmine, Aladdin and Abu are captured by Jafar. He offers to make Aladdin rich enough to impress Jasmine in exchange for retrieving the lamp from the Cave of Wonders. Once there, Aladdin frees a magic carpet and finds the lamp. Aladdin gives the lamp to Jafar, who double crosses and kicks him and Abu into the cave, but Abu steals the lamp back.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Trapped in the cave, Aladdin rubs the lamp, unwittingly summoning the omnipotent Genie inside. He has the power to grant Aladdin three wishes. Aladdin gets them out of the cave without using a wish on a technicality. Determined to woo Jasmine, he uses his official first wish to become a prince, and promises to use his third wish to free the Genie from servitude and turn him human.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Aladdin makes an extravagant arrival at Agrabah as "Prince Ali of Ababwa", but struggles to impress Jasmine. Posing as Aladdin's human attendant, the Genie is mutually smitten with Dalia, Jasmine's handmaiden. Aladdin and Jasmine bond when he takes her on a ride on the magic carpet. Tricked into revealing his true identity, he lies to her, saying that he actually is a prince and dressed like a peasant to explore Agrabah.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Jafar discovers Aladdin's identity and throws him into the palace moat, knowing that if he survives, it will prove he has the lamp. The Genie saves Aladdin, costing him his second wish. Once rescued, Aladdin returns to the palace and destroys Jafar's magic cobra staff, ending his spell over the Sultan and revealing his plot. Jafar is then arrested and imprisoned in the dungeons. The Sultan allows Aladdin to marry Jasmine. He goes back on his promise to free the Genie, feeling uncertain of being able to keep up his persona without him. Dismayed that his master wants to continue living a lie, the Genie retreats to his lamp in disappointment.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Freed by his pet parrot Iago, Jafar steals the lamp and becomes the Genie's new master. He uses his first wish to become sultan and his second one to become the world's most powerful sorcerer. Jafar then exposes Aladdin, exiles him and Abu to a frozen wasteland, and threatens to kill the Sultan and Dalia unless Jasmine agrees to marry him. At the wedding, Jasmine rescues the lamp from Jafar and jumps into the magic carpet to escape with Aladdin and Abu, who had been rescued from the frozen wasteland by the magic carpet, after the Genie sent it behind Jafar's back. Attacked by Jafar's magic, Aladdin and Jasmine are recaptured and the carpet is destroyed.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Aladdin taunts Jafar for being second in power to the Genie, goading him into using his last wish to become "the most powerful being in the universe". Jafar turns into a genie and becomes trapped inside his own lamp, dragging Iago with him, and the Genie banishes them to the Cave of Wonders. Abu rescues the magic carpet and Genie fixes it up. Aladdin keeps his promise and uses his last wish to free the Genie, allowing him to live as a human. The Sultan crowns Jasmine the new sultana-regnant, no longer bound to marry a prince, and she and Aladdin marry. The Genie marries Dalia and they start a family and explore the world together, becoming the mariner who is telling his children the story about Aladdin in the beginning of the film.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Numan Acar portrays Hakim, the head of the palace guards who is loyal to the Sultan of Agrabah; and Alan Tudyk as the voice of Iago, Jafar's sardonic and intelligent scarlet macaw companion, This is the first instance where the character is not voiced by Gilbert Gottfried. In this film, Iago is portrayed as a more realistic parrot.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Frank Welker reprises his role as the vocal effects for Abu, Aladdin's kleptomaniac but loyal pet Tufted capuchin. Welker also reprises his roles as the vocal effects for Jasmine’s pet Bengal tiger, Rajah and the voice of the Cave of Wonders, a sand guardian who guards the magic lamp from intruders and only gives to someone who's worthy, "a diamond in the rough". Out of the three roles the latter is the only one for which he receives credit.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Additionally, Tayliah Blair and Jordan A. Nash respectively play Genie and Dalia's daughter and son, Lian and Omar. Also, Robby Haynes portrays Razoul, a palace guard. Nina Wadia plays Zulla, a market trader who dislikes Aladdin. Wadia describes her appearance as "More of a cameo" as extra footage was needed after filming had wrapped.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: On October 10, 2016, it was announced that Guy Ritchie would direct a live-action "Aladdin" film for Walt Disney Pictures, with John August writing the script and Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich attached as producers. The studio said that the film would be "an ambitious and nontraditional" take on the tale of "Aladdin" that would keep the musical elements of the original film. On the nontraditional aspect, the studio had originally planned for the film to be told in a nonlinear format.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: On July 17, 2017, it was announced that Disney had hired Vanessa Taylor to polish the original screenplay by August, specifically some "character work" and what is called "script doctoring". Meanwhile, Richie and the studio focused on casting the other main roles with filming slated to start in August in London.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: When asked about Ritchie's take on the film, Pasek & Paul described it as "very muscular and action-packed."


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: In February 2017, Lin said that they were looking for a diverse cast and that they would not try "to make ""." A worldwide casting call for the lead roles of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine commenced in March 2017, with principal production set to take place in the UK from July 2017 until January 2018. The call for the titular role included both south Asian and southwest Asian (Arab) actors, which some critics suggested was "a simplistic conflation" that signaled "an ignorance offensive to both cultures." On April 19, 2017, it was reported that either Gabriel Iglesias or Will Smith were in talks to play Genie, for which the latter was confirmed in July. In August, Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari joined the cast as Jafar, with Nasim Pedrad cast in a newly created role as Mara, "a hand maid and friend of Jasmine" who serves as a "comic relief." Numan Acar was set to play Hakim. The following month, Billy Magnussen joined the cast in a newly created role as Prince Anders, alongside Navid Negahban as the Sultan.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: In May 2017, Little Mix member Jade Thirlwall was in talks for the part of Princess Jasmine. On July 11, 2017, it was announced that principal production on "Aladdin" had been pushed back by a month, to August 2017, due to struggles in finding the right actor to portray the titular role. Over 2,000 actors and actresses had auditioned for the roles of Aladdin and Jasmine, but finding a male lead of Middle Eastern or Indian descent in his 20s, who could act and sing, was seemingly difficult for the producers. Naomi Scott and Tara Sutaria were the final two actresses in the running for the role of Jasmine, but neither could be cast until a chemistry test was done with whomever would be cast as Aladdin. The studio was initially interested in Dev Patel or Riz Ahmed for Aladdin, but later decided to cast a relative newcomer. Achraf Koutet, Mena Massoud and George Kosturos were among the actors being tested for the role. Two musical film veterans, Marc Platt (who would serve as executive producer) and Chris Montan, were consulted before a final decision was made.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: At the 2017 D23 Expo, on July 15, it was announced that Massoud would star as Aladdin and Scott as Jasmine, ending the four-month long open casting call. Julie Ann Crommett, Disney's Vice President of Multicultural Engagement, said the decision to cast Scott—the daughter of an English father and a Gujarati Ugandan-Indian mother—as Jasmine, reflected the mixing or association of different cultures in the broad region that consists of the Middle East, South Asia and China, all of which make up the Silk Road.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: In November 2017, Robby Haynes was cast as Razoul, while Frank Welker was announced to reprise his role as Abu the monkey.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: On December 20, 2018, Gilbert Gottfried said that he was not asked to reprise his role as Iago, Jafar's pet parrot. In March 2019, it was announced that Alan Tudyk would voice the character instead. In May 2019, Welker was announced as reprising his role as Rajah, Jasmine's pet tiger, and the trailer had confirmed that Welker would reprise his role as the Cave of Wonders as well.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Principal photography began on September 6, 2017, at Longcross Studios in Surrey, England, and wrapped on January 24, 2018. Part of the film was shot in Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan. The Royal Film Commission provided support to the production during filming and assisted in facilitating logistics. Reshoots took place during August 2018. The film's production sets were designed by "Game of Thrones" production designer Gemma Jackson. The "Prince Ali" musical sequence features 1,000 dancers and extras. Smith frequently improvises throughout the film. Massoud also revealed that there was a whole scene, where Prince Ali and Genie meet the royal family for the first time, that was improvised by the cast.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: The visual effects were provided by Industrial Light & Magic and supervised by Michael Mullholland, Daniele Bigi, and David Seager, with the help of Hybride Technologies, DNEG, Nzviage and Proof.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: In January 2018, it was reported that white extras were being applied brown make-up during filming in order to "blend in", which caused an outcry and condemnation among fans and critics, branding the practice as "an insult to the whole industry" while accusing the producers of not recruiting people with Middle-Eastern or North African heritage. Disney responded to the controversy saying, "Diversity of our cast and background performers was a requirement and only in a handful of instances when it was a matter of specialty skills, safety and control (special effects rigs, stunt performers and handling of animals) were crew made up to blend in."


