What age is Zelda appropriate for?

With the recrudescence of the use of screens and different medias among kids, more and more people are asking if it is good to expose them to this, including video games, at such a young age. What about the Legend of Zelda? What age is the game suitable for?

If you want to read our point of view on the matter and know what age is Zelda appropriate for, just sit back, get your favorite tea or coffee, and enjoy the reading!

Why is the Legend of Zelda so popular?

Maybe like us you started to play the Legend of Zelda as a kid, or maybe you discovered the game as an adult. In any case, kids like adults seem to all agree on the fact that the game is astoundingly great. Before wondering what age group Zelda is the most appropriate for, let's see why we would ask the question in the first place. What makes our favorite Nintendo game so popular, amongst both kids, teenagers and adults?

1. Zelda is an immersive game

One of the most important things for a video game is how its universe is designed, and how we feel during our trip into this universe. In Zelda, Hyrule's atmosphere is enchanted yet profound. It is joyful, welcoming, yet dark and mysterious. It is by all means unique and exciting. The game is made in such a manner that you get so addicted to the beautiful and joyful scenary, that you end up taking Link and Zelda's fight for your own. Why bring darkness and terror in such a peaceful world? 

The contrast between light and darkness and the fight for what is truly good is what makes the ride so interesting and full of passion. Who would want to spend all his time in a wonderful world without having something to fight for? It is not simply Hyrule's beauty that gives the game its immersive quality. It is more so the fact that at a moment's notice, everything can go wrong. Thus, it makes your heart race. It literally takes you to the gut and you feel like Link's story is your own story.

As much as human beings enjoy what is good, colorful, peaceful, we all agree that we sometimes create (consciously or subconsciously) tough situations, so that we can strive to surpass them and rise from the ashes, so to speak. We seek to evolve, we seek to strive against adversity and to become better versions of ourselves. What can be a better way to integrate our shadow selves than to solve the most difficult situations? Of course, it must not be impossible to achieve, as we would probably be so crushed as to give up. But when we have something to beat, something to fight for, we do feel truly alive. In the Legend of Zelda, we find the same kind of energy, and I don't know what you think, but at Zelda Shop we do love it! See how passionate we are? Maybe we're crazy. But we think the game is so good that it literally creates these true emotions and lit up the light inside us. Immersion? We give it 10/10 for any age.

2. Zelda is simple yet extremely fun to play

As author Paul Coelho said: "It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary". 

While we probably all struggled at some point searching for the solution to some of Zelda's riddles, we all agree that the scenario and the game is to a certain extent simple. Or at least, it is simple enough for us to keep track of the main story and go through the game without getting bored to death or lost with a headache. The Legend of Zelda is one of the many games that show us that simple things can still be among the most fascinating. Even though we love difficulty at Zelda Shop, we also think that playing games needs to be fun. And who likes spending 10 hours in a row trying over and over to do the same thing without having any reward at all? 

Games are made to be exciting, eye opening, and one of our core values is also to promote the satisfaction of our inner child. A lot of adults tend to think that children have no clue, that children need to be taught everything, but nothing could be further from the truth. Children too can teach us many important things, and keeping one's child soul might be one of the most important things in order to remain happy. Zelda is one of those games that make you curious again, that makes you adventurous, full of life! We believe that modern society sometimes lacks such qualities, and it might also be why a lot of us still spend hours playing games. Maybe games are more real, more true, more in tune with our soul than most of what our modern societies are made of. 

What is the best age to start playing Zelda?

There isn't a consensus on what age is best to start playing video games in general. Video games and technology are quite new if we compare it to the timeframe mankind was born, and its effect on our brain is still being researched and investigated. At Zelda Shop, we like to think that being responsible is key, and if you choose to let your kid play for a young age, you should always remain in control and set clear boundaries. Playing video games is great for cognitive abilities, imagination and has many benefits. But we should remain careful so that our children can also experience the real world and be able to learn the necessary skills in order to live their own adventure, like Link but not necessarily through a screen ! (although it can certainly be)

A game adapted for children and young teenagers

With that being said, we all agree that even if the Legend of Zelda's universe was made deep yet simple, the game can be difficult and sometimes feel quite intense. At Zelda Shop, some of us started to play Zelda on our Gameboy, and for the youngest ones, it means starting to play as a 7 or 8 year old kid. Sometimes it is family who made us discover the game: a cousin, a brother... When looking back, it can be amazing to see how difficult some aspects of the game are especially for a child, yet we clearly managed to play the game and enjoy it.

This means two things : first, kids are way smarter than we adults believe, and two, the Legend of Zelda can be played at almost any age as long as you use your best discernment. (We don't recommend trying to let your 3 month-old toddler try the game though!) Games with a meaningful story, enigmas, visual puzzles and with a magnificent fantasy world are excellent to help a child develop his imagination and intuition. Furthermore, the more fun we have, the better we learn.

Do adults play Zelda?

Of course they do! Or else Zelda Shop might not even have existed in the first place. I am sure you too have been in this awkward situation. Some supposedly mature, grown up colleague or acquaintance starts ranting about how childish and immature adults who still play video games are. Meanwhile, this same guy will spend one hour a day talking about his favorite sports team. Isn't it ironical? We need to make peace with that statement, but it seems like some people still think that games are bad past a certain age, and are detrimental. But who decided that?

At Zelda Shop, our opinion is that some video games are a great way to chill after a hard day of work. It can also be a great way to have fun with friends or bond with your children, and it can also certainly feel like reading an excellent novel : you can literally immerse yourself into a piece of art.

Also, we do recommend keeping our inner child lit up, cultivating your child spirit. Not in the sense of being childish or immature, but simply by keeping this spark of light we have within. We like to be adventurous and view life with bright, vivid, colored glasses. We understand that life needs to be serious in some cases, but most of the time, we should focus on more important things. It is also crucial to spend some time with ourselves, and getting lost within our own fantasy world helps us a lot to recharge our batteries.Too often in this life are we doing things we don't like,or that we even despise. We believe that playing video games and especially Zelda can help to keep a lighter mood, and to even achieve our dearest dreams!

You will understand by reading this article that we are huge advocates of responsible gaming, and especially responsible Zelda gaming! So obviously, we can recommend the game for adults as well.

If you want to know why it is called The Legend Of Zelda, we invite you to read this article!

What about you? When did you start playing the Legend of Zelda?

Maybe you agree with our point of view, or maybe not. In any case, on Zelda Shop, we are huge promoters of free speech and like everyone to share their side. So don't forget, feel free to comment and share, and above all show your courage and skills, and join us on the adventure!

I hope you enjoyed the article "What Age Is Zelda Appropriate For?".