#40
The Legend of Zelda (NES, 1987)
guessed by Leadified
Of all the thousands of video games released over the past forty years, The Legend of Zelda might just be the most impactful. At a time when console video games were short and straight-forward, The Legend of Zelda arrived on the scene with an adventure so large and so open-ended that it required a back-up battery save, an innovation that revolutionized the industry. Not only did it allow developers to increase the size and scope of their games, it also allowed consumers the freedom to play whenever they wished. No longer required to beat a game in a single sitting, video game fans could save and quit their games without fear of losing progress. Moreover, Zelda established, on home consoles at least, the foundation for non-linear action-adventure games like Metroid and RPGs like Final Fantasy. Many modern blockbusters, like Grand Theft Auto and The Elder Scrolls, owe a lot to The Legend of Zelda, in addition to pioneering computer games like Ultima. In fact, modern gaming in general wouldn't be the same without Zelda.