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: The decision to cast Billy Magnussen as an entirely new character not seen in the original film also drew criticism from fans. Some viewed the creation of his character as unnecessary, while others even accused the film of whitewashing, since Magnussen is Caucasian. But "The Washington Post" pointed out that Nasim Pedrad, an actress of Iranian-American descent, also was cast as a brand new character when she was awarded the role of Jasmine's friend Mara (later renamed Dalia).


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Alan Menken was brought in to compose the score for the film, reprising his duties from the original animated film. Pasek & Paul wrote a new song with Menken, and several songs from the original film by Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice were featured in the remake.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: "Aladdin" held its world premiere at the Grand Rex in Paris, France, on May 8, 2019. It was released in 3D, Dolby Cinema, IMAX 3D and 4DX by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on May 24, 2019, replacing the original release date set for "". The film was originally going to be released on December 20, 2019. But on September 12, 2017, the film was moved to May 24, 2019.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: "Aladdin"s first regional premiere was in Jordan on May 13, 2019, in the presence of Prince Ali bin Hussein and Princess Rym Ali.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Will Smith debuted the first official poster on October 10, 2018. The teaser trailer was released the following day. In December 2018, "Entertainment Weekly" offered a first official look at the cast in costume on the cover of their issue for the most anticipated films of 2019. On February 10, 2019, Disney debuted a special sneak peek of the film during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, which was met with largely negative feedback from audiences, primarily due to the quality of the CGI Genie in his blue design, created via motion capture effects. The negative reception sparked a large amount of memes and Photoshop edits mocking Will Smith's appearance in the sneak peek, several of which compared it with Tobias Fünke (from "Arrested Development") painted in blue in an attempt to join the Blue Man Group. On March 12, 2019, Disney debuted a second trailer on "Good Morning America". The trailer had a much more positive reception than the previous one, as it featured several songs from the original film and more of Smith not entirely in motion-capture. His CGI scenes received better notices, as well, although it was still mostly criticized by some critics when the film was released.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: "Aladdin" was released in Digital HD for download and streaming on August 27, 2019, and was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 10.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Aladdin made its streaming debut on Disney+ on January 8, 2020. With the launch of Disney+ Hotstar on April 3, 2020; it was released in India in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu as well as the original English.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: , the film had earned from worldwide home entertainment and television net revenues, bringing total box office and home entertainment revenue to .


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: "Aladdin" grossed $356.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $695.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.051 billion, against a production budget of $183 million. The film crossed the $1 billion mark on July 26, 2019, becoming the 41st film to ever reach the milestone. "Deadline Hollywood" calculated the net profit of the film to be $356million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: In the United States and Canada, "Aladdin" was released alongside "Booksmart" and "Brightburn", and was projected to gross around $80 million from 4,476 theaters over its four-day opening weekend over Memorial Day. While Disney was projecting a $75–85 million debut, some independent trackers had the film opening to as low as $65 million or as high as $100 million. The film made $31 million on its first day, including $7 million from Thursday night previews, the second-best total of the Disney live action remakes. The film ended up overperforming, grossing $91.5 million in its three-day opening weekend, and over four days during the extended Memorial Day frame. It was the third biggest opening of 2019 at the time (behind "" and "Captain Marvel"), and the fifth-highest Memorial Day launch ever, as well as the best debut of Ritchie's career and second best of Smith's. The film then grossed on its fifth day, the biggest post-Memorial Day Tuesday ever. In its second weekend, the film made $42.3 million, finishing second, behind newcomer "", and then made $24.7 million in its third weekend, finishing third. It retained the third-place position at the box office during its fourth and fifth weekends with $17.3 million and $13.2 million, respectively.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Worldwide, the film was expected to open to an additional $100–120 million, including $10–20 million in China. It went on to gross $123.2 million from foreign territories in its three-day opening weekend, for an overall global debut of $214.7 million. It was the number-one film in every Latin American and Asian territory where it was released. Its biggest international openings were in China ($18.7 million), Mexico (), the United Kingdom ($8.4 million), Italy ($6.6 million), and South Korea (). It also won the second best opening of 2019 in Italy, Spain, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In India, it debuted with , the year's third best opening for a foreign film (behind "" and "Captain Marvel"). By Monday, the film had a global four-day launch of . In its second weekend of international release the film made $78.3 million from 54 countries, remaining number one in 32 of them. In its fourth international weekend, "Aladdin" remained number one in twenty countries. By the end of June 2019, the film surpassed "Independence Day" (1996) to become the highest-grossing film of Will Smith's career. , the film's top five international markets are Japan (), South Korea (), China (), the United Kingdom (), and Mexico ().


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: It topped the UK box office for four weeks. In the Middle East, it had the best Ramadan opening ever in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, and went on to become the highest-grossing release of all time in the Middle East. In Japan, the film debuted with , the year's highest opening weekend for a foreign film, surpassing "Avengers: Endgame". As of September 2019, it is the year's second highest-grossing film in Japan (behind "Weathering with You"), and one of the top 20 highest-grossing films ever in Japan. In South Korea, it grossed over from over 11.4million ticket sales as of July 2019, making it the year's third highest-grossing film and second highest-grossing foreign film in South Korea, as well as the third highest-grossing foreign film ever in South Korea and the highest grossing Disney film ever (not including the MCU) in the country.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews with an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads, ""Aladdin" retells its classic source material's story with sufficient spectacle and skill, even if it never approaches the dazzling splendor of the animated original." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 53 out of 100 based on 50 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 90% (with an average 4.5 stars out of 5) and a 70% "definite recommend".


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Writing for the "Chicago Sun-Times", Richard Roeper gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, praising Smith, Scott, and Massoud's performances and calling it a "shining, shimmering live-action update." "Variety"s Peter Debruge summarized his review with, "Will Smith steps into Robin Williams's shoes, bringing fresh attitude to the role of the Genie in Guy Ritchie's high-risk, mostly rewarding live-action remake." However, he criticized Kenzari’s performance as Jafar, saying: "Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari may be a handsome alternative to the animated version’s effete vizier, with his pencil moustache and Sophia Loren eyes, but he no longer looms large enough to feel like much of a threat." A "Mir Fantastiki" review by Yevgeniy Peklo gave the film a score of 8/10, saying it was "probably the best Disney live-action remake up to date."


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Despite praising the cast, William Bibbiani of "TheWrap" said of the film, "If you don't think about it very hard (although you probably should), the remake of "Aladdin" might entertain you. But you'd be a heck of a lot more entertained by watching the original film again. Or by going to a real-life parade. Or by doing some light gardening. Or by doing a crossword puzzle." Chris Nashawaty of "Entertainment Weekly" gave the film a C+, lamenting that it did not add anything new to its 1992 animated predecessor; he felt that the film was unable to update the original's questionable Middle Eastern characterizations, but nevertheless praised the performances of Smith and Scott. Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press wrote that "Guy Ritchie... was always an odd choice to helm a big Disney romantic musical and proves utterly the wrong guy here. "Aladdin", in his hands, is more like "The Mummy" than "Frozen"."


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: Before filming had started, some commentators criticized racial politics implied by the film's production elements and plot. Some expressed skepticism at the conclusion of the casting process, about its conflation of Arab and Middle Eastern culture and "lack of specificity and care." In a review in "7iber", Lamees Assaf observed that "the people and the setting looked more like India than a city in the Middle East." She also critiqued gendered and orientalist stereotypes as reified by the film, writing that "[i]n the eyes of Disney and Hollywood, the stereotypical image of the Arab girl– the belly dancer with a small waist and long hair– and the dark-skinned, jealous, and chivalrous Arab man defending and protecting his women from harm’s way, is much more attractive than actual Arabs, who are truly boring in reality." The 1992 animated version received related critiques about the racialization and othering of its characters and script.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: "Speechless", a new original song written for Jasmine, was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 92nd Academy Awards, but was ultimately not nominated.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: On August 12, 2019, producer Lin announced his enthusiasm for a sequel and revealed that Disney is in the early stages of developing a follow-up. The studio also hopes to bring back Ritchie to direct and Smith to reprise his role as The Genie while also telling a story that's "fresh and new". He later stated that if they would make a sequel to "Aladdin", it would not be a direct adaptation of the animated films "The Return of Jafar" or "Aladdin and the King of Thieves" but could borrow elements of them. It was also told that they would look at various sources for the sequel's story. On February 12, 2020, "Variety" officially confirmed that a sequel is in development, with John Gatins and Andrea Berloff set to write the script. Lin and Eirich will return as producers, and Massoud, Smith, and Scott will reprise their roles. "Aladdin 2" was officially announced once the producers decided they had a good story and knew their path ahead.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: A year before deciding to remake "Aladdin", Disney made an announcement in 2015 that it would make a live-action prequel to the aforementioned film above under the title "Genies". The new film was reported to focus on genies and their realm and reveal how Aladdin's genie ended up in the lamp. Writers Mark Swift and Damian Shannon were hired to write the script, while Tripp Vinson was to serve as a producer under his Vinson Films banner. However, as of 2021 the film was reportedly scrapped.


