Bomber’s Notebook #009 – 10 Most Creative Locations

Hyrule is a land of fantasy where the outright improbable is allowed to flourish in medieval glory: the result of the boundless creativity of a group of Japanese game designers. The Legend of Zelda franchise has produced some fantastic venues over the past twenty-six years due to its fictional setting, giving it great flexibility in the way of level design. From the multitude of scattered islands across the Great Sea in The Wind Waker to the civilization above the clouds in Skyward Sword, there is no lack in extraordinary locations in Zelda. This list details what I think are the best of the best in terms of atmosphere, level design and architecture. Make the jump to find out which locations go above and beyond players’ expectations to top my list of the most creative locations!

10. Lost Woods (A Link to the Past)

Long before the famed Lost Woods from Ocarina of Time existed, the Lost Woods of Nintendo’s SNES Zelda title was enchanting gamers on their quest to find the Master Sword. A Link to the Past‘s rendition of the mysterious forest is not only bigger and badder, but it’s almost maze-like in nature. A thick fog shrouds the land and the ominous melody combined with the spritely flute perfectly accompanies the Lost Woods, setting an eerie atmosphere.

9. Forest Haven (The Wind Waker)

I loved everything about the Forest Haven. From the outside the island looks quite large, and it certainly is. It houses the Great Deku Tree and is home to the Koroks. The most well-designed part of the Forest Haven is perhaps the outside. In order to enter the structure, Link must grapple his way up to the entrance, where Octoroks and Boko Babas lie in ambush. A secret room hidden behind a waterfall exists on the outside, where Link will find Makar playing his violin. Not surprisingly, the entire inside of the Forest Haven is filled with water and the lights of floating fairies.

8. Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly (Ocarina of Time)

Jabu-Jabu’s Belly may be the strangest and most gut-wrenching location in the entire franchise, but it leaves a lasting impression on the player. Whether the impression be good or bad, I’m sure everyone was caught off guard when they discovered that the third dungeon of Ocarina of Time was inside the stomach of a fish deity. Strange creatures (some float, some don’t) inhabit the guts of Jabu-Jabu including Stingers, Biri, Bari and Parasitic Tentacles. Link will truly feel like he’s in the belly of a gargantuan beast, which makes Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly an indelible dungeon.

7. Windfall Island (The Wind Waker)

I want to run away from home, buy a sailboat and sail away from home so I can live on Windfall Island. It seems to take after centuries-old European architecture design-wise, but the real meat of the island is in its dense population, friendly atmosphere and bevy of shops and buildings. The island is the hub of activity in The Wind Waker much like Skyloft is in Skyward Sword and Castle Town in Twilight Princess. The difference is, there are more sidequests to complete, the characters are more interactive and the island is genuinely enjoyable to explore.

6. Lanayru Province (Skyward Sword)

Oh my crab cakes, where to begin? Now it might seem strange that an entire region is on this list, but no single place in Lanayru Province seemed to be lacking in creativity. From the brilliant concept of the Sandship to the Lanayru Sand Sea to the Pirate Stronghold, every bit of the province is well-design and an absolute joy to play through. Seriously, Lanayru Province is bursting with awesomeness. I really enjoyed the use of Time Shift Stones and the on-rail mine cart segments and most of all the wondrous Lanayru Mining Facility, one of my favorite dungeons in the history of Zelda.

5. Snowpeak Ruins (Twilight Princess)

Alongside the Sandship from Skyward Sword and Inside the Great Deku Tree from Ocarina of Time, Snowpeak Ruins may be one of the most intriguingly located dungeons in the history of the franchise. Link likely wouldn’t have suspected that his visit to Yeto and Yeta’s large mansion would actually be his next major dungeon. The design was amazing, there were plenty of enemies and you still felt like you were in some sort of half-abandoned manor. The mixture of snow, dangerous enemies and the comfort of home make for an interesting combination that plays out wonderfully in Link’s fifth dungeon conquest in Twilight Princess.

4. Dragon Roost Island (The Wind Waker)

Who doesn’t love Dragon Roost Island? It looks so friendly and safe, but little does Link know that the first dungeon he must tackle actually resides on the island. The large volcano that tower above the sea is actually the Dragon Roost Cavern, where Link fights multiple baddies and avoids getting singed by lava. While Dragon Roost isn’t the only volcanic island on the Great Sea, what makes it interesting is that it serves as the home of the Ritos, descendants of the Zoras. The bird-like creatures fly about and carry mail to different locations through the game world, making it a hub for communication and also a beautiful, exotic home.

3. Stone Tower Temple (Majora’s Mask)

The Stone Tower Temple sort looks similar to three giant cacti sticking out of the horizon, but it’s much more than that. What makes this dungeon so spectacular is the fact that it is played both normally and upside-down. The ceiling of the dungeon will eventually be walked on by Link once the dungeon is flipped over. This makes collecting Stray Fairies incredibly challenging and also gave the developers the flexibility to create amazingly complex puzzles unlike anything seen previously in the game. Oh, you can also look down see the sun and sky when the temple is upside-down.

2. Ancient Cistern (Skyward Sword)

Although I feel like the Cistern did not achieve its full potential dungeon-wise, it was still an interesting concept. What I mean is that it was supposed to have two contrasting, opposite sides reminiscent of a Japanese Heaven and an Underworld. Unfortunately, the Underworld was rather small and paled in comparison to the glorious upper level of the dungeon. Speaking of which, the architecture and atmosphere resembles that of ancient China, with a large Buddha-like statue rising from the center of the room. Lily pads, a circular water pool and heavy use of the colors gold and red make it apparent that Nintendo worked very hard to duplicate the style of a Buddhist temple.

1. Clock Town (Majora’s Mask)

Clock Town is my numero uno pick because it’s not only a hustling, bustling world hub, but also very unlike any other locations in The Legend of Zelda. It is constructed of wood and stone and doesn’t look like the wealthiest town in the land. But such an interesting array of characters, events and interesting enough the unusual architecture make Clock Town a constant blast to roam around. I know I spent a large portion of my time with Majora’s Mask discovering new secrets and getting acquainted with new faces in this small town. It will really start to like a second home, a feeling that not many locations in the franchise, if any, can induce.

These are just my opinion of the ten most creative locations in The Legend of Zelda. You may feel free to tell us your own lists and voice any omissions that you think should have been on the list!