The live-action film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda isn't coming out anytime soon, but at least the animated series is getting a DVD reprint. Yes, we were surprised to stumble upon this too, but the entire 13-episode series will be available on a shiny, unscratched disc on October 22. You can pre-order The Legend of Zelda: The Complete Series on DVD for just $13.59 on Amazon.
The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's biggest and most successful properties, but there's at least one animated series to check out. In 1989, animated adventures featuring Link and Princess Zelda aired weekly during the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, and they've all been collected together for a DVD release. It's available for pre-order on Amazon for $13.60 and will be released on October 22.
$13.59
This isn't the first time the Zelda animated series has been released on DVD, but it's been out of print for some time. Older complete editions, like the one from 2012, cost well over $13.59.
In 1989, the Super Mario Bros. Super Show featured a daily segment devoted to cartoons. Naturally, Mario cartoons took up the majority of these slots, but Fridays were devoted to the adventures of Link and Princess Zelda.
The upcoming reprint contains all 13 episodes of the animated series, which revolved around Link and Princess Zelda's adventures to protect Hyrule from Ganon. This series is very Link's character is different from today's Legend of Zelda, as Link was a talkative adventurer obsessed with stealing a kiss from the princess. That's probably why Nintendo insists on him being a silent protagonist in its video games. On the bright side, Link's portrayal in the upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie has a very good chance of being better.
Still, it's classic animated entertainment, and it's fascinating to see how The Legend of Zelda has evolved in the decades since the series first aired.
Another way to look at this release is that you can get a pretty cool display piece for your Zelda collection for $13.59.
Speaking of evolution, there's less than a month left until Princess Zelda finally takes the lead role in a Zelda game. A traditional Zelda game, at least. Philips CD-i's Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon technically holds that distinction. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom releases on September 26, and Nintendo is commemorating its arrival with a special edition Switch Lite console and reprints of select Amiibo figures. Check out our The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom pre-order guide for more details.
If you're looking to expand or start your collection of classic Nintendo cartoons, there are plenty of low-cost options. And by options, we mean a plot Mario content. In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3: The Complete Series, Mario and Luigi battle the Koopa Kids. Super Mario World also got its own cartoon series, and the complete series is only $7. There's also Super Mario Bros.: Mario's Movie Madness, a fun parody of popular films like Star Wars and Mad Max, and several Super Show DVDs.
Super Mario Bros. DVD
Most of these cartoons aired during the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, which also featured live segments featuring professional wrestler “Captain” Lou Albano as Mario and Danny Wells as Luigi. These segments were ridiculous, but they were also great because they featured regular guests like Magic Johnson, Ernie Hudson, and, in the most memorable segment of all time, the late Rowdy Roddy Piper. The '80s were truly the best decade for television.
For a much more modern animated take on the series, Illumination’s Super Mario Bros. movie was a box office force to be reckoned with last year, and the 4K Blu-ray is available for $20. If you’re a fan of the Steelbook cases, the Power-Up Edition is available for $35. Both versions include 4K and standard Blu-ray discs, a Digital Edition voucher, and Bowser’s ballad “Peaches” that your kids will want to listen to on repeat. We apologize in advance.