title: Aladdin (2019 film)

text: A spin-off film focused on Prince Anders was announced in December 2019 to be in development for Disney+ with Jordan Dunn and Michael Kvamme writing the script and Magnussen reprising his role. In April 2021, Magnussen stated that project was still in development and that writers Shane Andries and Chris Smith had been hired to do additional work on the script. In May 2022, Magnussen once again said that the film is still in the works and going through rewrites.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The Outsiders is a 1983 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film is an adaptation of the 1967 novel of the same name by S. E. Hinton and was released on March 25, 1983, in the United States. Jo Ellen Misakian, a librarian at Lone Star Elementary School in Fresno, California, and her students were responsible for inspiring Coppola to make the film.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The film is noted for its cast of up-and-coming stars, including C. Thomas Howell (who garnered a Young Artist Award), Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, and Diane Lane. The film helped spark the Brat Pack genre of the 1980s. Dillon would also star in two more films based on Hinton novels: "Tex" (1982) with Estevez and Coppola's "Rumble Fish" (1983) with Lane. Estevez wrote and starred in the Hinton adaptation "That Was Then... This Is Now" (1985).


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, most notably for its performances. The film performed well at the box office, grossing $33.7 million on a $10 million budget. Over the years, the film has earned a cult following.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The Curtis brothers' parents are dead, so eldest brother Darrel ("Darry") is left to raise and support his two younger brothers, Ponyboy and Sodapop ("Soda"), in 1965 Tulsa, Oklahoma. Some socially affluent teens harass and assault Ponyboy until some of his fellow greasers chase them off. The next night, he, Johnny and Dallas catch a movie at the local drive-in, where Dallas flirts with "Soc" Cherry Valance. Unsuccessful, he leaves, however, Cherry invites Ponyboy and Johnny to sit with her and Marcia. Later, while walking the two teen girls home, their boyfriends, Socs Bob and Randy, take umbrage at this, so the girls leave with them to avoid any escalation.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Pony and Johnny walk to an abandoned lot, instead of home, so Johnny can avoid his parents' routinely volatile bickering and domestic violence. He laments the hopelessness of his young life, both domestically and within the socio-economic structures established at school. Falling asleep, Ponyboy awakens a few hours later and rushes home, fearing his elder brother's discipline, who rebukes and even strikes him. He runs off to a local park with Johnny. They climb on the jungle gym, reminiscing about their childhood until they are confronted, chased, and attacked by Bob, Randy, and three other Socs. Johnny is beaten, and Pony almost drowned in the park's fountain, until Johnny stabs Bob, killing him.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Fearful of the legal ramifications, Ponyboy and Johnny find Dallas, who gives them money for food and a loaded gun. They flee to Windrixville, Oklahoma, hopping a train, then hiding in an abandoned church there, where they dye their hair, play poker and read "Gone with the Wind" to each other. Four days later, Dallas visits; he has lied to the police, who are now searching in Texas. A note from his brother Sodapop exhorts Ponyboy to come home, as Cherry is willing to testify on their behalf. While buying food, Johnny favors turning themselves in, but Dallas disagrees.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Returning to the church, it's on fire with children trapped inside. They rescue them but are burned, and Johnny breaks his back. Ponyboy reunites with his two older brothers in the hospital, then returns home. Their heroic deed has made the cover of the local paper, however, a judge may send Ponyboy to a boys' home.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Ponyboy and Two-Bit visit Johnny and Dallas in the hospital. Ponyboy asks Two-Bit to buy another copy of "Gone with the Wind" at the hospital gift shop. When Johnny’s abusive mother comes, he refuses her visit, so she takes out her ire on Ponyboy and Two-Bit, who decries her as a bad mother. Dallas encourages them to win the upcoming rumble, sparked by Bob's death, for Johnny.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Later, Ponyboy meets with Cherry about the court. She won't visit Johnny at the hospital as he killed Bob. Later that night, the greasers, including Dallas, who left the hospital, win the rumble. Afterward, Dallas drives an injured Ponyboy to the hospital to see Johnny. After Ponyboy tells him about the greasers' victory, Johnny is ambivalent and dies after telling Ponyboy to "stay gold".


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Enraged and devastated over Johnny's death, Dallas robs a store but is shot by the owner. He calls Darrell to meet him in the park and help hide him. The police arrive first, surrounding Dallas. He commits suicide by cop, pointing an empty gun at them.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The judge exonerates Ponyboy for Bob's death in court and places him in Darrell's custody. Later at school, Cherry sees Ponyboy and ignores him. He is offered a passing grade by his English teacher, to write a quality, personal experience essay, but is uninspired.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Inside Johnny's copy of "Gone with the Wind" is a letter explaining how saving the children was worth sacrificing his life, and admonishes Ponyboy to "never change", thus "stay gold."


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Johnny's letter inspires Ponyboy's essay, "The Outsiders". The story begins: "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman, and a ride home."


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: In addition, Sofia Coppola (credited as Domino), daughter of the film's director, plays the child asking the greasers for 15 cents, and S E Hinton plays Dally’s nurse. Brief uncredited appearances include Melanie Griffith; and Heather Langenkamp.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Francis Ford Coppola had not intended to make a film about teen angst until Jo Ellen Misakian, a school librarian from Lone Star Elementary School in Fresno, California, wrote to him on behalf of her seventh and eighth grade students about adapting "The Outsiders".


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Approximately 15 pages of children's signatures were attached to the letter written in different colors. Moved by the letter, Coppola read the book and was impressed by the relationships between the greaser kids. It brought back memories of when he had been a drama counselor working with children at a summer camp in his youth.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The casting process led to debut or star-making performances of actors who would be collectively referred to throughout the 80s as the Brat Pack: C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez and Tom Cruise. Mickey Rourke, Scott Baio, and Dennis Quaid also auditioned for roles but were not cast. Producer Fred Roos, a frequent collaborator with Coppola, was partially responsible for the film's casting. In particular, he scouted Patrick Swayze based on his performance in the roller skating movie "Skatetown, U.S.A." (1979).


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Ralph Macchio stated that during auditions, Coppola "wanted everybody to read for a different role." He said that Coppola had all of the actors "in one room watching each other audition...It’s brutal because you’re becoming self-conscious of any choices because you’re watching reactions based on other actors and watching the filmmakers and how they respond because you’re all trying to get the job. For Francis, it was about mixing and matching the ensemble, saying 'Dennis Quaid, you read this, and Rob Lowe, you read that. As a New Yorker who didn't know any of the other actors auditioning, Macchio also stated that he felt like an outsider during the process.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The film was shot on location in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Filming took place from March 29 to May 15, 1982. A newspaper used to show a story about the three greasers saving the kids in "The Outsiders" includes a real story from 1982 regarding the death of a man hit by a train in Boston. Coppola's craving for realism almost led to disaster during the church-burning scene. He pressed for "more fire", and the small, controlled blaze accidentally triggered a much larger, uncontrolled fire, which a downpour doused.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The original length of the film was two hours and 13 minutes. Warner Bros. felt that the film was a mistake and was too long. As a result, Coppola cut it down to 91 minutes for the theatrical release.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The pranks that went on during the filming have become legendary, mostly initiated by Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, and Patrick Swayze. The targets were often C. Thomas Howell and Diane Lane. Ralph Macchio was not involved because he was so focused on getting his role right. The author of the original novel, S.E. Hinton, was involved during the filming as she and Coppola wrote the screenplay together; she appears as a nurse near the end of the film. She also later stated that she served as an informal "den mother" to many of the actors, as she was "close to all of them."


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has a rating of 69% based on 48 reviews, with an average score of 6.3/10. The site's consensus reads, "The cracks continue to show in Coppola's directorial style, but "The Outsiders" remains a blustery, weird, and fun adaptation of the classic novel." Roger Ebert awarded the film two and a half out of four stars, citing problems with Coppola's vision, "the characters wind up like pictures, framed and hanging on the screen." Metacritic gave the film a score of 45, indicating "mixed or average reviews".


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The film's casting directors Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins, wrote in a 2007 book that the film's realistic portrayal of poor teenagers "created a new kind of filmmaking, especially about teenagers — a more naturalistic look at how young people talk, act, and experience the world. This movie was one of the few Hollywood offerings to deal realistically with kids from the wrong side of the tracks, and to portray honestly children whose parents had abused, neglected, or otherwise failed them."


