Category: Daily Debate

Motion controls have been a staple of 3D Zelda since the 2006 release of Twilight Princess for the Wii. That game, despite being designed for GameCube without motion controls in-mind, was a hit. Since then, we’ve seen varying levels of motion control implementation across the series’ 3D titles. Skyward Sword extrapolated upon Twilight Princess’ controls, utilizing Wii Motion Plus capabilities in an attempt to simulate one-to-one swordplay. Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora’s Mask 3D used the 3DS’ and 2DS’…

The creative process in video games, films, and television is very complex, and it is always fascinating to see how characters, settings, and story events evolve over the course of development. One of the best tools for exploring the development of a project are “making of” or “art of” reference books. These books often contain concept art from different points in a project’s development along with interviews with key figures involved in the project. Over the past decade, Nintendo has…

The game we now know as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was first unveiled to the world at E3 2019, roughly two years after the release of its predecessor Breath of the Wild and roughly four years before its eventual release in May 2023. Thanks in part to an ambition from the developers that no one could have expected and a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic, this hotly anticipated sequel was victim to a protracted development period, multiple delays,…

Everyone’s favorite professional wrestler and actor, John Cena, caused rumors to bound throughout the Zelda fandom by posting a no-context photo of 8-bit Link from the first game on Instagram earlier this week — unintentionally or otherwise. There wasn’t even an accompanying description. Sifting through the comments, the cryptic image caused many to question, “But, what does it mean?” No matter what it means, it’s certainly amusing. The obvious assumption is that John Cena is being cast in the upcoming…

Since the era of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, Sony and Microsoft having implemented achievement systems on their consoles which provide an incentive for players to achieve unique or impressive feats, and to track progression in games. The most common achievements — or “Trophies”, as they are called at Sony — are unlocked by defeating bosses, racking up high scores in mini games, or by finishing the game at varying difficulties. Others require the player to perform actions that…

Link, our favorite hero of Hyrule, has had many different incarnations throughout the Zelda series. However, apart from the commonalities of wearing green, wielding a magical sword, and having a trusty steed and companion, there’s another similarity nearly every Link has: little to no family members. There are a few exceptions of course, like in The Wind Waker, where Link’s sister Aryll’s kidnapping is the triggering event that sets him out on his journey. His beloved grandma who suffers from…

Speedrunning is a part of the Zelda community that I do not have a lot of experience with. The first time I paid any attention to speedrunning was in Spring 2019 when I attended my first Zelda Dungeon Marathon. Even getting into the mindset for speedrunning (let alone doing very well in my runs) is very challenging because it requires me to play Zelda games at a pace that is different from how I usually play Zelda games. I enjoy…

Ganondorf is an iconic villain, integral to the Legend of Zelda series. However, while Zelda and — to a lesser extent — Link’s personalities shift from game to game, Ganondorf remains just about the same in every entry. Nintendo compensates for the stagnant nature of their leading villain by adding in sidekicks or replacements for him from time to time. As an unfortunate side effect of not being cursed to participate in an endless ouroboros cycle between good and evil,…

Since Tears of the Kingdom’s initial unveiling at E3 2019, one of the main points of discussion within the Zelda fan community has been Nintendo’s decision to revisit Breath of the Wild’s iteration of Hyrule. Even today – nearly a year after the game’s launch – this continues to be a particularly hot topic. Given the six-year-long wait, was this decision ultimately worth it? Was Tears otherwise distinct enough to warrant exploring much of the same territory again? Depending on…

The narratives of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have a lot of similarities. In both games, Link awakens after a tremendous defeat to a world that has changed in his absence. Additionally, both games utilize memory or flashback cutscenes in order to fill in the backstories for Link, Zelda, and other key characters. Breath of the Wild requires the player to match different locations across the world with a picture from the Sheikah Slate. These memories…