Author: Simon Rayner

Nefarious, flagrant femmes have peppered The Legend of Zelda series since the very beginning.  They are foils to the stoic singularity that is Ganon’s overwhelming, sovereign presence. A flip side, a different flavor of evil, spanning his pair of broom-riding, hook-nosed Gerudo Moms to the flamboyant, murderous mages Ghirahim and Yuga; feminine energies have powered the sorcery which Link fends off time and time again. Arguably, the first feminine villain in the Zelda series was Veran from Oracle of Ages,…

Following February’s Week of Love, we at Zelda Dungeon have been reminiscing side quests old and new. From Kafei to Korok, our next themed week covers a range of Link’s optional escapades throughout the series. In a franchise that rewards you for leaving no stone unturned with everything from Korok poop to fabled equipment and beyond, the team will be reflecting on the trials and challenges where you get out what you put in. What Can You Expect from Side…

At Termina’s hour of need, four giants from the map’s four corners came together, somehow able to just hold back the terrifying moon that promised the end of days. But who were these giants? What exactly are they? If everything and everyone is a parallel version of someone or something from Hyrule, what does that make the giants? We’re told by Anju’s Grandmother in a story that Termina was once one land, protected by the four, ultimately parting to protect…

For better or worse, we’ve seen a lot of classic Zelda games get remakes over the years, or receive some sort of spiritual sequel. From A Link to the Past getting a revamped 3DS outing in A Link Between Worlds, to The Wind Waker HD, and even to the duo of 3DS titles that brought the N64 classics to the forefront for a contemporary audience. Let’s just say it’s something Nintendo likes to do a lot. And why not? These are gleaming games,…

Gorons: a stout race. Known for their stony hides, fraternal social structures, and penchant for dang delicious rock sirloin, they’ve been a series staple for many years. But what of the culture of our bouldering brothers? How do they fashion themselves? Just how much does their biology allow? In some games like Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, and even Breath of the Wild, we see them sprout little tufts of hair from their lil’ dumpling heads, some even sporting billowing beards…

We’ve all been there. In the middle of an epic match, items falling from the sky, you’re so focused on slamming on your enemies you don’t see the Beetle behind you…and skyward you go. There’s a whole armoury of really fun items to use on your foes in Smash, but life-ruining to be used on. The newest item, the Cuckoo, is comical and fun to rain rampant, raging roosters across the field but the worst to be smashed by. Skyward…

Zelda’s representation in the Smash roster is kept relatively low frills, sticking with each of the Triforce’s champions, with Link padding it out with three of his incarnations. But whether or not Zelda is well represented in the Smash roster is a debate for another day. What definitely is well showcased are the realms and locales of Hyrule, spanning everywhere from Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess to Skyward Sword and the most recent stage addition, Great Plateau Tower from…

Flicking through Hyrule Historia, it’s awesome to see the creative process that goes into crafting some of our most beloved characters and to see what could have been. From the strange and obscure, yet incredible concepts we’ve seen for Midna that range from a Tim Burton-esque hominid to fauns and apes each with bizarre masks, to the weird mechanical fairies explored whilst designing Fi, the Zelda team seem to explore EVERY possibility when it comes to designing characters. For good…

As Zelda grows and changes, aspects that seemed crucial slowly slip away, shift or change. Magic for example was once a big deal, but one aspect that seemed quintessentially Zelda was that of mystic melodies played on hallowed instruments. An ocarina, a conductor’s baton, even pan pipes and a few harps, divine musical instruments were once the bread and butter of a Zelda title. Players even went so far as to collect eight different kinds to wake up the Windfish…

With Breath of the Wild came the birth of many new features to the Zelda universe – armor sets with specific bonuses, a more nuanced combat system and *shudder* weapon breakage. Gone were the linear ways of old, replaced with a giant, sprawling map we could explore any which way we chose along any axis, with little pockets of the dungeon experience we knew and loved littered among its many peaks and valleys. Combat carried a much heavier focus, with…