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Stéphane Delorme, in his book on Coppola, wrote: ""The Outsiders" is a wonder. And wonder is also the subject of the film. 'Stay Gold', says the song over the title credits. (...) The artificiality of the rural setting, which is as fake as in "The Night of the Hunter", places us in the distant, mythical past. It takes only dye to turn these blond heads into golden heads, and thus to go from nostalgia for one's youth in the 1960s to a general regret for a golden age."


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: "The Outsiders" was nominated for four Young Artist Awards, given annually since 1978 by the Young Artist Foundation. C. Thomas Howell won "Best Young Motion Picture Actor in a Feature Film". Diane Lane was nominated for "Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture". The film was nominated for "Best Family Feature Motion Picture". Francis Ford Coppola was nominated for the Golden Prize at the 13th Moscow International Film Festival.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: On September 20, 2005, Coppola re-released the film on DVD, including 22 minutes of additional footage and new music, as a 2-disc set called "The Outsiders: The Complete Novel". Coppola re-inserted some deleted scenes to make the film more faithful to the book. This brought it up to a 114-minute running time. At the beginning of the film, he added scenes where Ponyboy gets stalked and jumped, the gang talks about going to the movies, Sodapop and Ponyboy talk in their room, and Dally, Pony, and Johnny bum around before going to the movies. In the end, Coppola added the scenes taking place in court, Mr. Syme talking to Ponyboy, and Sodapop, Ponyboy, and Darry in the park.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Coppola's father, Carmine Coppola, had written a soaring, romantic score for the original release, which at the time Coppola felt may have been the wrong choice, but he wasn't prepared to say that to him. By the time he came to recut the movie for "The Complete Novel" re-release his father had died, which allowed Coppola the opportunity to balance Carmine Coppola's music with music popular in the 1960s as well as new music composed by Michael Seifert and Dave Pruitt.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The film was re-rated by the MPAA as PG-13 for "violence, teen drinking and smoking, and some sexual references".


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: Disc 2 of the DVD includes some unique features, featuring behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast & crew, readings from the novel, additional deleted scenes, the original theatrical trailer, and an NBC News "Today" segment from 1983 talking about how "The Outsiders" has inspired teenagers across the world.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The director also removed three scenes that were in the theatrical version to improve pacing. Those scenes were Ponyboy and Johnny looking at their reflections in the lake and talking about their hair, attempting to catch a rabbit, and playing poker. They can be found on the second disc as additional scenes, along with other deleted scenes that were filmed, but not put into the movie. In addition, Swayze, Macchio, Lane, and Howell gathered at Coppola's estate to watch the re-release, and their commentary is included on the DVD. Dillon and Lowe provided separate commentary.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: A manufacture-on-demand Ultra HD Blu-ray containing both versions of "The Outsiders" including The Complete Novel, was released through Warner Archive Collection on November 9, 2021.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: A television series based on the characters of the novel and film aired in 1990. It consists of a different cast playing the same characters. It picks up right after the events of the film's ending and lasted only one season.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: A stage musical based on both the novel and film has been in the works as of 2022 and is expected to hold its world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse in February/March 2023. The production will be directed by Danya Taymor from a libretto by Adam Rapp, with songs by Jamestown Revival and music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Justin Levine.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: The Outsiders House Museum opened in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on August 9, 2019. In 2009, hip-hop artist Danny Boy O'Connor discovered the house that was used for the Curtis Brothers's home. Moving forward, O'Connor kept the thought of buying it, which he eventually did in 2016. O'Connor said he bought it sight unseen and when he first went inside that it was falling apart. With the help of friends, the Oklahoma Film and Music Office, the City Council, local businesses, and individuals who volunteered, the restoration started. After raising funds the house went through extensive renovations to restore it and maintain its authenticity from the film. A GoFundMe was set up for additional funds, notable donors include Jack White who donated $30,000 and Billy Idol. Also, to raise funds, film screenings were organized for actor C. Thomas Howell attended. Also in 2016, the street signs on the corner were changed to "The Outsiders way" and "The Curtis Brothers Lane". Since its opening, the museum now contains a collection of "The Outsiders" memorabilia. Aside from Howell, between its restoration and opening, other stars of the films visited this includes Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, and Matt Dillon. For his efforts on preserving a cultural landmark O'Connor received a key to the city of Tulsa.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: In 2022, in Sperry, Oklahoma, the group Upward Sperry restored the now un-operational DX gas station seen in the film. The group's president Gary Coulson said, “It’s really growing. I almost hate to say, but it’s almost like a cult following. They stream through here - what that does is get people here.” With O'Connor they are planning to revitalize "Outsiders" nostalgia in Sperry.


title: The Outsiders (film)

text: In October 2022, O'Connor with The Outsiders House Museum published the book "The Outsiders ‘Rare and Unseen’", which contains 148 photos by David Burnett who was the set's photographer. O'Connor said: “We originally got the first lot of photos and then [Burnett] said there may be more. They found the rougher photos, and for me, that’s where the rubber meets the road because they’re unpolished, their guard’s down, they’re not posing".


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: The Legend of Zelda is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Capcom, Vanpool, and Grezzo. The gameplay incorporates action-adventure and elements of action RPG games.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: The series centers on the various incarnations of Link, a courageous young Hylian man, with pointy, elf-like ears; and Princess Zelda, a magical princess who is the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Hylia; as they fight to save the magical land of Hyrule from Ganon, an evil warlord turned demon king, who is the principal antagonist of the series. Ganon wishes to use the Triforce, a sacred relic left behind by the three goddesses that created Hyrule, to remake the world in his own dark image. When gathered together, the power of the Triforce can grant any wish its user desires; however, if someone with a heart that does not possess a balance of the three virtues of Power, Courage, and Wisdom attempts to touch the Triforce, it will split into three triangles and bond with three people whose hearts embody the required virtue.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Although their personalities and backstory differ from game to game, the incarnations of Link and Zelda often have many traits in common; such as Link often being left-handed and associated with the color green, while Princess Zelda is often a member of the royal family. While the conflict with Ganon serves as a backbone for the series, some games have featured other settings and antagonists, with Link traveling or being sent to these other lands in their time of need.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Since the original "Legend of Zelda" was released in 1986, the series has expanded to include 19 entries on all of Nintendo's major game consoles, as well as a number of spin-offs. An American animated TV series based on the games aired in 1989 and individual manga adaptations commissioned by Nintendo have been produced in Japan since 1997. "The Legend of Zelda" is one of Nintendo's most successful franchises; several of its entries are considered among the greatest video games of all time.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "The Legend of Zelda" games feature a mix of puzzles, action, adventure/battle gameplay, and exploration. These elements have remained constant throughout the series, but with refinements and additions featured in each new game. Later games in the series also include stealth gameplay, where the player must avoid enemies while proceeding through a level, as well as racing elements. Although the games can be beaten with a minimal amount of exploration and side quests, the player is frequently rewarded with helpful items or increased abilities for solving puzzles or exploring hidden areas. Some items are consistent and appear many times throughout the series (such as bombs and bomb flowers, which can be used both as weapons and to open blocked or hidden doorways; boomerangs, which can kill or paralyze enemies; keys for locked doors; magic swords, shields, and bows and arrows), while others are unique to a single game. Though the games contain role-playing elements ("" is the only one to include an experience system), they emphasize straightforward hack-and-slash-style combat over the strategic, turn-based or active time combat of series like "Final Fantasy". The game's role-playing elements, however, have led to much debate over whether or not the "Zelda" games should be classified as action role-playing games, a genre on which the series has had a strong influence. Miyamoto himself disagreed with the RPG label, but classified "Zelda" as "a real-time adventure game"; he said he was "not interested in systems where everything in the game is decided by stats and numbers" but what's "important to me is to preserve as much of that “live” feeling as possible" which he said "action games are better suited in conveying" to players.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Every game in the main "Zelda" series has consisted of three principal areas: an overworld which connects all other areas, in which movement is multidirectional, allowing the player some degree of freedom of action; areas of interaction with other characters (merely caves or hidden rooms in the first game, but expanding to entire towns and cities in subsequent games) in which the player gains special items or advice, can purchase equipment or complete side quests; and dungeons, areas of labyrinthine layout, usually underground, comprising a wide range of difficult enemies, bosses, and items. Each dungeon usually has one major item inside, which can be essential for solving many of the puzzles within that dungeon and often plays a crucial role in defeating that dungeon's boss, as well as progressing through the game. In nearly every "Zelda" game, navigating a dungeon is aided by locating a map, which reveals its layout, and a magic compass, which reveals the location of significant and smaller items such as keys and equipment. In later games, the dungeon includes a special "big key" that will unlock the door to battle the dungeon's boss enemy and open the item chest.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In most "Zelda" games, the player's HP or life meter is represented by a line of hearts, each heart typically representing two hit points. At the start of the game the player only has three hearts but players can increase their max hearts by finding heart-shaped crystals called "Heart Containers". Full heart containers are usually received at the end of dungeons and dropped by dungeon bosses. Smaller "Pieces of Heart" are awarded for completing side quests or found hidden around the game world in various places, and require a certain number (usually four) to form a full heart container. Health can be replenished by picking up hearts left by defeated enemies or destroyed objects, consuming items such as potions or food, or going to a Great Fairy Fountain to have the Great Fairy heal Link completely. Occasionally the player will find fairies hidden in specific locations; these fairies can either heal Link immediately or be kept in empty bottles, and will revive the player the next time they die.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: The games pioneered a number of features that were to become industry standards. The original "Legend of Zelda" was the first console game with a save function that enabled players to stop playing and then resume later. "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" introduced a targeting system that let the player lock the camera on to enemy or friendly NPCs which simplified 3D combat.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Games in "The Legend of Zelda" series frequently feature in-game musical instruments, particularly in musical puzzles, which are widespread. Often, instruments trigger game events: for example, the recorder in "The Legend of Zelda" can reveal secret areas, as well as warp Link to the Dungeon entrances. This warping with music feature has also been used in "A Link to the Past" and "Link's Awakening". In "", playing instruments is a core part of the game, with the player needing to play the instrument through the use of the game controller to succeed. "Ocarina of Time" is "[one of the] first contemporary non-dance title[s] to feature music-making as part of its gameplay", using music as a heuristic device and requiring the player to utilise songs to progress in the game – a game mechanic that is also present in "".


