10 Longest-Running Video Game Franchises With The MOST Quality
8. The Legend of Zelda
With its roots in pure adventure and iconic protagonist Link, The Legend of Zelda is perhaps the quintessential hero story.
The Legend of Zelda originally released in 1986 to incredible review scores. Almost four decades later in 2023 Tears of the Kingdom came out with the same protagonist, same themes, and same producer to equally incredible reviews.
Masterminded by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, The Legend of Zelda has maintained its status as a flagship blockbuster title on every Nintendo console.
The grand adventures, the evolution of iconic characters like Link, Zelda, and Ganon, the progression from wide-eyed courageous novice to a well-equipped heroic powerhouse, and the freedom with which Nintendo embraces and innovates with new gameplay mechanics make each new entry in the franchise an almost certainly anticipated slam dunk.
The gameplay style, stories, and worlds may change from title to title, but the ongoing themes and focus on a dungeon-delving adventure over an RPG bogged down with numbers keep Zelda’s unique charm alive and well.