I recently have been playing Skyward Sword HD for the very first time. I was not super familiar with the game, but I know that it was more traditional as far as Zelda games were concerned in comparison to Breath of the Wild. Skyward Sword has all of the major tropes popular in Zelda games, dungeons, puzzles, mini-games, escort missions, and more. One thing I was not prepared for was the nightmare inducing trials of the Silent Realm. My first…
Every story has a beginning. It is here that characters are first introduced and the setting established. This is a crucial time in the narrative, as the begining of a tale needs to hook the player’s attention. Without establishing a reason to keep going, some might dismiss a game outright. Some games use openings to create tonal whiplash as in the case of Twilight Princess. Here, Link lives an ordinary life as a ranch hand. His principle focus is going…
The music in the Legend of Zelda series is iconic, to say the least. Recently though, I heard a version of one of the more recent themes in the franchise that really wowed me and got me thinking. The piece I’m referring to was a chiptune rendition of the song that played in the E3 teaser for the sequel to Breath of the Wild. It got me thinking about what other songs really sounded great in either their original form…
When I was 8, Ocarina of Time was quite literally the most awesome game I had ever played. I mean, you could transform from innocent child Link to angsty, teenage Link. You could ride an adorable horse (which is a plus from a little girl who loved ponies) and you got to go on a quest to help a princess (who was secretly a cool ninja) take down a super-terrifying bad guy. What an epic story! But that was just the start of…
Although Hyrule has been host to many common household pets, such as dogs and cats, there are also a variety of animals unique to the series that you perhaps would want to take care of as one of your own. Despite their nocturnal tendencies, perhaps you would like a Remlit as a pet, the creatures from Skyward Sword with the ears of a mouse, the tail of a raccoon, and the behavior of a cat. Maybe you like the Keaton…
Combat has come a long way since the original The Legend of Zelda for the NES. Combat originally required only one button for the sword and another to use an equipped item. For awhile after, combat evolved steadily. The spin attack was introduced in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and eventually special techniques would also appear in games like Twilight Princess and The Minish Cap. Overall though, combat in Zelda was fairly simple up until the Wii’s release. With Twilight…
Bosses — these magnificent monsters or sinister sneaks are the principle threat awaiting Link at the end of each dungeon. They often guard a magical Macguffin that is required to save Hyrule from the forces of evil. Many in the Zelda community have spoken at length about the designs and difficulty levels of the various bosses, however, the locations where these monsters are battled are not as often discussed. Granted, there is not much in the way of spatial variety…
The first playthrough of an amazing game is something spectacular. Think back to the first time you played your favorite Zelda game. Remember how exciting it was to discover new locations, find secrets, and defeat new enemies? The first time playing a good game is an adventure all its own where you become familiar with not only the world of the game, but with its mechanics and gameplay. It is an exciting playthrough full of surprise, fueled by curiosity, where…
Replaying a Zelda game you haven’t played in a while can sometimes yield different results. Maybe when you first played it you were just rushing to the end or not focusing on collectibles too much. Maybe the overall pacing bogged you down because you had trouble figuring out where to go. But having prior knowledge of the game and going through it again can help shine a light on both the good and the bad aspects of any game. I recently…
I’ll tell you what my wishes have been this year: a Zelda equivalent to all the nostalgic Super Mario games that were re-released on the Switch for a limited time in honor of the series’ 35th anniversary last year. Can you imagine a bundle with Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and The Wind Waker releasing in all their glory on the Switch? With what Nintendo did for Super Mario’s anniversary, it didn’t seem too far-fetched to wish for something like this….
