The Legend of Zelda

This three-disc boxed set includes all 13 episodes of this short-lived animated series—which aired as part of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! back in 1989—inspired by the popular Nintendo role-playing video game. The Legend of Zelda chronicles the colorful adventures of its eponymous heroine, a princess trying to protect the kingdom of Hyrule from the evil wizard Ganon. Aided by her gallant friend and would-be suitor Link, Zelda manages—sometimes just barely—to foil the wizard's schemes in episode after episode. Fast-moving and action-packed, the show's faux-hip dialogue is often laughably anachronistic (after all, Hyrule is supposed to be a mythical kingdom) and the animation is hardly state-of-the-art, even by ‘80s standards. DVD extras include live-action segments from the Mario Bros. parent show, a trivia quiz, and a match game. Not a necessary purchase. (E. Hulse)