Editing Universe of The Legend of Zelda (section)

==== 2D world design ====
Miyamoto and Tezuka started working on ''The Legend of Zelda'' during the development of ''[[Super Mario Bros.|Super Mario Bros]]''.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Lambie |first=Ryan |date=2011-11-22 |title=The inspiration behind The Legend Of Zelda |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/the-inspiration-behind-the-legend-of-zelda/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=Den of Geek |language=en-US |archive-date=May 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501230016/https://www.denofgeek.com/games/the-inspiration-behind-the-legend-of-zelda/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Initially, the game did not feature an overworld. In ''[[Hyrule Historia]]'', Miyamoto said that Nintendo aimed to develop a launch title for the [[Famicom Disk System]]. An early game was initially designed to make use of the Disk System's ability to rewrite data, allowing players to create dungeons and explore other players' creations. He explained: "We made a one-player game with dungeons under mountains that surrounded Death Mountain, but we couldn't shake that "I want to play above ground, too!" feeling, so we added forests and lakes, and eventually Hyrule Field".<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia |publisher=Dark Horse |year=2013 |pages=2}}</ref>

The first specifications were drawn up on a whiteboard by Miyamoto and then copied onto a document on 1 February 1985. The document detailed early concepts for items and enemies that would later feature in the game, such as a compass, bows and arrows and a boomerang, and "Hakkai", an early name given to [[Ganon]]. This was developed into rough sketches for various items and enemies within the following two weeks. The name for the game had not yet been decided, so the title was simply labelled "Adventure". Long paper was used to create the first land map of Hyrule, which was developed by Tezuka and Miyamoto sitting side by side and drawing together.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Warmoth |first=Brian |title='Legend of Zelda' Concept Art Comes Out Of Nintendo's Archives |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2460471/legend-of-zelda-concept-art-comes-out-of-nintendos-archives/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=MTV News |language=en |archive-date=April 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430095246/http://www.mtv.com/news/2460471/legend-of-zelda-concept-art-comes-out-of-nintendos-archives/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Iwata Asks - The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks |url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Asks/Iwata-Asks-The-Legend-of-Zelda-Spirit-Tracks/Iwata-Asks-Zelda-Handheld-History-/Bonus-1-Ancient-Documents-from-1985/Bonus-1-Ancient-Documents-from-1985-233949.html |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=Nintendo of Europe GmbH |language=en-GB |archive-date=March 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311134952/https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Asks/Iwata-Asks-The-Legend-of-Zelda-Spirit-Tracks/Iwata-Asks-Zelda-Handheld-History-/Bonus-1-Ancient-Documents-from-1985/Bonus-1-Ancient-Documents-from-1985-233949.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Miyamoto said that the name "Hyrule" seemed like the perfect choice during a discussion to find a name for a [[High fantasy|high-fantasy]] region. In Japan, ''The Legend of Zelda'' game was released as ''The Hyrule Fantasy'', which was almost chosen as the name for the entire franchise, but was dropped after the first game. Miyamoto said this could have been due to the name being too similar to ''[[Final Fantasy (video game)|Final Fantasy]]'', which was released soon afterwards.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-30 |title=The Legend Of Zelda Was Almost Called The Hyrule Fantasy |url=https://screenrant.com/legend-zelda-hyrule-fantasy-game-name/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US |archive-date=April 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220425221346/https://screenrant.com/legend-zelda-hyrule-fantasy-game-name/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Legend of Zelda Developer Interview - NES Classic Edition – Official Site |url=https://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/the-legend-of-zelda-developer-interview/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=www.nintendo.com |language=en-US |archive-date=December 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205104238/https://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/the-legend-of-zelda-developer-interview/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> 

The original Hyrule map was designed to encourage exploration and discovery, requiring up to several hours to navigate. The map is [[Nonlinear gameplay|nonlinear]], so players are free to choose from several unmarked paths, with just a few areas being inaccessible at the start. Miyamoto was influenced by ''[[The Black Onyx]]'' and ''[[Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness|Ultima]]'', two games that centre around fantasy [[dungeon crawling]]. The ''Zelda'' world was defined by its mazes, hidden rooms and treasures. The game's nine dungeons were designed to be difficult to locate, forcing players to uncover the secrets of the map with little help. In addition to its underworld, the Hyrule map consists of a large overworld created out of a grid structure that is much larger than can be displayed on a single screen.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Altice |first=Nathan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1r34DwAAQBAJ&dq=hyrule+concept&pg=PA172 |title=I Am Error: The Nintendo Family Computer / Entertainment System Platform |date=2017-09-08 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-53454-3 |pages=172–175 |language=en |access-date=May 18, 2022 |archive-date=May 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527055638/https://books.google.com/books?id=1r34DwAAQBAJ&dq=hyrule+concept&pg=PA172 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is 16 blocks wide and eight blocks high and comprises 128 areas. Miyamoto said that maps for the game were included in North America: "The maps included various hints, but to be honest, I thought it would be more enjoyable to play the game without any help. So we sealed the map, with a message reading 'You should only use the map and strategic tips as a last resort'". Players were required to begin their adventure in the centre of Hyrule and use instinct alone to find an old man inside a cave who gives Link a sword and declares, "[[It's dangerous to go alone!]]". While navigating Hyrule's overworld and its many dangerous enemies, players must eventually find the dungeons, which each feature various enemies, items and a [[Boss (video games)|boss]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mejia |first=Ozzie |date=21 February 2021 |title=It's Dangerous to Go Alone: 35 Years of The Legend of Zelda |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/122832/its-dangerous-to-go-alone-35-years-of-the-legend-of-zelda |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=Shacknews |language=en |archive-date=June 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602144749/https://www.shacknews.com/article/122832/its-dangerous-to-go-alone-35-years-of-the-legend-of-zelda |url-status=live }}</ref>

The concept of a [[role-playing game]] was a new experience for players in the 1980s. The gameplay diverged from the fast-paced games typically found in arcades like ''Super Mario Bros'', by offering players an open world to explore, puzzles to solve and a fantasy story that centres on a protagonist embarking on an adventure to save a princess from an evil villain and bring peace to Hyrule. The new game concept caused concern with Nintendo's management. In 2003, Miyamoto stated in an interview for Superplay magazine: "I remember that we were very nervous, because ''The Legend Of Zelda'' was our first game that forced the players to think about what they should do next. We were afraid that gamers would become bored and stressed by the new concept". During the testing phase, players complained about getting lost inside the game's dungeons, but rather than making the game more simplistic, Miyamoto decided to make it more challenging by removing Link's sword at the beginning of the game and forcing players to locate it. He wanted to encourage players to communicate with each other while solving the game's puzzles.<ref name=":5" />