In the midst of exploring Breath of the Wild‘s vast Gerudo Desert, have you ever thought it might be cool to have a Zelda-like game set in the deserts of ancient Egypt? When I was a kid, I didn’t think I’d ever want this experience, but I got it anyway, and I fell in love! I invite you all to walk like an Egyptian with me as I review of Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy! This game was released in 2003 by…
Can video games be considered high art? The question is increasingly relevant as technology has caught up to the dreams and desires of storytellers across the medium. While attempting to define art is fraught with problems and probably best left to philosophers in the field, at its core art should speak to us, should illuminate our humanity, or grant us catharsis. Video games hold the potential to do these at a level that may rival other mediums. Nathan Deardorff, writing…
What Is a Randomizer? Take a moment to log into Twitch and search your favorite Zelda game. Go on, I’ll wait right here for you to come back… Finished? Odds are that within that search, you saw a mix of regular, “vanilla” game playthroughs, as well as several randomizers. Click on one of the randomizers, and if you’re not familiar with how it works, you might find yourself confused. You could happen upon a streamer who has been live for…
The Legend of Zelda series is about to celebrate its thirty fifth anniversary in 2021. The long running series has left a huge mark on gaming. Because of its long and continued excellence, the series has multiple generations of diverse fans from across the world. The community surrounding the series has developed a great deal in the past thirty years, and it is amazing to see how the series and its fan base have grown. I’ve been an avid Zelda…
What is the greatest dungeon in the Zelda series? A simple question on the surface, but one with so many layers that it makes finding an answer almost impossible. How does one define ‘great’? Is it the dungeon layout? Perhaps the ways the dungeon item is implemented into the puzzles? Or is it the bombastic boss fight at the end? Surely the music and overall aesthetic play a part? And to be honest – what does being a dungeon in…
It seems like so, so long ago that Nintendo so thrillingly revealed the sequel to the mega-hit Switch game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It was a moment I’ll personally never forget, as I sat there, covering it live for Zelda Dungeon, excited and giddy at the possibilities from a successor to what had quickly become one of my favorite games ever. I remember thinking that it was unlikely that we would see any more information or…
In many ways, Breath of the Wild was a spiritual remake or reimagining of the original Legend of Zelda. From the iconic Dueling Peaks, the open world with emphasis on exploration, and its defining of the series for many, to name just a few of the parallels. There has been a lot written on this idea already, so I’m not going to spend long going into those parts. However, I think there’s another set of connections that we can look…
This editorial was originally published on February 29th, 2017 Side quests. Don’t let the title of this piece fool you; this won’t be just a simple love letter to my favorite side quest. This will also be a scathing note written by a jilted lover who’s been burned and worn out by side quests in the recent years, and is ready just to give up on them completely. But first, some context. A few months ago, I was sitting in…
Ocarina of Time was an instant classic in November of 1998. Visually striking, it stood as pinnacle of three-dimensional games, as well as revamping the Zelda formula previously set in A Link to the Past. Even today it is regarded as not only one of the greatest Zelda games, but one of the greatest games in general. Ocarina of Time represents the adventurous spirit of the Zelda franchise within every aspect — story, gameplay, visuals, puzzles, characters — which is why…
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is probably my favorite Zelda game alongside Ocarina of Time. While other games have let Link explore lands besides Hyrule, in comparison Termina feels more interesting than, say, Holodrum or Hytopia. Termina’s compacted nature and character-driven stories make the game deeply impactful, and it certainly left an impression on me. It’s also great that Termina has its own separate history laid out, and might hint towards deeper lore that isn’t explicitly told. Since the…
