Few–if any–video game series are as acclaimed as The Legend of Zelda. Since its debut on the Nintendo Entertainment System nearly 40 years ago, Zelda has not only represented the very best that video games have to offer, but has regularly pushed the medium forward with new game mechanics, the transition from 2D to 3D, and open-ended and player-focused approaches to world design. In this episode of The Lore You Know–part of GameSpot’s fresh video lineup–join us as we journey through the history of Zelda, going all the way back to the franchise’s earliest days up to the brand-new Tears of the Kingdom.

The Legend of Zelda hit the ball out of the park in 1986, introducing gameplay elements and characters that are still used today. Its enormous critical and commercial success didn’t stop Nintendo from experimenting with the format, however, leading to the contentious Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and while A Link to the Past took Zelda back to a more-familiar structure a few years later, some of Zelda II’s features–like Link’s downward sword thrust–would actually go on to be influential in a variety of other games outside of the series.