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "The Legend of Zelda Theme" is a recurring piece of music that was created for the first game of the franchise. The composer and sound director of the series, Koji Kondo, initially planned to use Maurice Ravel's "Boléro" as the game's title theme, but was forced to change it when he learned, late in the game's development cycle, that the copyright for the orchestral piece had not yet expired. As a result, Kondo wrote a new arrangement of the overworld theme within one day. The "Zelda Theme" has topped ScrewAttack's "Top Ten Videogame Themes Ever" list.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Up until "Breath of the Wild", the "Legend of Zelda" series avoided using voice acting in speaking roles, relying instead on written dialogue. Series producer Eiji Aonuma previously stated that as Link is entirely mute, having the other characters speak while Link remains silent "would be off-putting". Instead of theme music for different locations, "Breath of the Wild" plays natural ambience around the player as main sounds, in addition to some minimalist piano music.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "The Legend of Zelda" was principally inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto's "explorations" as a young boy in the hillsides, forests, and caves surrounding his childhood home in Sonobe, Japan where he ventured into forests with secluded lakes, caves, and rural villages. According to Miyamoto, one of his most memorable experiences was the discovery of a cave entrance in the middle of the woods. After some hesitation, he apprehensively entered the cave, and explored its depths with the aid of a lantern. Miyamoto has referred to the creation of the "Zelda" games as an attempt to bring to life a "miniature garden" for players to play with in each game of the series.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: The story and setting was developed by Takashi Tezuka. Seeking to create a fairytale adventure game, Tezuka drew inspirations from fantasy books such as J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings". According to Keiji Terui, who wrote the backstory in the first game's manual, the location named Death Mountain was initially a working title for the legend of the Triforce which was written with inspirations from the battles of medieval Europe. The Master Sword was introduced as Excalibur in the French version of "A Link to the Past", which originates from the legend of King Arthur in the Welsh collection of Mabinogion. Celtic mythology also inspired the name of Link's steed, Epona, based on the Celtic goddess of fertility.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Hearing of American novelist, socialite and painter Zelda Fitzgerald, Miyamoto thought the name sounded "pleasant and significant". Paying tribute, he chose to name the princess after her, and titled it "The Legend of Zelda". Link and the fairy were inspired by Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. When making the series made the transition to 3D, the combat system of "Ocarina of Time" was based on the chanbara (samurai) style of Japanese sword fighting.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "The Legend of Zelda" takes place predominantly in a medieval Western Europe-inspired fantasy world called Hyrule, which has developed a deep history and wide geography over the series's many releases. Much of the backstory of the creation of Hyrule was revealed in the games "", "", "", "", "", and "". Hyrule's principal inhabitants are pointy-eared, elf-like humanoids called Hylians, which include the player character, Link, and the eponymous princess, Zelda.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: According to the in-game backstories, the world of Hyrule was created by the three golden goddesses: Din, Farore, and Nayru. Before departing, the goddesses left a sacred artifact called the Triforce, which could grant powers to the user. It physically manifests itself as three golden triangles in which each embodies one of the goddesses' virtues: Power, Courage, and Wisdom. However, because the Triforce has no will of its own and it can not judge between good and evil, it will grant any wish indiscriminately. Because of this, it was placed within an alternate world called the "Sacred Realm" or the "Golden Land" until one worthy of its power and has balanced virtues of Power, Wisdom, and Courage in their heart could obtain it, in its entirety. If a person is not of a balanced heart, the triforce part that the user mostly believes in will stay with that person and the remainder will seek out others. In order to master and control the triforce as a whole, the user must get the other parts found in other individuals and bring them together to reunite them. The Sacred Realm can itself be affected by the heart of those who enters it: those who are pure will make it a paradise, while those who are evil will transform it into a dark realm.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In "Skyward Sword", the Triforce was sought by the Demon King Demise, an eternal being that had conquered time itself. After a long battle against the goddess Hylia, guardian of the Triforce, Demise was sealed away within her temple. Hylia, placing the Hylians on a floating island (called Skyloft) in the sky to protect them, orchestrated a means to stop the demon from escaping: creating the Goddess Sword (later becoming the Master Sword) for her chosen hero and discarding her divinity to be reborn among the people of Skyloft. In time, Zelda and Link (the reborn Hylia and her predestined warrior) enacted the goddess's plan and Demise was destroyed, but he vowed that his rage would be reborn and forever plague those descended from Link and Zelda. That prophecy came to fruition in , when Ganondorf's attempt to get the Triforce scattered it with him gaining the Triforce of Power. The Triforce of Wisdom ended up with the Hylian princesses descended from Zelda, each named after her, while the Triforce of Courage is passed to a youth named Link across generations. While the Triforces of Power and Wisdom have been part of the series since the original "The Legend of Zelda", it was only in "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link" that the Triforce of Courage was first introduced, being obtained by Link at the end of his quest. The Triforce, or even a piece of it, is not always distributed as a whole. Such as in "The Wind Waker", Link must find all the pieces (called Triforce Shards) of the Triforce of Courage before he can return to Hyrule. Even in the original "The Legend of Zelda", Zelda breaks her Triforce of Wisdom into 8 pieces for Link to find, before she was captured by Ganon.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: The fictional universe established by the "Zelda" games sets the stage for each adventure. Some games take place in different lands with their own back-stories. is a connected kingdom, Labrynna and Holodrum are different countries separate from the Kingdom of Hyrule, Termina and serve as parallel worlds, and Koholint is an island far away from Hyrule that appears to be part of a dream.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: The chronology of the "Legend of Zelda" series was a subject of much debate among fans until an official timeline was released within the "" collector's book, which was first released in Japan in December 2011. Prior to its release, producers confirmed the existence of a confidential document, which connected all the games. Certain materials and developer statements once partially established an official timeline of the released installments. "" is a direct sequel to original "The Legend of Zelda", and takes place several years later. The third game, "", is a prequel to the first two games, and is directly followed by "". "" is a prequel that takes the story many centuries back; according to character designer Satoru Takizawa, it was meant to implicitly tell the story of the Imprisoning War from the manual of "A Link to the Past", with "" directly following its ending. "" is then a prequel to "Ocarina of Time". "" is set more than 100 years after "Ocarina of Time".


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "" is parallel, and takes place in the other timeline branch, more than a century after the adult era of "Ocarina of Time". "" is a continuation of the story from "The Wind Waker", and is followed by "Spirit Tracks", which is set about 100 years later on a supercontinent far away from the setting of "The Wind Waker". At the time of its release, "" for the Game Boy Advance was considered the oldest tale in the series's chronology, with "" set sometime after its events. "" precedes the two games, telling of the origins of villain Vaati and the creation of the Four Sword. "" takes place six generations after "A Link to the Past". Important events that occur in the game include the Triforce being reunited, and Ganon being resurrected.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Nintendo's 2011 timeline announcement subsequently posits that following "Ocarina of Time", the timeline splits into three alternate routes: in one, Link fails to defeat Ganon, leading into the Imprisoning War and "A Link to the Past", "Oracle of Seasons" and "Oracle of Ages", "Link's Awakening" ("A Link Between Worlds" and "Tri Force Heroes" were released after the timeline), "The Legend of Zelda" and "The Adventure of Link". In the second and third, Link is successful, leading to a timeline split between his childhood (when Zelda sends him back in time so he can use the wisdom he has gained to warn Zelda in the past of the horrifying fate of Hyrule) and adulthood (where the Zelda from the future lives on to try and rebuild the kingdom). His childhood continues with "Majora's Mask", followed by "Twilight Princess" and "Four Swords Adventures". The timeline from his adult life continues into "Wind Waker", "Phantom Hourglass" and "Spirit Tracks".


