Author: Andrew Millard

Takaya Imamura, a key figure in the designing of the Nintendo style and the father of Tingle, retired this past January. Known for contributing key elements to F-Zero, Super Smash Bros., and The Legend of Zelda, Imamura-san was on the scene for Nintendo’s entire rise to prominence. In an exclusive interview with IGN, the designer sat down to share some of the intimate details of his time with Nintendo. Throughout the comprehensive discussion, Imamura-san shared a number of fun anecdotes…

Here in the US, it’s tax season. Mid-April is the traditional deadline for individual and household returns, and that has me thinking of finances. Since some part of my brain is always on Zelda, those two trains of thought naturally crossed (Spirit) tracks. Actually, my recent completion of Oracle of Ages, with fellow ZD writers Emi and Hannah, planted the seed of this question a couple of months ago: Which Zelda games do the best job balancing the contents of…

Until Breath of the Wild came along with its open world and focus on emergent narrative, Zelda side quests came in basically two flavors: little side stories that would reward Link with a piece of heart, and minigames that would reward Link with… a piece of heart. Sure, there were other prize bundles here and there, but 25% of any meaty distraction came with the whiff of a new Heart Container. That’s no knock; I see Zelda‘s relatively low number…

Our very own Mases and Gooey are back with this month’s Definitive Ranking on the Zelda Dungeon YouTube channel. For this go around, they have the unenviable task of considering the merits of the Phillips CD-i Zelda games in honor of April Fool’s Day. For such infamy, the hosts show a good time of finding the hidden charms in these largely ridiculed games. Certain touches in the design and art were able to worm their way into players’ hearts —…

Horizon Zero Dawn launched shoulder-to-shoulder with bonafide institution Breath of The Wild. Fans and critics have discussed the pair’s similarities with a mix of excitement and disdain over the years. While the Zelda game enjoys unimpeachable acclaim, Horizon Zero Dawn‘s following grew quickly as well. Perhaps best among dedicated PS4 owners and gamers who had been unable to score a Nintendo Switch at the time. The two bucolic games share a lot: beautiful, free-to-explore post-apocalypse vistas; improvisational combat; ancient technology…

If you feel like you’ve met with a terrible fate, check out Dano Brown. His bespoke toys and action figures (NSFW humor in some products) will help turn things around for you. Known as @danobananotoys on social media, Mr. Brown makes a variety of custom action figures and patches. His most recent release is a spot-on recreation of the Happy Mask Salesman from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. As a toy maker, Mr. Brown is the whole package. As…

Breath of the Wild has a vibrant and active emulation and modding scene. Basically without exception, the hacks, improvements, and additions that have come out of it have shown a level of care and creativity that is rare, even among more mod-friendly titles. Perhaps the most ambitious project to be seen yet is Breath of the Wild: Second Wind. The project is two years in the making and combines the efforts of more than 50 people. According to the project’s…

Classic medieval fantasy and gaming are forever connected. A high-fantasy setting that involves kingdoms, castles, elves, and sorcery is fertile ground for writers and designers to use familiar tropes while still having options to create unique worlds. The expectations and archetypes that come from fantasy entertainment — any established genre, actually — provide efficient touchstones between author and audience. But the surroundings become comfortable, and the fans can become complacent. One of the easiest ways to creep out of the…

A while back, I wrote an editorial on how the sounds of the Zelda series are well-designed to stimulate our emotions and imaginations. Fast forward a few months, and my daughter has really cut her teeth on a number of Zelda games, especially Breath of the Wild and the Warriors titles. Now, when she has to force a laugh at one of my groaner dad jokes, she sounds like a found Korok. Back when personalizing phone alerts was the hot…

Nintendo is touting more specific, “smoother and more intuitive” motion controls for Skyward Sword HD. On March 15, the Nintendo of America Twitter account reposted a short video from last month’s Nintendo Direct that showed the relationship between Joy-Con movement and on-screen action. The gameplay footage, with an inset crop of the player’s movements, shows a fairly relaxed range of motion and a clear 1:1 relationship between the real-life action and Link’s animations. One of the more prominent complaints about…