The Legend Of Zelda Fans Just Got The Ultimate 40th Anniversary Gift

Published Aug 17, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT

Austin King is the Senior Editor of Gaming at ScreenRant and has been with the site since 2020 with a focus on RPGs and tabletop games. He previously managed content for Geek to Geek Media, and has served as a writer for sites like Nintendad, Geek Fitness, and more.

In addition to his work at ScreenRant, he also hosts the Dragon Quest FM podcast and is the author of several books, including co-writing Nimbus (a #1 bestseller in 2013). His latest is the nonfiction The Dragon Quest Book, available now.

He's written about pop culture, video games, and genre studies over the course of his career. You can find him on BlueSky, X, and at Dragonquestaustin.com

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The Legend of Zelda turned 40 earlier this year, and despite a relatively quiet anniversary celebration from Nintendo, there have still been a few releases to get excited about for 2026. The biggest of these, of course, might just be the Ocarina of Time remake releasing in the latter part of this year, but there have been a few other releases sprinkled over the last few months now. While some have been officially from Nintendo, others have relied on fans.

The first Legend of Zelda game was released in 1986 for the Famicom and later the NES, and while it's a classic in its own right, it's probably not your favorite Zelda title. It definitely shows its age, even if you play it with Nintendo Switch Online and use the rewind feature to save your own skin a few times. That being said, it's worth playing, especially if you're a huge Zelda fan already and have never checked it out.

A new version of the first Legend of Zelda game has arrived thanks to Deric Miller and can be viewed over on Romhacking.net. Called "The Legend of Zelda: Z for 2 - Two Player Simultaneous Co-Op" mod, it's a hack of the first game into a two-player cooperative multiplayer game. Both players are visible on the screen, with Player 2 taking on the role of Link's Shadow (see photo above).

Both players share resources and health, so teamwork is definitely a necessity. Both players can also pick up and use any item. The Select button switches your active item without the need to pull up the inventory screen and interrupt gameplay. If you're looking for a great way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Zelda, then this is a pretty cool way to do that.

Right now, there's just one review for this mod, but it's overwhelmingly positive. "This is an incredible gift to just casually drop like this," reads the review. "My wife and I have been playing for about an hour and found no issues." The author of the review goes on to praise the gameplay, ability to share items, and the fun of taking down enemies together.

While this isn't an official release from Nintendo, this co-op multiplayer mod for The Legend of Zelda sounds pretty incredible. If you're looking for a fun way to celebrate the 40th anniversary with friends this year, then this looks like a great way to do it.