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In the early 2000s, Nintendo of America released a timeline on the official website of the series, which interpreted all stories up to the "Oracle" games as the adventures of a single protagonist named Link. At one point, translator Daniel Owsen and his coworkers at Nintendo of America had conceived another complete timeline and intended to make it available online, but the Japanese series developers rejected the idea so the timeline would be kept open to the imagination of the players.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In 2018, Nintendo revealed that "" officially takes place after all previous games in the series (without specifying a connection to any of the three timelines), and moved "Link's Awakening" to take place before "Oracle of Seasons" and "Oracle of Ages".


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In November 2020, Nintendo released "". The game is marketed as a prequel to "Breath of the Wild", being set 100 years before. However, the events of "Age of Calamity" diverged from the backstory established in "Breath of the Wild", creating an alternate timeline separate from "Breath of the Wild".


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: The central protagonist of "The Legend of Zelda" series, Link is the name of various young male Hylians who characteristically wear a green tunic and a pointed cap, and are the bearers of the Triforce of Courage. In most games, the player can give Link a different name before the start of the adventure, and he will be referred by that given name throughout by the non-player characters (NPCs). In "Link's Awakening", if the player steals from the shop, characters would later refer to him as "Thief". Miyamoto said in a 2002 interview that he named the protagonist "Link" because the character is/was supposed to be the "link" between the player and the game world that he (Miyamoto) had created. The various Links each have a special title, such as "Hero of Time", "Hero of the Winds" or "Hero chosen by the gods". Like many silent protagonists in video games, Link does not speak, only producing grunts, yells, or similar sounds. Despite the player not seeing the dialogue, it is referenced second-hand by in-game characters, showing that he is not, in fact, mute. Link is shown as a silent protagonist so that the audience is able to have their own thoughts as to how their Link would answer the characters instead of him having scripted responses.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Princess Zelda is the princess of Hyrule and the guardian of the Triforce of Wisdom. Her name is present in many of her female ancestors and descendants. While most games require Link to save Zelda from Ganon, she sometimes plays a supporting role in battle, using magical powers and weapons such as Light Arrows to aid Link. With the exception of the CD-i games (which were not official Nintendo games), she was not playable in the main series until "Spirit Tracks", where she becomes a spirit and can possess a Phantom Knight that can be controlled by the player. Zelda appears under various other aliases and alter egos, including Sheik (in "") and Tetra (in "" and ""). In "Skyward Sword", it is revealed that the Zelda of that game is a reincarnation of the goddess Hylia, whose power flows through the royal bloodline. The name "Zelda" derives from the American novelist Zelda Fitzgerald.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Ganon, also known as Ganondorf in his humanoid form, is the main antagonist and the final boss in the majority of "The Legend of Zelda" games. In the series, Ganondorf is the leader of a race of desert brigands called the Gerudo, which consists entirely of female warriors save for one man born every one hundred years. He is significantly taller than other human NPCs, but his looks vary between games, often taking the form of a monstrous anthropomorphic boar. His specific motives vary from game to game, but most often his plans include him kidnapping Princess Zelda and planning to achieve domination of Hyrule and presumably the world beyond it. To this end, he seeks the Triforce, a powerful magical relic. He often possesses a portion of the Triforce called the Triforce of Power, which gives him great strength. However, it is often not enough to accomplish his ends, leading him to hunt the remaining Triforce pieces. Unlike Link, Zelda, and most other recurring characters, he is actually the same person in every game, with the exception of "Four Swords Adventures", where he is a reincarnation of the original. In each game the battles with him are different and he fights using different styles. The game "" indicates that Ganon is a reincarnation of an evil deity known as Demise.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "The Legend of Zelda", the first game of the series, was first released in Japan on February 21, 1986, on the Famicom Disk System. A cartridge version, using battery-backed memory, was released in the United States on August 22 and in Europe on November 27, 1987, respectively. The game features a "Second Quest", accessible either upon completing the game, or by registering one's name as "ZELDA" when starting a new quest. The "Second Quest" features different dungeons and item placement, and more difficult enemies. A modified version of the original Famicom game, "BS Zelda no Densetsu", was released for the Super Famicom's satellite-based expansion, Satellaview, on August 6, 1995, in Japan. A second Satellaview game, "BS Zelda no Densetsu MAP2" was released for the Satellaview on December 30 the same year. Both games featured rearranged dungeons, an altered overworld, and new voice-acted plot-lines.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: The second game, "", was released for the Famicom Disk System in Japan on January 14, 1987, and for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe in November and North America in December 1988. The game exchanged the top-down perspective for side-scrolling (though the top-down point of view was retained for overworld areas), and introduced RPG elements (such as experience points) not used previously or thereafter in the series. "The Legend of Zelda" and "Zelda II" were released in gold-colored cartridges instead of the console's regular grey cartridges. Both were re-released in the final years of the Nintendo Entertainment System with grey cartridges.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Four years later, "" returned to the top-down view (under a 3/4 perspective), and added the concept of an alternate dimension, the Dark World. The game was released for the Super NES on November 21, 1991. A downloadable version of "A Link to the Past" and an exclusive modified version called "BS Zelda no Densetsu Inishie no Sekiban" were released on the Satellaview in Japan on March 2 and 30, 1997, respectively. "A Link to the Past" was re-released for the Game Boy Advance in 2002. The SNES version was later re-released on the Wii Virtual Console on January 22, 2007, on the Wii U Virtual Console, and on Nintendo Switch Online.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: The next game, "", for Nintendo's Game Boy, is the first "Zelda" for a handheld, and the first set outside Hyrule and to exclude Princess Zelda. "Link's Awakening" was re-released, in full color, as a launch game for the Game Boy Color in 1998 as "Link's Awakening DX". This remaster features additions such as an extra color-based dungeon and a photo shop that allows interaction with the Game Boy Printer. "Link's Awakening DX" was released on the 3DS' Virtual Console on June 7, 2011. An was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: After five years without a new game, the series made the transition to 3D with "" for the Nintendo 64, which was released in November 1998. This game, initially known as "Zelda 64", retains the core gameplay of the previous 2D games, and was very successful commercially and critically, considered by many critics and gamers to be the best video game of all time, and ranking highly on IGN and EGM's "greatest games of all time" lists, as well as scoring perfect scores in several video game publications. In February 2006, it was ranked by "Nintendo Power" as the best game released for a Nintendo console. The game was originally developed for the poorly selling, Japanese-only 64DD, but was converted to cartridge format when the 64DD hardware was delayed. A new gameplay mechanic, lock-on targeting, is used in the game, which focuses the camera on a nearby target and alters the player's actions relative to that target. Such mechanics allow precise sword fighting in a 3D space. The game heavily uses context-sensitive button play, which enabled the player to control various actions with Link using only one button on the Nintendo 64's controller. Each action was handled slightly differently but all used the 'A' button to perform. For instance, standing next to a block and pressing 'A' made Link grab it (enabling him to push/pull it), but moving forwards into a block and pressing 'A' allowed Link to climb the block. The game featured the first appearance of Link's horse, Epona, allowing Link to travel quickly across land and fire arrows from horseback. Those who preordered the game received a gold-coloured cartridge in a limited edition box with a golden plastic card affixed, reading "Collector's Edition". In some stores that had this "Collector's Edition" quickly sell out, a small and rare Zelda pin was given instead. It is the sword and shield emblem with "Zelda" written on it. Very few of them are known to remain. "Ocarina of Time" was re-released on the GameCube in 2002, when it was offered as a pre-order incentive for "The Wind Waker" in the U.S., Canada and Japan. It includes the canceled 64DD expansion for "Ocarina of Time" known as "Ura Zelda" during development. Named "", the game was given reorganized dungeon layouts for greater difficulty. Europe continued to receive this "Two-Game Bonus Disc" free in every copy of "The Wind Waker", except for the discounted Player's Choice version. "Ocarina of Time" was available through the Wii's Virtual Console service. Nintendo re-released it for the Wii U Virtual Console in July 2015. "Ocarina of Time 3D" for the 3DS, featuring remade graphics and stereoscopic 3D, was released in mid-June 2011. "Ocarina of Time" has been made available on the higher tier of Nintendo Switch Online in HD resolution.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "Ocarina of Time"s follow-up, "", was released in April 2000. It uses the same 3D game engine as the previous game, and added a time-based concept, in which Link, the protagonist, relives the events of three days as many times as needed to complete the game's objectives. It was originally called "Zelda Gaiden", a Japanese title that translates as "Zelda Side story". Gameplay changed significantly; in addition to the time-limit, Link can use masks to transform into creatures with unique abilities. While "Majora's Mask" retains the graphical style of "Ocarina of Time", it is also a departure, particularly in its atmosphere. It features motion-blur, unlike its predecessor. The game is darker in tone, dealing with death and tragedy in a manner not previously seen in the series, and has a sense of impending doom, as a large moon slowly descends upon the land of Termina to destroy all life. All copies of "" are gold cartridges. A limited "Collector's Edition" lenticular cartridge label was offered as the pre-order incentive. Copies of the game that are not collector's editions feature a normal sticker cartridge label. "Majora's Mask" was available on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console catalogues. "" was released for 3DS in North America and Europe on February 13, 2015, and in Japan and Australia a day later. The Nintendo 64 version was added to Nintendo Switch Online in February 2022; with this, all of the 3D games in the series have been re-released in HD resolution.