Zelda Classic
About Zelda Classic
Zelda Classic free PC game is a remake/clone of the original The Legend of Zelda game released in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The original NES game quickly became a best seller and which many consider to be an absolute classic. However, like many of Nintendo’s games they are never available for other platforms. In 1999 a developer known as Phantom Menance had an ambitious goal of creating the original Zelda for the PC. After a little more than a year, Phantom Menance was able to achieve this goal with the release of version 1.84. This version brought the full Legend of Zelda to the PC including all the nine levels/dungeons found in the NES version and was spot on in regards to graphics and game play.
Development on ZC for the PC didn’t stop there. Since the release, the game has become open source and continues to receive regular updates and code releases. Each new version introduces new features, enhancements or bug fixes. The official website lists more than 30 contributors and has been downloaded millions of times.
Features & Resources
There are a number of features in Zelda Classic that go above above and beyond what is available in the original Legend of Zelda game. These include the ability to create/develop new quests, traditional 8-bit graphics and enhanced graphics. It also feature new game play elements such as new challenges, enemies and items. Finally, additional quests and tilesets are available for download. The official website also contains documentation wiki, FAQ, walkthroughs and third party programs available for the game.
PureZC is another great resource for all things related to the game. It is one of the best and most popular resources for the game and includes downloads for quests, tilesets, tutorials and more. It also has a great support community for those looking to start playing or developing.
Is Zelda Classic Free?
Yes. ZC is open source and free to download from the official website. That being said, the legality seems to be a bit of a grey area. A forum post from 2004 addressed this question. It’s stated that the game is not a ROM and not the original Nintendo developed game. It uses the name and characters from the Nintendo version which is not legal. However it seems that Nintendo is aware of the game and has not issued any take down requests. This, even with the recent resurgence of retro and Nintendo release such as the NES Classic Edition. Full thread can be found on the Armageddon forum.
How to Download
ZC can be downloaded from the official website. The download page includes links and details on all of the latest releases. Also, the game is available for Windows PC, Mac OS and Linux operating systems.