A Link to the Past Reference in Tri Force Heroes is a Coincidence According to Game’s Director
Posted on December 13 2015 by Kristen G. Rosario
Many of us who have played Tri Force Heroes noticed a pink-haired, brown-sleeved hero standing outside the entrance to Hytopia Castle. Most knowledgeable Zelda fans would automatically recognize the reference developers are making to the hero from A Link to the Past. Well apparently, according to Tri Force Heroes director Hiromasa Shikata, that is not the case in this situation.
In a recent interview with Game Informer, Shikata was asked if this very familiar-looking hero in Tri Force Heroes was a reference to the pink-haired Link we all know from the SNES Zelda classic. Shikata claims that the pink-haired hero standing in front of the castle is not a reference at all to the Link from A Link to the Past, and any resemblance is merely a coincidence. According to him, despite the similar looks that this hero has to Link, him having pink hair was just a random fluke. Shikata explains how everything came to be for this completely random NPC:
Shikata: We really hadn’t thought about it being a throwback character, or a link to that previous character – I said link, sorry – but if you look at the way his hair is parted, his ears and sideburns, he has sort of the conditions by which one can be judged a hero for the Legend of Zelda. The hair is always parted the same way, the same pointed ears, etc. If you look, his design is just a little off from that, so they did have that in mind to make him not quite a hero. As far as the pink hair goes, I guess that was just random chance that he happened to have pink hair in the same way the character you referenced does in Link to the Past.
To be perfectly honest, I think one of the team’s developers added this reference without Shikata or Aonuma’s knowledge. To check out the full interview, just head on over to Game Informer to see what else Shikata had to say about Tri Force Heroes. What do you think? Is this pink-haired, brown-sleeved hero a coincidence or just a very clever reference someone stuck in? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Game Informer
Kristen G. Rosario is an Editor who joined Zelda Dungeon back in September of 2015. His current goal is to become a full-time video game journalist, hoping to eventually gain a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism. While he pursues that dream, he not only takes care of his adorable dachshund Angel, but also helps run a YouTube channel with his brother. The Zelda series is a quest he hasn’t fully completed yet, but hopes to get there one day.