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: When Nintendo revealed the GameCube on August 24, 2000, the day before Nintendo's SpaceWorld 2000 exposition, a software demonstration showed a realistically styled real-time duel between Ganondorf and Link. Fans and the media speculated that the battle might be from a "Zelda" game in development at the time.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: At Spaceworld 2001, Nintendo showed a cel-shaded "Zelda" game, later released as "" in December 2002. Due to poor reception, nothing further was shown until a playable demonstration was ready. Miyamoto felt "The Wind Waker" would "extend "Zelda"s reach to all ages". The gameplay centres on controlling wind with a baton called the "Wind Waker" and sailing a small boat around an island-filled ocean, retaining similar gameplay mechanics as the previous 3D games in the series. "" was released for Wii U in 2013.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "", released for the GameCube in 2003, included the original "The Legend of Zelda", "Zelda II", "Ocarina of Time", "Majora's Mask", and a demo of "The Wind Waker". GameSpot noted that "Majora's Mask" suffered from a frame rate which appeared choppier and inconsistencies in the audio. This compilation was never sold commercially, and originally could only be obtained by purchasing a GameCube bundled with the disc (in North America, Europe and Australia), by registering a GameCube and two games at Nintendo.com, or by subscribing or renewing a subscription to "Nintendo Power" (in North America) or Club Nintendo in Sweden. In the UK, 1000 copies were made available through the Club Nintendo Stars Catalogue program. After these were quickly claimed, Nintendo gave a copy to customers who mailed in proof of purchases from select GameCube games.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: were released simultaneously for the Game Boy Color, and interact using passwords or a Game Link Cable. After one game has been completed, the player is given a password that allows the other game to be played as a sequel. They were developed by Flagship in conjunction with Nintendo, with supervision from Miyamoto. After the team experimented with porting the original "The Legend of Zelda" to the Game Boy Color, they decided to make an original trilogy to be called the "Triforce Series". When the password system linking the three games proved too troublesome, the concept was reduced to two games at Miyamoto's suggestion. These two games became "Oracle of Ages", which is more puzzle-based, and "Oracle of Seasons", which is more action-oriented. Both titles were later released on the 3DS Virtual Console.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: The cartridge for "A Link to the Past" on Game Boy Advance featured a new game, "", the first multiplayer "Zelda". "Four Swords Anniversary Edition" was released on September 28, 2011 as free DSiWare available until February 20, 2012.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "" was released for the GameCube in early 2004 in Japan and America, and January 2005 in Europe. Based on the handheld "", "Four Swords Adventures" was another deviation from previous "Zelda" gameplay, focusing on level-based and multiplayer gameplay. The game contains 24 levels and a map screen; there is no connecting overworld. For multiplayer features, each player must use a Game Boy Advance system linked to the GameCube via a Nintendo GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable. The game features a single-player campaign, in which using a Game Boy Advance is optional. "Four Swords Adventures" includes two gameplay modes: "Hyrulean Adventure", with a plot and gameplay similar to other "Zelda" games, and "Shadow Battle", in which multiple Links, played by multiple players, battle each other. The Japanese and Korean versions include an exclusive third segment, "Navi Trackers" (originally designed as the stand-alone game "Tetra's Trackers"), which contains spoken dialogue for most of the characters, unlike other games in "The Legend of Zelda" series.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In November 2004 in Japan and Europe, and January 2005 in America, Nintendo released "" for the Game Boy Advance. In "The Minish Cap" Link can shrink in size using a mystical, sentient hat named Ezlo. While shrunk, he can see previously explored parts of a dungeon from a different perspective, and enter areas through otherwise-impassable openings. It was later released on the Wii U Virtual Console.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In November 2006, "" was released as the first "Zelda" game on the Wii, and later in December as the last Nintendo-published game for the GameCube, the console for which it was originally developed. The Wii version features a reversed world where everything that is in the west on the GameCube is in the east on the Wii. The display is mirrored in order to make Link right-handed to make use of the Wii remote feel more natural for the majority of players. The game chronicles the struggle of a young adult Link to confront the troubles of the "Twilight Realm", a mysterious force that appears around and interacts with Hyrule. When he enters this realm, he is transformed into a wolf, and loses the ability to use his sword, shield or other items, but gains other abilities such as sharpened senses from his new form. "Twilight Princess" includes an incarnation of Link's horse, Epona, for fast transportation, and features mounted battle scenarios including boss battles that were not seen in previous games. Twilight Princess diverted from the cel-shading of Wind Waker, integrating graphics featuring more detailed textures, giving the game a darker atmosphere. "" released for Wii U in 2016.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: At 2006 Game Developers Conference, a new title "" for the Nintendo DS was shown. It revealed traditional top-down "Zelda" gameplay optimised for the DS's features, with a cel-shaded 3D graphical style similar to "The Wind Waker" for Gamecube. The game is a direct sequel to "The Wind Waker". "Phantom Hourglass" was released in June 2007, for Japan and October for North America and Europe. It was later released on the Wii U Virtual Console.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: The next "Legend of Zelda" for the DS, "", was released in December 2009. In this game, the "spirit tracks", railroads which chain an ancient evil, are disappearing from Hyrule. Zelda and Link go to the 'Spirit Tower' (the ethereal point of convergence for the tracks) to find out why, but villains steal Zelda's body for the resurrection of the Demon King. Rendered disembodied, Zelda is left a spirit, and only Link (and a certain few sages) can see her. Together they go on a quest to restore the spirit tracks, defeat the Demon King, and return Zelda to her body. Using a modified engine of that used in "Phantom Hourglass", the notably new feature in this game is that the Phantom Guardians seen in "Phantom Hourglass" are, through a series of events, periodically controllable. It was the first time in the series that both Link and Zelda work together on the quest. It was later released on the Wii U Virtual Console.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: A new Zelda game for Wii was in development since the end of 2000s. The new title was revealed at E3 2010 as "Skyward Sword", but its release was delayed to 2011. The game, the earliest in the "Legend of Zelda" timeline, reveals the origins of Hyrule, Ganon and many elements featured in previous games; it uses Wii's MotionPlus feature as well. It was released on November 20, 2011; the first run included a 25th Anniversary CD of fully orchestrated music from various Zelda games, including "Skyward Sword". It was made available for download on Wii U in September 2016. "", with optional button-only controls, released for Nintendo Switch in 2021.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In 2013, Nintendo released "" for the Nintendo 3DS, which takes place in the same setting as "A Link to the Past". Progression is more open-ended than previous titles, with the possibility of completing many of the game's dungeons in any order. Certain dungeon obstacles require the use of rented or purchased items.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "", a cooperative multiplayer game, was released for the 3DS in October 2015. It features the same Link as "A Link Between Worlds" but lacks open-world gameplay.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: While Nintendo had showcased a Wii U demo reel at E3 2011 that depicted Link fighting a monster in HD and the first original HD "Zelda" game was scheduled for a 2015 release, it was delayed. The title was finally revealed at E3 2016 as "", and the game was released for Wii U and Nintendo Switch on March 3, 2017. Similar to the original "The Legend of Zelda", players are given little instruction and can explore the world freely. The world is designed to encourage exploration and experimentation and the main story quest can be completed in a nonlinear fashion.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: A "Breath of the Wild" sequel, "", is scheduled for release on the Switch, with its release date of May 12, 2023.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: A series of video games was developed and released for the Philips CD-i in the early 1990s as a product of a compromise between Philips and Nintendo, after the companies failed to develop a CD-ROM peripheral for the Super NES. Created independently with no observation by or influence from Nintendo, the games are , together with "Zelda's Adventure". Nintendo never acknowledged them in the "Zelda" timeline, and they are considered to be in a separate, self-contained canon. These games are widely acknowledged to be the worst installments in the series, though have since gained a cult following in the form of internet memes.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Three "Zelda"-themed LCD games were created between 1989 and 1992. The "Zelda" version of Nintendo's Game & Watch series was released first in August 1989 as a dual-screen handheld electronic game similar in appearance to today's Nintendo DS. It was re-released in 1998 as a Toymax, Inc. Mini Classic and was later included as an unlockable extra in "Game & Watch Gallery 4", a 2002 compilation for the Game Boy Advance. While the Game & Watch "Zelda" was developed in-house by Nintendo, the subsequent two LCD games were developed by third parties under license by Nintendo. In October 1989, "The Legend of Zelda" was developed by Nelsonic as part of its Game Watch line. This game was an actual digital watch with primitive gameplay based on the original "Legend of Zelda". In 1992, Epoch Co. developed "" for its Barcode Battler II console. The game employed card-scanning technology similar to the later-released Nintendo e-Reader.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Throughout the lifespan of "The Legend of Zelda" series, a number of games (including main series games as well as re-releases and spin-offs) in varying states of completeness have had their releases canceled. Perhaps the earliest of these was Gottlieb's "The Legend of Zelda Pinball Machine" (canceled 1993). After securing a license from Nintendo to produce two Nintendo-franchise-based pinball machines, pinball designer Jon Norris was tasked with designing the table. Before it was completed, Gottlieb decided to repurpose the game with an "American Gladiators" theme. Licensing for this version ultimately fell through and the game was released as simply "Gladiators" (November 1993).


