Tag: Hanyou

Majora’s Mask is unquestionably a classic. It was released more than a decade ago on a console that’s now firmly cemented in people’s memories. It was the sequel to one of Nintendo’s greatest success stories, and it has been hailed by the fanbase as one of the greatest titles in its series — praise that’s not unwarranted considering its quality. Considering its age and status, and the fact that it was only the eighth Zelda game ever released in what…

Zelda stories have changed. You could make the argument that many follow the same framework, with a princess being captured at some point, a villain wreaking havoc, and a world to save. Medallions or other relics might play a role in unlocking something somewhere. However, you could also take a look first at the original, 8-bit Legend of Zelda, where most of the character interaction consisted of talking to old men who were disconnected from the rest of the world,…

Zelda games could use some RPG elements. Some might argue that Zelda games already have RPG elements; Skyward Sword showcased an increased focus on character customization, and Zelda games have traditionally been confused for RPGs. However, in Zelda games, the focus has always been on adventure. Proper implementation of RPG elements would supplement the adventure elements and wouldn’t undermine them. Since the developers of Zelda games have traditionally been good at incorporating new elements, this change can be significant or…

So top-down Zelda games are back. That should be encouraging news for all Zelda fans–they had an uncertain future, as the handheld market has changed dramatically since The Minish Cap graced the GBA. The Game Boy Advance and DS handhelds felt very much like spiritual successors Super Nintendo. At its outset, the Game Boy Advance offered a very traditional 16-bit RPG (Golden Sun, of course), a remastered Mario game, and a Mario Kart game that was regressive in the best…

Overworlds tend to be the most memorable parts of Zelda games. While most of the gameplay generally takes place in the dungeons or towns scattered throughout, the overworld shapes the character and tone of a game. The Great Sea is one of the most interesting locations yet featured as an overworld. While some may dislike the Triforce quest or the supposed emptiness of the Great Sea, it no doubt defined and summarized the basic character and tone of The Wind…

Zelda lore is truly unique. After over 25 years, we finally have a clear-cut timeline, and some very basic facts laid out: There are three Triforce pieces, several heroes, several princesses, and a monstrous succession of villains bred by hatred. But for every question each new game answers about the series’ lore, more questions arise. How does this world work? What is its history really like? How much of what we see in each Zelda game can we trust, when…

It’s unquestionable that Ocarina of Time was a revolution for Zelda, Nintendo, and the entire video game industry. While its foundation was instantly recognizable as the standard Zelda formula, it raised the bar for 3D action games and set precedents that are still followed to this day. While one radical opinion is that Zelda games haven’t changed since the release of the original title, a much more common one (an opinion I still disagree with) is that there haven’t been…

Handheld Zelda games always take a different course than their console counterparts. In the current 3D era, this mostly means having a top-down view. The Game Boy Color games, made by Capcom, built off the engine of Link’s Awakening DX (a remake — this will be important later) and bore more than a vague resemblance to its template. This made sense, as the Game Boy Color was the last in a line of mini-NES handhelds, culminating, of course, in a…

A Link to the Past arguably had the best opening sequence not just of any Zelda game, but of any video game. It introduces the player to the controls, the lore, the world, and the level design, and does so seamlessly while pushing Link forward through a rapidly-progressing story. Several pivotal things happen in succession, but they all make sense and set the tone for what’s to come. It’s the fastest-moving section of the game, and not only did it…

Majora’s Mask is often misconstrued as a dark horse of the Zelda franchise. However it is labeled — “underrated, misunderstood,” etc. — most of these comments simply point toward the misconception that Majora’s Mask isn’t appreciated enough. It came out at the end of a console’s life, after the “wow” factor faded away. Many of the reviews for the game weren’t as positive as those for Ocarina of Time, sometimes for good reasons and sometimes for arbitrary reasons. Likewise, many…