Robin Williams first played the classic Nintendo game, “The Legend of Zelda,” in 1987 — the same year he starred in the comedy-drama film “Good Morning, Vietnam.” The game clearly had a profound effect on Williams because when his daughter was born just a couple of years later in 1989, she was given the name “Zelda” after the NES game’s titular princess.
The father-daughter duo of Robin and Zelda Williams appeared together during Nintendo’s 2011 promotional campaign for “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.” The two were able to preview the latest release for the Nintendo 3DS handheld while reminiscing about their experiences with earlier games in the franchise. It comes as no surprise that Robin Williams looked back on his experience with “The Legend of Zelda” at the time, saying, “I fell in love with the series years ago, with its incredible storytelling and adventures.” The original Nintendo Entertainment System was a gaming console that defined the 80s, but for Zelda Williams, it defined decades of joy that she was able to share with her dad until his passing in 2014.
Robin Williams was a video game industry advocate
Robin Williams was a dedicated gamer and tech enthusiast. When he wasn’t raking in accolades for “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Good Will Hunting,” and “Aladdin,” he was immersing himself deeply into his geeky hobbies. As a matter of fact, Robin Williams owned a rare 24-inch Sony Trinitron monitor that had a $2,000 price tag in 2001. He wanted the best gaming experience possible, but he also cared about supporting the industry from behind the scenes.
An account from Bill Stealey, who worked alongside iconic game designer Sid Meier, states that a chance encounter with Robin Williams at a Software Publishers Association meeting made a huge impact on a monumental franchise. Williams reportedly said, “Bill, you should put Sid’s name on a couple of these boxes, and promote him as the star.” The result is a franchise now known as “Sid Meier’s Civilization.” If you’re at all familiar with the name “Sid Meier,” credit goes to Robin Williams for suggesting that a talented artist get his due. This is just one example of Williams using his influence to uplift others.
Of course, it all traces back to Nintendo. If not for “The Legend of Zelda,” Robin Williams may not have discovered such a deep passion for gaming. An entire genre of strategy games might have failed to find a foothold without an iconic name to anchor it, and of course, Zelda Williams certainly would have been born with a different name entirely.