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In 1998, Nintendo canceled "Ura Zelda", the "" expansion disk for the 64DD due to poor sales figures for the 64DD peripheral. In 2002, Nintendo released a GameCube bonus disc called "". It contains emulated versions of "Ocarina of Time" and "Ocarina of Time Master Quest", which Aonuma and Miyamoto each confirmed is "Ura Zelda".


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In 2001, under license from Nintendo, Capcom canceled the release of "The Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Courage" for Game Boy Color. Working with a Capcom team, Yoshiki Okamoto was originally tasked with designing a series of three "Zelda" games for the Game Boy Color. Referred to as the "Triforce Series", the games were known as "The Legend of Zelda: The Mysterious Acorn: Chapter of Power", "Chapter of Wisdom", and "Chapter of Courage" in Japan and "The Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Power", "Mystical Seed of Wisdom", and "Mystical Seed of Courage" in the US. The games were to interact using a password system, but the limitations of this system and the difficulty of coordinating three games proved too complicated, so the team scaled back to two games at Miyamoto's suggestion. "" was adapted from "Mystical Seed of Power", "" was adapted from "Mystical Seed of Wisdom", and "Mystical Seed of Courage" was canceled.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Before its 2006 release, both Link and Samus from the "Metroid" series were planned to be playable characters for the Wii version of "", but they didn't make the final release because they weren't Marvel characters.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In 2011, an unnamed Zelda 25th Anniversary Compilation was canceled. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, Nintendo of America originally had planned to release a compilation of games together for the Wii, similar to the collector's edition disc released for the GameCube in 2003. Nintendo of Japan's president Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto decided against releasing it, believing it would be too similar to the Super Mario 25th Anniversary collection released in 2010.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: Retro Studios had two "Zelda" games in development. An untitled game starring a Sheikah in a story that explores the origins of the Master Sword. Another one was titled "Heroes of Hyrule" and it starred a Goron, a Zora, and a Rito who set out to rescue Link.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: As the franchise has grown in popularity, several games have been released that are set within or star a minor character from the universe of "The Legend of Zelda" but are not directly connected to the main "The Legend of Zelda" series. Both map versions of the game "BS Zelda no Densetsu" for the Satellaview (released in August and December 1995) could be considered spin-offs due to the fact that they star the "Hero of Light" (portrayed by either the Satellaview's male or female avatar) as opposed to Link as the protagonist of Hyrule. A third Satellaview game released in March 1997, "BS Zelda no Densetsu Inishie no Sekiban" ("BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets") could also be considered a spin-off for the same reason. Other spin-off games include "Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland" for the Nintendo DS – an RPG released in September 2006 in Japan (Summer of 2007 in the UK) to star supporting character Tingle. A second Tingle game is "Tingle's Balloon Fight DS" for the Nintendo DS. Here Tingle again stars in this spin-off arcade style platformer, released in April 2007 only in Japan and available solely to Platinum Club Nintendo members.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: In addition to games in which Link does not star as the protagonist, games such as the shooter game, "Link's Crossbow Training" (for the Wii), have been considered spin-offs due to the lack of a traditional "Save Hyrule" plot-line. Released in November 2007 as a bundle with the Wii Zapper, this game allows players to assume the identity of Link as he progresses through a series of tests to perfect his crossbow marksmanship. "Color Changing Tingle's Love Balloon Trip" was released in Japan in 2009 as a sequel to "Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland".


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "Hyrule Warriors", a crossover game combining the setting of Nintendo's "The Legend of Zelda" series and the gameplay of Tecmo Koei's "Dynasty Warriors" series, was released in North America in September 2014 for Wii U. "Hyrule Warriors Legends", a version for the Nintendo 3DS containing more content and gameplay modifications, was released in March 2016.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: To commemorate the launch of the My Nintendo loyalty program in March 2016, Nintendo released "My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess", a Picross puzzle game developed by Jupiter for download to the Nintendo 3DS.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "Cadence of Hyrule", developed by Brace Yourself Games and released on June 13, 2019, is an officially licensed crossover of "Zelda" with "Crypt of the NecroDancer".


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "", developed by Koei Tecmo, shares the hack-and-slash style of the spin-off game "Hyrule Warriors". "Age of Calamity" was released in November 2020.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: A new Zelda-themed variant of "Vermin" was included on the limited edition "Game & Watch": "The Legend of Zelda" unit, which also included "The Legend of Zelda", "The Adventure of Link", and "Link’s Awakening".


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "The Legend of Zelda" series has crossed over into other Nintendo and third-party video games, most prominently in the "Super Smash Bros." series of fighting games published by Nintendo. Link appears as a fighter in "Super Smash Bros." for the Nintendo 64, the first entry in the series, and is part of the roster in all subsequent releases in the series as well. Zelda (who is able to transform into Sheik as well), Ganondorf, and Young Link (the child version of Link from "Ocarina of Time") were added to the player roster for "Super Smash Bros. Melee", and appeared in all subsequent releases except for "Young Link" (who is later replaced by "Toon Link" from "The Wind Waker", in subsequent releases "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" and "Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U"). Both Young Link and Toon Link appear in the fifth installment, "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate". Other elements from the series, such as locations and items, are also included throughout the "Smash Bros." series. Outside of the series, Nintendo allowed for the use of Link as a playable character exclusively in the GameCube release of Namco's fighting game "Soulcalibur II".


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: "The Legend of Zelda" series has received outstanding levels of acclaim from critics and the public. "", "", "", and "" have each received a perfect 40/40 score (10/10 by four reviewers) by Japanese "Famitsu" magazine, making "Zelda" one of the few series with multiple perfect scores. "Ocarina of Time" was even listed by "Guinness World Records" as the highest-rated video game in history, citing its Metacritic score of 99 out of 100. "Computer and Video Games" awarded "The Wind Waker" and "" a score of 10/10. "" has won Gold Award from "Electronic Gaming Monthly". In "Nintendo Power"s Top 200 countdown in 2004, "Ocarina of Time" took first place, and seven other "Zelda" games placed in the top 40. "Twilight Princess" was named Game of the Year by "X-Play", "GameTrailers", "1UP", "Electronic Gaming Monthly", "Spacey Awards", "Game Informer", "GameSpy", "Nintendo Power", "IGN", and many other websites. The editors of review aggregator websites GameRankings, IGN and Metacritic have all given "Ocarina of Time" their highest aggregate scores. "Game Informer" has awarded "The Wind Waker", "Twilight Princess", "Skyward Sword", "A Link Between Worlds" and "Breath of the Wild" with scores of 10/10. "" was named DS Game of the Year by IGN and "GameSpy". Airing in December 2011, Spike TV's annual Video Game Awards gave the series the first ever "Hall of Fame Award", which Miyamoto accepted in person. "" and its use of melodic themes to identify different game regions has been called a reverse of Richard Wagner's use of leitmotifs to identify characters and themes. "Ocarina of Time" was so well received that sales increased for real ocarinas. IGN praised the music of "Majora's Mask" for its brilliance despite its heavy use of MIDI. It has been ranked the seventh-greatest game by "Electronic Gaming Monthly", whereas "Ocarina of Time" was ranked eighth. The series won "GameFAQs Best Series Ever" competition.


title: The Legend of Zelda

text: , "The Legend of Zelda" franchise has sold over 126 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. In 1999, "Next Generation" listed the "Zelda" series as number 1 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that "Zelda" series had always more gameplay and innovations than most other titles in their series. 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".