The Legend of Zelda’s live-action movie adaptation isn’t releasing anytime soon, but at least the cartoon series is being reprinted on DVD. Yes, we were surprised to stumble upon this, too, but the complete 13-episode run will be available on a shiny, unscratched disc on October 22. You can preorder The Legend of Zelda: The Complete Series on DVD for only $13.59 at Amazon.
The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo’s biggest and most successful properties, , at least there’s a cartoon series to check out. Back in 1989, animated adventures featuring Link and Princess Zelda were broadcast on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show day off each week, and they’ve all been collected for a DVD release. It’s available to preorder at Amazon for $13.60, and it’ll be released on October 22.
$13.59
This isn’t the first time the Zelda animated series has released on DVD, but it’s been out of print for a while. Older complete editions, like this 2012 release, cost a lot more than $13.59.
Back in 1989, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show had a cartoon segment each day. Naturally, Mario cartoons took up the majority of those slots, but Fridays were for 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 keep Hyrule safe from Ganon. This series is very different from the Legend of Zelda today, as Link was a talkative adventurer obsessed with stealing a kiss from the princess. This is probably why Nintendo insists on him being a silent protagonist in his 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, this is some classic animated fun, and it’s fascinating to see how The Legend of Zelda has evolved in the decades since this show was first aired.
Another way of looking at this release is that you can get a pretty cool display piece for your Zelda collection for $13.59.
While on the subject of evolving, less than a month remains before Princess Zelda finally takes the leading role in a Zelda game. A traditional Zelda game, at least. The Philips CD-i game Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon technically holds this distinction. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom releases 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 preorder guide for more details.
If you’re looking to expand or start your collection of classic Nintendo cartoons, there are a bunch of options for cheap. And by options, we mean a lot of Mario content. The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3: The Complete Series sees Mario and Luigi tangle with the Koopa Kids. Super Mario World also received a cartoon series of its own, and the complete series is only $7. Then there’s Super Mario Bros: Mario’s Movie Madness, a fun parody of popular films like Star Wars and Mad Max, and multiple Super Show DVDs.
Super Mario Bros. DVDs
Most of these cartoons aired during the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, which also featured live-action segments starring pro wrestler “Captain” Lou Albano as Mario and Danny Wells as Luigi. These were silly, but they were also awesome as they featured regular guest stars like Magic Johnson, Ernie Hudson, and in the most memorable segment of all time, the late Rowdy Roddy Piper. Truly, the ’80s were the best decade for TV.
For a considerably 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 of it is available for $20. If you’re a fan of steelbook cases, the Power-Up edition is available for $35. Both versions feature 4K and standard Blu-ray discs, a voucher for the digital version, and Bowser’s “Peaches” ballad that your kids will want to listen to on repeat. We apologize in advance.
