Since the original The 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 prominent and successful franchises, selling over 80 million copies as of 2017.
when did the legend of zelda come out
1986