The Weakest Link
The Legend of Zelda set the bar for the action-adventure genre with its perfect mix of action and the thrill of finding the next dungeon or quest-critical item. It was gaming as golden as the cartridge itself. Then came the sequel. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was originally released for the Family Computer Disk System (FDS) in Japan on January 14, 1987. The game was then converted into a standard cartridge for its release on the NES in North America on December 1, 1988. Though it still had the familiar trappings of exploration, fantasy, and adventure, it also came with some drastic changes that weren't well-received by all--myself included.
Remember kids, "Dodongo dislikes smoke".
With its deceptively easy gameplay and deep exploration, The Legend of Zelda represented a few first-time accomplishments for Nintendo, as well as the gaming industry itself. It was one of the first Famicom Disk Systems games to hit Japan in February of 1986, sporting the ability to save progress without needing a password. With its 1987 debut in America, it was released on a golden cartridge featuring a small backup battery to save progress -- making it the first game to use the technology. But most importantly, it was the first game to truly revolutionize the action/adventure genre with elements that similar games would borrow from for years to come.