The Legend of Zelda is a constant source of great stories, gameplay, and varied art styles for gamers. Throughout the history of gaming, for nearly forty years, Link has adventured through many worlds and the hearts of many gamers. But despite the hype generated by the massive fan base around the release of any Zelda game, trailers have still been a massive part of the franchise’s history.
Since it stretches back to some of the earliest marketing for video games, the many trailers for The Legend of Zelda games go from modern, sweeping cinematics to actual TV advertisements from the 1980s. This variation is quite startling to watch back nowadays but produces some incredible moments that got gamers hyped across five decades. Iconic parts of the series like showing off the master sword to promising returning characters have massively helped make some of the best trailers the franchise has ever had.
6 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Switch Presentation Trailer
Probably the best cinematic trailer in the history of the Zelda franchise up to that point, Breath of the Wild’s showcase trailer for the Nintendo Switch was a cinematic masterpiece. The intense ramping up of the music as Link was shown in many different biomes and journeying in different fashions was an incredible beginning. The promise of an intriguing villain always helps Zelda games to boot.
But as hints of the story were given and the voice narration told of an epic tale stretching back a hundred years, hype began to build not just around the graphics but the game story itself. The epic blend of showcasing graphics and telling fans what to expect from the story was the perfect example of what a Zelda trailer should be. Each new major game in the franchise sees graphical improvements, but the stories they are capable of telling each successive time are just as important. The open-world style of this game was also made apparent, which was a huge deal for the franchise.
5 Majora’s Mask Countdown Commercial
Opting for a unique and fantastical marketing strategy, Majora’s Mask was always going to have one of the hardest jobs in the history of gaming because it was The Legend of Zelda game that had to follow Ocarina of Time. Making one of the most beloved video games in history is hard enough without following it soon after, and while Majora’s Mask gets a hard place in a lot of ranking lists, the countdown commercial for it was impeccable.
Depicting a world going insane as a countdown to the end of the world went by, a voiceover calling itself Radio Zelda showed shots from the game being played on a screen as the narration called for Link to stay safe out there because the world was counting on him. The epic nature of being a child seeing this trailer and thinking about having the opportunity to go out and buy the game is enough to earn a place among the best trailers. Majora's Mask is still known today as one of the darkest Nintendo games, and this trailer provided the template for how the game would continue to be viewed today.
4 The Legend Of Zelda NES Commercial #1
This has to be included for the sheer lunacy of what video game trailers were in the 1980s. While it doesn’t quite have the feel of modern-day cinematics, this thirty-second TV spot for the original Legend of Zelda game on the NES has quite the stand-out style as two gamers begin to sort of sing about the game and the new entertainment system itself.
Showing some shots of the capabilities the graphics of the NES had and giving enough of a vibe through their ‘lyrics’ about what the game held in store for fans, this commercial probably generated more hype for a video game and entertainment system release than anything had in history up to that point.
3 A Link To The Past Japanese Trailer
Japan has produced its own Zelda game trailers over the years. While they aren’t what you would expect from an American TV ad for a game, they are maybe even more eye-catching and fun than that. This one, featuring dancers dressed as the characters from the games and a catchy, ridiculous bit of music in the background, is maybe the greatest way of generating hype for a game release ever seen.
It is extremely hard to look back on this trailer without laughing, but it is hugely reminiscent of the kind of hype that video games would focus on generating back in the early 1990s. A Link to the Past is a legendary game, and this trailer deserves remembrance every bit as much as the game does. Many Zelda games get remakes, but even more of them deserve a chance with one.
2 Skyward Sword ft. Robin Williams
Few people love The Legend of Zelda game series enough to name their own child Zelda, but legendary actor and comedian Robin Williams did. A huge fan of the series, Williams appeared in a short trailer hyping up the release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and instantly made an impact.
Just his appearance, especially to watch back after his death, is a beautiful reminiscent moment that could almost make the hardiest Zelda fan break out their old copy of Skyward Sword for another playthrough. The trailer didn’t do as much for some others to show off the gameplay, but it was a hugely memorable moment for the franchise. Skyward Sword's visuals were always a huge highlight, and they do enough to sell the game.
1 Tears Of The Kingdom Official Trailer #2
The ominous orchestral music at the beginning, the flashes of lightning, and the Easter Eggs have left fans guessing. The darkness of this trailer for the upcoming Tears of the Kingdom is possibly one of the greatest trailers that The Legend of Zelda games have ever achieved. Fast clips of traveling across many biomes, promising a similar style to Breath of the Wild while expanding upon much, Tears of the Kingdom has generated massive hype.
This trailer promised so much, showing a great mixture of actual gameplay-style shots and cinematic, sweeping ones. The mixture and the epic music with a release date at the end promising that fans could bring this new adventure home in just a few short months was massive. Tears of the Kingdom lived up to the ominous name with this epic trailer, as fans continue to wonder about every aspect of this game's release.
The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is set for release on 12th May 2023 and will be available on the Nintendo Switch.