Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon

Lore & Background

The games were created after Nintendo gave Philips the license to use characters including Link, Princess Zelda, Ganon, and Mario for the CD-i, following the dissolution of a partnership for a CD-ROM add-on for the Super NES. Philips contracted independent studios to develop the games, with Nintendo providing input only on character appearance based on artwork from Nintendo's original games. Philips required the studios to use the CD-i's capabilities, including full-motion video, high-resolution graphics, and CD-quality music. The system's technical limitations, such as unresponsive controls and problems with streaming audio and memory, affected the games. The Faces of Evil and The Wand of Gamelon were showcased at the 1993 Consumer Electronics Show and were given a relatively low budget.

Reader's Guide

Upon release, both games received mixed reviews. In later years, they have received universally negative reception for their plots, full-motion video animated cutscenes, voice acting, controls, and graphics. The games were not acknowledged in the official The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia guidebook. Eiji Aonuma, a series director since Ocarina of Time, remarked that the games do not fit in the 'Zelda' franchise. This has led to the three CD-i Zelda games being considered not only the worst in the franchise but also among the worst video games of all time. The games remain notable as a rare instance of Nintendo licensing its characters to another platform and as a cautionary example of licensed game development.

Did You Know?

• Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon were released on the same day and developed simultaneously using the same graphic engine.
• Link's sword in The Faces of Evil is called his Smart Sword and will not hurt anyone considered friendly.
• The games were among the first Nintendo-licensed games released on the Philips CD-i.