Remember in my last column when I mentioned that The Legend of Zelda merchandise was scarce in the 80s? Well, figurines were even harder to come by. By hard, I mean there were virtually none except for a series of Nintendo trophy figures, which were essentially a set of dioramas featuring multiple games, including The Legend of Zelda. But we’re not here to talk about those. Oh no, we’re here to discuss this figurine from The Adventure of Link by the Applause toy company.
This set of figures was released in 1989 and, as you can see, the only figure produced from the Zelda series was a beady-eyed Link. He stands at 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) tall and besides the blond hair, retains the proper coloring and design from his outing in The Adventure of Link. The design appears to be very consistent with several pieces of artwork from the game manual, even down to the oft missed detail of being left-handed. Much of the merchandise from the first two Zelda entries had Link’s handedness all over the place. It seems that Nintendo of America had a better handle on that by the Super Nintendo era.
To say that I was desperate to own this figure despite its apparent shortcomings is an understatement in the age of excess. I have a distinct recollection of owning the ‘Gibdo attacks Link’ diorama and… extricating Link from it so that I could have my own Link figure. Sadly, this reclaimed figure was even shorter than the Applause figurine and was quickly replaced due to him not being left-handed.
If anyone remembers, Toys”R”Us would usually have a section close to the entrance that contained a lot of grab-and-go merchandise from various different brands and series. That’s where these figures could be found. I remember desperately checking every time we went to see if they had the Link figure in stock. They must have had a full replenishment at some point, because I remember them all being available, including my second choice of Little Mac from the Punch-Out!! series. Despite begging for both, I could only go home with one on this trip and we all know who I picked.
This would be the only Link figure from that point until the release of Ocarina of Time (not accounting for Japan) almost ten years later. In 1989, this figure retailed for $2.49 ($6.34 today) with some references showing that it was eventually clearanced out for as low as $0.20 ($0.51 today). Collectors can find Link’s uncanny eyes for $150-$200 carded, or loose for $20-$50.
You may be asking; did I ever find another Little Mac? No, but I found this guy…
