The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is a 1991 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It is the third game in The Legend of Zelda series, following Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987). It was released in Japan in 1991, and in North America and Europe in 1992.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA, read 5 September 2026.
Your like matters. Every heart nudges this game's GamingPickz Score and where it ranks (a small 5% of the score), so the lists get better for everyone.
- Released
- 1991
- Developer
- Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development
- Platforms
- 1 systems
- Critics
- Not scored
- Steam Deck
- Unknown
- Download
- Not stated
The record
| First released | 21 November 1991 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Platforms | Super Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Genres | Action Adventure, Action RPG |
Source. Catalogue facts from Wikidata Q370055, seeded 30 August 2026.
How long is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past? How long to beat it
Total play time for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is about 17.2 hours to do everything, and around 14.9 hours to reach the end of the main story. These are player-submitted times from HowLongToBeat, not our own, shown with the number of players behind each.
| How you play | Hours | Players logged |
|---|---|---|
| Just the main story: straight through the critical path | 14.9h | 557 |
| Main + the extras: story plus the side content most people do | 16.9h | 618 |
| Completionist: everything: 100% the game | 17.2h | 493 |
Source: HowLongToBeat community submissions, read 2026-10-19.
Where The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past sits on the grid
The grid places every game in the catalogue on measured axes rather than on an opinion. This is where The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past lands on each map it has the data for, with the share of the catalogue it beats on each axis.
- Year
- 45ahead of 4% of the catalogue
- Reach
- 62ahead of 96% of the catalogue
Percentiles are against the games that carry a reading on that axis, not the whole catalogue: counting a game with no figure as a zero would flatter everything that has one. How the grid works.
What readers say about The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Reviews written by people who have played it. These are separate from the GamingPickz Score and are never averaged into it: that score comes from thousands of Steam reviews with a sample-size correction, and a handful of unverified ratings would distort it rather than improve it.
Loading reviews…
Did it run on your PC?
Tell other players how it ran on your machine. One tap, from your saved PC if you have one.
Where The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past appears
The ranked lists and finder pages The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past qualifies for, from its own genre and platform to what it takes to run.
Get the weekly rundown
One email a week: what moved in the rankings, what launched, and what dropped in price. No more than that, and unsubscribing takes one click.
We send the weekly email and nothing else. Your address is never sold, shared or used to build a profile, and it is not readable by anyone visiting this site. See our privacy policy.
Common questions about The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
What platforms is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on?
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is available on Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It first released in 1991.
Who made The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past?
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development and published by Nintendo.
How long does it take to beat The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past?
about 14.9 hours for the main story, 16.9 hours with the main extras, 17.2 hours to complete everything, from HowLongToBeat's player-submitted times. These are community medians, so your own run may be shorter or longer.